All over the world, and in the West more so, people have been taught not to be happy, not to enjoy life, not to be ecstatic. 

People have been taught that to be happy is somehow to be guilty. People have become deep down very much conditioned: when they feel happy, they almost always feel guilt arising. When they feel sad, everything is good. When they are depressed, nothing is wrong When they are serious, there is no guilt. Have you watched it? 

Dancing with a woman, suddenly you feel guilty. Making love to a woman, suddenly you feel guilty. Enjoying your food, suddenly you start looking guilty. Have you watched? Whenever there is happiness something of guilt arises in you. This never happens when you are sad; when you are depressed, when you are carrying a long face, then this never happens.

But if you are smiling... people even feel afraid to laugh; they laugh reluctantly, as if they are going to do something wrong. The whole humanity has been conditioned to be unhappy. All happiness has been condemned as sin. That's why saints are pained as if they never laugh. 

Christians, in fact, say that Jesus never laughed. This is absurd! If Jesus was an Enlightened man, only he is entitled to laugh. But Christians say he never laughed. Have you ever seen a picture of Jesus laughing? So dead, dull, serious, deathlike. If Jesus cannot laugh, then who is going to laugh in this world? 

Somehow man has been conditioned to be unhappy. Happiness seems to be hedonistic, epicurean, pagan. A religious man has to be serious, has to carry a long face, a mask; he cannot smile. He cannot enjoy the small things of life -- his ego won't allow it. His ego keeps aloof, away, distant. He will not meet and mingle with ordinary people, and he will not enjoy ordinary gossiping. He will always remain aloof, far away. 

This is an egoistic attitude, this is pious ego -- and a pious ego is more poisoned than ordinary egos because it is purer: it is pure poison. And these people have conditioned the human mind. They are neurotic people. Something is missing -- they are not normal, they are not healthy; they are morbid, ill.

 These ill people have conditioned humanity's mind. They have destroyed laughter from the earth, they have destroyed festivity. They have destroyed celebration -- and destroying celebration they have destroyed the very foundation of God.

Life is a celebration!"

Osho

A sudden clash of thunder