Osho (11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990), born Chandra Mohan Jain and also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, was a highly influential and controversial Indian mystic, philosopher, and spiritual leader. He gained international fame for his radical teachings on meditation, love, freedom, and the deconstruction of traditional religious and social belief systems. Core Teachings and Philosophy * Meditation: He advocated for “Dynamic Meditation,” a method involving fast breathing, catharsis, and celebration to help modern people reach a state of “no-mind” or pure consciousness. * “Zorba the Buddha”: Osho proposed a new ideal for humanity—a person who could enjoy the material pleasures of the world (like Zorba the Greek) while maintaining the inner silence of a Buddha. * Deprogramming: He viewed his role as a “deconstructionist,” aiming to strip away societal conditioning, religious dogmas, and fixed identities to leave individuals as a “clean table” ready for self-discovery. * Religion and God: He rejected institutionalized religion and personified concepts of God, instead describing God as the “allness” or the sum total of existence. Key Life Phases * India (Pune Ashram): In 1974, he established an ashram in Pune (Poona), which became a global hub for his followers, known as “neo-sannyasins”. The resort continues today as the OSHO International Meditation Resort. * United States (Rajneeshpuram): In 1981, his movement moved to Oregon, where they built a city called Rajneeshpuram. This period was marked by intense legal battles with locals and eventually internal criminal conspiracies involving his secretary, Ma Anand Sheela. * Return to Pune: After being deported from the U.S. in 1985 and denied entry to 21 other countries, he eventually returned to Pune, where he adopted the name “Osho” before his death in 1990. - @rajnees_osho