Rajneesh

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Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain (December 11, 1931 - January 19, 1990), better known during the 1970s as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later as Osho, was the founder and leader of a controversial new religious movement who lived in India and the United States.

The Sanskrit word Bhagwan means "Blessed one" (historically, it is used to refer to a Hindu god, such as Bhagwan Ram or Bhagwan Krishna. It is also used to denote an individual who possess a great wealth of spiritual knowledge. Throughout Hindu history this name has also been used as a given or first name -- as most Hindu children are provided with the name of a god or a spiritual attribute. Shree (more commonly transliterated as Shri or Sri) in Sanskrit means "spiritual wealth" and is thus roughly equivalent to the English word "Lord". It derives this meaning from its use as another name Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity.

Attempts have been made by those in charge of Osho's legacy to trademark "Osho" (and his meditations for that matter) but whether these have succeeded is not clear. It stands to reason that trademarking a name that is also commonly used in other spiritual traditions is not a matter-of-course. Osho explains it comes from a word coined by William James - "Oceanic", but "Osho" in Zen tradition is used to call a spiritual master. For example "Osho Bodhidharma".

Contents

1 Osho's philosophy

2 Childhood and awakening

Osho's philosophy

Osho (Rajneesh) opposed the established religions, saying they are no longer appropriate for the accelerated pace of modern life, and vowed to do everything possible not to let his followers create an organization around his teachings. He claimed that the greatest values in life are (in no specific order) love, meditation and laughter, and that the sole goal of human life was to reach spiritual enlightenment.

He extracted and expounded truth and techniques from various spiritual sources. He has spoken over 10 million words and is author of at least 600 books in Hindi and English on various spiritual tradtitions including Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Socrates, Zen masters, Hassid's and every subject under the sky. He was a voracious reader and his lectures were mixed with wit and jokes. A powerful orator, he used it to convey his message, but insisted that the only reason he kept on talking was to eventually convince his listeners to start on a path of meditation. He re-hashed and re-introduced hundreds of old meditation techniques from various traditions, and developed several unique meditation techniques ("Dynamic Meditation", "Kundalini Meditation", "Nadabrama", etc.)

His sympathizers claim that Osho was unique in his syncretism of a number of philosophic systems previously thought to oppose one another, such as ancient Greek doctrines (Heracletus, Pythagoras and Socrates) and Oriental philosophy (Islam, Zoroastrism and Buddhism). His claim that all religions where valid having been founded by an enlightened master (Christ, Pythagoras, Buddha, Mohammed) and later corrupted by the official church, granted him a following of a multitude of ethnic groups and beliefs.

It should be noted that other commentators and movements also made efforts at syncretism that are often forgotten or disregarded by followers of Rajneesh. Those would include the Sikh and Bahai Faiths, Immanuel Kant and the present day Ken Wilber, to name a few. Unlike most or all of them, Rajneesh emphasizes the importance of seeking to celebrate the gift of life.

Childhood and awakening

Osho was born at Kuchwada, a small village in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. At the time, the astrologer predicted that he might die before he was seven years old according to the birth chart. His parents, who were Jains chose to send him to be with his maternal grandparents until he was seven years old.

Osho explains that this was a major influence on his growth because his grandmother gave him the utmost freedom and respect, and also made the other people including her husband do the same. So, Osho was left reckless and carefree without education or restrictions.

Osho explains that children, during their first seven years, have their development affected by being forced to learn and having their dignity ignored. He says ideally it should be the opposite. People can learn from children that which they themselves have forgotten. If a child is allowed freedom during his initial years, he will grow in strength and have enough intelligence to decide and to discuss.

This, Osho claims, was what happened to him. When he joined the first school, he was able to discuss with and convince his teacher who was very strict with children. Osho explains that if the child receives respect, he is more obedient to his parents. If the parents ignore the child's individuality, the child would in turn ignore them. (My Life in Orange, written by Tim Guest, is a memoir which explores the dreams and realities of a childhood in communes modelled on Osho's teachings.)

After Osho was seven, he went back to his parents. Osho explains that he received a similar kind of respect from his paternal grandfather who was staying with them. He was able to be very open with his grandfather. His grandfather used to tell him, "I know you are doing the right thing. Everyone may tell you that you are wrong. But nobody knows which situation you are in. Only you can decide in your situation. Do whatsoever you feel is right. I will support you. I love you and respect you as well".

On 21 March 1953, when Osho was 21 years old, Osho explains that he got spiritually enlightened. It was the day of the full moon. After this happened, he says he went out to the garden and sat under the bodhi-tree (bo-tree).

"Love is far more mysterious than life itself, because it has life in it and something more; it is life plus death. And only those who are ready to die will know the life of love. Those who are afraid to die will never enter the mystery of love." - Osho

The U.S. chapter

In 1981, Rajneesh was taken to the United States in search of better medical care (he suffered from diabetes and severe back problems) and also, reportedly, to escape tax evasion charges in India. His followers, at his request, bought (for $6m USD) a ranch in Wasco County, Oregon previously known as "The Big Muddy", but later renamed Rajneeshpuram where they settled for the next several years.

Disagreements over zoning rules and building codes in the beginning continued to escalate between not only his followers and the inhabitants of Wasco County, but eventually with the rest of the state. His followers, known as Rajneeshees, settled en bloc in Antelope, Oregon and were able to elect a majority of the town council. Comments by his public spokeswoman, Ma Anand Sheela, only increased tensions. Matters were not helped by Rajneesh's vow of silence, or the 93 Rolls-Royces his followers bought him as gifts (technically, he did not have income or own any property). When the Rajneeshees subsequently recruited homeless people from across the United States to settle at Rajneeshpuram, it was widely seen as an attempt to use the ballot box to seize control of Wasco County. A bioterrorist attack involving salmonella typhimurium contamination in the salad bars of the 10 restaurants at The Dalles, Oregon was traced to the acts of Sheela and some of her group. The attack caused about 751 people to get sick, but no fatalities. It was the first known bioterrorist attack of the 20th century in the United States. About this time, Sheela was removed from her post in the Rajneesh's service, and shortly afterwards left for Germany.

In one of his daily discourses after Sheela left, Osho claimed that he chose Sheela as his secretary for several reasons, and one was to teach his followers not to blindly follow authority. He claimed that he wanted to make it clear by example that even if a beloved leader's first in command says to do something that it is ultimately up to each individual to make the right choice. In this view, Rajneeshpuram was a risky game, a lesson in questioning authority.

This chapter finally ended in 1985, when Rajneesh was arrested in North Carolina as he was allegedly fleeing the U.S. On October 23, 1985, a federal grand jury in Portland, Oregon had secretly indicted Rajneesh, Sheela, and six others of his followers for alleged immigration crimes. Two days later, a Wasco County grand jury returned indictments against Sheela and two others, charging them with the attempted murder of Swami Devaraj, Bhagwan's personal doctor. Rajneesh on advice of his lawyers entered an "Alford plea," also called a no-contest plea, and was given a suspended sentence on condition that he leave the country.

Osho claimed that he was poisoned in jail and January 19, 1990, four years after the arrest, he died. He was 59. His ashes are placed in a magnificently reconstructed meditation hall, at his last home place, his Ashram in Pune, India.

Bibliography

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 1981, "Philosophia Perennis" by Osho international Foundation
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 1976 "The Hidden Harmony, discourses on the fragments of Heracletus" by Osho International Fondation
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 1975, "The Mustard Seed, commentaries on the fifth gospel by Saint Thomas.
Meditation The First And Last Freedom