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Rajneesh, born Chandra Mohan Jain on December 11, 1931, and later known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and Osho, was an influential Indian godman, philosopher, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. His life and teachings sparked both devotion and controversy, positioning him as a significant yet contentious figure in the realm of new religious movements.
Rajneesh’s philosophy was marked by his rejection of institutional religions, arguing that spiritual experiences could not be confined to any single system of religious dogma. He was an advocate for meditation, promoting a distinctive practice known as dynamic meditation. Contrary to traditional ascetic practices, Rajneesh encouraged his followers to engage fully with the world, albeit without attachment.
In the late 1960s, Rajneesh’s progressive views on sexuality earned him the moniker “the sex guru,” causing significant controversy in India. His spiritual journey began with an awakening in 1953 at the age of 21. After several years in academia, he resigned from his position at the University of Jabalpur in 1966 and embarked on a journey across India, vocally criticizing mainstream religious orthodoxy, political ideologies, and even Mahatma Gandhi.
By 1970, Rajneesh had settled in Mumbai, where he began initiating followers into what he termed “neo-sannyasins.” During this period, he expanded his teachings and delivered extensive discourses on various religious traditions, mystics, poets, and philosophers. In 1974, Rajneesh moved to Pune, establishing an ashram that offered a variety of therapies influenced by the Human Potential Movement. However, by the late 1970s, tensions with the Janata Party government and a significant tax dispute hindered the ashram’s growth.
In 1981, Rajneesh shifted his focus to the United States, establishing Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. The commune faced numerous legal challenges and conflicts with residents and authorities, ultimately limiting its success. In 1985, Rajneesh publicly accused his secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, and her associates of serious crimes, including a mass food poisoning incident, an assassination plot, attempted murder, and illegal surveillance. These accusations led to several convictions.
Following a series of immigration-related charges, Rajneesh was deported from the United States in 1985. He was subsequently denied entry by 21 countries before returning to Mumbai in 1986. After a brief stay in Mumbai, he returned to Pune in 1987, where he revived his ashram and continued his discourses until he died in 1990.
Today, Rajneesh’s ashram is known as OSHO International Meditation Resort, managed by the Osho International Foundation. His teachings have left a lasting impact on Western New Age thought, with their popularity reportedly growing posthumously.
Childhood and Adolescence: 1931–1950
Rajneesh, a name derived from the Sanskrit words “rajanee” (night) and “isha” (lord), meaning “God of Night” or “The Moon,” was born as Chandra Mohan Jain on December 11, 1931. He was the eldest of eleven children born to Babulal and Saraswati Jain, Taranpanthi Jains who were cloth merchants. His birthplace was his maternal grandparents’ home in Kuchwada, a small village in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, India.
During his early years, Rajneesh lived with his maternal grandparents until he was eight years old. According to Rajneesh, this period significantly influenced his development, as his grandmother provided him with unparalleled freedom, allowing him to grow without the constraints of formal education or strict rules.
At the age of seven, after his grandfather’s death, Rajneesh moved to Gadarwara to live with his parents. The loss of his grandfather profoundly affected him, and this sense of loss was compounded when his childhood girlfriend, Shashi, died of typhoid when he was fifteen. These early encounters with death fostered a deep and enduring preoccupation with mortality throughout his youth.
As a student, Rajneesh was known for his brilliance and rebellious nature. He earned a reputation as a formidable debater and became critical of traditional religious practices. He explored various methods to expand consciousness, including breath control, yogic exercises, meditation, fasting, the occult, and hypnosis. Vasant Joshi notes that Rajneesh was an avid reader from a young age, and although he engaged in sports, reading remained his primary passion.
Rajneesh’s early interest in the writings of Marx and Engels led to his branding as a communist and threats of expulsion from school. He, along with friends, created a small library primarily filled with communist literature. His uncle, Amritlal, recounted that Rajneesh formed a group of young individuals who regularly discussed communist ideologies and their opposition to traditional religion.
Reflecting on his early ideological explorations, Rajneesh once said, “I have been interested in communism from my very childhood… communist literature — perhaps there is no book that is missing from my library. I have signed and dated each book before 1950. Small details are so vivid before me because that was my first entry into the intellectual world. At first, I was deeply interested in communism, but finding that it is a corpse, I became interested in anarchism — which was also a Russian phenomenon — Prince Kropotkin, Bakunin, and Leo Tolstoy. All three were anarchists: no state, no government in the world.”
During this time, Rajneesh also briefly aligned himself with socialism and joined two Indian nationalist organizations: the Indian National Army and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. However, his involvement with these groups was short-lived, as he struggled to conform to any external discipline, ideology, or system.
These formative experiences and early ideological explorations laid the groundwork for Rajneesh’s later teachings and his journey as a spiritual leader who continuously challenged established norms and sought to inspire a deeper understanding of consciousness and freedom.
University Years and Public Speaker: 1951–1970
In 1951, at the age of 19, Rajneesh began his academic journey at Hitkarini College in Jabalpur. However, conflicts with an instructor led to his transfer to D. N. Jain College, also in Jabalpur. His argumentative nature earned him the liberty to skip classes, except for exams, which he used to work briefly as an assistant editor at a local newspaper. It was during this period that he started speaking publicly at the annual Sarva Dharma Sammelan (Meeting of All Faiths) organized by the Taranpanthi Jain community, participating from 1951 to 1968. Despite his parents’ pressure, Rajneesh resisted marriage.
Rajneesh claimed a significant spiritual awakening on March 21, 1953, at the age of 21, during a mystical experience under a tree in Jabalpur’s Bhanvartal Garden. Following this experience, he completed his BA in philosophy at D. N. Jain College in 1955 and went on to earn an MA in philosophy (with distinction) from the University of Sagar in 1957. He secured a teaching position at Raipur Sanskrit College, but the vice-chancellor soon requested his transfer, deeming him a threat to students’ morality, character, and religion. From 1958, Rajneesh lectured on philosophy at Jabalpur University, where he was promoted to professor in 1960. Recognized by peers for his intellect, Rajneesh overcame the limitations of his early education.
Simultaneously, Rajneesh traveled across India under the name Acharya Rajneesh, delivering lectures critical of socialism, Gandhi, and institutional religions. His extensive travels made it difficult for him to sleep on a normal bed, as he had grown accustomed to railway coach berths. In a 1969 speech, Rajneesh argued that socialism was the outcome of capitalism, which in turn stemmed from revolutionary conditions. He believed that India would inevitably embrace socialism but first needed to focus on wealth creation. He criticized socialism for socializing poverty and described Gandhi as a reactionary who idolized poverty. Rajneesh advocated for capitalism, science, modern technology, and birth control as necessary for India’s progress.
Rajneesh’s critiques of orthodox Indian religions as empty rituals driven by fear and promises made him controversial. However, his views also garnered a loyal following, including wealthy merchants and businessmen who sought his advice on spiritual development and daily life transformations, often in exchange for donations. His influence grew, and in 1962, he began leading meditation camps, with the first meditation centers (Jivan Jagruti Kendra) forming around his teachings, known as the Life Awakening Movement (Jivan Jagruti Andolan). After a contentious speaking tour in 1966, Rajneesh resigned from his university position at the institution’s request.
In a 1968 lecture series titled “From Sex to Superconsciousness,” Rajneesh scandalized Hindu leaders by advocating for a freer acceptance of sex, earning him the label “sex guru” in the Indian press. Invited to speak at the 1969 Second World Hindu Conference, despite some leaders’ reservations, Rajneesh sparked further controversy by declaring, “Any religion which considers life meaningless and full of misery and teaches the hatred of life, is not a true religion. Religion is an art that shows how to enjoy life.” He compared the treatment of lower caste Shudras and women to that of animals and accused Brahmins of being self-interested, provoking the Shankaracharya of Puri, who unsuccessfully attempted to halt his lecture.
These university years and his emergence as a public speaker marked a crucial period in Rajneesh’s life, laying the foundation for his future as a spiritual leader and philosopher who continuously challenged societal norms and religious orthodoxy.
Mumbai: 1971–1974
In early 1970, Rajneesh introduced his groundbreaking Dynamic Meditation method at a public meditation event. Dynamic Meditation involves rapid breathing followed by a celebration with music and dance, designed to free participants from their inhibitions and promote a state of heightened awareness.
By the end of June 1970, Rajneesh relocated from Jabalpur to Mumbai. On September 26, 1970, he initiated his first group of disciples, known as neo-sannyasins. Unlike traditional ascetic Hindu holy men, his disciples adopted a new name and wore saffron robes and malas (beaded necklaces) carrying lockets with Rajneesh’s picture. However, Rajneesh’s neo-sannyasins were encouraged to embrace a celebratory lifestyle rather than an ascetic one.
Rajneesh’s role for his followers was not one of worship but as a catalytic agent—a sun encouraging the flower to open. This period marked the beginning of a significant shift in Rajneesh’s teachings, emphasizing personal transformation through joy and celebration, laying the groundwork for the global movement that would follow.
He Acquired a Secretary, Ma Yoga Laxmi
During his early years in Mumbai, Rajneesh acquired a devoted secretary, Laxmi Thakarsi Kuruwa, who took on the name Ma Yoga Laxmi as his first disciple. Laxmi, the daughter of a wealthy Jain follower, played a crucial role in Rajneesh’s life. Her father was a prominent supporter of the Indian National Congress during the struggle for Indian independence, with close ties to key figures like Gandhi, Nehru, and Morarji Desai. Laxmi raised the funds that enabled Rajneesh to cease his extensive travels and settle down in one location.
In December 1970, Rajneesh moved to the Woodlands Apartments in Mumbai. There, he began giving lectures and receiving visitors, including his first Western followers. He traveled less frequently and stopped speaking at open public meetings. In 1971, Rajneesh adopted the title “Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.”
