Rajneesh
Controversial spiritual guru who founded the Rajneesh movement and established communities in India and Oregon, USA. Also known as Osho, he attracted thousands of international followers with his teachings on meditation and spiritual liberation.
Biography
Rajneesh, originally named Chandra Mohan Jain, was born on December 11, 1931, and passed away on January 19, 1990. Known also as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh or simply Osho, he was an Indian spiritual teacher, philosopher, and mystic who started the Rajneesh movement. Born in Udaipura, he studied at Dr. Hari Singh Gour University before beginning a career in philosophy. At 21, he claimed to have a profound spiritual awakening in 1953, which changed his perspective and led him to become a spiritual teacher.
After working as a philosophy lecturer at the University of Jabalpur, Rajneesh left his academic job in 1966 to focus on being a spiritual teacher. He traveled widely across India, giving talks that criticized traditional religious practices, political ideologies, and even figures like Mahatma Gandhi. He had an unconventional approach to spirituality, rejecting institutional religions and insisting that true spiritual experiences couldn't be restricted by established systems. He promoted meditation as a path to enlightenment and created his own dynamic meditation technique, which mixed physical movement with traditional meditation.
In 1970, Rajneesh moved to Mumbai, where he started formally initiating disciples, whom he called "neo-sannyasins." These followers adopted new names and wore orange robes to show their dedication to his teachings. During this time, he gave thousands of talks commenting on various religious texts and teachings from different traditions around the world. His talent for merging Eastern and Western spiritual ideas drew in an international following, particularly among Westerners interested in alternative spirituality.
Rajneesh moved to Pune in 1974, setting up an ashram that became central to his movement. The Pune ashram provided a range of therapeutic programs that merged techniques from the Human Potential Movement with traditional meditation. This mix of psychology and spirituality attracted many Western followers in the 1970s. However, conflicts with the Indian government grew, especially under Morarji Desai's Janata Party, resulting in restrictions on the ashram's activities and large tax demands.
In 1981, the movement moved to the United States, where Rajneesh created Rajneeshpuram, a community in rural Oregon. This commune faced a lot of legal and social issues with local residents and authorities, eventually leading to criminal charges against some movement leaders and Rajneesh's deportation in 1985. He returned to Pune and continued teaching until he passed away in 1990. Over his career, Rajneesh published many books and gave numerous recorded talks, leaving a significant amount of spiritual writing that still influences seekers worldwide.
Before Fame
Born into a Jain family in Udaipura, Rajneesh showed early signs of intellectual talent and was known for questioning religious and social norms. He went to Dr. Hari Singh Gour University to study philosophy, where he honed the critical thinking skills that would define his spiritual teachings.
After finishing his education, Rajneesh worked as a philosophy lecturer at several Indian universities, including the University of Jabalpur. His academic background gave him a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions, which he later used in his spiritual talks. The 1960s counterculture movement and the West's growing interest in Eastern spirituality created the perfect setting for him to emerge as a spiritual teacher who could connect these different cultures.
Key Achievements
- Founded the Rajneesh movement with thousands of international followers across multiple continents
- Developed dynamic meditation technique combining physical movement with traditional meditative practices
- Established successful spiritual communities in Pune, India and Rajneeshpuram, Oregon
- Delivered over 1,000 recorded discourses on spirituality, philosophy, and human consciousness
- Authored and inspired publication of over 650 books translated into dozens of languages
Did You Know?
- 01.He owned 93 Rolls-Royce cars at his Oregon commune, claiming they were gifts from disciples and using them to make a statement about materialism and spirituality
- 02.His followers at Rajneeshpuram conducted the largest bioterror attack in U.S. history by contaminating salad bars in The Dalles, Oregon with salmonella in 1984
- 03.He maintained a vow of silence for several years in the 1980s, communicating only through hand gestures and written notes
- 04.His daily discourses were delivered in English despite being a native Hindi speaker, specifically to reach Western audiences
- 05.He changed his name from Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to Osho in 1989, explaining that 'Osho' was derived from William James's word 'oceanic'