Inner War and Peace: Timeless Solutions to Conflict from the Bhagavad Gita

by Osho

“When a battle is raging within, enemies appear on the outside.” Osho—the provocative spiritual teacher whom novelist Tom Robbins called “the most dangerous man since Jesus Christ”—provides illuminating commentary on the classic Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. His eye-opening interpretation exposes the roots of our contemporary personal and global problems and reveals how the patterns and conditionings of our minds create misery, dilemma, conflict, and war. Most important, Osho offers his timeless solution to the problem by expanding on Krishna’s psychological vision and drawing wisdom from the sacred text. 

Genres: Spirituality

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2003

About the author

Rajneesh (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.

Reviews

[Prajit Khatiwada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bhagavad Gita has a lot of interpretations from several learned and realized humans. Osho has given his psychological interpretation of the mystical words of Gita which is quite different from all other spiritual interpretations. This has made it easier for us to apply the selected principles in our life and be closer to the essence of Gita. Spiritual interpretation has its own place but is not fully under the grasp of a layman but psychological teachings of Gita can be of immense help to the layman and the beginners in the path too. It is worth a read and to apply the ideas and methods obtained from it in life will help a lot.

[Srikanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Osho never fails to impress you with his insights into all facets of life. Here he takes on the bhagavad geetha and explains it with the view that Krishna was an enlightened being who tried to teach Arjuna how to get out of the turmoil he was in.
This book seems to be incomplete because only the first two chapters of the Gita have been elaborated and the last sentence of the book mentions 'Enough for today'. Probably Osho talked more on this topic, but it did not get captured in book form.

[Avid reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Good first 8 discourses of "Geeta Darshan: - a long series of discourses on Bhagwat Geeta. Interpreted by Osho as no other person has interpreted. The essence of Bhagwat Geeta.
Enchanting.

[ميرا. · Rating 3 out of 5]

بعيداً عن أفكاره الإلحادية, هذا الشخص يثير الدهشة.

أعيش معه كل المشاعر المتناقضة , تارة أقفز، أصفق،أضحك، وأصرخ :" صح صح صح صح عليك ".


هو مجنون وأفكاره تحرض. تجعلني أتعامل معها كأنها كائن حي.

للآن هو الشخص الوحيد الذي أستفزني ، أنا لا أقرأ له فقط، أنا " أشعر بوجوده "أضاربه"، أجادله وأدحض بعض أفكاره.



* لديه أفكار إلحادية وأنا أخالفها تماماً

[Krishnanand Khambadkone]

Another Gem from Osho. In his own inimitable style, Osho explains the salient aspects of the Gita in layman's terms using very prescient examples drawing from mythological, ancient, contemporary and personal anecdotes.

This book should be on everyone's must read list.

[Hema · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.

[Sandhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"appealing lessons from the GITA. Its simply a "Must read" for all."