Reflecting on this name change from Acharya to Bhagwan, Rajneesh later explained, “I loved the term. I said, ‘At least for a few years that will do. Then we can drop it.’” He elaborated on the strategic purpose behind adopting the title: “I have chosen it for a specific purpose and it has been serving well, because people who used to come to gather knowledge, stopped. The day I called myself Bhagwan, they stopped. It was too much for them, it was too much for their egos, someone calling himself Bhagwan… It hurts the ego. Now I’ve changed my function. I started working on a different level, in a different dimension. Now I give you is, not knowledge. I was an acharya and they were students; they were learning. Now I am no longer a teacher and you are not here as students. I am here to impart being. I am here to make you awaken. I am not here to give knowledge, I am going to give you knowledge – and that is a different dimension.
Calling myself Bhagwan was simply symbolic – that now I have taken a different dimension to work. And it has been tremendously useful. All the wrong people automatically disappeared and a different quality of people started arriving. It worked well. It sorted out well, only those who were ready to dissolve with me remained. All others escaped. They created space around me. Otherwise, they were crowding too much, and it was very difficult for the real seekers to come closer to me. The crowd disappeared. The word ‘Bhagwan’ functioned like an atomic explosion. It did well. I am happy that I chose it.”
The title “Shree” is a polite form of address similar to the English “Sir,” while “Bhagwan” means “blessed one.” In Indian tradition, it is used to honor a person in whom the divine is apparent. In Hinduism, it can also signify a deity or avatar. In many parts of India and South Asia, “Bhagwan” represents the concept of a universal God for Hindus who are spiritual and religious but do not worship a specific deity.
Rajneesh’s time in Mumbai was marked by these significant transformations. With Ma Yoga Laxmi’s support and his adoption of the title “Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh,” he transitioned from a traveling teacher to a settled spiritual leader, drawing a new quality of followers and solidifying his unique approach to spirituality and personal transformation.
Pune Ashram: 1974–1981
The humid climate of Mumbai adversely affected Rajneesh’s health, leading to diabetes, asthma, and numerous allergies. In 1974, on the 21st anniversary of his spiritual experience in Jabalpur, Rajneesh moved to a property in Koregaon Park, Pune, thanks to the support of Ma Yoga Mukta (Catherine Venizelos), a Greek shipping heiress. This new location provided a more suitable environment for his health and spiritual activities.
From 1974 to 1981, Rajneesh spoke at the Pune ashram, which comprised two adjoining houses and 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of land. This property became the nucleus of what is now the OSHO International Meditation Resort. The Pune ashram facilitated the regular audio and video recording and printing of Rajneesh’s discourses for worldwide distribution, allowing him to reach a much larger audience. The number of Western visitors to the ashram increased sharply during this period.
The ashram soon featured an arts-and-crafts center producing clothes, jewelry, ceramics, and organic cosmetics. It also hosted performances of theatre, music, and mime, creating a vibrant cultural atmosphere. From 1975 onwards, the arrival of several therapists from the Human Potential Movement marked a significant expansion of the ashram’s activities. These therapists complemented the traditional meditations with a growing number of therapy groups, which became a major source of income for the ashram.
Rajneesh’s time at the Pune ashram was marked by innovation and growth, both in the spiritual practices he offered and in the infrastructure supporting his community. This era laid the foundation for the global reach of his teachings and the continued development of the ashram as a hub of spiritual and personal transformation.
Life at Rajneesh’s Pune Ashram: 1974–1981
The Pune ashram was known for its exciting and intense atmosphere, often described as emotionally charged, resembling a madhouse carnival. The day at the ashram began at 6:00 a.m. with Dynamic Meditation. From 8:00 a.m., Rajneesh delivered a 60- to 90-minute spontaneous lecture in the ashram’s “Buddha Hall” auditorium, commenting on religious writings or answering questions from visitors and disciples. Until 1981, lecture series alternated between Hindi and English.
Throughout the day, various meditations and therapies took place, their intensity attributed to the spiritual energy of Rajneesh’s “Buddha field.” Evening darshans involved Rajneesh conversing with individual disciples or visitors and initiating disciples (“giving sannyas”). Sannyasins attended darshan when departing, returning, or when they had matters to discuss.
Visitors chose therapies based on their preferences or in consultation with Rajneesh. Some early therapy groups, like the encounter group, were experimental and allowed a degree of physical aggression and sexual encounters between participants. Reports of injuries sustained in Encounter group sessions began to surface in the press. Richard Price, a prominent Human Potential Movement therapist and co-founder of the Esalen Institute, criticized the groups for encouraging participants to ‘be violent’ rather than ‘play at being violent,’ the norm in Encounter groups conducted in the United States. Price allegedly left the Pune ashram with a broken arm after an eight-hour session locked in a room with participants armed with wooden weapons. His Esalen colleague, Bernard Gunther, fared better in Pune and wrote a book, Dying for Enlightenment, featuring photographs and lyrical descriptions of the meditations and therapy groups.
