From Chandra Mohan Jain to Bhagwan Rajneesh: The Controversial Journey of Osho
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As his followers used to call him, Osho was one of the most controversial spiritual leaders to walk upon this planet. Osho, a vocal critic of mainstream religions' orthodoxy, was loved by some and hated by others.
So Who Osho really was? Was he a spiritual guru or a controversial sex guru?
The real name of Osho was Chandra Mohan Jain. He was born on December 11, 1931, in Kuchwada in Bhopal state in British India to Babulal and Saraswati Jain. He grew up with his maternal grandparents, and his grandmother allowed him to live freely. He was deeply impacted by his grandfather's death, followed by his childhood girlfriend Shashi's demise when he was 15. Rajneesh was a bright student and developed an interest in debates during his school days. He also started questioning the orthodox religion and was attracted to spirituality. Osho also got associated with the Indian National Army and then the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for a brief period.
In 1951, Osho went to Hitkarini college in Jabalpur for studies but was asked to leave after the confrontation with an instructor. He then moved to DN Jain College in the same city. He started working as an assistant editor for a local newspaper. After completing his Bachelor's and then the Master's, Osho started his job as a teacher while traveling throughout the country as Acharya Rajneesh. He used to be a vocal critic of socialism and Mahatma Gandhi and gave lectures about the same.
Critical lectures on socialism, Gandhi, and orthodox religion soon made him a controversial figure. The controversy surrounding him got bigger when he called for freer acceptance for sex in one of his lectures. He was given the title 'Sex Guru' by the Indian media after this controversy. The tag remained with him until his death.
By 1974, Osho was a well-known face. He was known as Rajneesh Bhagwan by his ardent followers. They were impressed by his ways of finding happiness and satisfaction.
Most Famous Quotes By Osho:
1. "If you love a flower, don't pick it up. Because if you pick it up, it dies, and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation."
2. "To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it."
3. "Drop the idea of becoming someone because you are already a masterpiece. You cannot be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it."
4. "Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence."
5. "Intelligence is dangerous. Intelligence means you will start thinking on your own; you will start looking around on your own. You will not believe in the scriptures; you will believe only in your own experience."
6. "Millions of people are suffering: they want to be loved, but they don't know how to love. And love cannot exist as a monologue; it is a dialogue, a very harmonious dialogue."
Osho also wrote some books in his lifetime. Some of the most famous books written by him include
1. The Book of Woman
2. Being In Love
3. Sex Matters: From Sex to Superconsciousness
4. Zorba the Buddha
5. Maturity: The Responsibility of Being Oneself (Osho Insights for a New Way of Living)
Osho Ashram In Pune: Osho started an entirely new culture and started calling his followers neo-sannyasins. Laxmi Thakarsi Kuruwa was his first follower whom he appointed as his secretary. She later went on to take the name Ma Yoga Laxmi.
Osho founded an ashram in Pune in 1974, where he held his discourses between 1974 and 1981.
In 1981, Osho relocated to Wasco County, Oregon, where he started constructing his new ashram Rajneeshpuram. However, the ashram couldn't be developed due to some legal issues.
Controversies:
Osho was a critic of Brahmanism and traditional religion. His call for freer acceptance of sex led to a massive uproar against him, with notable saints speaking against him.
He was deported to India from Oregon after pleading guilty to two felony counts. He was in a continuous state of conflict with the Indian government. That was the reason behind fleeing to Oregon and setting up a new Ashram. However, that didn't work out either, and he had to return to India.
One of the most shocking revelations about Osho was made by former Veena, who claimed that she was appointed as the personal seamstress of Rajneesh.
Death:
Rajneesh breathed his last at the Pune ashram on January 19, 1990, at 58. The reason behind his departure was heart failure. His ashes were placed in his newly constructed bedroom in Lao Tzu House at the ashram in Pune. However, some conspiracies that are afloat to date claim that he was poisoned in US jails, after which "living in the body had become a hell."