Chandra Mohan Jain (11 December 1931 19 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (pronunciation(helpinfo)) during the 1970s and 1980s, and as Osho (pronunciation(helpinfo);) from 1989, was an Indian mystic, guru and spiritual teacher. His international following has continued beyond his death.

A professor of philosophy, he travelled throughout India during the 1960s as a public speaker. His outspoken criticism of politicians and the political mind, Mahatma Gandhi and institutionalised religion made him controversial. He advocated a more open attitude towards sexuality, a stance which earned him the sobriquet of "sex guru" in the Indian and (later) international press.[1] In 1970 Rajneesh settled for a time in Bombay, initiating disciples (known as neo-sannyasins) and assuming the role of spiritual teacher. In his discourses he reinterpreted the writings of religious traditions, mystics and philosophers from around the world. Moving to Pune in 1974, he established an ashram which attracted a growing number of Westerners. The ashram offered therapies derived from the Human Potential Movement to its Western audience and made news in India and abroad because of its permissive climate and Rajneesh's provocative lectures. By the late 1970s, tensions were mounting with the Indian government and the surrounding society.

In mid-1981, Rajneesh relocated to the United States, where his followers established an intentional community (later known as Rajneeshpuram) near Antelope, Oregon south of The Dalles, Oregon. Almost immediately, the commune's leadership became embroiled in conflicts with local residents (primarily over land use), which were marked by hostility on both sides. The large number of Rolls-Royce cars purchased for Rajneesh's use by his followers also attracted criticism. The Oregon commune collapsed in 1985 when Rajneesh revealed that the commune leadership had committed a number of serious crimes, including a bioterror attack (food contamination) on the citizens of The Dalles.[2] He was arrested shortly afterwards, and charged with immigration violations. Rajneesh was deported from the United States in accordance with a plea bargain.[3][4][5] Twenty-one countries denied him entry, causing Rajneesh to travel the world before returning to Pune, where he died in 1990.

Rajneesh's ashram in Pune is today known as the Osho International Meditation Resort. His syncretic teachings emphasise the importance of meditation, awareness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humour: qualities which he viewed as suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialisation[citation needed]. Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable influence on Western spirituality, as well as New Age thought.[6][7] Their popularity has increased since his death.[8][9]

Rajneesh was born Chandra Mohan Jain (the eldest of eleven children of a cloth merchant and his wife) at his maternal grandparents' house in Kuchwada, a small Indian village in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh State.[10][11][12] His parents, Babulal and Saraswati Jain (Taranpanthi Jains), let him live with his maternal grandparents until he was seven years old.[13] By Rajneesh's account, this was a major influence on his development; his grandmother gave him unbridled freedom and imposed no education on him.[14] When he was seven his grandfather died, and Chandra went to Gadarwara to live with his parents.[10][15] Rajneesh was profoundly affected by his grandfather's death and the death of his childhood girlfriend (his cousin Shashi) from typhoid when he was 15. His preoccupation with death lasted through much of his youth.[15][16] He was a gifted though rebellious school student, and acquired a reputation as a formidable debater.[17] Rajneesh became an anti-theist, was interested in hypnosis, and was briefly associated with socialism.

In 1951, aged nineteen, Rajneesh began his studies at Hitkarini College in Jabalpur.[18] Asked to leave after conflicts with an instructor, he transferred to D. N. Jain College in Jabalpur.[19] Disruptively argumentative, he was not required to attend classes at D. N. Jain College (except for examinations); he used his free time to work as an assistant editor for a local newspaper.[20] He began speaking in public at the annual Sarva Dharma Sammelan (meeting of all faiths) at Jabalpur, organised by the Teranpanthi Jain community into which he was born. He participated there from 1951 to 1968.[21] He resisted parental pressure to marry.[22] Rajneesh later said he became spiritually enlightened on 21 March 1953, at age 21, in a mystical experience while sitting under a tree in the Bhanvartal Garden in Jabalpur.[23]

After completing his B.A. in philosophy at D. N. Jain College in 1955, he joined the University of Sagar, where in 1957 he earned his M.A. with distinction in philosophy.[24] He secured a teaching post at Raipur Sanskrit College; however, the vice-chancellor soon asked him to seek a transfer since he considered him a danger to his students' morality, character and religion.[25]

Beginning in 1958 he lectured in philosophy at Jabalpur University, and was promoted to professor in 1960.[25] A popular lecturer, he was acknowledged by his peers as an exceptionally intelligent man who had overcome the deficiencies of a small-town education.[26]

Concurrent with his university job, Rajneesh traveled throughout India under the name Acharya Rajneesh (Acharya means teacher, or professor; Rajneesh was a nickname he acquired in childhood), presenting lectures critical of socialism and Gandhi.[17][25][27] He said socialism would only socialise poverty, and described Gandhi as a masochist reactionary who worshipped poverty.[17][27] What India needed to prosper were capitalism, science, technology and birth control.[17] He criticised orthodox Indian religions as dead, filled with empty ritual and oppressing their followers with fears of damnation and promises of blessings.[17][27] Such statements made him controversial, but gained him a loyal following which included wealthy merchants and businessmen.[17][28] They arranged individual consultations about their spiritual development and daily life in return for donations (a common arrangement in India), and his practice grew rapidly.[28] In 1962, he began to lead three- to ten-day meditation camps; the first meditation centres (Jivan Jagruti Kendra) emerged around his teaching, then known as the Life Awakening Movement (Jivan Jagruti Andolan).[29] After a controversial speaking tour in 1966, he resigned from his teaching post.

After calling for a greater acceptance of sex in a 1968 lecture series (later published as From Sex to Superconsciousness), Rajneesh was dubbed "the sex guru" by the Indian press. His talks scandalised Hindu leaders.[30][1]

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Rajneesh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I'm saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes.

It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say this is good, this is bad, you have already jumped onto the thought process.

It takes a little time to create a gap between the witness and the mind. Once the gap is there, you are in for a great surprise, that you are not the mind, that you are the witness, a watcher.

And this process of watching is the very alchemy of real religion. Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty.

Thats the moment of enlightenment. That is the moment that you become for the first time an unconditioned, sane, really free human being. Osho

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Osho Quotes (Author of Courage) - Goodreads

Osho, known for his revolutionary contribution to the science of inner transformation, continues to inspire millions of people worldwide in their search to define a new approach to individual spirituality that is self-directed and responsive to the everyday challenges of contemporary life. The Sunday Times of London named him one of the '1,000 Makers of the Twentieth Century,' and novelist Tom Robbins called him 'the most dangerous man since Jesus Christ.' For more information about Osho and his work, please visit osho.com.

Osho's teachings defy categorization, covering everything from the individual quest for meaning to the most urgent social and political issues facing individuals and society today.

His unique "Osho Active Meditations" are designed to first release the accumulated stresses of body and mind, so that it is easier to experience the thought-free and relaxed state of meditation. (Meditation -The First and Last Freedom, by Osho)

About his own work Osho has said that he is helping to create the conditions for the birth of a new kind of human being. He has often characterized this new human being as "Zorba the Buddha" -- capable both of enjoying the earthy pleasures of a Zorba the Greek and the silent serenity of a Gautam Buddha.

Running like a thread through all aspects of Osho's work is a vision that encompasses both the timeless wisdom of the East and the highest potential of Western science and technology.

Osho has been described by the Sunday Times in London as one of the "1000 Makers of the 20th Century" and by American author Tom Robbins as "the most dangerous man since Jesus Christ."

Biographical: Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic, ST. MARTIN'S Press, New York, available in multiple languages.

Websites for more information: http://www.OSHO.com http://OSHO.com/resort http://OSHO.com/magazine http://OSHO.com/shop http://www.youtube.com/OSHO http://www.oshobytes.blogspot.com http://www.Twitter.com/OSHOtimes http://www.facebook.com/pages/OSHO.International

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1) Experience life in all possible ways -- good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light, summer-winter. Experience all the dualities. Don't be afraid of experience, because the more experience you have, the more mature you become.

2) Ecstasy is our very nature; not to be ecstatic is simply unnecessary. To be ecstatic is natural, spontaneous. It needs no effort to be ecstatic, it needs great effort to be miserable. That's why you look to tired, because misery is really hard work; to maintain it is really difficult, because you are doing something against nature.

3) Remain in wonder if you want the mysteries to open up for you. Mysteries never open up for those who go on questioning. Questioners sooner or later end up in a library. Questioners sooner or later end up with scriptures, because scriptures are full of answers. And answers are dangerous, they kill your wonder."

4) All the Buddhas of all the ages have been telling you a very simple fact: Be -- don't try to become. Within these two words, be and becoming, your whole life is contained. Being is enlightenment, becoming is ignorance.

6) Truth cannot be defined, although it can certainly be experienced. But experience is not a definition. A definition is made by the mind, experience comes through participating. If somebody asks, "What is a dance?" how can you define it? But you can dance and you can know the inner feel of it. God is the ultimate dance.

7) 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.

8) No dead principles can help, but only living consciousness. Be absolutely unprincipled and just follow life.

9) You can go on changing the outer for lives and you will never be satisfied; something or other will remain to be changed. Unless the inner changes, the outer can never be perfect.

10) Any human being who is becoming independent of conditionings, of religions, scriptures, prophets and messiahs, has arrived home. He has found the treasure which was hidden in his own being.

11) To be alone in the only real revolution. To accept that you are alone is the greatest transformation that can happen to you.

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Osho - The World's Most Famous Spiritually Incorrect ...

Online Galleria News From The World of OSHO Post Osho events, news and happenings in the world of Osho. Submit News We invite readers to post comments. Comments may be moderated by the editor. Osho News Online Magazine: Mid-September 2014 Posted by : OWF - Wednesday, September 17, 2014 No. 65 - http://www.oshonews.com Immersed in Music "Nivedano, Beat the Drum!" - interview about his life as a gardener and musician in Osho's communes We Are Made Of Music - Osho: "All the Upanishads begin with aum aum means the primordial sound." ... Osho News Online Magazine: 1 September-2014 Posted by : OWF - Monday, September 01, 2014 No. 64 - http://www.oshonews.com Today, 1st September 2014, Osho News is celebrating its 4th anniversary. Thanks to our avid readers our online magazine has gone 'from strength to strength' - as the slogan goes... The Right to Die Posted by : Swami Anand Kul Bushan - Tuesday, August 19, 2014 If you have 'the right to live' in the Indian constitution, you should also have the right to die. This is the background for mercy killing or passive euthanasia about which the Supreme Court has asked all sates to debate and decide... Osho Nisarga, Dharmashala Love shares. Love does not use the other. Love respects the other and the freedom of the other. - OSHO

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EAST Lancashire smokers have been encouraged to sign up to this years Stoptober and take up the 28-day quitting challenge.

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trusts Quit Squad are leading the campaign in the region for people to swap their fags for gags and stop smoking.

This years campaign enlists the support of top British comedians, including Paddy McGuinness, Al Murray and Andi Osho, who will bring a touch of the British sense of humour to help quitters through this difficult and daunting challenge.

Julie Trezise, quit Squad manager for the trust, said: Smoking is one of the biggest causes of preventable death in the country and Stoptober provides a great opportunity for people to get together and take up the challenge.

Evidence shows that if a smoker can go 28 days without a cigarette, they are five times more likely to stay permanently smokefree.

Last year, more than 4,000 people signed up to take part in Lancashire. The challenge starts on Tuesday, October 1.

For more information call 0800 328 6297 or 01254 283370.

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STOPTOBER: East Lancs smokers encouraged to quit