Violence in the therapy groups ended in January 1979, when the ashram issued a press release stating that violence “had fulfilled its function within the overall context of the ashram as an evolving spiritual commune.”
Sannyasins who had “graduated” from months of meditation and therapy could apply to work in the ashram, which was modeled on the community led by the Russian mystic Gurdjieff in France in the 1930s. Key features incorporated by Gurdjieff were hard, unpaid labor and supervisors chosen for their abrasive personalities, both designed to provoke opportunities for self-observation and transcendence. Many disciples chose to stay for years.
Despite the controversies around the therapies, allegations of drug use among sannyasins began to mar the ashram’s image. Some Western sannyasins were alleged to be financing extended stays in India through prostitution and drug-running. A few people later claimed that while Rajneesh was not directly involved, they discussed such plans and activities with him in darshan, and he gave his blessing.
By the latter 1970s, the Pune ashram was too small to accommodate its rapid growth, prompting Rajneesh to seek a larger location. Sannyasins from across India searched for suitable properties, including sites in Gujarat and the mountainous north. However, these plans were never realized due to escalating tensions between the ashram and the Janata Party government led by Morarji Desai. The government denied land-use approval and ceased issuing visas to foreign visitors citing the ashram as their main destination. Additionally, the government revoked the ashram’s tax-exempt status retroactively, resulting in a significant financial claim estimated at $5 million.
Conflicts with various Indian religious leaders further aggravated the situation. By 1980, the ashram had become so controversial that even Indira Gandhi, who had a previous association with Rajneesh and the Indian Congress Party, was unwilling to intercede after her return to power. In May 1980, during one of Rajneesh’s discourses, Vilas Tupe, a young Hindu fundamentalist, attempted to assassinate him. Tupe claimed he believed Rajneesh was an agent of the CIA.
By 1981, Rajneesh’s ashram was hosting 30,000 visitors annually, with daily discourse audiences predominantly consisting of Europeans and Americans. Observers noted a shift in Rajneesh’s lecture style during the late ’70s, becoming less intellectually focused and featuring an increasing number of ethnic or dirty jokes intended to shock or amuse his audience.
On April 10, 1981, Rajneesh entered a three-and-a-half-year period of self-imposed public silence after discoursing daily for nearly 15 years. Satsangs—silent sitting with music and readings from spiritual works such as Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet or the Isha Upanishad—replaced the daily discourses. Around the same time, Ma Anand Sheela (Sheela Silverman) replaced Ma Yoga Laxmi as Rajneesh’s secretary, marking a significant leadership change within the ashram.
The United States and the Oregon Commune: 1981–1985
Arrival in the United States
In 1981, increasing tensions at the Pune ashram, along with criticism and threatened punitive actions by Indian authorities, prompted Rajneesh to consider establishing a new commune in the United States. Susan J. Palmer suggests that the move was initially Sheela’s plan. Sheela and Rajneesh had discussed this idea in late 1980, although he did not agree to travel until May 1981. On June 1, he traveled to the United States on a tourist visa, ostensibly for medical purposes, and spent several months at a Rajneeshee retreat center at Kip’s Castle in Montclair, New Jersey.
Rajneesh had been diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in early 1981 and treated by several doctors, including James Cyriax, a musculoskeletal physician flown in from London. Rajneesh’s previous secretary, Laxmi, indicated that she had failed to find a suitable property in India, and the initiative passed to Sheela during the medical emergency. Sheela publicly stated that Rajneesh was in grave danger if he remained in India but would receive appropriate medical treatment in America if surgery was needed. Despite the stated severity of his condition, Rajneesh never sought outside medical treatment in the United States, leading the Immigration and Naturalization Service to argue he had a preconceived intent to remain there. Years later, Rajneesh pleaded guilty to immigration fraud while maintaining his innocence regarding the charges that he made false statements on his initial visa application.
Establishing Rajneeshpuram
On June 13, 1981, Sheela’s husband, John Shelfer, signed a purchase contract to buy property in Oregon for $5.75 million, and a few days later assigned the property to the US foundation. The property, a 64,229-acre ranch previously known as “The Big Muddy Ranch,” was located across two counties, Wasco and Jefferson. It was renamed “Rancho Rajneesh,” and Rajneesh moved there on August 29. Initial local reactions ranged from hostility to tolerance, depending on the distance from the ranch. The development quickly met intense local, state, and federal opposition. Within months, a series of legal battles ensued, primarily over land use.
In May 1982, the residents of Rancho Rajneesh voted to incorporate it as the city of Rajneeshpuram. The conflict with residents escalated, with increasing hostility on both sides. The commune faced constant and coordinated pressures from various coalitions of Oregon residents. The organization 1000 Friends of Oregon initiated numerous court and administrative actions over the next six years to void the incorporation and remove buildings and improvements. At one point, the commune imported large numbers of homeless people from various US cities in a failed attempt to influence an election, eventually releasing them into surrounding towns and leaving some for the State of Oregon to return to their home cities at state expense.
In March 1982, residents formed a group called Citizens for Constitutional Cities to oppose the ranch development. An initiative petition was filed to order the governor to “contain, control, and remove” the threat of invasion by an “alien cult.” The Oregon legislature passed several bills aimed at slowing or stopping the development of Rajneeshpuram, including HB 3080, which stopped the distribution of revenue-sharing funds for any city whose legal status had been challenged, specifically targeting Rajneeshpuram. Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh stated in 1982 that the Rajneeshees should leave Oregon due to their unpopularity with neighbors.
In May 1982, US Senator Mark Hatfield called the INS in Portland, expressing concern that the “religious cult” was endangering the way of life for a small agricultural town and posed a threat to public safety. In 1983, the Oregon Attorney General filed a lawsuit seeking to declare the city void due to a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The court found that the city’s property was owned and controlled by the foundation and ruled in favor of the state. As part of the settlement of Rajneesh’s immigration case, the city had to “acquiesce” to the decision.
Rajneesh’s Seclusion and Organizational Expansion: 1981–1985
Seclusion and Leadership Dynamics
Throughout the legal battles surrounding the Rajneeshpuram commune, Rajneesh retreated from the public eye, a period described by commune leadership as one of “silence.” From this time, which lasted until November 1984, Rajneesh did not speak publicly; instead, recordings of his past discourses were played for commune audiences. He reportedly spent most of this period in seclusion, communicating only with a select few key disciples, including Ma Anand Sheela and his caretaker, Ma Yoga Vivek (Christine Woolf). During this time, he resided in a trailer near a covered swimming pool and other amenities, refraining from giving lectures and interacting with followers through a ‘drive-by’ ceremony in his Rolls-Royce. His collection of Rolls-Royce cars, which eventually numbered 93, gained considerable public attention.
In 1981, Rajneesh had given Sheela limited power of attorney, which he extended the following year. By 1983, Sheela announced that Rajneesh would communicate only through her, a decision Rajneesh later claimed kept him in ignorance. This led to doubts among many sannyasins about whether Sheela accurately represented Rajneesh, prompting several dissidents to leave Rajneeshpuram. Additionally, resident sannyasins without US citizenship faced visa issues, some of which were addressed through marriages of convenience. To resolve Rajneesh’s visa difficulties, commune administrators declared him the head of a new religion named “Rajneesh.”
Emphasis on Global Catastrophe
During his time in Oregon, Rajneesh increasingly focused on his predictions about global destruction. He had warned as early as 1964 about an impending world war and the need to create a “new humanity” to prevent global catastrophe. This urgency was amplified in a 1983 Rajneesh Foundation Newsletter, which proclaimed the creation of a “Noah’s Ark of consciousness.” Sheela further fueled this sense of urgency by announcing in March 1984 that Rajneesh had predicted the death of two-thirds of humanity from AIDS. This led to strict measures within the commune, including the use of rubber gloves and condoms during sex, measures which were widely criticized by the press as excessive, given the contemporary understanding of AIDS.
Rajneesh also dictated three books during his stay in Rajneeshpuram while under the influence of nitrous oxide administered by his private dentist. These books were “Glimpses of a Golden Childhood,” “Notes of a Madman,” and “Books I Have Loved.” Sheela later claimed that Rajneesh was addicted to nitrous oxide and took sixty milligrams of valium daily, although Rajneesh denied these allegations when questioned by journalists.
Expansion of Organizational and Business Structure
At the height of the Rajneeshpuram era, Rajneesh, supported by a sophisticated legal and business infrastructure, had established a complex corporate machine composed of various front companies and subsidiaries. The primary entities within his organization included the Rajneesh International Foundation (RIF), which managed commune activities; the Rajneesh Investment Corporation (RIC), which oversaw financial matters; and the Rajneesh Neo-Sannyasin International Commune (RNSIC). The overarching umbrella organization for all investment activities was Rajneesh Services International Ltd., a company registered in the UK but based in Zürich. Additionally, smaller organizations such as Rajneesh Travel Corp, Rajneesh Community Holdings, and the Rajneesh Modern Car Collection Trust were created to manage the acquisition and rental of Rolls-Royce vehicles.
The 1984 Bioterror Attack and Rajneesh’s Legal Troubles
Rajneesh’s Period of Silence and Internal Conflicts
During his period of public silence, Rajneesh remained behind the scenes, leaving Ma Anand Sheela to act as his spokesperson. Rajneesh had previously instructed Sheela to leverage media coverage to her advantage and had supported her in disputes within the commune. However, by early 1984, tensions among the inner circle had escalated, prompting a private meeting with Sheela and Rajneesh’s personal house staff. According to Swami Devageet (Charles Harvey Newman), Rajneesh rebuked Sheela, asserting that his house, not hers, was the center of the commune. He also warned that Sheela’s jealousy could turn anyone close to him into a target.
