In Compassion: The Ultimate Flowering of Love, one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the twentieth century explores how to empathize with others—and ourselves.

Examining the nature of compassion from a radically different perspective, Osho reveals that “passion” lies at the root of the word, and then proceeds to challenge assumptions about what compassion really is. Many so-called acts of compassion, he says, are tainted by a subtle sense of self-importance and desire for recognition. Others are based in the desire not really to help others but to force them to change.

Using stories from the lives of Jesus and Buddha and the world of Zen, Osho shows how the path to authentic compassion arises from within, beginning with a deep acceptance and love of oneself. Only then, says Osho, does compassion flower into a healing force, rooted in the unconditional acceptance of the other as he or she is.

Osho challenges readers to examine and break free of the conditioned belief systems and prejudices that limit their capacity to enjoy life in all its richness. He has been described by the Sunday Times of London as one of the “1000 Makers of the 20th Century” and by Sunday Mid-Day (India) as one of the ten people—along with Gandhi, Nehru, and Buddha—who have changed the destiny of India. Since his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world.