Spirituality is the highest need — there is a hierarchy of needs. The first plane of needs is physical. The poor person remains tethered to the physical: he is hungry, he is ill, he does not have any shelter, not enough clothes.Spirituality is the highest need — there is a hierarchy of needs. The first plane of needs is physical. The poor person remains tethered to the physical: he is hungry, he is ill, he does not have any shelter, not enough clothes.
When Physical needs are fulfilled, then psychological needs arise- They are higher needs. Then there is a search for music, poetry, art, sculpture, architecture, gardening, these are higher needs, but with higher needs, higher problems arise, hence I welcome higher problems.
When all psychological needs are fulfilled — when you have learnt the most beautiful music, enjoyed poetry, art, painting, when your psychological needs are fulfilled, you are psychologically healthy — then spiritual needs arise, never before it. Spiritual needs are the most luxurious needs; they come only in the end. They are like flowers. If a tree is undernourished it CANNOT have flowers remember it. It will be difficult for it even to have leaves. Flowers are possible only when there is an overflowing energy, too much to contain. Then the tree bursts forth into thousands of flowers, color and fragrance — but it is luxury! A tree in bloom is a picture of luxury, because flowers don’t serve any purpose; they are just a luxury, sheer joy. The tree is enjoying its being, celebrating itself. Walt Whitman says, “I celebrate myself.” That is the ultimate in luxury, when one starts celebrating oneself. A sheer joy of being! Then, after psychological needs are fulfilled, the question of meditation, prayer, spirituality, the search for the ultimate source and goal of life, the inquiry into consciousness and its ultimate peaks….
`OSHO