The Resumption of Public Discourse and Sheela’s Departure
On 30 October 1984, Rajneesh ended his period of silence, declaring it was time to “speak his truths.” During a discourse on 19 December, he questioned whether the organization was necessary for a religion to survive and indicated dissatisfaction with the current organizational structure. This statement seemed to directly challenge Sheela and the existing management. The next day, sannyasins responsible for transcribing his talks were informed that the tapes had been damaged and were unavailable. Rumors of Sheela’s suppression of the discourse led her to produce a transcription, which was published in The Rajneesh Times with critical comments removed.
Rajneesh continued to speak almost daily, except for a three-month hiatus between April and July 1985. After Sheela and her management team abruptly left for Europe in September, Rajneesh held a press conference, denouncing Sheela and her associates as a “gang of fascists.” He accused them of serious crimes, including the attempted murder of his physician, poisonings of public officials, wiretapping, and a bioterror attack involving Salmonella that sickened 751 people in The Dalles to influence local elections.
The Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Initially met with skepticism, Rajneesh’s allegations were later substantiated by U.S. authorities, leading to the conviction of Sheela and several of her associates. On 30 September 1985, Rajneesh denied being a religious teacher and ordered the burning of 5,000 copies of a book defining “Rajneeshism” as “a religionless religion.” The salmonella attack is now recognized as the first confirmed instance of bioterrorism in the United States.
Rajneesh claimed ignorance of the crimes committed by the Rajneeshpuram leadership, attributing his lack of awareness to his period of isolation. Some commentators suggest Sheela may have been used as a scapegoat, and despite Sheela’s taped conversations and the testimony of several witnesses, no direct evidence linked Rajneesh to the crimes. Authorities, including U.S. Attorney Turner and Oregon Attorney General Frohnmeyer, acknowledged the lack of evidence directly implicating Rajneesh in the criminal activities.
Arrest and Legal Consequences
On 23 October 1985, a federal grand jury indicted Rajneesh and several disciples for conspiracy to evade immigration laws. Rajneesh and a small group of sannyasins were arrested on 28 October at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, allegedly en route to Bermuda to evade prosecution. They were found with $58,000 in cash and valuable items. Rajneesh was transferred to Portland, where he pleaded “not guilty” to all charges on 8 November before U.S. District Court Judge Edward Leavy. He was released on bail and returned to Rajneeshpuram.
Rajneesh later entered an “Alford plea,” admitting that there was enough evidence to convict him of concealing his intent to remain permanently in the U.S. and conspiring to arrange sham marriages for residency. He was sentenced to a ten-year suspended sentence, five years of probation, a $400,000 fine, and agreed to leave the U.S. and not return for at least five years without permission.
The legal context of Rajneesh’s case involved “dual intent,” allowing a desire to stay in the U.S. while complying with immigration law if denied permanent residency. The prosecution, however, focused on preconceived intent and incitement related to marriage schemes. Despite extensive investigations and the confessions of several individuals, direct evidence linking Rajneesh to the crimes remained elusive.
Travels and Return to Pune: 1985–1990
Return to India and Initial Travels
After leaving the United States, Rajneesh arrived in Delhi on 17 November 1985, where he was warmly welcomed by his Indian followers. He took the opportunity to denounce the U.S., asserting that the world needed to “put the monster America in its place” and warning that “Either America must be hushed up or America will be the end of the world.” Following his arrival, he spent six weeks in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. During this period, he expressed interest in acquiring an atoll in the South Pacific that Marlon Brando was selling, envisioning it as a new commune site enhanced by houseboats and floating gardens. However, the island was deemed unsuitable due to its vulnerability to hurricanes.
Rajneesh’s travels continued as he moved to Kathmandu, Nepal, and then to Crete. After being briefly detained by the Greek National Intelligence Service (KYP), he journeyed to Geneva, Stockholm, and London, where he was refused entry. Canada also denied him landing permission, forcing his plane to return to Shannon Airport in Ireland. There, he was allowed a two-week stay in Limerick under the condition of not going out or giving talks. With a Uruguayan identity card and provisional residency, he traveled to Madrid, where his plane was surrounded by the Guardia Civil. Following a brief stop in Dakar, he reached Recife and Montevideo. In Uruguay, he initially resided in Punta del Este and resumed public speaking until 19 June, when he was “invited to leave” without an official reason. A short visa was arranged for Jamaica, but upon arrival in Kingston, the police gave his group just 12 hours to depart. Refueling in Gander and Madrid, Rajneesh returned to Bombay, India, on 30 July 1986.
Return to Pune and New Developments
In January 1987, Rajneesh returned to the Pune ashram, where he resumed his daily evening discourses, albeit occasionally interrupted by health issues. The ashram was expanded into a “Multiversity,” blending therapy and meditation. Rajneesh introduced new “meditation therapy” methods, including the “Mystic Rose,” and began leading meditations in his discourses after a decade-long break. His Western disciples favored independent living over large communes, and the distinctive red/orange dress and mala were made optional in 1985. By the summer of 1989, the ashram reintroduced maroon robes for ashram premises, white robes for evening meditation, and black robes for group leaders.
