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The Beginning of the Beginning
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About the author
Osho
4,296 books6,802 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 26, 2022
My fav quotes (not a review):
“The best way to keep the prisoner in the dark is to delude him into believing that the prison is a temple of God and no jail, and he is a free human being; and that all the world exists within its four walls; outside these walls there is nothing. Beautify the prison, for it is a house. And the captive who believes all this, will he ever be free?"
"There was a fakir, Mulla Nasrudin. He used to ply a boat to earn a living For two paise he would take a person across the river. Once a pundit got into his boat. As they were going along the pundit asked the Mulla: ”Mulla, have you any knowledge of mathematics?” ”Mathematics?” asked the Mulla, ”What does it look like?” The pundit was shocked. ”You do not know the science of numbers? Your life is spent in vain. Four annas worth of your life has gone to utter waste.” After some time he asked again. ”Mulla, do you know astrology?” ”What in the name of heaven is that?” asked the Mulla. The pundit shook his head in despair. ”Mulla!” he said, ”Eight annas worth of your life is wasted. If you do not know astrology, what else can you know?” And then a storm arose. A strong gale began to blow and the angry waves tossed the boat up and down. The Mulla asked; ”Punditji, can you swim?” Ten annas worth of your life have gone completely to waste!” And so saying the Mulla jumped into the water and swam ashore."
"There is nothing to say now. Your hesitation has given the answer.” So saying, Vivekananda leapt back into the water and was gone. In vain the Maharishi called out to him – but he did not return. The same youth, after two months, approached Ramakrishna and asked him in the same manner: ”Does God exist?” ”There is nothing except God. Do you want to know? If so, say so,” came the reply. Do not worry whether God is or is not. Whether you want to know is all that matters, was the meaning behind his words. It was now Vivekananda’s turn to be taken aback! He writes in his diary: ”Till then I had taken my mentors by surprise. It had never occurred to me whether I was ready to search for God; but with this man, it was different. Those whom I had asked so far had only words and so were not sure of themselves. Ramakrishna had experience and not words.”"
"We can carry out a small experiment: Lock yourself up in a room with a paper and pen and write down, sincerely, truthfully, all the thoughts that come to your mind. When you read these thoughts you will not have the courage to show that paper even to one who is nearest to you. You, yourself, will be aghast to know what is happening in your mind."
"If a play looks real, man gets disturbed but if life appears a play, man becomes tranquil.”
“The best way to keep the prisoner in the dark is to delude him into believing that the prison is a temple of God and no jail, and he is a free human being; and that all the world exists within its four walls; outside these walls there is nothing. Beautify the prison, for it is a house. And the captive who believes all this, will he ever be free?"
"There was a fakir, Mulla Nasrudin. He used to ply a boat to earn a living For two paise he would take a person across the river. Once a pundit got into his boat. As they were going along the pundit asked the Mulla: ”Mulla, have you any knowledge of mathematics?” ”Mathematics?” asked the Mulla, ”What does it look like?” The pundit was shocked. ”You do not know the science of numbers? Your life is spent in vain. Four annas worth of your life has gone to utter waste.” After some time he asked again. ”Mulla, do you know astrology?” ”What in the name of heaven is that?” asked the Mulla. The pundit shook his head in despair. ”Mulla!” he said, ”Eight annas worth of your life is wasted. If you do not know astrology, what else can you know?” And then a storm arose. A strong gale began to blow and the angry waves tossed the boat up and down. The Mulla asked; ”Punditji, can you swim?” Ten annas worth of your life have gone completely to waste!” And so saying the Mulla jumped into the water and swam ashore."
"There is nothing to say now. Your hesitation has given the answer.” So saying, Vivekananda leapt back into the water and was gone. In vain the Maharishi called out to him – but he did not return. The same youth, after two months, approached Ramakrishna and asked him in the same manner: ”Does God exist?” ”There is nothing except God. Do you want to know? If so, say so,” came the reply. Do not worry whether God is or is not. Whether you want to know is all that matters, was the meaning behind his words. It was now Vivekananda’s turn to be taken aback! He writes in his diary: ”Till then I had taken my mentors by surprise. It had never occurred to me whether I was ready to search for God; but with this man, it was different. Those whom I had asked so far had only words and so were not sure of themselves. Ramakrishna had experience and not words.”"
"We can carry out a small experiment: Lock yourself up in a room with a paper and pen and write down, sincerely, truthfully, all the thoughts that come to your mind. When you read these thoughts you will not have the courage to show that paper even to one who is nearest to you. You, yourself, will be aghast to know what is happening in your mind."
"If a play looks real, man gets disturbed but if life appears a play, man becomes tranquil.”
April 10, 2013
Absolutely splendind...a journey to truth from dependence, from delusion, from belief, from dreams and from emptiness....but one line says it all..."By only listening, words are gained and
not truth. Truth and tranquillity will only be obtained when you set out on the journey yourself." Indeed....
not truth. Truth and tranquillity will only be obtained when you set out on the journey yourself." Indeed....
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews