What do you think?
Rate this book
Tantra by Osho
- GenresSpiritualityNonfiction
Paperback
Published January 1, 1717
26 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Osho
4,293 books6,796 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2024
*Tantra* by Osho is a profound exploration of spirituality that challenges conventional boundaries and invites readers to embrace life in its fullest form. Osho’s teachings on Tantra are not just about techniques or rituals; they are about a deep transformation of consciousness, encouraging a celebration of life through awareness and acceptance.
The book is a journey into the heart of Tantra, where Osho dismantles common misconceptions and presents it as a path of love, freedom, and inner joy. His perspective is both radical and enlightening, urging readers to go beyond societal norms and tap into their own spiritual potential.
Osho’s writing is both poetic and provocative, making the complex philosophy of Tantra accessible and relatable. His ideas challenge the reader to think differently about the relationship between body and spirit, and to see the divine in the mundane.
However, this book is not for those looking for simple answers. Osho’s teachings require an open mind and a willingness to explore the depths of one’s own being. At times, his views may seem controversial, but that’s part of what makes *Tantra* a compelling read—it pushes you to question and to grow.
If you’re ready to embark on a spiritual journey that defies tradition and embraces the essence of life, *Tantra* by Osho is an essential read.
The book is a journey into the heart of Tantra, where Osho dismantles common misconceptions and presents it as a path of love, freedom, and inner joy. His perspective is both radical and enlightening, urging readers to go beyond societal norms and tap into their own spiritual potential.
Osho’s writing is both poetic and provocative, making the complex philosophy of Tantra accessible and relatable. His ideas challenge the reader to think differently about the relationship between body and spirit, and to see the divine in the mundane.
However, this book is not for those looking for simple answers. Osho’s teachings require an open mind and a willingness to explore the depths of one’s own being. At times, his views may seem controversial, but that’s part of what makes *Tantra* a compelling read—it pushes you to question and to grow.
If you’re ready to embark on a spiritual journey that defies tradition and embraces the essence of life, *Tantra* by Osho is an essential read.
July 15, 2025
Overall a really great discussion of enlightenment outside the confines of western religion and morality. I love the ideas surrounding thoughts being transient visitors in the home of your brain. A lot of Osho’s work is centered around being both the witness AND the participant in your life, that way the “witness” you can always remain aloof and unattached to any emotion too polar. He uses the phrase “loose and natural” very frequently to describe the ideal state of living, which I found to be a more compelling word choice than “aloof” which I associate more with complicit detachment.
The mindset here is very much “bloom where you’re planted” the skill set already lives within you. I also appreciated the idea of non judgement for your own thoughts, through judgement we limit ourselves and cannot accept nature. Everything is non permanent and we have to appreciate and be thankful for any moment of passing pleasure or beauty, which yes, sounds like a platitude… but true.
“If you remain always on the right path, you will not be celebrated by existence. You will be a simpleton; you will not be enriched by life. You will have no salt in you, you may be nutritious but no spices, you will be very simple, good, But your goodness will not have complex harmony it it. You will be a straight line, with no curves and no corners. Those curves and corners give a beauty, they make life more mysterious, they give depth. You will be shallow in your saintliness and you will not have any depth in you. That’s why tantra says everything is beautiful. Even sin is beautiful, because sin gives depth to your saintliness. Even going astray is beautiful, because coming back becomes more enriched. This world is needed for you to move into it deeply so that you forget yourself completely and then… a coming back”
The mindset here is very much “bloom where you’re planted” the skill set already lives within you. I also appreciated the idea of non judgement for your own thoughts, through judgement we limit ourselves and cannot accept nature. Everything is non permanent and we have to appreciate and be thankful for any moment of passing pleasure or beauty, which yes, sounds like a platitude… but true.
“If you remain always on the right path, you will not be celebrated by existence. You will be a simpleton; you will not be enriched by life. You will have no salt in you, you may be nutritious but no spices, you will be very simple, good, But your goodness will not have complex harmony it it. You will be a straight line, with no curves and no corners. Those curves and corners give a beauty, they make life more mysterious, they give depth. You will be shallow in your saintliness and you will not have any depth in you. That’s why tantra says everything is beautiful. Even sin is beautiful, because sin gives depth to your saintliness. Even going astray is beautiful, because coming back becomes more enriched. This world is needed for you to move into it deeply so that you forget yourself completely and then… a coming back”
October 12, 2024
Overall my favourite and the best Osho book. He talks about the real origins and meaning of tantra in essence from it's original meaning. (Sex is not mentioned in this book, as tantra doesn't mean sex)
August 5, 2024
Eye opening
December 24, 2025
read in hilton head
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews