Like many, I was first exposed to Chandra Mohan Jain, perhaps best known as Rajneesh or Osho by his followers, through the documentary series Wild Wild Country. I take a passing interest in cults of personalities and postmodern notions of truth which seem to dominate the zeitgeist in our post-Trump era. Some of these charismatic leaders are obviously full of shit (Trump, for example) while others clearly know how to ride the line between lunatic and genius. And in my own view, Osho is certainly the latter.
Perhaps in our western sensibilities, the knee jerk reaction is to dismiss him outright. And I would certainly agree that he possessed certain megalomaniacal tendencies. But what I find interesting about eastern thought is just how much it contrasts with western, monotheistic religion. Concerns with facts, truth, and historical validity just aren’t as paramount. In fact, to be preoccupied with hard knowledge and truth, as is the western custom, would be to miss the point entirely.
Osho kinda took these various theories and practices within eastern thought and spun them around. In short, I thought he was a provocateur; challenging conventional wisdom in both eastern and western traditions. So while I don’t necessarily condone the man, there is a strange comfort in his wisdom.
So I don’t find it crazy at all that he attracted the following that he did. And while the 60s, 70s, and 80s were pretty good for him (except for that time he got kicked out of the US), his group still manages to attract attention. In fact, if Osho were alive today in our “hater” culture, he’d fit right in. He would have absolutely crushed it in our age of Twitter, Elon Musk, Trump, etc.
Mind you, I feel kinda bad about liking some of his speeches, sermons, or whatever the fuck they’re called. His communes during his heyday in the US have a mixed reputation. Some loved them, others say they were traumatizing.
But I dunno, maybe he should have done stand up instead…
The Internet Ruined Everything 