Health Concerns and Changing Focus
In November 1987, Rajneesh attributed his deteriorating health, characterized by nausea, fatigue, pain, and lack of resistance to infection, to alleged poisoning by U.S. authorities during his imprisonment. His doctors and former attorney speculated about radiation or thallium exposure but presented no concrete evidence. U.S. attorney Charles H. Hunter dismissed these claims as “complete fiction,” while other theories included exposure to HIV or chronic stress.
Starting in early 1988, Rajneesh’s discourses concentrated on Zen philosophy. In early 1989, he delivered a series of lengthy lectures titled “Communism and Zen Fire, Zen Wind,” criticizing capitalism and discussing the potential for sannyasins in Russia. He suggested that communism could evolve into spiritualism and then into anarchism. By late December, Rajneesh requested not to be called “Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh” and in February 1989 adopted the name “Osho Rajneesh,” later shortened to “Osho” in September. He also requested that all trademarks previously branded with “Rajneesh” be rebranded as “OSHO.” Despite these changes, his health continued to decline. After delivering his last public discourse in April 1989, he spent the remaining time in silence with his followers. He expressed concerns that some audience members might be subjecting him to evil magic, though a search for the perpetrators yielded no results.
Death
Rajneesh passed away on 19 January 1990 at the Pune ashram, at the age of 58. The official cause of death was heart failure, but his commune stated that his suffering was due to an alleged poisoning in U.S. jails. His ashes were placed in his newly built bedroom in Lao Tzu House at the Pune ashram, with the epitaph reading: “Never Born – Never Died. Only visited this planet Earth between December 11, 1931 and January 19, 1990.”
Teachings
Approach and Methodology
Rajneesh’s teachings, delivered primarily through his discourses, were known for their informal and humorous presentation, deviating from traditional academic settings. His approach was dynamic, often reveling in paradox and contradiction, making his teachings challenging to summarize. Rajneesh delighted in behaviors that contradicted conventional images of enlightened beings, particularly in his early lectures, which were famous for their humor and irreverence. Despite this seemingly capricious behavior, Rajneesh framed it as a “technique for transformation” designed to push individuals “beyond the mind.”
His discourses covered major spiritual traditions including Jainism, Hinduism, Hassidism, Tantrism, Taoism, Sikhism, Sufism, Christianity, and Buddhism, as well as Eastern and Western mystics and sacred scriptures like the Upanishads and the Guru Granth Sahib. Sociologist Lewis F. Carter noted that Rajneesh’s ideas were rooted in Hindu Advaita, which sees human experiences of separateness and duality as a cosmic play where everything is sacred and has absolute worth. Although his contemporary Jiddu Krishnamurti disapproved of Rajneesh, there are clear parallels between their teachings.
Rajneesh also incorporated a wide range of Western ideas into his philosophy. His belief in the unity of opposites echoed Heraclitus, while his view of humans as machines, trapped in unconscious patterns, had similarities with Sigmund Freud and George Gurdjieff. His concept of the “new man” transcending conventional constraints was reminiscent of Friedrich Nietzsche’s ideas in Beyond Good and Evil, and his advocacy for sexual liberation drew comparisons to D. H. Lawrence. His “dynamic” meditations were influenced by Wilhelm Reich.
Ego and the Mind
Rajneesh taught that every human being has the potential for enlightenment, with the ego often being the primary obstacle. He believed that the ego, shaped by social conditioning, creates false needs, conflicts, and a misguided sense of identity, which obstructs the true self from flourishing. The mind, according to Rajneesh, is a survival mechanism that replicates successful behavioral strategies from the past. However, this focus on the past prevents people from living authentically in the present, leading to repressed emotions and missed joyful experiences. Rajneesh argued that psychological repression and sexual denial result in neuroses and societal obsessions, advocating for unconditional self-acceptance and trust, facilitated by meditation rather than intellectual understanding alone.
Meditation
For Rajneesh, meditation was not just a practice but a state of continuous awareness, aimed at awakening individuals from mechanical responses conditioned by beliefs and expectations. He combined Western psychotherapy with meditation to increase awareness of mental and emotional patterns. Rajneesh developed over a hundred meditation techniques, with his “active meditation” techniques involving physical activity leading to silence. The most notable of these is Dynamic Meditation, which consists of five stages, including rapid breathing, catharsis, jumping and shouting, complete stillness, and concluding with dancing and celebration.
Other active meditation techniques included the Kundalini “shaking” meditation and the Nadabrahma “humming” meditation, both incorporating physical activity. Rajneesh also introduced Gibberish sessions for clearing the mind and later meditative therapies like the OSHO Mystic Rose, which involved intensive periods of laughing, weeping, and silent meditation. He believed these cathartic methods were essential for modern people to access meditation, allowing them to eventually practice meditation more naturally.
Sannyas
Rajneesh’s concept of sannyasa was centered around his presence as a master, emphasizing the transmission of being rather than philosophy. He described initiation as a communion that transcended words, merging beings in a profound connection. Despite this, Rajneesh often deconstructed his authority, presenting his teachings as a “game” or a joke. He stressed that anything could become an opportunity for meditation.
Renunciation and the “New Man”
Rajneesh viewed his “neo-sannyas” as a new form of spiritual discipline, distinct from traditional Hindu sannyas, which he saw as a system of social renunciation. He emphasized inner freedom and personal responsibility over superficial behavioral changes. Desires were to be accepted and transcended rather than denied, leading to an inner transformation where desires would naturally be left behind.
He also considered himself “the rich man’s guru,” rejecting material poverty as a spiritual value. Rajneesh enjoyed showing off his luxurious lifestyle, including his collection of Rolls-Royces, partly to challenge conventional values and provoke sensibilities. His vision of the “new man” combined spiritual depth with a zest for life, embodying qualities of both a scientist and a poet, rejecting traditional constraints like family, marriage, and political ideologies.
Rajneesh believed that the new man would be “utterly ambitionless,” characterized by liveliness, joy, and alertness rather than competitiveness. He argued that such a person would not fit into a competitive economy, which would ultimately collapse.
“Heart to Heart Communion”
In April 1981, Rajneesh announced that he was entering the ultimate stage of his work and would communicate solely through silence. On 1 May 1981, he stopped speaking publicly and entered a phase of “silent heart-to-heart communion.” When he resumed speaking on 30 October 1984, he explained that his silence had been a method to filter out those who were only intellectually following him, seeking individuals who could connect with him even in silence. This period of silence was meant to demonstrate the courage and love of his followers who remained with him despite the lack of verbal communication.
Rajneesh’s “Ten Commandments”
During his early years as Acharya Rajneesh, he was once asked for his “Ten Commandments” by a correspondent. Although Rajneesh was fundamentally opposed to the idea of commandments, he humorously provided the following list:
- Never obey anyone’s command unless it is coming from within you also.
- There is no God other than life itself.
- Truth is within you; do not search for it elsewhere.
- Love is prayer.
- To become a nothingness is the door to truth. Nothingness itself is the means, the goal, and the attainment.
- Life is now and here.
- Live wakefully.
- Do not swim – float.
- Die each moment so that you can be new each moment.
- Do not search. That which is, is. Stop and see.
Rajneesh emphasized the significance of commandments 3, 7, 9, and 10. These principles encapsulate the central themes of his teachings and have remained recurring motifs within his movement.
Legacy
While Rajneesh’s teachings faced resistance in his native India during his lifetime, there has been a notable shift in public opinion since his death. In 1991, an Indian newspaper ranked Rajneesh alongside figures like Gautama Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi as one of the ten people who significantly altered India’s destiny. Rajneesh was credited with “liberating the minds of future generations from the shackles of religiosity and conformism.” His influence in India has grown posthumously, surpassing the recognition he received while alive.
In 2006, a celebration marking Rajneesh’s 75th birthday saw Indian singer Wasifuddin Dagar praising his teachings as “more pertinent in the current milieu than they were ever before.” As of January 2008, Nepal boasted 60 Rajneesh centers with nearly 45,000 initiated disciples. His complete works have been archived in the Library of India’s National Parliament in New Delhi.
Notable figures such as Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna, who worked as Rajneesh’s gardener in the 1980s, and various other Bollywood personalities including Parveen Babi and Mahesh Bhatt, were followers of his philosophy. Over 650 books, primarily transcriptions of his discourses, are attributed to Rajneesh. These books have been translated into over 60 languages and have achieved best-seller status in Italy and South Korea.
Rajneesh’s teachings continue to resonate globally, particularly in the realms of meditation and social and political commentary. After a period of controversy, his movement has established itself within the new religious market. His followers have reinterpreted his teachings to be less controversial, appealing to a wider audience. In North America and Western Europe, societies have become more receptive to spiritual topics like yoga and meditation.
The Osho International Foundation (OIF) runs stress management seminars for major corporations, such as IBM and BMW, with reported revenues between $15 and $45 million annually as of 2000. In Italy, a satirical Facebook page called Le più belle frasi di Osho, which humorously repurposes images of Osho with political captions has gained over a million followers since its launch in 2016, becoming a cultural phenomenon.
Rajneesh’s ashram in Pune, now known as the OSHO International Meditation Resort, is described as the “Esalen of the East.” It offers a range of spiritual techniques from various traditions and serves as a “sacred space” for self-discovery and integration of body and mind in a serene resort environment. Prominent visitors, including politicians and media personalities, have frequented the resort. In 2011, a national seminar on Rajneesh’s teachings was held at the Mankunwarbai College for Women in Jabalpur, focusing on his “Zorba the Buddha” concept, which aims to blend spirituality with materialism and objectivity. As of 2013, the resort requires guests to undergo HIV/AIDS testing upon arrival.
