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Vedanta: Seven Steps to Samadhi- Discourses on Akshyupanishad
The Upanishads were born nearly five thousand years ago. They are a secret communion, a transmission beyond scriptures, beyond words, between an individual and existence.The seven steps to samadbi or enlightenment that the Akshi Upanishad describes are a like a seeker's map or guide to the inner journey. The first three steps are the waking state of the mind, the surface of our personalities; the fourth and the fifth steps go deeper as we enter into our subjectivity; the sixth stage is still deeper, where there are no longer any objects or subject, and the seventh is not a step at all, it is our very nature, our being, Like Osho, the Upanishads don't teach renunciation. Instead, Upanishadic wisdom encourages us to live in the world, play in the world, rejoice in life, and to experience the unchanging and eternal as we journey on these seven steps."The world of the Upanishads is very close to my approach. In fact, what I am doing here is giving a rebirth to the spirit of the Upanishads."
- GenresSpiritualityPhilosophy
431 pages, Hardcover
Published December 31, 2008
2 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Osho
4,294 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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 6, 2013
My Humble Review:
In this book, Osho begins with narrating the significance of self-witnessing. He educates the reader on how to do the Om Meditation (Primordial Sound Meditation) and when is the optimum time to do it. He then explains the true meaning of each and every passage of Isha Upanishad. As usual, he answer all the questions from the disciples very patiently and educates the reader about each and every technique toward enlightenment.
He explains the stages that one must proceed in order to be enlightened. Every word in this book takes our perception to take a drift. This book will be useful for those who wish to adapt certain principles and rules in the spiritual path.
Good luck!
October 17, 2022
One of the best book about the elusive seven steps and it has quite the depth in that so my suggestion is that one should take enough time which I took and it’s really worth the time taken.
March 2, 2013
I really wish I could have completed this book before my exams. I really respect Osho though I dissent with some of his philosophies. Frankly, THIS book was messing with my mind and trying to free a caged bird. I have responsibilities, I don't want to rid myself of chains right now so I closed down the book. I know , how much possible derision and scorn I could attract by saying this but I had to get it out. Oh, how gladly would Osho disagree.
A must read for all those divided and confused about religion and similar 'stuff'. I hope unlike me, you will all be able to wrap your head around the book. For the 60% of book that I read, definitely a 5*.
Will get back to Osho when I feel confident and when the time is right!
A must read for all those divided and confused about religion and similar 'stuff'. I hope unlike me, you will all be able to wrap your head around the book. For the 60% of book that I read, definitely a 5*.
Will get back to Osho when I feel confident and when the time is right!
June 10, 2023
My fav quotes (not a review):
-Page 237 "In the East it has been one of the traditions that whenever a woman is in her period she should not make any contact with anybody. She should move into a lonely room and remain closed and meditating for four days, because if she is out mixing with people she will create unnecessary bad karmas and they will create chains.
-Page 242 "instead of writing ”Beware of the dog,” he wrote ”Be aware of the dog. When you say ”Be aware of the dog,” the emphasis is on you.”
Joke: "I have heard, one Christian missionary was giving a sermon to some middle-school students, small boys and girls. After the sermon he asked, ”Those who want to go to heaven should raise their hands.” So all the boys except one raised their hands. Only one boy, someone called Johnny, remained silent. The missionary asked, ”Don’t you want to go to heaven?” Johnny said, ”Not with this bunch!”
-Page 321 "All beauty appeals, because it is the most impermanent thing in existence. A flower has an appeal, not the rock just lying down there beside the flower. You will never see the rock, you will see the flower, because the flower is impermanent.
-Page 392 "And remember, egolessness is possible only if you are here and now. If you move into the past, if you move into the future, the ego will persist. So don’t ask for any constancy because constancy means you want to continue the past into the future.
-Page 399 "Try to experience what misery is and you will start enjoying it. You will start feeling new dimensions in it, new depths of which you were never aware. This is why comedies in literature are never as deep as tragedies."
-Page 237 "In the East it has been one of the traditions that whenever a woman is in her period she should not make any contact with anybody. She should move into a lonely room and remain closed and meditating for four days, because if she is out mixing with people she will create unnecessary bad karmas and they will create chains.
-Page 242 "instead of writing ”Beware of the dog,” he wrote ”Be aware of the dog. When you say ”Be aware of the dog,” the emphasis is on you.”
Joke: "I have heard, one Christian missionary was giving a sermon to some middle-school students, small boys and girls. After the sermon he asked, ”Those who want to go to heaven should raise their hands.” So all the boys except one raised their hands. Only one boy, someone called Johnny, remained silent. The missionary asked, ”Don’t you want to go to heaven?” Johnny said, ”Not with this bunch!”
-Page 321 "All beauty appeals, because it is the most impermanent thing in existence. A flower has an appeal, not the rock just lying down there beside the flower. You will never see the rock, you will see the flower, because the flower is impermanent.
-Page 392 "And remember, egolessness is possible only if you are here and now. If you move into the past, if you move into the future, the ego will persist. So don’t ask for any constancy because constancy means you want to continue the past into the future.
-Page 399 "Try to experience what misery is and you will start enjoying it. You will start feeling new dimensions in it, new depths of which you were never aware. This is why comedies in literature are never as deep as tragedies."
December 2, 2016
Life is not given readymade, it has to be discovered.
December 13, 2016
As usual, this is a transcript from Osho's talks, and hence this book could have been better edited. All content/quotes for each of the states of Vedanta could have been grouped together, making it easier to reason about.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews