Get your comment, and had a similar bias against him from “Wild Wild Country”. But when I read his work, was blown by how good it is. Definitely worth a try. My first Osho book was “Meeting with Remarkable People”.
Osho was in the middle of an oath of silence during this time and not actually running the ashram or accused by anyone credible of having been part of the salmonella attack.
But in any event, isn't it possible that his commentary on religious texts (he was a religion professor first) is valuable even if he later became associated with controversial and/or toxic behavior?
Personally I don't look for saints in my religious pursuits. I look for beauty and good ideas. If you want a person to have no bad aspects I think you'll be disappointed with every person.
>Having completed his BA in philosophy at D. N. Jain College in 1955, he joined the University of Sagar, where in 1957, he earned his MA in philosophy (with distinction).[50] He immediately secured a teaching position at Raipur Sanskrit College, but the vice-chancellor soon asked him to seek a transfer as he considered him a danger to his students' morality, character, and religion.[13] From 1958, he taught philosophy as a lecturer at Jabalpur University, being promoted to professor in 1960.[13] A popular lecturer, he was acknowledged by his peers as an exceptionally intelligent man who had been able to overcome the deficiencies of his early small-town education.[51]
No. It is impossible. He clearly didn’t understand the texts if he later engaged in such terrible behavior. The point of the texts is to teach you the best behavior! Was that cult town in OR beautiful with the cult members patrolling it with machine guns? Was bussing in the homeless and giving them beer in exchange for votes a good idea? Is (apparently) abdicating responsibility to your chosen person a good idea? Is narcing on them at the last minute to save your own skin beautiful? Is taking people’s donations to buy yourself 10 rolls royces beautiful?
Citation needed. And I know what you are talking about, the Rajneeshpuram, Oregon (fka the Big Muddy) incidents. Ma Sheela, one of his inner circle, who went rogue (envy, power grab) was said to be the instigator, by some people.
If you call his following a cult, you had better first call the current Repugn(ant)icans / Resucknicans who asskiss draft-dodger Frump a cult, and who have done much more damage to the world, not just to the you-ess.
LOL, sure, blame Osho’s Michael Cohen. Did he not approve the members running around with machine guns and bussing in homeless people to astro turf the town election? I don’t have to do anything to call out evil cults, but yeah, I have been strongly anti-Trump since 2015.
hargup|1 year ago
DasCorCor|1 year ago
johndhi|1 year ago
But in any event, isn't it possible that his commentary on religious texts (he was a religion professor first) is valuable even if he later became associated with controversial and/or toxic behavior?
Personally I don't look for saints in my religious pursuits. I look for beauty and good ideas. If you want a person to have no bad aspects I think you'll be disappointed with every person.
fuzztester|1 year ago
>he was a religion professor first
He was a professor of philosophy, not of religion. He disdained all religions, pretty much.
See this except from the Wikipedia article about him:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajneesh
, under the section "University years and ...":
>Having completed his BA in philosophy at D. N. Jain College in 1955, he joined the University of Sagar, where in 1957, he earned his MA in philosophy (with distinction).[50] He immediately secured a teaching position at Raipur Sanskrit College, but the vice-chancellor soon asked him to seek a transfer as he considered him a danger to his students' morality, character, and religion.[13] From 1958, he taught philosophy as a lecturer at Jabalpur University, being promoted to professor in 1960.[13] A popular lecturer, he was acknowledged by his peers as an exceptionally intelligent man who had been able to overcome the deficiencies of his early small-town education.[51]
DasCorCor|1 year ago
fuzztester|1 year ago
If you call his following a cult, you had better first call the current Repugn(ant)icans / Resucknicans who asskiss draft-dodger Frump a cult, and who have done much more damage to the world, not just to the you-ess.
jeepers creepers!
or
creepers freakers!
DasCorCor|1 year ago