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Aspects of Meditation Book 4: Medicine and Meditation
In spiritual teacher Osho's Aspects of Meditation Book 4: Medicine and Meditation , you'll discover a deeper understanding of meditation through an investigation into the subtle workings of the mind, focusing on questions of health and illness.
The West has taken to meditation with great enthusiasm. We contemplate. We concentrate. We embrace mindfulness techniques and a multitude of mantras. We have undertaken to “do” meditation.
The Aspects of Meditation series is comprised of brief, precious texts in which Osho shows us the core of meditation is not about sitting silently or chanting a mantra. It is, instead, a question of understanding the subtle workings of the mind. In Book 4, Osho examines health and illness, disease and well-being as outgrowths of our sense of self and connection to our mind.
The West has taken to meditation with great enthusiasm. We contemplate. We concentrate. We embrace mindfulness techniques and a multitude of mantras. We have undertaken to “do” meditation.
The Aspects of Meditation series is comprised of brief, precious texts in which Osho shows us the core of meditation is not about sitting silently or chanting a mantra. It is, instead, a question of understanding the subtle workings of the mind. In Book 4, Osho examines health and illness, disease and well-being as outgrowths of our sense of self and connection to our mind.
96 pages, Paperback
Published February 22, 2022
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About the author
Osho
4,354 books6,786 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2025
Osho discusses the relationship between medicine and meditation in the context of disease. Surprisingly, he has literally spoken out my lesson of the year in words in this book:
"You are not allowed to be yourself. The society gives you a pattern, a mould. You are cultured into a certain shape and form. That means repression. The remaining part of your being is repressed. Only a fragment is allowed to be expressed at the cost of the whole. The major part is not allowed to be expressed. It is not even allowed to be expressed; it is not even allowed to be alive. It must move into the darker corners of your being. But it remains there, then there is a constant conflict. The fragment that society allows and the major part of that society doesn’t allow are in tension, in conflict - in constant internal conflict. So you are against yourself; that is neurosis.
No man is for himself; every man is against himself. Man is against himself. That is how society cultures you, cultivates you, conditions you. This repression has many implications. You can never be at ease because a major part is not even allowed to exist, not even allowed to be conscious. The major part of your being is in bondage. And remember that a fragment can never be free. Can you make a branch out of a tree while the whole tree is in slavery? The fragment is basically part of the whole, so even the fragment enjoys only a very illusionary freedom. And the part that is suppressed goes on fighting for expression.
Life needs expression. Life IS an expression."
"You are not allowed to be yourself. The society gives you a pattern, a mould. You are cultured into a certain shape and form. That means repression. The remaining part of your being is repressed. Only a fragment is allowed to be expressed at the cost of the whole. The major part is not allowed to be expressed. It is not even allowed to be expressed; it is not even allowed to be alive. It must move into the darker corners of your being. But it remains there, then there is a constant conflict. The fragment that society allows and the major part of that society doesn’t allow are in tension, in conflict - in constant internal conflict. So you are against yourself; that is neurosis.
No man is for himself; every man is against himself. Man is against himself. That is how society cultures you, cultivates you, conditions you. This repression has many implications. You can never be at ease because a major part is not even allowed to exist, not even allowed to be conscious. The major part of your being is in bondage. And remember that a fragment can never be free. Can you make a branch out of a tree while the whole tree is in slavery? The fragment is basically part of the whole, so even the fragment enjoys only a very illusionary freedom. And the part that is suppressed goes on fighting for expression.
Life needs expression. Life IS an expression."
February 1, 2022
This review is of Aspects of Meditation Books 1 through 4. The books are short, and my comments apply to all of them.
After reading another book by Osho, I wanted to know a bit more about how this man thinks. This series satisfied my curiosity. His ideas must have been quite revolutionary when first presented to gain him such acclaim and recognition. I had never heard of him before last year.
He presents his material in a logical way, step by step, with stories to illustrate his point. I can't say there's anything striking about any of the books, but readers will no doubt find something they can relate to.
My thanks to St. Martin's Essentials who granted me access to an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. The set is scheduled for publication in paperback on 2/22/22. All opinions stated in this review are my own and are freely given.
After reading another book by Osho, I wanted to know a bit more about how this man thinks. This series satisfied my curiosity. His ideas must have been quite revolutionary when first presented to gain him such acclaim and recognition. I had never heard of him before last year.
He presents his material in a logical way, step by step, with stories to illustrate his point. I can't say there's anything striking about any of the books, but readers will no doubt find something they can relate to.
My thanks to St. Martin's Essentials who granted me access to an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. The set is scheduled for publication in paperback on 2/22/22. All opinions stated in this review are my own and are freely given.
August 6, 2021
This is a review for the Aspects of Meditation Books 1-4: These books are pretty short, and if you're familiar with Osho's many, many other works, you're used to his style which I think in many ways is quite logical while also being quite deep. He was very wise even though he was very flawed (as are many brilliant individuals). His take on meditation is a bit different than I read before, and I'm sure it will work for lots of readers. I certainly didn't find all of it useful, but found some useful ideas here.
I really appreciate the free ARCs for review!!
I really appreciate the free ARCs for review!!
October 22, 2025
Osho suggests that some portion of diseases originate from the mind/inside rather than the body, and therefore require different treatments. Some interesting comments on death, one of the big taboos of the west.
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December 10, 2024Not as good as the 1st and 3rd books to me.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews