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The great challenge: A Rajneesh reader
The great challenge of Osho is not just a challenge, it is also an invitation to delve into the inner world. Within this series of discourses is the wisdom of a 20th-century buddha, made available through his response to questions from people who sense there is more to life than meets the eye. Osho covers it all - from God and faith to existence and consciousness, from the miracles of Jesus to the materializations of Sai Baba, from intellect and intelligence to the significance of the master- disciple connection. This introduction to Osho's work includes the secret aspects of spiritual traditions as well as talks on death, reincarnation and the scientific foundation of his revolutionary technique, Dynamic Meditation.
211 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
8 people are currently reading
800 people want to read
About the author
Osho
4,316 books6,839 followersRajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain, 11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990) and latter rebranded as Osho was leader of the Rajneesh movement. During his lifetime he was viewed as a controversial new religious movement leader and mystic.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.
Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.
In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".
In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.
In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.
In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[
After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 26, 2020
Life is possible only through challenges. Life is possible only when you have both good weather and bad weather, when you have both pleasure and pain, when you have both winter and summer, day and night. When you have both sadness and happiness, discomfort and comfort. Life moves between these two polarities. Moving between these two polarities you learn how to balance. Between these two wings you learn how to fly to the farthest star.
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January 24, 2018
Another good reading, this one describing dynamic meditation, created by the author.
March 19, 2023
A super read!!. A book to read and discuss among others. And incorporate better approaches in your life.
Things to contemplate upon:
• Idea of meditation / Emphasis on Meditation:
Meditation cannot be done, it happens. You have to make preperations for it but you cannot make it occur.
• What is the purpose of life. Why we should do Yoga or any meditations ?
Life is a child play. 'Leela'. One should be able to see sense in non-sense. See a purpose in no purpose. A serious person can never be religious. We should be sincere than serious.
Yoga and Meditations are the ways to be here.
Religion, science art can only come out of a non-serious mind.
Advices on how to know which questions are worth seeking solution.
( 2 questions before indulging in any question)
1. Does this question is really coming from me ? It should not be a readymade question.
2. Whether answering this question will change me totally ? Will it change the way of my being?
If the answer to these questions is Yes. then asking the questions makes sense.
Qoutes:
The only way to be happy is no reason. One can be truly happy if there is no reason.
Sanyas- Be in the world don't allow the world to be in you.
Seriousness is a disease. Be sincere.
Doubt is not against faith, it is towards faith, if you can doubt rightly.
Meditation is neither concentration nor contemplation.
God is existence.
Supression and Indulegence are the same thing.
I am not concerned with miracles, this whole life is absurd so whatever you do in it is meaningless. The only miracle i am concerned with is going beyond. Even a glimpse of beyond will be miraculous.
Things to contemplate upon:
• Idea of meditation / Emphasis on Meditation:
Meditation cannot be done, it happens. You have to make preperations for it but you cannot make it occur.
• What is the purpose of life. Why we should do Yoga or any meditations ?
Life is a child play. 'Leela'. One should be able to see sense in non-sense. See a purpose in no purpose. A serious person can never be religious. We should be sincere than serious.
Yoga and Meditations are the ways to be here.
Religion, science art can only come out of a non-serious mind.
Advices on how to know which questions are worth seeking solution.
( 2 questions before indulging in any question)
1. Does this question is really coming from me ? It should not be a readymade question.
2. Whether answering this question will change me totally ? Will it change the way of my being?
If the answer to these questions is Yes. then asking the questions makes sense.
Qoutes:
The only way to be happy is no reason. One can be truly happy if there is no reason.
Sanyas- Be in the world don't allow the world to be in you.
Seriousness is a disease. Be sincere.
Doubt is not against faith, it is towards faith, if you can doubt rightly.
Meditation is neither concentration nor contemplation.
God is existence.
Supression and Indulegence are the same thing.
I am not concerned with miracles, this whole life is absurd so whatever you do in it is meaningless. The only miracle i am concerned with is going beyond. Even a glimpse of beyond will be miraculous.
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January 24, 2026Apparently Jesus was a Buddhist...
December 29, 2020
There are certain very good techniques and points mentioned about meditation and life in general.
It's not all wild wild country, Osho got a few things really right.
It's not all wild wild country, Osho got a few things really right.
January 17, 2022
My Learnings:
Teaching asanas in yoga is same thing as forcing the body to go against itself. If the pose comes by itself, that's true understanding. A pose may be suggested, not enforced. Reminds me of the Inner game of tennis: 'Instead of saying hold this way or hit that way, coach should say, "How does holding a little upper feel?"' One must discover oneself, whether its enlightenment, or a tennis grip or yoga asana.
"Are you really concerned about the existence of God? Will it make a vast difference to you if there is a God? Will you be a different type of being? And if there is no God, will your whole life begin to have such a different shape that you cannot be the same?"
Teaching asanas in yoga is same thing as forcing the body to go against itself. If the pose comes by itself, that's true understanding. A pose may be suggested, not enforced. Reminds me of the Inner game of tennis: 'Instead of saying hold this way or hit that way, coach should say, "How does holding a little upper feel?"' One must discover oneself, whether its enlightenment, or a tennis grip or yoga asana.
"Are you really concerned about the existence of God? Will it make a vast difference to you if there is a God? Will you be a different type of being? And if there is no God, will your whole life begin to have such a different shape that you cannot be the same?"
December 9, 2024
A few things that I have learned from this book:
1. Meditation is not something that you can do. It happens to you. And it will happen to you only if you allow it to happen. When you become fully receptive. And you can enter the state of full receptivity only when you have truly accepted your ignorance.
2. When the end and the means become the same, the thing becomes meditative.
3. Future longings are nothing but a projection of the past painted more beautifully.
1. Meditation is not something that you can do. It happens to you. And it will happen to you only if you allow it to happen. When you become fully receptive. And you can enter the state of full receptivity only when you have truly accepted your ignorance.
2. When the end and the means become the same, the thing becomes meditative.
3. Future longings are nothing but a projection of the past painted more beautifully.
August 11, 2015
I had much doubts about meditation. It seems that the question asked by the disciples are exactly my question too. This is an amazing discourse.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews