Osho Rajneesh Chandra Mohan - biography. Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)

"There were also false prophets among the people, like
and you will have false teachers who
will introduce destructive heresies and, rejecting
the Lord who bought them, they will bring
self-inflicted death"
2 Peter 2:1

1. "Love yourself and do what you want"

The story of Rajneesh (Osho) and his cult is the story of the rise and fall of one of the adventurers of our time. Rajneesh deeply despised humanity and did not consider it necessary to hide his aspirations; perhaps even more than in the stories of other sects, here the reasons that motivated the newly-minted guru - greed, lust, vanity and thirst for power - are brought to the surface with undisguised cynicism. It is worth adding that the cult of Rajneesh is difficult to attribute even to pseudo-Hindu new formations - it is absolutely an “author’s work” operating in the area of ​​the New Age movement.

Rajneesh Chandra Mohan (1931-1990) born in Kushwad (Central India, modern Madhya Pradesh) into a Jain family. Jainism arose around the end of the 6th - beginning of the 5th century. BC This religion recognizes the existence of an individual soul - jiva, but denies the existence of a supreme God. Like adherents of other Indian religions, Jains see salvation in the liberation of the jiva from the chain of rebirths.

He who has achieved liberation becomes, as it were, a living god and an object of worship. This Jain idea had a significant influence on Rajneesh, although in general his teaching is extremely eclectic.

Rajneesh was the eldest of his five sisters and seven brothers. Until the age of seven, Rajneesh lived with his grandparents. Rajneesh recalled that issues of spiritual liberation occupied him from a very early age. In his youth, he began to experience various meditative techniques; At the same time, he tried not to follow any traditions and did not look for teachers, always relying only on himself. One of Rajneesh's main childhood experiences was the experience of death. In his diary of 1979, he writes that in his childhood he followed funeral processions, like other children followed a traveling circus. In 1953, while Rajneesh was studying at the philosophy department of Jabalpur College, he, in his words, experienced “enlightenment” - his last experience of death, after which it was as if he was reborn. As a student, Rajneesh led a life that was far from conforming to the strict ascetic norms of Jainism. But they entered his soul so deeply as a child that, for example, he vomited all night when he ate with his friends after sunset (eating in the dark is strictly prohibited for Jains - you can swallow it without noticing what... some small insect into which, say, the soul of a great-grandfather was reincarnated). Jainism does not know repentance, and Rajneesh was able to resolve the internal conflict only by rebelling against the “superstitions” of the religion of the fathers and all other religions. The theoretical basis for this for Rajneesh was the “philosophy of life” (Nietzsche and others), which he became acquainted with at the university.

In 1957, Rajneesh graduated from Saugar University with a gold medal in the All India Debating Competition and a Master of Philosophy degree, then taught philosophy at Jabalpur University for nine years. During this time, he travels around India, meeting and holding debates with various religious and public figures. Speaking to audiences of thousands, he gradually gains fame as a polemicist and rebel. In 1966, Rajneesh left the university and began to preach his own teaching, which was a paradoxical mixture of bits of Jainism, Tantrism, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Hasidism, Nietzscheanism, psychoanalysis, popular “psycho-spiritual” therapies and the teachings of Krishnamurti and Gurdjieff. Having no initiation into any of the mystical traditions, he reinterpreted everything in his own way, adapting it to his own needs.

At this time, Rajneesh called himself Acharya ("teacher"). He wandered on foot and rode a donkey around India, calling for inner transformation in order to survive the coming nuclear holocaust and preaching a kind of new nonconformist religiosity, opposition to traditional religions, which Rajneesh sharply attacked at every opportunity: “We are making a revolution... I am burning old scriptures, destroying traditions..." ; "I am the founder of the only religion, other religions are deceptions. Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha simply seduced people..." ; “Faith is pure poison” and so on in the same spirit. More than once he said that he did not believe in any prophets or in the Messiah and that they were all selfish people. Rajneesh saw the main mistake of traditional religious doctrines and meditative techniques in the fact that they call on a person to give up a “full-blooded” physiological life, offering “spiritual enlightenment” in return.

Rajneesh called the truly enlightened new man, combining the rich life of the flesh and meditation, materialism and spirituality, Western activity and Eastern inaction, Zorba the Buddha (the Greek Zorba is an energetic lover of life, the hero of the novel of the same name by the Greek writer Nikos Kazanzakis. In Zorba the Buddha he saw "a man of the future, completely cut off from the past."

The main postulate of Rajneesh's “only religion” can be expressed by paraphrasing the famous patristic saying: “Love God and do what you want.” When applied to the teachings of Rajneesh, it turns out: “Love yourself and do what you want.” According to Rajneesh, there is no god except man, and this is a hedonistic god: “Everyone has the potential to become God... God is a state of consciousness... it is a way of enjoying life right here and now”; “The first thing you need to understand,” Rajneesh taught, “is that you are perfect. If someone tells you that you need to become even more perfect, then that person is your enemy, beware of him.” “You can be Christ, so why should you become a Christian?”

If you follow Buddha you will be in trouble - millions have already been. If you follow Christ, you will also get into trouble. Look at any followers - they inevitably get into trouble, because life changes every minute, and they adhere to dead principles. Remember the only golden rule: “There are no golden rules!”

To achieve a spiritually and physically fulfilling life “here and now,” you need to “be spontaneous,” because “life is spontaneous.” Rajneesh saw the main obstacle preventing a person from being a god and enjoying every moment of life in the division of the mind into two warring principles: the conscious and the unconscious. A person identifies himself only with his conscious mind, and this does not allow him to achieve inner integrity. Only when the potential, the unconscious, is allowed to blossom can a person experience the “bliss of being.” Passions and unconscious impulses should not be suppressed or overcome, but intensely and exhaustively lived. Following one's passions and lusts is, according to Rajneesh, the path to achieving divine freedom.

Immersion in the unconscious, turning off the reflective mind and removing all moral restrictions subsequently led some of Rajneesh's students, especially if they were neurotics, psychopaths, drug addicts or alcoholics, to serious mental illnesses. Rajneesh himself, however, believed that true madness is a split of consciousness into two unequal and mutually hostile halves, consciousness and unconsciousness:

You are crazy and you need to do something about it. Old traditions say: -Suppress your madness. Don't let it come out, otherwise your actions will become crazy," but I say, "Let your madness come out. Become aware of it. This is the only path to health." Release it! Inside it will become poisonous. Throw it out, completely free your system from it. But this catharsis must be approached systematically, methodically, because it means going crazy with the method, becoming consciously crazy.

Schizophrenia goes away after deep awareness. Don't fight yourself. Always remember that the winner is wrong. When conflict arises, follow nature.

The nature that Rajneesh proposes to follow is fallen: “If a conflict arises between love and celibacy, follow love and surrender to it entirely”; “...if it happens that you choose anger, give yourself entirely to it” and the like.

Traditional teachings cannot cure a person from the conflict in his mind, because they themselves are the culprits of this division. “Religions gave rise to schizophrenia” by binding the unconscious with their law and commandments. But Rajneesh opposes the insufficiency of the law not with the freedom of grace-filled transformation, which he had never heard of, but with the permissiveness of lawlessness:

There are no sinners. Even if you have reached the very bottom in this life, you are as divine as before, you cannot lose this divinity. I tell you: salvation is not needed, it is in you.

Rajneesh considers it vitally important for the diseased rationalism of humanity to free the infernal unconscious:

A revolution in human consciousness is no longer a luxury, but an extreme necessity, for there are only two possibilities: suicide or a qualitative leap of consciousness to the level that Nietzsche called the Superman.

2. "Meditation is a state of no-mind"

Rajneesh's preaching did not have much success in India until he settled in Bombay in 1968, where he soon had his first students from the West. These were mainly Americans and British, most of whom had gone through various new religious movements, the craze for “narco-spirituality,” the hippie movement, occult psychotherapeutic groups, etc. In this audience, Rajneesh’s illogical and immoral “non-teaching” about man-theology found a warm response . Rajneesh adds to his name, instead of Dcharya, the epithet Bhagwan Sri - “God the Lord”. From the beginning of the 70s, he began to regularly conduct so-called meditation camps, mainly in mountainous areas.

Rajneesh opposed the purposeful and utilitarian activity of the conscious mind to “celebration” or “play,” that is, activity for the sake of enjoying the activity itself, and not its final result. Such activity, in his opinion, can rightfully be called meditation.

Meditation is a state of no-mind. Meditation is a state of pure consciousness without content... You can find meditation only by putting the mind aside, becoming cold, indifferent, not identified with the mind, seeing the mind passing by but not identifying with it, not thinking that " I am him."

Rajneesh's meditation is similar in description to the dhyana of classical yoga, but achieving samadhi required enormous ascetic efforts, and Rajneesh's methods were even simpler and more effective than Sri Aurobindo's "integral yoga"; they fully corresponded to the superficiality and relaxation of his audience, offering an easy path to “enlightenment” as a kind of acute “spiritual” pleasure. At the same time, Rajneesh did not stop speculating on the fears of his flock, generated by the Cold War and the emerging environmental crisis, presenting meditation as the only way to solve these problems.

In April 1970, at a meditation camp near Bombay, Rajneesh first demonstrated the “dynamic” (or “chaotic”) meditation he had invented. Here is its “technology”:

Stage 1: 10 minutes of deep, rapid breathing through the nose. Let your body be as relaxed as possible... If the body wants to move during this breath, allow it... Stage 2: 10 minutes of catharsis, full cooperation with whatever energy the breath has generated... Do not suppress anything. If you want to cry, cry, if you want to dance, dance. Laugh, scream, yell, jump, twitch: whatever you want to do, do it! Stage 3: 10 minutes of shouting “Hoo-hoo-hoo.” Raise your arms above your head and jump up and down while shouting, “Hoo-hoo-hoo.” When jumping, land firmly on the soles of your feet so that the sound penetrates deep into the sexual center. Exhaust yourself completely. Stage 4: 10 minutes of complete stop, frozen stay in the position in which you are. Through breathing, the energy was awakened, purified by catharsis and raised by the Sufi mantra "Hu". And now let it work deep within you. Energy means movement. If you no longer throw it out, it starts working inside. Stage 5: 10 to 15 minutes of dancing, celebrating, giving thanks for the deep bliss you have experienced.

Deep breathing under the beat of a drum at the first stage of “dynamic meditation” leads to hyperventilation of the lungs, as a result of which a person becomes drunk from excess oxygen. Then he “comes off” as best he can, to the point of exhaustion. Having exhausted all reserves of activity, a person, according to Rajneesh, can no longer control the conscious mind, and it turns off. In a state of “blackout,” when the head is empty and the body is completely relaxed, the unconscious comes into its own. Rajneesh passed off this cheap psychophysiological trance as enlightenment.

One of the components of the Rajneesh vinaigrette is the occult tantric teaching about chakras. True, Rajneesh added on his own that the chakras are perceptible only when they are polluted; if the chakras are clean, then the kundalini energy flows through them unhindered.

The main task of the “Hu” mantra is to open the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine and release kundalini, which in everyday life is spent on a person’s sex life. This is its natural use; however, for enlightenment it is necessary that it move in the opposite direction, up the “energy channel”, simultaneously opening all other chakras. Rajneesh did not hide the fact that this method is very dangerous for the physical body and that many outstanding yogis who practiced this method died before reaching old age from severe and painful diseases. However, at the same time, he believed that the use of kundalini was the most effective method of opening the chakras and that further help from a guru could reduce its negative effects. The main benefit that the ascending movement of kundalini brings, in his opinion, is that it allows “cosmic energy” to descend into a person and circulate in all his bodies, including the physical. The last two stages of chaotic meditation provide the opportunity to feel and enjoy this circulation.

In addition to “dynamic meditation,” Rajneesh also introduced “kundalini meditation,” which he developed, during which the sectarians shook violently in order to “disperse the clamps of the body” and danced “so that the newly found flowing vitality would manifest itself.” In order for meditation to be most effective, Rajneesh recommended doing it for 21 days in a row, combining it with yogic breathing exercises, in complete isolation and silence, or blindfolded.

3. Pune Commune

In the early 70s, Rajneesh began to initiate everyone into “sannyasins”, who, however, did not necessarily have to leave the “world”; only the most fanatical of them later began to settle in Rajneesh's ashrams. And, of course, these “sannyasins” did not take any vows and did not lead an ascetic life; on the contrary, Rajneesh called on them to abandon all “conventions.” The only thing that was required of them was to completely “open up” to Rajneesh and surrender to him in everything. Sannyasins received new Sanskrit names "as a symbol of commitment to meditation and a break with the past." Women received the obligatory prefix “Ma” (mother), and men received the prefix “Swami”. They had to wear bright orange robes and wooden rosaries with a portrait of Rajneesh on their necks, and also always carry a nut with a “piece of the body” of their guru (usually clippings of his hair or nails).

In 1974, Rajneesh moved to Pune (India), where he opened his first ashram commune in Koregaons Park. The ashram could accommodate up to 2 thousand people at a time, and up to 50 thousand people passed through it per year. Over the course of seven years, the Pune center was visited by hundreds of thousands of “spiritual seekers” from the West. By the end of the 70s, about 10 thousand fans of Bhagavan lived in the ashram, and about 6 thousand more pilgrims, whom the ashram could no longer accommodate, settled in Pune. Every day, Rajneesh delivered sermons in broken English, richly seasoned with all kinds of stories, jokes, ridicule and blasphemy. These sermons and lectures were recorded on tape and published in the form of separate books (the guru himself wrote nothing except diaries), the number of which currently exceeds six and a half hundred. In addition to books translated into more than 30 languages, Rajneesh's followers distribute audio and video recordings of his speeches. To organize the production and sale of these products, Rajneesh's favorite student and personal secretary, Indian adventuress with an American passport, Ma Ananda Sheela (Sheela Silverman), created the Rajneesh Foundation Limited company in New Jersey, the turnover of which soon amounted to millions of dollars. According to one of the Rajneeshists, “the organization has long understood the power of money.”

Pilgrims returning from Pune, initiated into neo-sannyas, began to open subsidiary ashrams and become their leaders. By the beginning of the 80s, 500 such centers had already been created - in other places in India, as well as in another 22 countries, including the USA, England, France, Canada and Japan.

At the ashram in Pune there were “therapy groups”, in which professional psychotherapists worked. Rajnish sannyasins generally lived only in groups, subordinate to a leader. Mind control in such communes was especially effective. For example, when Rajneesh hinted that a woman burdened with children could not achieve enlightenment, many female sannyasins were surgically sterilized at the cult center in Laguna Beach.

Naturally, a well-constructed cult could not do without apocalypticism. Rajneesh predicted the imminent approach of a worldwide catastrophe:

This crisis will begin in 1984 and end in 1999. All types of destruction will reign on earth at this time - from natural disasters to suicide by scientific achievements. In other words, floods unprecedented since the time of Noah, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and nature will give us everything possible... There will be wars that bring humanity to the brink of nuclear war, but Noah’s Ark will not save it. Rajneeshism is a Noah's Ark of consciousness, a corner of calm in the center of a typhoon... Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bombay - all these cities will perish in a worldwide catastrophe, which will not be limited to local destruction. It will be global and inevitable. It will be possible to hide from it only in my teaching.

In early 1984, Rajneesh expanded his prediction of a coming catastrophe, saying that a certain Nostradamus prophecy would be fulfilled and AIDS would kill two-thirds of the world's population. When asked whether the Rajneeshites would survive the coming nuclear holocaust, Bhagavan replied:

The monkeys made the leap and became humans, but not all of them. Some of them are still monkeys to this day... I will not say that the Rajneeshites will survive the catastrophe, but I can say with absolute confidence that those who survive will be Rajneeshites, and the rest will be monkeys or commit suicide. In the end, the remaining ones don't matter.

Rajneesh preached freedom of fornication and perversion, while calling family and children an unnecessary burden. He said:

There is nothing sinful in pure simple sex... No duty, no duty, no obligation in it. Sex should be full of play and prayer.

Develop your sexuality, don’t suppress yourself!.. I don’t inspire orgies, but I don’t forbid them either.

Visitors to the Pune commune returned with stories of such sexual orgies, as well as perversions, drug addiction and drug trafficking, and suicides among ashram residents. It happened that meditation sessions in Rajneesh ashrams ended in fights and stabbings. Many people lost their health after experiencing the “Rajneesh therapy”. Here is an excerpt from memories of a visit to the ashram in Pune around 1980:

Murders, rapes, mysterious disappearances of people, threats, arson, explosions, abandoned children of "ashram residents" begging on the streets of Pune, drugs - all this is the order of the day [here]... Christians working in the mental hospital of Pune will confirm everything that has been said , not forgetting to mention the high level of mental disorders, due [in particular] to the fact that the ashram took political power into its own hands and there was no one to complain about it.

The scandals associated with Rajneesh and his shocking statements attracted Western journalists. In addition, shaven-headed, bearded, wearing a “Sufi” cap and loose-fitting “spiritual” vestments, Rajneesh was distinguished by his photogenic personality. He first appeared in the American press in early 1978, when Time magazine published an article about him under the headline “The Lord God from the East.” The magazine reported that this gifted guru stood out among the early apostles of the various New Age "human potential" movements. Subsequently, Rajneesh remained in the spotlight of the Western press and in the first half of the 80s he became the most fashionable guru in the West, eclipsing the Maharishi.

4. "I am the guru of the rich"

In 1980 and early 1981, Hindu traditionalists made two unsuccessful assassination attempts on Rajneesh. At the same time, in 1981, an investigation was launched, which showed that “Rajnish Foundation Limited was up to its neck in tax evasion, misappropriation of donations for charitable purposes, theft and criminal cases against sect members.” That same year, the government of Indira Gandhi deprived the Rajneesh Ashram of the status of a religious organization, and he had to pay huge taxes. Rajneesh, without waiting for the end of the investigation, stopped giving lectures and generally speaking in public on May 1, 1981. From that time on, Rajneesh’s intermediary in communicating with the world became his “right hand” Sheila Silverman. Having sold off the ashram's property in the early summer of 1981, withdrawing money from his Indian accounts and taking with him 17 of his most devoted students, Rajneesh went to the United States on a tourist visa, ostensibly for treatment, and some Rajneesh sources indicate that he was going to be treated for a spinal disease, and others - that from diabetes and asthma.

With the money of Rajneesh's American students and mainly the second American husband, Ananda Sheela, a huge Big Magdi ranch was purchased in the desert part of Central Oregon, in Wasco County. Here, on dry, infertile lands, the agricultural commune of the Rajneeshites initially settled, and later a city of five thousand called Rajneeshpuram arose, which had an airfield, a comfortable hotel with a casino, shopping streets, restaurants, parks, gardens, greenhouses, roads and regular buses. All this was created by about 2000 followers of Rajneesh. They worked for free, seven days a week, under the scorching sun for 12 hours a day, slept in barracks and all the time listened through loudspeakers to Rajneesh's sermons, in which they were taught that exhausting work is a holiday, meditation, so to speak, a feast of the spirit.

Tens of thousands of other Rajneeshites came to Rajneeshpuram from time to time (in the summer, for example, up to 20 thousand people gathered). They were able to donate significant amounts of money to the gurus, since most of them belonged to the wealthy middle class. More than 300 Rajneesh meditation centers were opened around the world, which also brought in considerable income; Let's say that in British centers the basic annual course of "Rajneesh therapy" cost 3,500 pounds sterling. In addition, the centers offered a whole range of paid New Age courses: bioenergy, body mastery, dehypnotherapy, intuitive massage, neo-tantric yoga, rebirthing and many others. They tried to send those who completed the courses to Rajneeshpuram. For such a trip it was necessary to shell out several thousand dollars more. . Rajneesh believed that “spirituality is a luxury and a privilege of the rich.” About himself, he said: “I am the guru of the rich. There are enough religions that deal with the poor, leave me to deal with the rich.”

He dealt with them quite successfully for his own pocket. By the end of 1982, his net worth had reached $200 million tax-free. He owned 4 aircraft, a combat helicopter and 91 Rolls-Royces. In fact, he expected to have 365 of these most expensive cars in the world, a new car for every day of the year. In the Rolls-Royce, Rajneesh made his daily tour of the flock. The Guru himself drove the car, moving slowly and solemnly, accompanied by machine gunners, along the living orange wall of his adherents, who stood along the edges of the so-called “road of nirvana” and threw pink petals under the wheels of the car. For them it was a rare opportunity to see their idol.

As Rajneeshpuram grew, “sacred cities” began to emerge in all major Western countries, built by Rajneeshists in his model - communes trying to lead an autonomous existence and should become an alternative to the “society of unfreedom.” Amid talk of freedom, Rajneesh's sect gradually turned into a "totalitarian organization with a strict control system." It was with these words that even such a pro-sectarian researcher of new religious movements as Professor Eileen Barker described the commune in Rajneeshpuram.

In Oregon, the Rajneeshites occupied the nearby provincial town of Entelope, won a majority of seats on the city council and renamed it Rajneesh. Most of the original inhabitants of Entelope, mostly elderly people, found themselves under constant surveillance by the sannyasin police forces, were subject to taxes in favor of the sect and were forced to see a nudist beach established by the city council in a local park. They chose to give up and leave the city. The city grew as Rajneesh's followers bought existing houses and built new ones.

Meanwhile, the election deadline for the county legislative assembly approached and the Rajnishites decided to achieve a majority in it too. According to local law, it was enough to live in the state for 22 days to get the right to vote in local elections. Therefore, it was decided to increase the number of voters who would vote for Rajneesh candidates. In the fall of 1984, Operation Share Your Home with Your Neighbor was carried out: sectarians brought about three and a half thousand alcoholics, tramps and drug addicts from New York, San Francisco and other large US cities to the ashram. Frightened by this, local legislative bodies urgently passed a law increasing the period of residence required to participate in elections. The vagrants who gathered in Rajneeshpuram, therefore, did not bring any benefit to the sect. On the contrary, the semi-criminal homeless behaved arrogantly and defiantly, did not want to work for the guru and, on top of everything else, worsened the already not brilliant relations of the communards with the local residents. In Rajneeshpuram, Sheela put together an armed detachment of one hundred militants, but even he was unable to disperse the annoying “neighbors,” and soon their corpses began to be found in the vicinity of the “holy city,” but not in Rajneeshpuram itself. The police established that they were all killed with an unknown poison, and, for obvious reasons, suspected Rajneesh and company.

At the same time, the sect's political ambitions continued to grow. Since the trick with the homeless did not work, now in order to win the elections, the Rajnishites decided to ensure that those who do not support their candidates were not able to take part in the vote. Continuing to be the "tongue" of the silent guru, Sheila Silverman came up with an idea to do this: agents assigned to her sprayed salmonella bacteria on the salad bars of most restaurants in the county, causing many of their customers to get sick. True, this did not help the Rajnishites achieve the desired power in the county.

In October 1984, Rajneesh suddenly spoke. He again accused priests and politicians of corrupting human souls, again asserted that Rajneeshism was “the only defense against nuclear weapons,” and again preached renunciation of the “old world,” setting an example of “spiritual revolutionism”: “I raise my hand against the past of everything humanity."

His speeches became increasingly anti-Christian:

Messiahs are, as a rule, insane. He [Jesus] was absolutely sure that the crucifixion would prove him right, and that is why I see his actions as simply a disguised suicide attempt. If anyone was to blame for his crucifixion, it was himself. He asked for it himself. And not a single source - Jewish or historical - confirms that he was resurrected. Only the New Testament. Fiction. There was no Resurrection.

Rajneesh himself wanted to be his fans instead of Christ: “Let me be your death and resurrection.” . And they sang to him with adoration: “I entrust my heart into your hands.”

The spirit that spoke through the serpent to Eve in Paradise now spoke through the mouth of Rajneesh:

The devil tempted Eve with the argument that God wanted her to remain ignorant. .. He is envious. And this seems to be true, for the God of the Jews is very envious. He doesn't want people to become equal to him. He is not a loving father... Knowledge is not a sin... I advise you to eat from the tree of knowledge..." .

By 1984, the number of Rajneesh's followers exceeded 350 thousand, with their average age being 34 years. Despite the failure in the Wasco elections, the Rajnishites in the same 1984, in connection with the elections to the Oregon Legislative Assembly, gave reason to fear that the sect was striving for political power at the state level. Sheela added fuel to the fire by declaring that, if necessary, Rajneesh's people would turn all of Oregon into Rajneeshpuram. The surrounding farmers, driven to the point by the immoral behavior of the Rajneeshists that they were ready to call them to order by force, Sheela threatened to kill fifteen people for each follower of Rajneesh. . Under the influence of public opinion, the police and then the FBI finally opened a criminal case against the Rajneesh sect. About four dozen FBI investigators were directly investigating Rajneeshpuram. They discovered weapons warehouses, laboratories for the production of drugs that were regularly added to the sectarians’ food, and a carefully camouflaged underground passage for the guru to escape in case of emergency.

On September 14, 1985, Sheila Silverman with her personal guard and her next husband, as well as several other members of the commune board, fled to Western Europe. Rajneesh accused Sheela of trying to poison his personal doctor, attempting to kill the guru himself, killing vagabonds whose bodies the police found in the vicinity of Rajneeshpuram, and wanting to turn the ashram into a fascist organization. Meanwhile, Sheela withdrew $55 million from the ashram's Swiss bank account and tried to escape, but was arrested in Stuttgart by Interpol. She, in turn, stated that “Bhagwan is a spoiled child who cannot breathe without $250 thousand monthly pocket money. He is a genius at exploiting people’s gullibility, a drug addict who cannot live without Valium. His life story is a complete scam. And I was an accomplice in this scam. He and I, we made a great couple of swindlers."

Rajneesh also managed to escape, but on October 29, 1985, he was arrested at the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Bhagwan's own plane landed for refueling. Rajneesh and eight of his associates were allegedly flying to Bermuda on vacation.

Rajneesh's trial, held in Portland, Oregon, ended on November 14, 1985. The state authorities, who had already suffered colossal losses due to Rajneesh’s activities, feared that they simply would not be able to endure the extremely expensive, months-long trial. Moreover, according to state Attorney General Charles Turner, they did not want to make a martyr out of Rajneesh. As a result of difficult negotiations with Rajneesh's lawyers, a compromise was reached - Bhagwan pleaded guilty to only 2 of the 34 charges brought against him. Thus, he received a symbolic punishment for violating immigration laws and related criminal norms: ten years of suspended imprisonment plus a $400,000 fine. In addition, Rajneesh was ordered to leave the United States forever within five days. Sheela was found guilty of illegal use of listening devices, arson, beatings and intimidation, attempted murder and infecting 750 people with batulism, for which she was sentenced to prison and a heavy fine. After spending only 29 months in prison, at the end of 1988 she left for Switzerland and married again - to the Swiss Urs Birnstiel, who died in 1992 from AIDS. Sheela reconciled with Rajneesh, but she was never his follower and accomplice. Now 52-year-old Sheela Birnstiel owns two homes for the disabled and elderly near Basel. The contingent of its establishments are people with mental disorders, mainly patients with Alzheimer's syndrome, that is, a memory disorder. In the US, Schiele is again charged in old cases, this time with conspiracy to murder Oregon Attorney General Charles Turner, but her status as a Swiss citizen protects her from extradition. Of Sheela's $469,000 debt to the state of Oregon and Wasco County, an anonymous person recently paid $200,000 (one can assume that this was one of her less than adequate patients).

Rajneesh disbanded the Oregon ashram, burned five thousand copies of his pamphlets and publicly declared that he was not a god. After being deported from the United States, Rajneesh tried to stay in any country where he had followers, but 21 countries either banned him from entering or expelled him without any particular explanation (such as Greece). From this time on, the Rajneesh movement began to increasingly lose its mass character. Crowded communes fall apart, and the degree of influence of the cult on its followers decreases.

The majority of those who deal with the problems of new religious movements speak about the inadmissibility of using repressive measures against extremist totalitarian sects, justifying this by the fact that the banned sect will go underground and become even more dangerous. But a well-executed police operation to liquidate the community in Rajneeshpuram indicates otherwise. It turns out that in exchange for guarantees of personal safety, the cult leader, who values ​​his own person most of all, is ready to dissolve the sect. But just a few months before the events described, even a competent researcher of cults, a Christian apologist, holder of four doctoral degrees, Walter Martin, who, moreover, had a sharply negative attitude towards the Rajneesh sect, wrote: “Rajneesh and his followers attach great importance to the experiment with Rajneeshpuram, which led It would be tragic if the government intervened and ended their dream."

5. "The population needs to be reduced"

In July 1986, Rajneesh was finally able to return to India (he was expelled from there in December 1985). He settled in Bombay, where the few remaining disciples began to gather around him. In the last days of 1986, Rajneesh made two speeches, later published under the general title “The Rights of the New Man.” In these keynote speeches, Rajneesh expresses his resentment at being kicked out of all Western countries, expressing both general indignation at all priests, rich people and white politicians, and surprisingly petty complaints. In particular, he inherited the Declaration of Human Rights. The old Declaration must be replaced by a Declaration of the Rights of a new man, whose “only fundamental right” is “to become a god.”

Revealing in detail the ten points of his Declaration, Rajneesh paints a picture of the world in which his “new people” will live. The right to life in this world will mean the right to a good life, in which there will be no suffering, but only joy and pleasure. It is clear that as the human population increases, there will not be enough resources for a good life for everyone. Therefore, Rajneesh says that “the population must be reduced if a person wants to live with dignity, joy, and not drag out a miserable existence.” To do this, Rajneesh proposes to limit the birth rate by any means, using not only contraception and abortion, but also the destruction of children with congenital defects. In addition, it is necessary to introduce and promote euthanasia in every possible way and recognize the rights of homosexuals.

In the future world, “there should be no nations, no state borders. There should be no religions.” Rajneesh hopes that religions will "dissolve by themselves. The best of various religions will be preserved in Rajneesh's 'one religion'. In a world of absolute freedom, the main cause of slavery must be eliminated, which, according to Rajneesh, is Christian anthropology based on faith in the fact that God created man in His image and likeness. Marriage in the society of the “new people” should disappear, since it is “a counterfeit of love.” The “new people” will come together and diverge freely, and it is better if the partners belong to different nations, and even better - to different races. Children should be separated from their parents and raised by communities. And not even raised, since Rajneesh considers any upbringing, especially religious, a violation of children's freedom.

In a one world there will, of course, be a one world government. What will be the style of his reign? Rajneesh hates the monarchy. Democracy is also not good, because it is a cover for the manipulations of the powerful. In addition, when voting, the “ignorant masses” are guided by random criteria: some of the candidates look better, others speak better. In the new world, elections will be carried out by professional corporations: for example, “only teachers should choose the Minister of Education.” Only those who have received higher education will have the right to vote. The world government will be functional, but will not have power.

When a person, using Rajneesh methods, eliminates division in himself, divisions in the world will also disappear. The new world will be different from the current one, like heaven from hell.

Now there is no need to even describe what hell is. Just look around: here he is... But we can change everything. This earth can be turned into paradise. And then all need for paradise in heaven will disappear, there it will be empty. If we remember Rajneeshpuram, it will become clear what will be done with those who do not want to live in this paradise of radical hedonistic godless humanism.

6. Osho apparently died of AIDS

In January 1987, Rajneesh moved to Pune again. Here he comes up with a new meaningful name for himself - “Osho”, that is, “ocean”, which, apparently, should be associated with vastness, depth, chaos, abyss.

For his followers, Osho abolishes the mandatory wearing of orange clothes and sandalwood beads with his own portrait on them. True, during meditation and in the presence of Osho, sannyasins were ordered to wear white clothes. In addition, maroon robes must be worn at the meditation camps, which are held for three days every month.

Psychotherapeutic programs are being renewed and expanded, and new meditative techniques are being created. One of them, “The Mystical Rose,” Osho modestly considered “the greatest breakthrough in meditation 2500 years after the meditation of Gautama Buddha.” This meditation lasts 21 days; one week the participants laugh for 3 hours a day, the second week they cry for 3 hours a day, the third week they “silently observe” and “testify” how they feel better for 3 hours a day.

Following the example of his longtime competitor in the neo-guru market, the Maharishi, whom Rajneesh had previously criticized in every possible way, Osho is now trying to prove the benefits of his meditation therapy with the help of “scientific research.”

The various therapeutic groups in the Osho International Community were united into the "Osho Multiversity", which in the first half of the 90s included the following non-degree "colleges": School of Centering, School of Creative Arts, International Academy of Health, Academy of Meditation. The Center for Transformation, the Institute of Tibetan Pulsations and others are a completely typical New Age set.

By the end of the 80s, Osho's health had deteriorated significantly. In the last months before his death, if his health allowed, Osho went out to his students for “meditations of music and silence,” and then they watched videos of his previous conversations. Osho died in 1990, apparently from AIDS. When he passed away, he did not leave a full-fledged organization, believing that there was no need for it, and did not appoint an heir. Moreover, he made it clear that if anyone declared themselves to be his successor, he should be avoided. As a result, after the death of the guru, several independent movements formed within the movement. Among them are the “International Academy of Meditation” by Paul Lowe, the “Huma University”, headed by the Dutch sannyasin Verisch, and others.

There are now about 200 Osho meditation centers in the world. The center of the cult is still Pune. A group of 21 sannyasins led by Amrito, Osho's former personal physician, formed the leadership of the ashram after the latter's death. They turned a commune in Pune into a commercial enterprise - an exotic park of "esoteric" recreation, designed for wealthy Western tourists 35-40 years old.

On the territory of the former Soviet Union there are Osho centers in St. Petersburg, Voronezh (operating since 1996 under the name "Tantra Yoga"), Odessa, Krasnodar, Minsk, Tbilisi, Riga and Moscow, where, in addition to the Osho Rajneesh center, there are There is also the “Eastern House” center, created by a young Russian Igor. In the early 90s, he completed a course of study in Pune and returned from there as a sannyasin, Swami Anand Toshan. In addition to meditation training, sending “to study” in Pune and other programs, the “Eastern House” conducts Sunday “Osho Discos”, where “everything is allowed”.

OshoTime International magazine is published twice a month, which is distributed worldwide and published in nine languages. Websites of Osho fans from different countries are abundantly represented on the Internet. But Rajneesh's popularity is not commensurate with the presence of organizations associated with his name - elements of Rajneesh's ideology are an integral part of the New Age movement. Osho's books are sold in all New Age stores and are abundantly presented at any occult literature store.

179. Joachim Keden and others. Sects, spirits, miracle healers. Germany, 1999. -S. 28.

180. Amrit Swami Pres. Decree. op. -P.14.

Photo - Osho (Bhagavan Shri Rajneesh); cover of one of Osho's books; dynamic meditation; Russia - Belly dance lessons with Erasmia - the enlightened dancer Osho - www.oshoforum.ru &www.orientdance.ru

Chandra Mohan Jain(Hindi चन्द्र मोहन जैन , December 11, 1931 - January 19, 1990) since the early seventies is better known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (English pronunciation(inf.), Hindi भगवान श्री रजनीश - Russian the blessed one who is god ) And Acharya, and later as Osho(Hindi ओशो - Russian. oceanic, dissolved in the ocean ) - Indian spiritual leader and mystic, attributed by some researchers to neo-Hinduism, the inspirer of the neo-Orientalist and religious-cultural movement of Rajneesh (English) Russian. . A preacher of a new sannyasa, expressed in immersion in the world without attachment to it, life affirmation, renunciation of the ego and meditation and leading to total liberation and enlightenment.

Criticism of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi and traditional religions made Osho a controversial figure during his lifetime. In addition, he defended freedom of sexual relations, in some cases he organized sexual meditation practices, for which he earned the nickname “ sex guru". Some researchers call him the “guru of scandals.”

Osho is the founder of the ashram system in many countries. While in the United States, he founded the international settlement of Rajneeshpuram, several of whose residents committed serious crimes, including a bioterrorist act, before September 1985. After being deported from America, Rajneesh was denied entry by 21 countries or declared him “persona non grata.” Osho's organization was classified as a destructive sect in official documents of Russia and Germany, as well as by individual specialists. In the USSR, the Rajneesh movement was banned for ideological reasons.

After Osho's death, his attitude in India and around the world changed, and he became widely regarded as an important teacher in India and an attractive spiritual teacher throughout the world. His teachings became part of popular culture in India and Nepal, and his movement gained some currency in the culture of the United States and around the world. Osho's conversations, recorded between 1969 and 1989, have been collected and published by his followers in the form of more than 1000 books.

• 1 Names
• 2 Biography
  • 2.1 Childhood and youth (1931-1950)
  • 2.2 Years of study (1951-1960)
  • 2.3 Lecture tours
  • 2.4 Bombay
    • 2.4.1 Neo-Sannyasa Movement Foundation
    • 2.4.2 Bhagwan
  • 2.5 Ashram in Pune (1974-1981)
    • 2.5.1 Development and growth
    • 2.5.2 Group therapy
    • 2.5.3 Daily events at the ashram
    • 2.5.4
    • 2.5.5
  • 2.6 Stay in the USA (1981-1985)
  • 2.7
  • 2.8 Pune (1987-1990)
• 3 Teachings of Osho
  • 3.1 Ego and mind
  • 3.2 Meditation
  • 3.3
  • 3.4 Zen
  • 3.5 Renunciation and the “new man”
  • 3.6 "Ten Commandments" Osho
• 4 Osho movement
  • 4.1 Followers in Russia
• 5 Criticism
• 6 Responses to criticism
• 7 Legacy
  • 7.1 In India
  • 7.2 Osho International Meditation Resort
  • 7.3 Worldwide
  • 7.4 Cultural heritage
• 8 Selected works
• 9 Literature

Names

Osho used various names throughout his life. This was in accordance with Indian traditions and reflected a consistent change in his spiritual activity. Below are the meanings of Osho's names at different periods of his life:

• Chandra Mohan Jain(Hindi चन्द्र मोहन जैन ) is a real civilian name.
• Rajneesh(Hindi रजनीश) - This name was the nickname given to Osho as a child by his family. It literally translates as “lord of the full moon.”
• Acharya Rajneesh(Hindi आचार्य रजनीश ) - that's what it was called from the mid-sixties to the early seventies. Acharya means "teacher" or "spiritual master", and also in some cases "professor".
• Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh(Hindi भगवान श्री रजनीश ) or briefly Bhagwan- Osho bore this name from the early seventies until the end of 1988. Bhagwan means "enlightened" or "awakened". In India the word Sri used as an everyday address, its meaning is close to the address “Mr.” At the end of 1988, he abandoned this name, which also meant divine status, with the comment: “Enough! The joke is over."
• Osho(Hindi ओशो) - this is what he called himself in the last year of his life, from the beginning of 1989 until his death on January 19, 1990. In Zen Buddhism "Osho" is a title that literally translates as “monk” or “teacher.” This is how they respectfully addressed Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Chan. Name "Osho" was suggested to him by his students, as it was often mentioned in the Zen parables that he commented on. Osho once added a new meaning to this word, linking it with the concept of “oceanic” by William James (in English the word “ocean” sounds like “ocean”). In the literature of the Rajneesh movement, another interpretation is presented: the syllable "O" means love, gratitude and synchronicity, and "sho" means the expansion of consciousness in all directions. All new editions of his books and his other works are published today under the name Osho.

Biography

Childhood and youth (1931-1950)

Chandra Mohan Jain was born on December 11, 1931 in Kuchwada, a small village in the state of Madhya Pradesh (India). He was the eldest of eleven children of a cloth merchant and was raised by his grandparents for the first seven years. His family, who belonged to the Jain religious community, gave him the nickname Rajneesh or Raja ("King"). Rajneesh was a capable student and did well at school, but at the same time he had a lot of trouble with teachers because of his disobedience, frequent absences from school and all sorts of provocations towards his classmates.

Rajneesh had an early brush with death. His grandfather, to whom he was strongly attached, died when he was seven years old. When he was fifteen years old, his friend (and cousin) Shashi died of typhoid fever. The losses affected Rajneesh deeply and his quiet teenage years were marked by melancholy, depression and chronic headaches. It was at this time that he ran from 15 to 25 km a day and often meditated to the point of exhaustion.

Rajneesh was an atheist, criticized faith in religious texts and rituals, and showed an interest in hypnosis as a teenager. For some time he participated in the communist, socialist and two nationalist movements that fought for the independence of India: the Indian National Army and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. However, his membership in these organizations was short-lived as he did not want to follow any external discipline, ideology or system. Rajneesh was also well-read and knew how to conduct discussions. He had a reputation as a selfish, arrogant, even rebellious young man.

Years of study (1951-1960)

At the age of nineteen, Rajneesh began his education in philosophy at Hitkarine College in Jabalpur. After a conflict with his teacher, he had to leave the college and move to D. N. Jain College, also located in Jabalpur. While still a student in Jabalpur, on March 21, 1953, while meditating during the full moon in Bhanvartal Park, he had an extraordinary experience during which he felt overwhelmed with happiness - an experience that he later described as his spiritual enlightenment:

That night I died and I was reborn. But the person who is reborn has nothing in common with the one who died. It is not a continuous thing... The person who has died has died totally; there is nothing left of him... not even a shadow. The ego died totally, completely... On that day, March 21, a personality who had lived many, many lives, millennia, simply died. Another being, completely new, completely unrelated to the old, began to exist... I became free from the past, I was torn out of my history, I lost my autobiography.

He graduated from DN Jain College in 1955 with a bachelor's degree. In 1957 he graduated with honors from Saugar University, receiving a Master of Philosophy degree. After this, he became a teacher of philosophy at the Raipur Sanskrit College, but soon the vice-chancellor asked him to look for another job, as he considered that Rajneesh had a detrimental effect on the morality, character and religiosity of students. In 1958, Rajneesh began teaching philosophy at the University of Jabalpur, and in 1960 he became a professor. A renowned lecturer, he was recognized by his peers as an exceptionally intelligent man who overcame the shortcomings of his early education in a small town.

Lecture tours

In the 1960s, Rajneesh, whenever his teaching work allowed him, made large lecture tours throughout India, in which he parodied and ridiculed Mahatma Gandhi and criticized socialism. He believed that socialism and Gandhi celebrated poverty rather than rejecting it. He argued that in order to overcome poverty and backwardness, India needed capitalism, science, modern technology and birth control. He criticized orthodox Hinduism, calling the Brahminical religion dead, filled with empty rituals, oppressing its followers through fear of damnation and promises of blessings, and said that all political and religious systems are false and hypocritical. These statements made Rajneesh unpopular among most, but they brought him some attention. At this time he began to use the name Acharya. In 1966, after a series of provocative speeches, he was forced to resign from his teaching position and began individual practice and teaching meditation.

Acharya Rajneesh's early lectures were in Hindi and were therefore not aimed at Western visitors. Biographer R.C. Prasad noted that Rajneesh’s amazing charm was felt even by those who did not share his views. His performances quickly earned him a loyal following, including among wealthy businessmen. These visitors received individual counseling about their spiritual development and daily life in exchange for donations. The tradition of seeking advice from a scholar or saint is a common practice in India, similar to how Westerners seek advice from a psychotherapist or counselor. Based on the rapid growth of practice, American religious scholar and Ph.D. James Lewis suggested that Rajneesh was an unusually gifted spiritual healer. Beginning in 1962, Rajneesh held meditation camps several times a year with active purification techniques, and at the same time the first meditation centers began to appear (Jeevan Jagrati Kendra or Centers for Awakened Life).

His Awakened Life Movement (Jeevan Jagrati Andolan) during this period consisted mainly of members of the Jain religious community in Bombay. One such member of the movement participated in India's struggle for independence and held a significant position in the Indian National Congress Party, and also had close connections with the country's leaders such as Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Morarji Desai. This politician's daughter, Lakshmi, was Rajneesh's first secretary and his devoted student.

Acharya Rajneesh claimed that shocking people was the only way to wake them up. Many Indians were shocked by his 1968 lectures, in which he sharply criticized Indian society's attitudes towards love and sex and advocated the liberalization of relationships. He said that original sexuality is divine, and that sexual feelings should not be suppressed, but should be accepted with gratitude. Rajneesh argued that only by recognizing one's true nature can a person be free. He did not accept religions that advocated abandonment of life; true religion, according to him, is an art that teaches how to enjoy life to the fullest. These lectures were later published as a book entitled "From Sex to Superconsciousness" and were published in the Indian press, which called him a "sex guru." Despite opposition from some established Hindus, he was, however, invited to speak at the Second World Hindu Conference in 1969. There, he took the opportunity to criticize all organized religions and their priests, which infuriated the Hindu spiritual leaders present at the conference.

Bombay

Neo-Sannyasa Movement Foundation

At a public meditation event in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the spring of 1970, Acharya Rajneesh presented his dynamic meditation for the first time. In July 1970, he rented an apartment in Bombay, where he received visitors and also began holding talks with small groups of people. Although Rajneesh, according to his own teachings, did not initially seek to found an organization, he created the first school of “neo-sannyasins” on September 26, 1970, during a meditation camp in Manali. ", who are now more often called simply "sannyasins". Initiation into sannyas meant receiving a new name from him, for a woman, for example, such as “Ma Dhyan Shama”, for a man, for example, “Swami Satyananda”, as well as wearing orange clothes, a mala (necklace) with 108 wooden beads and a medallion with the image of Rajneesh.

Orange clothing and mala are the attributes of traditional sannyasins in India, who are considered there as holy ascetics. There was an element of chance in choosing such a deliberately provocative style. This happened after Acharya Rajneesh saw Lakshmi wearing orange clothes, which Lakshmi spontaneously chose for herself. His sannyas, according to Rajneesh, should be life-affirming because it celebrates “the death of everything you were yesterday.” Rajneesh himself should not have been worshiped in the context of sannyas. Acharya was considered by sannyasins as a catalyst or "the sun pushing the flower to open." In 1971, the first disciples began to arrive from Western countries and join the movement. Among them was a young Englishwoman who received the name “Vivek” from Acharya Rajneesh. Rajneesh came to the conclusion that in a past life she was his friend Shashi. Before her death, Shashi promised Rajneesh that she would return to him. After her "return", Vivek was Rajneesh's constant companion in subsequent years.

Bhagwan

That same year, Rajneesh dropped the title "Acharya" and adopted instead the religious name Bhagwan (literally: Blessed One) Shri Rajneesh. The title was criticized by many Hindus, but Bhagwan seemed to enjoy the controversy. He later said that the name change had a positive effect: "Only those who are ready to merge with me remain, everyone else has fled." At the same time, he also shifted the focus of his activities. He was now less and less interested in giving lectures to the general public; instead, he stated that he would primarily deal with the issue of transforming people who had an internal connection with him. As more and more students came to him from the West, Bhagwan began giving lectures in English. In Bombay his health began to deteriorate; Due to the poor quality of Bombay's air, asthma, diabetes, and his allergies began to worsen. His apartment became too small to accommodate visitors. His secretary Lakshmi went in search of a more suitable place to stay and found it in Pune. Money for the purchase of two neighboring villas, occupying an approximate area of ​​2.5 acres, came from patrons and students, in particular from Catherine Venizelos ( Ma Yoga Mukta), heir to the fortune of a famous Greek figure.

Ashram in Pune (1974-1981)

Development and growth

Bhagwan and his followers moved from Bombay to Pune in March 1974. Health problems bothered him for some time, but the construction of the ashram in Koregaon Park continued uninterrupted. Sannyasins worked in the ashram and often received free room and board for some time. The following years were marked by the constant expansion of the ashram, the number of visitors from the West became more and more. By 1981, the ashram had its own bakery, cheese production, arts and crafts centers for tailoring, jewelry, ceramics and organic cosmetics, as well as a private medical center with more than 90 employees, including 21 doctors. Performances, musical concerts and pantomimes were held. The increase in the flow of people from the West was partly due to the return of some Western students from India, who often founded meditation centers in their own countries. Some people reported that they had never come into contact with sannyasins, and that only after seeing a photograph of Bhagwan somewhere, they felt an inexplicable connection with him and after that they knew that they had to meet Bhagwan. Others read Bhagwan's books and thus they also began to want to see him. Bhagwan received a significant influx of feminist groups; Most of the ashram's economic activities were led by women.

Bhagwan, the description said, was “a physically attractive man with hypnotic brown eyes, a beard, chiseled features and a charming smile, his defiant actions and words, as well as his idiosyncrasy and apparently fearless and carefree behavior attracted a large number of disappointed people from the West, being signs that some real answer may be found here." In addition, he was distinguished by the fact that he accepted modern technology and capitalism, had nothing against sex and was very well read - he easily quoted Heidegger and Sartre, Socrates, Gurdjieff and Bob Hope, and also spoke freely about tantra, the New Testament, Zen and Sufism.

Group therapy

In addition, the syncretic combination of Eastern meditation and Western therapeutic methods played a significant role. European and American practitioners from the humanistic psychology movement came to Pune and became Bhagwan's students. “They came to him to learn from him how to live meditatively. They found in him a spiritual teacher who fully understood the concept of holistic psychology they had developed and was the only one they knew who could use it as a tool to bring people to higher levels of consciousness,” writes Bhagwan’s biographer. The therapy groups soon became a significant part of the ashram, as well as one of the largest sources of income. In 1976, there were 10 different therapies, including Encounter, Primal and Intensive Enlightenment, and a group in which participants had to try to answer the question “Who am I?” In subsequent years, the number of available methods increased to approximately eighty.

To decide which therapy groups to attend, visitors either consulted Bhagwan or made a choice according to their preferences. Some of the early ashram groups, such as Encounter, were experimental and allowed physical aggression as well as sexual contact between participants. Conflicting reports of injuries sustained during Encounter group sessions began to appear in the press. After one of the participants suffered a broken arm, violent groups were banned. Richard Price, then a well-known therapist in the humanistic psychology movement and co-founder of the Esalen Institute, found that some groups encouraged participants to “be cruel” rather than “play the role of cruel” (the norm for encounter groups held in the United States) and criticized for "the worst mistakes of some of Esalen's inexperienced group leaders." Nevertheless, many sannyasins and visitors were interested in participating in an exciting experiment for them. In this sense, they were inspired by Bhagwan's words: “We are experimenting here with all the ways that make it possible to heal human consciousness and enrich man.”

Daily events at the ashram

A typical day at the ashram began at 6 a.m. with one hour of dynamic meditation. At 8 o'clock Bhagwan gave a public lecture in the so-called "Buddha Hall". Until 1981, lecture series in Hindi alternated with series in English. Many of these lectures were spontaneous commentaries on texts from various spiritual traditions or were responses to questions from visitors and students. The conversations were peppered with jokes, anecdotes and provocative remarks that constantly caused bursts of hilarity among his devoted audience. Various meditations took place throughout the day, such as “meditation kundalini", "meditation nataraj” and therapies, the high intensity of which was attributed to spiritual energy, Bhagwan’s “Buddha Field”. In the evenings, Darshans took place, personal conversations between Bhagwan and a small number of devoted students and guests, and initiation of students (“acceptance into sannyas”) took place. The occasion for darshan was usually the arrival of a student at the ashram or his impending departure, or a particularly serious matter that the sannyasin would like to discuss personally with Bhagwan. Four days a year had special significance, these days were celebrated: the enlightenment of Bhagwan (March 21); his birthday (December 11) and the birthday of Guru Purnima; the full moon, during which the spiritual teacher is traditionally venerated in India, and Mahaparinirvana, the day when all departed enlightened ones are venerated. For visitors, the stay in Pune was usually an intense and very vivid experience, regardless, ultimately, of whether the visitor "took sannyas" or not. The ashram, according to the descriptions of the students, was at once “an amusement park and a madhouse, a house of pleasure and a temple.”

Bhagwan's teachings emphasized spontaneity, but the ashram was not free from rules. There were guards at the entrance, smoking and drugs were prohibited, and some parts of the territory, such as House of Lao Tzu, in which Bhagwan lived, was available only to a limited number of students. Those who wanted to attend a lecture in Buddha Hall (“Please leave your shoes and your brains at the door,” said a sign at the entrance) had to first take an odor test because Bhagwan was allergic to shampoos and cosmetics. And those who had such odors were denied access.

Negative media reports

In the 1970s, Bhagwan first came to the attention of the Western press as a "sex guru". Criticism has focused on his therapy groups, Bhagwan's attitude towards sex and his often humorous but sharply social values ​​statements (“Even people like Jesus remain a little neurotic”). The behavior of sannyasins has become a separate subject of criticism. In order to earn money for their further stay in India, some of the women went to Bombay and engaged in prostitution. Other sannyasins tried to smuggle opium, hashish and marijuana, some of them were caught and imprisoned. The reputation of the ashram suffered from this, among other things. In January 1981, Prince Wolf of Hanover ( Swami Anand Vimalkirti), cousin of Prince Charles and descendant of Emperor William II, died of a stroke in Pune. After which, the alarmed relatives wanted to make sure that his little daughter would not grow up with her mother (also a sannyasin) in Pune. Members of the anti-cult movement began to claim that sannyasins were forced into therapy groups against their will, that they suffered nervous breakdowns, and that they were forced into prostitution and drug dealing.

The hostility of the surrounding society was demonstrated to some extent to Bhagwan when an attempt was made on his life in 1980. A young Hindu fundamentalist, Vilas Tupe, threw a knife at Bhagwan during a morning lecture, but missed. A banned film about the ashram appeared in India, which censored footage of therapy groups and footage of Bhagwan openly criticizing then Prime Minister Morarji Desai, the head of the Indian government, who proposed taking a tougher stance against the ashram. On top of all this, the ashram's tax exemption was retroactively revoked, resulting in millions in tax claims. The government stopped issuing visas for foreign visitors who listed the ashram as their primary destination.

Change of plans and beginning of Bhagwan's silent phase

Considering the ever-increasing number of visitors and the hostile attitude of the city administration towards people moving in with Bhagwan, the students began to consider moving to Saswad, located about 30 km from Pune, where they wanted to build an agricultural commune. However, the arson and poisoning of the fountain in Saswad made it clear that the activities of the ashram there were also not welcomed. Subsequent attempts to acquire land for an ashram in Gujarat failed due to opposition from local authorities.

Bhagwan's health deteriorated in the late 1970s, and his personal contact with sannyasins decreased from 1979 onwards. Evening Darshans began to be held in the form of energy Darshans - instead of personal conversations, there was now a “transfer of energy”, which happened when Bhagwan touched the middle of the student’s forehead or “third eye” with his thumb. On April 10, 1981, Bhagwan began a silent phase and began holding satsangs (silent congregational sitting with short periods of reading from various spiritual works and live music) instead of daily discourses. Around the same time, Ma Anand Sheela (Sheela Silverman) replaced Lakshmi as Bhagwan's secretary. Sheela came to the conclusion that Bhagwan, who was then suffering from a very long-term and painful problem of a slipped disc, should travel to the United States to receive better treatment. Bhagwan and Vivek initially did not seem to be particularly supportive of this idea, but Sheela insisted on moving.

Stay in the USA (1981-1985)

In the spring of 1981, after a long illness, Osho entered a period of silence. On the recommendation of doctors, in June this year he was taken to the United States for treatment, as he suffered, in particular, from diabetes and asthma.

Osho's followers bought a ranch for $5.75 million Big Muddy area of ​​64 thousand acres in Central Oregon, on the territory of which the settlement of Rajneeshpuram (now a suburb of Antelope) was founded, where the number of adherents reached 15 thousand people. In August, Osho moved to Rajneeshpuram, where he lived in a trailer as a guest of the commune.

During the four years that Osho lived there, Rajneeshpuram's popularity grew. So, about 3,000 people came to the festival in 1983, and in 1987 - about 7,000 people from Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. The city opened a school, post office, fire and police departments, and a transport system of 85 buses. Between 1981 and 1986, the Rajneesh movement amassed approximately $120 million through various meditation workshops, lectures and conferences, with admission fees ranging from $50 to $7,500.

Religious scholar A. A. Gritsanov notes that “ by the end of 1982, Osho's fortune reached $200 million, tax-free" Osho also owned 4 airplanes and 1 combat helicopter. In addition, Osho owned “almost a hundred (numbers vary) Rolls-Royces.” His followers reportedly wanted to increase the number of Rolls-Royces to 365, one for each day of the year.

At the same time, contradictions with local authorities regarding construction permits intensified, as well as in connection with calls for violence from residents of the commune. They intensified in connection with statements by Osho's secretary and press secretary, Ma Anand Sheela. Osho himself continued to remain silent until 1984 and was practically isolated from the life of the commune. The management of the commune was taken over by Sheela, who took on the role of the only intermediary between Osho and his commune.

Internal contradictions also intensified within the commune. Many of Osho's followers, who disagreed with the regime established by Sheela, left the ashram. Faced with difficulties, the board of the commune, led by Sheela, also used criminal methods. In 1984, salmonella was added to the food of several restaurants in nearby Dallas to test whether the outcome of the upcoming election could be influenced by reducing the number of people eligible to vote. On Sheela's orders, Osho's personal physician and two Oregon government officials were also poisoned. The doctor and one of the employees became seriously ill, but eventually recovered.

In 1984, the Federal Bureau of Investigation filed a criminal case against the Rajneesh sect"since in Antelope" weapons warehouses and drug laboratories were discovered on the territory of the center of Rajnesh».

After Sheela and her team hastily left the commune in September 1985, Osho called a press conference at which he reported information about their crimes and asked the prosecutor's office to initiate an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Sheela and many of her employees were detained and later convicted. Although Osho himself was not involved in criminal activities, his reputation (especially in the West) suffered significant damage.

On October 23, 1985, a federal jury in closed session considered an indictment against Osho in connection with violations of immigration laws.

On October 29, 1985, after Bhagwan's personal plane landed for refueling in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was detained without an arrest warrant and without formal charges being filed at that time. The motive for the detention was said to be Bhagwan's unauthorized attempt to leave the United States. (According to Rajish, he and his 8 close associates were going to fly to Bermuda on vacation). For the same reason, Bhagwan was denied bail. He was placed in a pre-trial detention center, having previously been registered in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary under the name “David Washington.” On the advice of his lawyers, who agreed with the accusing party, Bhagwan signed Alford plea- a document according to which the accused admits the charges and at the same time maintains his innocence. As a result, Bhagwan admitted 2 of the 34 counts of violating the immigration law against him. As a result, on November 14, Bhagwan was given a suspended sentence of 10 years in prison, he was fined $400,000, and after that Bhagwan was deported from the United States without the right of return for 5 years. Bhagwan disbanded his Oregon ashram and publicly declared that he was not a religious teacher. Also, his disciples burned 5 thousand copies of the book “Rajneeshism,” which was a 78-page compilation of the teachings of Bhagwan, who defined “Rajneeshism” as a “non-religious religion.” Rajneesh said he ordered the book to be burned to rid the sect of the last traces of the influence of Sheela, whose clothes were also "added to the fire."

On December 10, 1985, Rajneeshpuram's registration was invalidated by District Judge Helen J. Fry for violating the constitutional provisions of the separation of church and state. Later, in 1988, the US Supreme Court upheld the legality of Rajneeshpuram.

Around the World (1986)

On January 21, 1986, Bhagwan announced his intention to travel around the world to visit his followers living in various countries. In February 1986, Bhagwan arrived in Greece on a 30-day tourist visa. After this, the Greek Orthodox Church demands that the Greek authorities expel Bhagwan from the country, arguing that otherwise “blood will be shed.” On March 5, without any permission, the police entered the villa of a local film director where Bhagwan lived and arrested the mystic. Bhagwan pays a fine of $5,000 and flies to Switzerland on March 6, making the following statement to Greek journalists before leaving: “If one person with a four-week tourist visa can destroy your two-thousand-year-old morality, your religion, then it is not worth preserving. It must be destroyed."

Upon arrival in Switzerland, he receives the status of “persona non grata” due to “violation of US immigration laws.” He flies on a plane to England, where he is also not allowed to stay, and then, on March 7, flies to Ireland, where he receives a tourist visa. The next morning, the police come to the hotel and demand Bhagwan's immediate flight out of the country, but the authorities later allow him to remain in Ireland for a short time due to Canada's refusal to allow Bhagwan's plane to land in Grenada to refuel the plane. At the same time, Bhagwan was denied entry by Holland and Germany. On March 19, an invitation to visit with the possibility of permanent residence was sent by Uruguay, and on the same day Bhagwan and his followers fly to Montevideo. In Uruguay, sannyasins discovered the reasons for refusals to visit a number of countries. These reasons were telexes containing "diplomatic classified information" in which Interpol reported allegations of "drug addiction, smuggling and prostitution" among people around Bhagwan.

On May 14, 1986, the Uruguayan government intended to announce at a press conference that Bhagwan would be granted permanent residence. But according to a number of sources, on the evening of the previous day, Sanguinetti, who was the president of Uruguay, was contacted by American authorities and demanded that Bhagwan be expelled from the country, threatening otherwise to cancel the American loan to Uruguay and not provide loans in the future. 18 June Bhagwan agrees to leave Uruguay. On June 19, he flies to Jamaica on the 10-day visa he received. Immediately after arrival, a US Air Force plane lands next to Bhagwan's plane. The next morning, all visas of Bhagwan and his followers are invalidated. After this, he flies to Lisbon and lives in a villa for some time until the police come to him again. As a result, after Bhagwan, under pressure from the United States, was denied entry by 21 countries or declared him “persona non grata,” he returned to India on July 29, where he lived in Bombay with his friend for six months. In India, Osho opens a center for psychotherapeutic and meditation programs.

Religious scholar A. S. Timoshchuk and historian I. V. Fedotova note that “ The call for total freedom, coupled with very liberal views on marriage and sexuality, has caused public outrage around the world and may have played a sinister role».

Pune (1987-1990)

On January 4, 1987, Osho returned to Pune to the house where he lived most of his life. Immediately after the news of Osho's return became known, the city's police chief ordered him to immediately leave Pune on the grounds that Rajneesh was a "controversial personality" and "could disrupt order in the city." However, the Bombay High Court overturned this order on the same day.

In Pune, Osho holds discourse evenings every day, except when they are interrupted due to ill health. Publications and therapies resumed and the ashram was expanded. It was now called the Multiversity, where the therapy would work as a bridge to meditation. Osho developed new meditation-therapeutic methods, such as the “Mystical Rose”, and began to lead meditations in his discourses after a break of more than ten years. The flow of visitors increased again. But now, having gone through the experience of joint activities in Oregon, most sannyasins no longer sought to live together with other sannyasins, but began to prefer an independent lifestyle in society. Red/orange clothing and malas have been largely phased out, having been optional since 1985. The wearing of red robes exclusively in the ashram was reinstated in the summer of 1989, along with white robes for evening meditation and black robes for group leaders.

By the end of 1987, thousands of sannyasins and visitors were passing through the gates of Osho Commune International in the Indian city of Pune every day. Osho conducts daily darshans, but his health is steadily deteriorating. In conversations, Osho often repeats that he cannot stay with his people for a long time, and advises listeners to focus on meditation.

In November 1987, Osho expressed his belief that his deteriorating health (nausea, fatigue, pain in the limbs and insufficient resistance to infection) was caused by his poisoning by the US authorities while he was in prison. His doctor and former lawyer Philip J. Toelkes (Swami Prem Niren) suggested that radioactive thallium was in Osho's mattress since the symptoms were concentrated on the right side, but provided no evidence. Federal prosecutor Charles H. Hunter described it as "a complete sham," while others suggested exposure to HIV or chronic diabetes and stress.

Since early 1988, Osho's discourses have focused exclusively on Zen. His daily lectures now take place in the evening, rather than in the morning, as was previously the case.

In late December, Osho announced that he no longer wished to be called "Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh", and in February 1989 he took the name "Osho Rajneesh", which was shortened to "Osho" in September. He also demanded that all brands previously branded "RAJNEESH" be rebranded internationally as "OSHO". His health continued to weaken. He made his last public speech in April 1989, and after that he simply sat in silence with his followers. Shortly before his death, Osho suggested that one or more people at the evening meetings (now referred to as the White Robe Brotherhood) were subjecting him to some form of evil magic. An attempt was made to search for the criminals, but no one could be found.

On October 6, 1989, Osho chooses the “inner circle” - this group consists of twenty-one closest disciples, who are entrusted with the responsibility of administrative management and solving basic practical issues in the life of the commune. A sannyasin university was founded in June-July. It consists of a number of faculties covering various seminars and group programs.

On January 17, 1990, Osho's health condition deteriorated significantly. Osho appeared at the evening meeting only to greet those gathered. When he entered the hall, it was noticeable that it was extremely difficult for him to move.

Osho died on January 19, 1990 at the age of 58. An autopsy was not performed, so the cause of death has not been established. There are several unconfirmed versions; according to the official statement of Osho’s doctor, death occurred from heart failure caused by complications of diabetes and asthma. According to followers close to Osho, death occurred due to the slow action of thallium, which Osho was poisoned with during his imprisonment in the United States. Before his death, Osho refused doctors’ offers to carry out urgent medical intervention, telling them that “the Universe itself measures its own time.” Osho's body was taken to the hall where a mass gathering took place and then cremation. Two days later, the ashes remaining from Osho's body were transferred to the Chuang Tzu Hall - to the very room that was to become his new bedroom. Some of the ashes were also transferred to Nepal, to the Osho-Tapoban Ashram. A sign was placed over the ashes with the words that Osho himself had dictated a few months earlier: “OSHO. Never born, never died, only stayed on this planet Earth from December 11, 1931 to January 19, 1990.”

Osho's teachings

Osho's teachings are extremely eclectic. It is a chaotic mosaic composed of elements of Buddhism, yoga, Taoism, Sikhism, Greek philosophy, Sufism, European psychology, Tibetan traditions, Christianity, Hasidism, Zen, Tantrism and other spiritual movements, as well as its own views. Religious scholar L.I. Grigorieva wrote that “ Rajnesh's teachings are a mixture of elements of Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, etc." He himself spoke about it this way: “ I don't have a system. Systems can only be dead. I am an unsystematic, anarchic flow, I am not even a person, but simply a process. I don't know what I told you yesterday»; « ...the flower is rough, the fragrance is subtle... That's what I'm trying to do - to bring together all the flowers of Tantra, Yoga, Tao, Sufism, Zen, Hasidism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism...»; « Truth is outside of specific forms, attitudes, verbal formulations, practices, logic, and its comprehension is carried out by a chaotic, not a systematic method» ; « “I am the beginning of a completely new religious consciousness,” said O. “Please do not connect me with the past - it is not even worth remembering.”»;« My message is not a doctrine, not a philosophy. My message is a kind of alchemy, the science of transformation, so only those who manage to die as they are and be reborn so renewed that they cannot even imagine it now... only those few brave souls will be ready to hear, for to hear is to go at risk».

Many of Osho's lectures contain contradictions and paradoxes, which Osho commented as follows: " My friends are surprised: Yesterday you said one thing, and today you said something else. What should we obey? I can understand their confusion. They only grasped at the words. Conversations have no value for me, only the spaces between the words I speak are what are valuable. Yesterday I opened the doors to my emptiness with the help of some words, today I open them with the help of other words» .

Religious scholar M.V. Vorobyova noted that the main goal of Osho’s teachings is “ immersion in this world and in this life" Religious scholar S.V. Pakhomov pointed out that the goal of Osho’s teachings is “ loss of self in the oceanic consciousness" Pakhomov also noted that Osho developed a variety of meditative practices to achieve this goal, including the practice of dynamic meditation, which has gained the greatest popularity among all practices.

Religious scholar L.I. Grigorieva wrote that “ The ultimate goal of Rajneesh's religious practice is to achieve a state of enlightenment and total liberation. The ways to achieve this state are to discard stereotypes of culture, upbringing, traditions, and to reject everything that society imposes." Wherein " the destruction of “social barriers and stereotypes” should occur during communication with the “teacher,” and the acquisition of inner freedom through the practice of “dynamic meditation” and sexual orgies presented under the guise of tantrism A".

Candidate of Philosophy S. A. Selivanov pointed out that Osho’s distinctive “calling cards” are: dynamic meditation, neo-sannyas, the idea of ​​a “commune” implemented in Pune, which contains halls for meditation, therapy, music, dance, painting and others arts, and the idea of ​​Zorba the Buddha, a new whole person. Selivanov also noted that Osho formed four paths of development for followers of his teachings:

1. Independent analysis of events, resistance to the influence of any ideology and independent resolution of one’s own psychological problems.
2. Acquiring one’s own experience of “living life to the fullest”, abandoning life “by books”, searching for “the causes of suffering, joy, dissatisfaction”.
3. The need to bring out one’s internal and psychologically destructive “hidden desires” in the process of self-realization.
4. “Enjoy simple things... - a cup of tea, silence, conversation with each other, the beauty of the starry sky.”

Religious scholar B. K. Knorre believes that Osho’s teachings are a philosophy of vitalism of “pure vitality,” in which a person’s initial sensations are more important than any social norms. Knorre figuratively describes the return to “pure feeling” before the acquisition of various stereotypes and civilizational complexes as enjoying life without asking “why” and “why.” To return to this state and liberate the “true self,” psychophysiological training is used.

Combining many traditions, Osho gave a particularly important place to the Zen tradition. For followers, meditation occupies the most important place among all Osho's teachings. The ideal in Osho's teachings is Zorba the Buddha, who combines the spirituality of Buddha with the features of Zorba.

Despite hundreds of dictated books, Rajneesh did not create a systematic theology. During the period of the Oregon commune (1981-1985), a book called “The Bible of Rajneesh” was published, but after the dispersal of this commune, Rajneesh stated that the book was published without his knowledge and consent, and called on his followers to get rid of “old attachments” to to which he also attributed religious beliefs. Some researchers believe that Rajneesh used all the major world religions in his teachings, but preferred the Hindu concept of "enlightenment" as the main goal for his followers.

Osho also used a wide range of Western concepts. His views on the unity of opposites are reminiscent of Heraclitus, while his description of man as a mechanism, condemned to uncontrollable impulsive actions arising from unconscious neurotic patterns, has much in common with Freud and Gurdjieff. His vision of a “new man” transcending the limitations of tradition is reminiscent of Nietzsche’s ideas in Beyond Good and Evil. Osho's views on the liberation of sexuality are comparable to those of Lawrence, and his dynamic meditations are indebted to Reich.

Osho calls for doing what comes from feeling, flows from the heart: “Never follow reason... do not be guided by principles, etiquette, norms of behavior.” He rejected the asceticism and self-restraint of Patanjali's classical yoga and stated that " craving for violence, sex, acquisitiveness, hypocrisy - is a property of consciousness”, also indicating that in the “inner silence” there is “neither greed, nor anger, nor violence”, but there is love. He encouraged his followers to throw out their base desires in any form, which was expressed by “ in convulsive shudders, hysterical behavior" It is considered likely that for this reason Rajneesh's ashrams became the target of criticism for antisocial activities: promiscuity, accusations of delinquency, etc.

Osho was a supporter of vegetarianism and had an ambivalent attitude towards alcohol and drugs. According to critics, the latter circumstance was one of the main factors that made his teaching attractive to the counterculture generation in Western countries. Drugs were prohibited at Osho's ashram.

Osho promoted free love and often criticized the institution of marriage, calling it a "coffin of love" in early conversations, although he sometimes encouraged marriage for its opportunity for "deep spiritual communion." Later in the movement, marriage ceremonies and a focus on long-term relationships appeared. Early calls against marriage came to be understood as a "desire to live in love and harmony without contractual support" rather than as an unequivocal rejection of marriage. At the same time, the sannyasins also took into account the fact that Osho opposed dogma in his teaching.

Osho was convinced that most people could not be trusted to have children, and also that the number of children being born throughout the world was too high. Osho believed that “twenty years of absolute birth control” would solve the problem of overpopulation of the planet. Osho also pointed out that childlessness will allow one to achieve enlightenment faster, since in this case it is possible to “give birth to oneself.” Osho's call for sterilization was followed by 200 sannyasins, some of whom subsequently recognized this decision as erroneous. Sociology professor Lewis Carter suggested that the words about recommended sterilization were said by Rajneesh in order not to complicate the planned and secret move from Pune to America.

Osho considered women to be more spiritual than men. Women occupied more leadership positions in the community. Among followers, their ratio to men also varied from 3:1 to 6:4. Osho wanted to create a new society in which there would be "sexual, social and spiritual liberation of women."

Religious scholar A. S. Timoshchuk and historian I. V. Fedotova noted that Osho “ argued that all religions of the past are anti-life", and in turn " his teaching is the first to consider man in his entirety, as he is" Osho said that " Christianity is a disease", and often criticized Christianity, finding masochistic practices in it. Religious scholar L.I. Grigorieva noted on the same occasion “ He denies all religions: “I am the founder of the only religion, the other religion is a fraud. Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha simply seduced people.““The same statement by Osho as a self-description is cited by the representative of the American Christian counter-cult movement and apologist Walter Martin. A. A. Gritsanov cites the same statement in a different version: “ “I am the founder of the only religion,” Rajneesh declared, “other religions are deception.” Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha simply seduced people... My teaching is based on knowledge, on experience. People don't need to believe me. I explain my experience to them. If they find it right, they accept it. If not, then they have no reason to believe in him.».

Osho's talks were not presented in an academic setting; his early lectures were known for their humor and Osho's refusal to take anything seriously. This behavior was explained by the fact that it was a “method of transformation”, pushing people “beyond the limits of the mind.”

Ego and mind

According to Osho, every person is a Buddha with the potential for enlightenment, unconditional love and response (instead of reaction) to life, although the ego usually prevents this by identifying with social conditioning and creating false needs and conflicts and an illusory self-awareness.

Osho views the mind as a survival mechanism, copying behavioral strategies that have proven effective in the past. Turning the mind to the past deprives people of the ability to live authentically in the present, causing them to suppress genuine emotions and isolate themselves from the joyful experiences that arise naturally from accepting the present moment: “The mind has no innate capacity for joy... It only thinks about joy.” As a result, people poison themselves with neuroses, jealousy and insecurity.

Osho argued that psychological repression (repression or repression), often advocated by religious leaders, causes repressed feelings to reappear in a different guise. For example, in the case of sexual repression, society becomes obsessed with sex. Osho pointed out that instead of suppressing, people should trust themselves and accept themselves unconditionally. According to Osho, this cannot be understood only intellectually, since the mind can only perceive it as another piece of information; meditation is necessary for a more complete understanding.

Meditation

Osho presented meditation not only as a practice, but also as a state of consciousness that will be maintained in every moment, as a complete understanding that awakens a person from the sleep of mechanical reactions caused by beliefs and expectations. He used Western psychotherapy as a preliminary to meditation to give sannyasins an understanding of their "mental and emotional garbage."

Osho proposed a total of more than 112 meditation methods. His methods of “active meditation” are characterized as successive stages of physical activity and tension, ultimately leading to silence and relaxation. The most famous of these is dynamic meditation, which is described as a microcosm of Osho's worldview.

Osho has developed other active meditation techniques (for example, Kundalini meditation, which consists of shaking, Nadabram meditation, which consists of humming), which are less active, although they also include physical activity. His later meditation therapies required multiple sessions over several days. So the Mystic Rose meditation included three hours of laughter every day for the first week, three hours of crying every day for the second week, and three hours of silent meditation every day for the third week. These processes of "witnessing" allowed the sannyasin to realize the "leap into awareness." Osho believed that such cathartic, cleansing methods were necessary as a preliminary stage, since many modern people found it difficult to immediately use more traditional methods of meditation due to great internal tension and the inability to relax.

Traditional meditation methods given to sannyasins included zazen and vipassana.

Osho emphasized that absolutely everything can become an opportunity for meditation. As an example of the temporary transformation of dance into meditation, Osho cited the words of the dancer Nijinsky: “ When the dance reaches a crescendo, I am no longer there. There is only dance».

Sexual practices and tantra

Osho and the Osho movement are known for their progressive and ultra-liberal views on sexuality. Osho gained fame as a sex guru in the 1970s due to his tantric teachings on the "integration of sexuality and spirituality", as well as the work of some therapy groups and the encouragement of sexual practices among sannyasins. Ph.D. sociologist Elisabeth Puttick has pointed out that Osho believed that tantra influenced his teachings most, along with Western sexology, based on the works of Wilhelm Reich. Osho tried to combine traditional Indian tantra and Reich-based psychotherapy and form a new approach:

All our efforts up to now have brought wrong results because we have not made friends with sex, but have declared war on it; we have used repression and lack of understanding as ways to solve sexual problems... And the results of repression are never fruitful, never pleasant, never healthy.

Tantra was not the goal, but the method by which Osho freed his followers from sex:

The so-called religions say that sex is a sin, and Tantra says that sex is only a sacred phenomenon... After you are cured of your disease, you do not continue to carry the prescription and the bottle and the medicine. You throw it away.

Religious scholar A. A. Gritsanov pointed out that sexual meditation, related to the direction of tantra, was a way in Osho’s teachings “ achieving superconsciousness", and Osho himself believed that only through intense " experiencing sexual emotions" Maybe " understanding their nature"and liberation from sexual" passions-weaknesses". Religious scholar S.V. Pakhomov pointed out that Osho “ encouraged sexual liberation among his adherents, considering “tantric” sex to be the driving force leading to “enlightenment”". Religious scholar D. E. Furman noted that tantric sex was one of the methods that Osho gave to some students for " comprehension of the absolute».

There are rumors that Osho had sexual relations with female followers. The main source of these rumors is the unreliable book of Hugh Milne. Osho's personal physician, G. Meredith, described Milne as a "sexual maniac" who made money from the pornographic desires of his readers. In addition, several women said that they had sexual relations with Osho. Some followers pointed out unrealized sexual fantasies about Osho. There is no reliable evidence to support rumors of Osho's sexual relationships. Most followers believed that Osho was celibate.

There was a problem of emotional abuse in the Osho movement, and it was especially pronounced during the period of Rajneeshpuram. Some people were seriously injured. Sociologist of religion Eileen Barker has pointed out that some of Pune's visitors returned with stories of "sexual perversion, drug dealing, suicide," as well as accounts of physical and mental harm from Pune's programs. But even among those who were traumatized, many rated their experience positively, including some who had already left the movement. In general, the majority of sannyasins assessed their experience as positive and defended it with arguments.

Religious scholar A. A. Gritsanov pointed out that in the critical press of the 70s there were publications about orgies in communities, and also that the nickname “ sex guru"Osho received from journalists of that time. At the same time, A. A. Gritsanov wrote: “ Some researchers believe that the word “orgies” is hardly applicable to Osho’s practices, since Rajneesh emphatically does not divide the various manifestations of life into positive and negative: like many Hindu cults, in Osho’s doctrine the concepts of “good” and “evil” are blurred", also noting that there were few groups with nudity and sexual practices as cathartic processes at the Pune ashram, but " These are the groups that attracted the most attention from the press» .

Religious scholar L.I. Grigorieva believed that in Osho communities there were widespread “ sexual orgies presented under the guise of tantrism» .

Religious scholar and Indologist A. A. Tkacheva noted that “dynamic meditation” contributed to the “unblocking” of the nervous system of Osho’s followers through strong chaotic movements and the “splashing out” of the “repressions” and “complexes” that arose during socialization. Here the action used was completely opposite to the normal one. Tkacheva notes that since Osho combined tantra with Freudianism in his practice, hence he was 99% convinced that all human complexes are based on sexual grounds. Therapy in this case is expressed in group sex. Blockages and complexes were perceived as “karmic traces” that block the path to achieving enlightenment, and jumps and jumps were supposed to help reach a state of “liberation”, “catharsis”.

Religious scholar A. S. Timoshchuk and historian I. V. Fedotova noted that about Osho’s meditation camps, which were set up in various parts of India, “ often told"how about places" where you can take part in orgies and indulge in drugs" They also write that currently “ it's hard to say what really happened there“, since Osho does not differentiate the manifestations of life into good and bad, but considers them one and the same. Osho " taught to accept all people and oneself completely, including sexual energy».

Zen

Of all the traditions, Osho especially singled out the Zen tradition. In later conversations, Osho indicated that Zen was his “ideal of religiosity”:

All religions except Zen are already dead. They have long turned into compacted fossil theologies, philosophical systems, dry doctrines. They have forgotten the language of the trees. They forgot about the silence in which even a tree can be heard and understood. They forgot the happiness that naturalness and spontaneity brings to the heart of any living being.<…>I call Zen the only living religion because it is not a religion, but religiosity itself. There are no dogmas in Zen; Zen does not even have founders. He has no past. To tell the truth, he can't teach anything. This is almost the strangest thing that has happened in human history - strange, because Zen rejoices in emptiness, flourishes when there is nothing. It is embodied not in knowledge, but in ignorance. He does not distinguish between the worldly and the sacred. For Zen everything is sacred.

"There's nothing to say
Rather sing a song,
Or dance.
Or make a cup of tea,
And drink it silently.."
Osho is one of the Enlightened Eastern Masters. He is better known throughout the world as Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh. More than 600 books have been published under this name, which are now published in 55 languages. These books are essentially records of conversations he had with a variety of people over almost 25 years of his life. Shortly before Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh left his earthly body, the seekers of Truth dedicated to him, the sannyasins, began to call him “Osho”. This name first appeared in ancient Japan, as students addressed their spiritual mentors. “O” can be translated as: “With great respect, love and gratitude,” and “SHO” as: “Consciousness is like an ocean. Harmony of existence flowing in all directions.”

Osho was born on December 11, 1931 in central India, in a small village in the state of Madhya Pradesh. He was the eldest son in a family that practiced an ancient religion. The maternal grandparents, who fell in love with this first grandson of theirs, immediately took him in and gave him the name Raja (Chandra Mohan). In India it is very rare to find someone with the name Raja, which actually means Ruler. But Nani, the grandmother, did not agree to a lesser name for this child, she said: “He is the Raja of my heart.”
Osho later called his family of these simple and loving old people golden. Until the age of nine he could not read or write at all. The village of Kuchvada not only did not have a primary school, but did not even have a small postal station, and not a single newspaper arrived there. But in this village there was a world of amazing human simplicity and freedom; a river, fields and hills, an ancient pond, on the banks of which lay the stones of a tantric temple.

After the death of his grandfather, Raja moved to live with his parents in , a small, almost unremarkable Indian town. There he began to go to a comprehensive school, and then his name was changed to the generally accepted one - “Rajnish”. During these school years, he became famous as an unusual young man, a debater, and a seeker of answers to the most tricky questions. He was known as a man who was not going to follow any established authorities until he himself verified that they were right.

After graduating from school, Rajneesh became a college student, and then a student, from which he graduated with a gold medal and the title of Professor of Philosophy. During these years he participated in many philosophical university discourses, and never lost them. His brilliant intellect as an orator and debater attracted the attention of many of the most educated people in central India. The room in which he stayed to live eventually turned into a warehouse for pennants for victories in various philosophical competitions.
Once, during one of the university discourses on the topic of Theology, just before the start of the debate, it turned out that his opponent would not be able to attend due to illness. He called and apologized for this, but the audience was already gathering in anticipation of an interesting argument. Rajneesh told him: “Don’t worry, I will conduct this meeting myself.” At this “dispute,” he spoke arguments, after which he moved to the opposite part of the stage and made responses... As a result, according to the unanimous recognition of the jury, he then received three first prizes at once: for the best evidence of the existence of God, for the best refutation of this evidence, and first prize for best eloquence and oratory skills.
However, all philosophy, as he admitted, could not provide answers to the deepest questions of life and existence. It is only capable of logically leading to the point where the laws of logic no longer apply. There are many things in the world that can be explained logically, but there are also things that can only be experienced, comprehended by one’s inner center, something that is an integral part of human consciousness, but stands outside the mind. You cannot explain what love is, you cannot explain what prayer or meditation is, unless you experience it yourself.
From early childhood, Rajneesh studied the ancient methods of Indian meditation techniques, he communicated with the most extraordinary people who could help him in this search. From his youth he became the friend of people who did not belong to the world of commerce or politics. Seekers who can be called rather the kings of human consciousness beyond the mind.
In the East there is a belief that if a soul becomes realized, at least three enlightened people are needed to recognize it and help it on this path. Rajneesh was really lucky in his life to have such people; he was recognized as the future Buddha not only by the great astrologers of Benares, but also by followers of different movements of Hinduism, Masters who gave him their love.
On March 21, 1953, at the age of just 21, Rajneesh had an experience of true enlightenment. It happened in a very ordinary city recreation park. He was sitting under a shady Maul tree, in the center of a large Indian city. “That whole day turned out to be something completely unusual, stunning. The past disappeared, as if I had never had it, as if I had read all this about myself somewhere. It became like an old dream, like a story I had once heard about someone else’s life. I was parting with the past, breaking ties with my history, I was forgetting my short autobiography, becoming someone non-existent, whom the Buddha called anatta. Borders disappeared, all differences disappeared. The mind itself was disappearing; it was thousands of miles away. He simply didn't interest me. In space everything went as it should. There was no need to preserve old memories. I felt that something was approaching, something was definitely going to happen - perhaps I was just dying - but there was not even a fear of death. I was ready for anything. I was so happy that I would have gladly accepted death.
I fell asleep at home around eight o'clock, but it didn't look much like a dream. Now I understand what Patanjali meant when he said that samadhi is like sleep. There is only one difference: in samadhi you are simultaneously asleep and awake, asleep and awake. The body is relaxed, every cell of the body is asleep, but the light of awareness burns within you. Clear, like the unity of the entire universe. The body rests in deep sleep, and the consciousness rises to the peak of activity. Positive and negative, sleep and wakefulness, life and death merge into one. This is the moment when all boundaries between the Creator and creation disappear. It was as if I had found myself in the center of a typhoon, and was choking in an endless storm of light, joy and bliss.
It was so real that everything else became unreal: the walls of the room, the whole house, my very body. Everything became unreal and only now did I see true reality for the first time. That night I understood for the first time the meaning of the concept "Maya". Is it possible to understand it without experiencing it? That night the doors of a new dimension opened. And there it was - another reality, a special reality, real reality, whatever you want to call it. Call it God, Truth, Nirvana, Moksha - whatever you like, these are only earthly words, it has no name.
I was suffocating, I was dying! It seemed to me that if I lingered even for a minute, this reality would strangle me. And I jumped out of the house and rushed into the yard. I just wanted to be under the open sky, to see the stars, the trees and the earth... As soon as I went out, the suffocation immediately went away. My room was really too small for such a majestic event. For him, even the sky is too small a roof. It is higher than the stars, higher than words!
Even my gait became different, I walked as if the force of gravity had disappeared. I weighed nothing, I found myself in the embrace of a previously unknown energy. From that day on, I could no longer consider myself the same. Only the thinnest thread connects me to my body. I am no longer here on my own, not of my own free will. The will of the whole keeps me here.
That night I became nothing, and then I became everything. I stopped being and became being itself. That night I died and was born again, and the one who was born had almost nothing in common with the one who disappeared. There was no connection. I didn’t change in appearance, but there was nothing in common between the old me and the new me. This is the day of my total change, and the day of my unity with the Truth.”

Enlightenment is the song of existence that man himself composes. Unique, unfamiliar, not like other songs. If, for example, I intended to create a new religion after this, then its main dogma could be the statement: Enlightenment must always be preceded by a nervous breakdown, that is, a real breakthrough into immortality is possible only after disappointment in following organized religions. Enlightenment is a very individual, very personal path for every living person.
How were all the world's established religions created? One person, having seen the light, then imposed his own inner experiences on all humanity, often without taking into account the individual world and the characteristics of other people. Subsequent religious organizers created teachings from these memories: similarities to religious matrices, computer bioprograms for minds (ed.) And this boneiness is the most serious difficulty. Little things in individual differences do not allow “followers of religion” to recognize other teachers as enlightened. They simply do not fit into their religious dogmatic scriptures. To be recognized, they must comply with certain canons, standards, ideas, and such ideas are drawn not from living experience, but from the long-gone founder of the religion. If someone does not correspond to him, religion immediately declares that he is a tempter and not enlightened.

In 1959. Rajneesh became a philosophy teacher in . His classes with students then often turned into discussion clubs. Everyone was allowed to doubt and argue. From time to time, someone began to worry about the level of preparation in the study of the subject, because any issue discussed could turn into the subject of heated debate, which took up most of the time.
“Don’t be afraid,” Rajneesh said then, “I only want one thing: I want to sharpen your mind. The subject of study is not that important. All books on this topic can be re-read in one night. But if your mind is sharp, you can answer any question without even reading textbooks. If the mind is asleep, no books will help, you will not be able to find the answer there. In a book of half a thousand pages, the answer may be hidden in a single paragraph.”
These classes were completely special. Everything could be discussed, everything was subject to analysis - the deepest consideration from all imaginable angles, from all imaginable points of view. The answer was accepted only if it completely satisfied the intellect. Otherwise, the students were not satisfied with the answer, and the dispute was transferred to the next lesson.

“When I became a university teacher, this is what I did first... I walked into the classroom and saw that the girls were sitting on one side and the boys were on the other. In addition, the first five or six rows of the audience were completely empty. “Who will I teach? – I asked. – Empty tables and chairs? Come on, sit closer to me, and mix them up!” The students hesitated. The teachers never insisted that boys and girls sit together. “Nice! – I demanded. “Otherwise I will notify the dean that something completely unnatural and contrary to common sense is happening here.”
They changed seats for a long time, reluctantly... “What is there to think about? – I asked. – Just sit on another chair! In my classes you will not sit separately. By the way, I won't mind if a boy touches a girl and a girl pulls his shirt. I only welcome everything that is natural. I don't need you to sit here frozen. I want you to be happy. I know that you are still passing notes. Now there is no need for this. Just sit next to her, hand the girl a note or tell her what you want to say. This may be news to you, but you are already sexually mature. It's time for you to act. And you sit and only study philosophy! This is crazy! Is it really necessary to study philosophy at your age? You need to roam the streets and fall in love! Philosophy is for old people who are no longer capable of anything else. When you get old, then you’ll study it.”
The students were terribly scared then. The looseness came slowly, but after seeing this, other student groups began to envy mine. Their teachers reported to the dean that I was dangerous, that I was pushing boys and girls to do the most forbidden things. Instead of preventing them from communicating, I help them! That’s what I told them: “Whoever doesn’t know how to write love notes, come to me, I’ll teach you. Philosophy is a secondary matter, and our program is not so rich. We can complete a two-year course in six months. And for the remaining year and a half we will have fun, sing and dance! Who's against it?
Then other university students who had not studied with me began asking to attend my lectures. “Can we walk too?” - they asked.
“Where else can you learn philosophy so much fun? - I said. - Of course, come! Let everyone who wants to come. I don’t check attendance, but – absent, present, absent, present... The main thing is that each student has at least seventy-five percent attendance, otherwise they will not be allowed to take the exams. The rest doesn't bother me. So come."
In my classes in the classroom, there was nowhere for an apple to fall. The students were even sitting on the window sills, although they should have been at other lectures at that time.”
Few people sign up for philosophy classes. Philosophy does not bring much income. But my audience was always crowded. One day, the dean of the university came to a lecture, to whom other teachers were constantly complaining about me. He could barely squeeze inside. I just saw him standing right at the door in the crowd of students and said: “Guys, let your dean through. Let him enjoy it along with everyone else."
But he couldn’t believe his eyes: the boys and girls were sitting mixed together and listening attentively to my lecture. No noise. The dean said: “I can’t believe that with such pandemonium, there is complete silence in the classroom!”
“That’s how it should be, because no one puts pressure on them,” I explained. “I immediately told them that they could leave at any time without asking permission. Anyone can just get up and go out. Anyone can come in and sit down. I don't care how many there are. I enjoy teaching and will continue to do so. And if a student wants to listen, let him listen or go to hell. But to be honest, very few people leave during the lecture.”
The dean said: “Oh, if only it were like this in all classes!.. But I’m not as brave as you. I simply cannot tell the state that this approach is better.”
One day I was called to a seminar where deans and rectors from many universities gathered. They were alarmed by the low level of discipline in schools, colleges and universities. I listened to what they said and asked the audience: “Instead of demanding that students respect their teachers, wouldn’t it be better to think about whether you are hiring bad teachers? Maybe in terms of intelligence they are not teachers at all? Teachers are like poets, they are born. This is great art. Not everyone can be a real teacher.”

During these years, in addition to teaching at the university, Acharya Rajneesh traveled throughout India. His lectures on the most famous mystics of the East gathered audiences of many thousands: they considered him a real ancient Sufi, a real sardar - a possible incarnation of Kalki Avatara, Christian theologians, after his discourses about Christ, in theological institutes and colleges, shook hands and said: “You did for Jesus is greater than all our own missionaries and priests!”
But: “People often just listen to words without understanding their meaning. People understand only the literal meaning; they do not notice the deeper content, because they do not have any personal experience of experiencing the Truth. And I turned their own weapons against them! I commented on religious scriptures while at the same time giving them special meaning! In the depths of my soul I laughed, I did not dissuade them, because this was my way of finding among all these thousands of audiences, real, “mine”, who really understood something, experienced something, to take the next step. Atheists, who also often listened to me, understood me even less. If religious movements include people who have some kind of thirst for searching for truth, answers to deep questions, then those who simply deny God, they often did not even look for any truth.”
“If the people in front of me were not “mine,” I certainly started from the very basics. But then the plane doesn’t take off, the plane has to act as a bus. You can, of course, use an airplane as a bus, but it can take off only after gaining the required speed, and this requires certain conditions.
In India I performed in front of millions of people. I spoke to several thousand at once - some speeches attracted fifty thousand. For fifteen years I wandered all over the country, from edge to edge. And I'm simply tired of all this. I was tired of having to start from scratch every day. “A”, “B”, “C” - no more. And I realized that if I continued this way of life, I would never get to the last letters of the alphabet. So I decided to stop traveling already.”

1962-1974 Years. In addition to lectures and conversations, Acharya Rajneesh also begins to conduct three-ten-day meditation camps, where he communicates with each person individually. Such classes were held in the most beautiful and colorful corners of India:, on, etc. At these campsites, he speaks frankly about his experience of enlightenment, about the path, about the help that a true master can provide in this work.
September 26 to October 5, 1970 Acharya Rajneesh holds a meditation camp in the foothills of the Himalayas, in one of the most picturesque regions of the earth - Kullu-Manali, and he speaks there about the greatest Mystic of all times -. After completing these conversations, at the request of his loving students, he conducts the first sannyasin initiations for those who wish - twenty-one students, giving a new definition of sannyas: “Sannyas is the achievement of the highest in life, this is the highest life realization, it cannot be dark or sad, it should consist of celebration and joy. It will mean a life that expands, deepens, it will mean an abundance of life in all its directions. Until now in India we called a sannyasin someone who left the world, broke with life, but I call a sannyasin a person who chooses final freedom, without restrictions, without prohibitions, without false rules and regulations imposed by someone. For me, sannyas is the flowering of man's ultimate freedom, rooted in his understanding of existence, and in his wisdom."
After this event, the name Acharya Shri Rajneesh, his disciples, changed to Bhagavan Shri Rajneesh, since according to Indian views, the founder of neo-sannyas can only be Bhagavan - the Blessed and Enlightened One.
He told these close disciples: “Your clothes, external signs - all this is not of primary importance. The only thing that matters is what causes an internal revolution, what takes you beyond the boundaries of reason into the world of consciousness. Anything else other than this has no real relation to religiosity. I simply reduce religion to its absolute essence, to meditation. I have learned a lot from the Buddhas of the past. If Jesus hadn’t told people at every corner that he was the son of God, humanity would have treated him much more mercifully.”

During this period of time, the first Western seekers of answers to questions about what real Eastern meditation and mysticism are began to come to him. Among these visitors were many of the most educated people from Europe and America. Specialists in the fields of therapy, medicine, arts and science. There were many representatives of various humanist movements who wanted to take the next step in their inner growth. Rajneesh moved to a large apartment in a forested area of ​​Bombay, where he had ample opportunity to work with everyone who approached him personally. At this time, he created many of the most unique meditation techniques that can often be necessary for people raised in Western culture. To formalize these “new sannyasin meditation techniques,” musicians are invited to help compose the accompanying music.
On March 21, 1974, exactly twenty-one years after his Enlightenment, Rajneesh and some of his disciples moved to Pune, to the city's Karegaon Park area. Two houses with land were then bought there. From July seventy-four until 1981, Bhagawan Shri Rajneesh held conversations every morning with seekers who came to him then from all over India and the Western world. A month in Hindi, and then a month in English, he comments on the teachings of Enlightened Masters of various traditions: Zen, Tao, Christianity, Hasidic teachings, Sufism, Indian mysticism, Northern Buddhism, Tantra and so on... These stories alternated with the days when he gave answers to listener questions. Each ten-day cycle was published as a separate book. During the seven years of these talks, more than 240 books were published in Pune. By the end of 1977, the Pune ashram becomes the largest and most modern center for human development in the world. The construction of new buildings is being completed, Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh names them after various enlightened mystics. The construction of the Buddha Hall is being completed, the organizational activities of the ashram include book publishing, work with the press, departments of handicrafts, music, silk weaving, clothing design and carpentry. Among other things, musical instruments are made in the ashram, and it also has its own bakery, jewelry, pottery and weaving workshops.
At the end of 1980 and beginning of 1981. educational centers for distributing books, audio and video recordings of conversations of Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh are also appearing in the United States. At the same time, in the spring of 1981, a large seminar called “The Passage of Time” was held in London, which attracted about 500 participants; similar events were also held in other major capitals of the world.

On July 1, 1981, Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh flies from Bombay to New York with a group of close people. A few weeks later, his secretary, Ma Ananda Sheela, draws up a deed for an abandoned plot of land in the desert region of Eastern Oregon, twenty miles from the town of Antelope. Sannyasins want to create their own self-sufficient commune in America, where up to 5 thousand people could live at the same time. A good idea arises to hold large open festivals four times a year and publish books by Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh.
In 1982, the ranchers decided to register this community as in Vasco County. The county approved it, but a local land use watchdog group called One Thousand Friends of Oregon immediately filed a lawsuit against the community. The state's chief attorney later questioned the constitutionality of the city's incorporation, citing the procedure as contrary to the thesis of "separation of church and state." Christian preachers are spreading propaganda that Rajneesh is supposedly the Antichrist who came to America, and local farmers, under the influence of this gossip, began to organize rallies for the liquidation of Rajneeshpuram. At this time, the AIDS epidemic appeared in America. Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh proposes to introduce a universal check in the city, which can be passed by both residents of the “city of meditation” and guests. In addition, Rajneesh advises taking precautions to avoid contracting the new deadly virus. Community members who tested positive for AIDS were moved into separate homes and provided with special work, entertainment, and medical care.
The idea of ​​destroying this unusual city, which shocked all of America, came from the “Christian-Reagan” elite. They looked for any administrative reasons to find clues. The main reason is the fear of the future destruction of fundamentalism. Analysts calculated that the subsequent influence of this city of meditation in a few decades would be able to undermine the authority of established religions, and primarily the monopoly of Christianity. The first person to be targeted was , who effectively remained the administrator of Rajneeshpuram from the day of its foundation. She organizationally turned this desert into an oasis, arranged life and amenities, despite the hostility to the new city throughout Oregon.
Any coin has two sides: and if someone wants to create a modern city in the desert from scratch, then there will always be a lot of shortcomings and errors that one can find fault with; there is no other way on earth. Sheela was accused of violations both within the commune and for external activities in the state, but through this they really wanted to get to Rajneesh himself. He promised to cooperate with law enforcement, but in reality the grand jury was preparing an indictment against him. He was accused of violating immigration rules, and in the meantime the National Guard took up positions suitable for an invasion of Rajneeshpuram. The threat of a brutal armed attack on the community forced the decision that Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh should fly across America and take refuge in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was assumed that he would be safe there, and in the meantime the lawyers would try to clarify the situation. However, at the Charlotte airport, the plane was met by heavily armed customs officers and bailiffs, informed that they were supposedly facing a most dangerous terrorist. All those who arrived were immediately taken into custody, even without any warrant for their arrest.
At the hearing, which took place three days later, the sannyasins accompanying Rajneesh were released, but the judge ordered him to return to Oregon on a prison plane. This flight took six days; for one day the government refused to even reveal the location of Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh to the lawyers. Over time, it became known that he was being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Reno, Oklahoma, under an assumed name, allegedly for his own safety.
In Oregon, Rajneesh was released on a fabulous bail, which was required to be paid as soon as possible. He has been charged with violating a number of immigration rules.
Imprisonment had a very serious impact on his health; after some time, doctors began to suspect that he had been poisoned while in custody. British poison experts studied the symptoms and concluded that he had been exposed to thallium. This poison cannot be determined by blood tests - it disintegrates very quickly, but symptoms remain, it is specifically used against political prisoners; if the dose is slightly exceeded, the person dies immediately. That's why Rajneesh was kept in custody for almost twelve days - the poison was given in tiny doses so that he would not die right in prison, because then the whole world would really be outraged.

From America, Bhagavan Shri Rajneesh flew to Delphi, and from there to India, to the Kullu-Manali valley. The Indian government, knowing the widespread propaganda launched by America against Rajneesh, refuses to extend visas to those around him, and he himself is threatened with deprivation of his Indian passport.
The King of Nepal agreed to provide a site for the commune in Nepal, but on one condition: no one should speak out against Hinduism. “I never think in advance what I will say and what I won’t,” said Rajneesh. “I can’t promise anything. If I see something wrong, I don't care whether it is Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. I will still speak out against it.”

January 21, 1986 Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh says that he intends to travel around the world to meet his disciples who live in many countries around the world. From European countries, widespread propaganda, spurred by America, was immediately launched against him. The European Parliament is discussing steps to ban Rajneesh from staying in any country in the European Community. “Simply amazing!” – he exclaims, “I am discussed in the parliaments of countries where I have never been in my life. They even discuss me there, where none of my sannyasins are there! Like I'm a global threat. They have a nuclear Third World War on the horizon, and they are discussing me!”

On April 12, 1986, Bhagawan Shree Rajneesh stays in a large house by the sea in the Uruguayan town of Punte Del Este, where students come to him, but America insists on his deportation even from impoverished Uruguay. As he flew out of the country, Rajneesh said, “It’s okay. My passport has long become a historical value - I was deported from a dozen countries of the world for no reason!”
Immediately after this, the President of Uruguay was invited to the United States, where Ronald Reagan presented him with thirty-six million dollars as a sign of friendship - as a reward for throwing Rajneesh out of the country in thirty-six hours. A million an hour. “Honestly, it’s high time for me to demand from different countries their share of such transactions!” - Bhagavan joked - “Thanks to me they earn a million an hour, I think I deserve at least a couple of percent.”
After this, Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh returns to India again, he spends several months in Bombay, and then leaves for the Ashram built by sannyasins in Pune.

By the end of 1987, thousands of sannyasins and visitors pass through the gate every day. Osho (as his disciples now began to call him) conducts daily darshans, but his health is steadily deteriorating, and he suffers from pain in his bones and joints. In conversations, he often repeats that he cannot remain with his people for a long time, and advises listeners to focus on meditation. “When I stop coming, my absence will highlight your own reality. She never had such an opportunity to manifest herself before. It is very good that you will be left alone, because your pilgrimage will not begin until you realize who you are and where you are. There are very important days ahead, and remember, your reality is everything that you comprehend for yourself. All the forms of meditation that I have given do not necessarily require my presence. Whether I'm nearby or not makes no difference. Everything depends on you. Meditation requires your presence, not mine. There is only one religiosity - the religiosity of love. There is only one truth - the Truth of joy, life and happiness. This entire planet earth is one, all humanity is one. We are parts of each other."

On October 6, 1989, Osho chooses an inner circle - this group of sannyasins consists of twenty-one closest disciples, who are entrusted with the responsibility of administrative management and solving some practical issues in the management of the commune.
Osho Sannyasin University was founded in June-July. It consists of many faculties covering various seminars and group programs. For meditations, everyone is now asked to come to the Ashram for evening darshans in white meditation robes, and to wear maroon or burgundy robes for daytime meditations.
On August 31, in the former Chuang Tzu Hall, the arrangement of a new marble bedroom for Osho is completed. He is directly involved in the design of this room, which is finished in Bianca Carrara marble and illuminated by a large round shimmering chandelier. Its huge windows, from floor to ceiling, offer views of a wild garden with a waterfall and birds singing in the spring.
January 17, Osho's personal physician announces that his health has deteriorated greatly. Osho will appear at the evening meeting only to greet those gathered. When he entered the hall, everyone saw that it was already very difficult for him to move.

On January 19, 1990 at five o'clock in the evening Osho leaves his earthly body. He refuses doctors' offers to carry out urgent medical intervention. Osho tells them: “The universe itself measures its time,” closes his eyes and leaves peacefully.
After some time, when the sad news spreads throughout the community, Osho's body is transferred to the hall where a mass meeting of sannyasins is taking place. And then the procession takes him to a cremation site on the river bank located near the Ashram. Throughout the night, a farewell ceremony is held for the earthly body of Bhagavan Shri Rajneesh, followed by his cremation, as is customary in the east.
Two days later, the ashes remaining from Osho’s body are transferred to the Chuang Tzu Hall - to the very room that was to become his new bedroom. There he held conversations and met with seekers of Truth for many years. placed in a place that was previously intended as an area for his sleeping bed. Some of the ashes are also transferred to Nepal, to the ashram.
A sign is placed above Osho Samadhi with the words that he himself dictated a few months earlier:

"OSHO
Never born
Never died
Just visiting
on this planet Earth.
From December 11, 1931 to
January 19, 1990."
Osho left the earth as easily as if he were going for his morning walk, without fear, without regret about anything he had done on earth, in peace and harmony of all that is True in the Universe.
Such a short and wonderful life on this sweet and cruel earth.

Osho. short biography

1931–1953 Childhood and youth.

March 21, 1953 Osho at the age of 21, specializing in the study of philosophy at the Jain College in Jabalpur, becomes enlightened.

1953–1956 Getting an education.

1956 Osho receives a Master of Arts degree with honors from the University of Saugara.

He becomes the All India Philosophical Discussion Champion and receives a gold medal upon graduating from college.

1957–1966 University teacher and public figure.

1957 Osho is appointed as a teacher at the Sanskrit College in Jaipur.

1958 Osho is appointed teacher of philosophy at the University of Jabalpur, where he teaches until 1966.

A powerful and passionate speaker, he also travels throughout India, speaking to large audiences and challenging orthodox religious leaders in public debate.

1966 After nine years of teaching, he leaves the university to devote himself full-time to raising human consciousness. Four times a year he conducts intense ten-day meditation camps.

1969–1974 Mumbai.

Late 1960s His conversations in Hindi are made available in English translation.

1970 April 14th he introduces his revolutionary meditation technique, Dynamic Meditation.

In July he moved to Mumbai, where he lived until 1974.

Osho - who at this time is called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh - begins to initiate seekers into neo-sannyasa, or discipleship, a path of active self-discovery and meditation that does not involve renunciation of the worldly or anything else. He continues to hold meditation retreats at Mount Abu in Rajasthan, but has stopped accepting invitations to speak anywhere in the country. He directs his energy solely to quickly increase the group of sannyasins around him.

At the same time, the first people from the West came and took initiation into neo-sannyas. Among them are leading psychotherapists from humanitarian movements in Europe and the United States, seeking next steps in their own inner growth. With Osho, they experience new, original meditation techniques for modern people, incorporating the wisdom of the East and the science of the West.

1974–1981 Shri Rajneesh Ashram in Pune.

For seven years, almost every morning he gives one-and-a-half hour polemical talks, changing the language of his speech from Hindi to English every month. In his talks he offers new perspectives on most spiritual paths, including yoga, Zen, Taoism, Tantra and Sufism. He also speaks about Gautam Buddha, Jesus, Lao Tzu and other mystics. These conversations have been collected into more than 600 volumes and translated into fifty languages.

During these years, in the evenings he answers questions about such personal topics as love, jealousy, meditation. These darshans have been collected into sixty-four Darshan Diaries, forty of which have been published.

The community that grew up around Osho at this time offered a wide range of therapy groups that combined Eastern meditation techniques and Western psychotherapy. Physiotherapists from all over the world come there, and by 1980 the international community has acquired a reputation as “the world's best center for therapy and spiritual growth.” Every year almost a million people pass through its gates.

1981 Osho develops a serious illness. In March 1981, having given one of the daily talks he had given for the past fifteen years, Osho entered a three-year period of voluntary public silence. Due to the possible need for immediate surgical intervention and on the recommendation of his personal doctors, Osho travels to the USA. That same year, his American students purchased 64,000 acres of land in Oregon and invited him to visit. Over time, he accepts an invitation to stay in the United States.

1981–1985 Rajneeshpuram.

In the middle of the Oregon desert, a model agricultural community emerges from the ruins. Thousands of acres of economically bankrupt land trampled by livestock have been brought back to life. The city of Rajneeshpuram houses 5,000 permanent residents. Annual festivals are held, attracting up to 15,000 guests from all over the world. Very quickly, Rajneeshpuram becomes the largest spiritual community ever to emerge on US soil.

October 1984 Osho ends his voluntary period of silence, which lasted three and a half years.

July 1985 He resumes his public talks every morning with thousands of truth seekers gathered in the two-acre meditation hall.

September-October 1985 End of Rajneeshpuram in Oregon.

September 14. Osho's personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and some members of the community management unexpectedly left Rajneeshpuram. Osho invited the law enforcement forces to investigate Sheela's crimes. The authorities, however, used this investigation as a golden opportunity to raze the community to the ground.

28 of October. Without a warrant, federal and local authorities arrested Osho and others in Charlotte, North Carolina. When the others were released, he was kept for another twelve days, without even being released on bail. The five-hour return to Oregon took four days. Subsequent events revealed that he had been poisoned with thallium while in prison.

November. Fearing for his life and for the well-being of sannyasins in troubled Oregon, the lawyers agreed to the Alford Plea, a document in which Osho agreed to two of the thirty-five charges brought against him. Under this agreement, the accused is presumed innocent but acknowledges that there is sufficient evidence to convict him. Osho and his lawyers defended his innocence in court. He was fined $400,000 and deported from the United States.

It became abundantly clear that the federal and state governments were intent on destroying Rajneeshpuram.

1985–1986 Trip around the world.

January February. Osho heads to Nepal's capital Kathmandu and performs twice a day for the next two months. In February, the Nepalese government denied visas to his guests and associates. He leaves Nepal and goes on a trip around the world.

February March. At his first stop, Greece, he is guaranteed a thirty-day visa. However, just eighteen days later, on March 5, Greek police break into the house where he is staying, arrest him and deport him at gunpoint. Greek media write that the police invasion provoked pressure from the government and the church.

Over the next two weeks he visits or requests permission to visit seventeen countries in Europe and the Americas. All of these countries either refuse to grant him a visitor visa or revoke his visa upon arrival and force him to leave. Some countries even refuse to allow the plane to land.

June July. Over the next month he was deported from Jamaica and Portugal. In all, twenty-one countries denied him entry or deported him after his arrival. On July 29, 1986, he returned to Mumbai, India.

1987–1989 International Osho Community.

January 1987 He returned to the ashram in Pune, India.

July 1988 Osho begins, for the first time in fourteen years, to personally conduct meditation at the end of each of his evening talks. He also introduces a revolutionary new meditation technique called the Mystic Rose.

January - February 1989 He stops using the name Bhagwan, keeping only the name Rajneesh. However, his students ask him to call himself "Osho" and he accepts this form of address. Osho explains that this name is derived from William James' word "oceanic", which means "dissolving into the ocean." “Oceanic” describes an experience, he says, but what about the person experiencing it? This is why the word “Osho” ​​exists. At the same time, he came to understand that historically the word "Osho" was also used in the Far East to mean "the blessed one upon whom the heavens showered flowers."

March - June 1989 Osho is gradually recovering from the effects of poisoning, which until that moment had greatly affected his health.

July 1989 His health improves and he appears twice for silent darshans during the Festival, now called the Osho Full Moon Festival.

August 1989 Osho begins to appear daily at Buddha Hall for evening darshans. He appoints a special group of white-robed sannyasins called the White Robe Brotherhood. All sannyasins and non-sannyasins present at this evening darshan were asked to wear white clothes.

September 1989 Osho drops the name “Rajneesh”, symbolizing a complete break with the past. Now he is known simply as “Osho”, and the ashram is renamed “Osho International Community”.

1990 Osho leaves his body.

January 1990. During the second week of January, Osho's body weakens significantly. On January 18, he is so physically weak that he cannot come to Buddha Hall. On January 19, his pulse becomes intermittent. When doctors ask if they need to prepare for resuscitation in case of cardiac arrest, Osho says: “No, just let me go. Existence counts its own time.” Osho leaves his body at five o'clock in the evening. Two days later, his ashes were brought to the Osho International Community and placed in his samadhi in the Chuang Tsu Auditorium under a slab with the inscription:

“Osho: never born, never died. Only was on this planet between December 11, 1931 and January 19, 1990.”

Modern man is constantly in a state of doing something, absorbed in worries, plans, ideas, expectations - and there is simply no place in him where he can stop and take a break. The mind is racing and it is difficult for it to remain balanced. It is like a pendulum, now to the right, now to the left. The mind moves from one extreme to the other; it cannot be whole because it consists of polarities. Intelligence is not simplicity, it is complexity, it is madness. When a person is balanced, the mind disappears.

Indian philosopher Chandra Mohan Rajneesh(Hindi) or Osho invites us to put aside our mind and our logical thinking, and become an empty vessel. Then we'll get rid of ours ego and he will come enlightenment.

To be empty you don't have to do anything. There is something inside us soul and to get to it, you need to let go of your critical mind. There is no need to think about how to achieve emptiness; this will only lead to confusion. Osho uses contradiction as a technique with which you can reach any personality type. It shocks us out of our comfortable cages so that we can awaken, realize and change. As soon as the mind begins to doubt, it loses its confidence, and this is the starting point of falling into emptiness.

“You came to me. You took a dangerous step. It’s risky, because next to me you can get lost forever. I look like an abyss.”, warns Osho. But, Without losing yourself, you can't get anything worthwhile. Man is his own obstacle. He is so full of himself that nothing can penetrate him. Its doors are closed. When he frees himself from himself, he opens himself. This is what they call Tao.

Usually a person lives in memories of the past or in anticipation of the future, only occasionally touching the present. Osho shows us the door behind which "true life" and the discovery of the world of eternity within oneself. He insists on personal experiences of truth, which he places much higher than knowledge and beliefs borrowed from others. He said: “My message is not a doctrine, not a philosophy. My message is a kind of alchemy, a science of transformation, so only those who can die as they are and be reborn so renewed that they cannot even imagine it now... only those few brave souls will be ready to hear, for to hear is to take risks.".

Numerous lectures and conversations by Osho are recorded on video and in books, which are original revelations of existence. The most famous of them are " About Men", "mustard seed", "About the Woman", "Love. Freedom. Loneliness", "Kyosan. True Zen Master", "Dhammapada. Stars are born from chaos", "In search of the miraculous"The depth and clarity of his thoughts amaze and captivate from the first words heard.

Osho said about himself that he came to wake up a person, and not to teach. He believed that words and conversations have no value, and only the empty spaces between spoken words are valuable. Words is just a tool to help open emptiness. And the paradox is that when you are empty you are filled. If you are full of yourself, you cannot accept anything from outside. "Your minds are so small that they cannot perceive the divine." Empty yourself of suffering, anger, ego, jealousy, torment, pain, pleasure, Osho urges. Blessing is only possible in emptiness. Only the whole can achieve bliss, the part never. And wholeness is achieved through emptiness, which can be comprehended in meditation. Meditation- this is going beyond the limits of the mind. Meditation is getting closer to your essence.

"A man of our time," Osho said, - is so burdened with the frozen traditions of the past and the burdens of everyday life that he must go through a process of deep purification before he can hope to enter into a thought-free, relaxed state of meditation.".

Osho popularized and adapted Sufi whirling and dhikrs for modern people. Moreover, he suggested more than 100 types of meditations, including kundalini meditation, nataraj, nadabram and others. Osho's most famous practice was Dynamic Meditation.

Dynamic Meditation- this is an explosion, this is a splashing out. This is a celebration, dance, joy and gratitude to the world. Meditation covers the body, the heart, the mind, and what is beyond our mind. Enjoying the state of no-mind is a great harmony within a person.

Osho believed that mental health is a movement towards what is natural, what is behind us. Throughout life, a person identifies himself with a certain form. Osho teaches you to be beyond form. There is only one truth - the truth of joy, life and happiness. Understanding this gives freedom. When "The clock stops, time disappears: and with this stopping of the clock, the mind also disappears. If time has stopped, where are you? The boat is empty".