HAPPYIRTHDAY

MichaelStipe

VIDO

IsaacNewton

BhagwanShreeRajneesh
ReligiouFigure,Criminal (19311990)
IndiancultleaderhagwanhreeRajneehcreatedthepiritual
practiceofdnamicmeditation.HetartedtheRanchoRajneeh
communeinOregoninthe1980.

Synopsis
NAM
hagwanhree
Rajneeh
OCCUPATION
ReligiouFigure,
Criminal
IRTHDAT
Decemer11,1931
DATHDAT
Januar19,1990
DUCATION
JaalpurUniverit,
augarUniverit,
HitkariniCollege
PLACOFIRTH
Kuchwada,India

BhagwanShreeRajneesh,laterknownas"Osho,"wasbornDecember
11,1931,inKuchwada,India.Aftergraduatingfromcollegeand
claimingtohavefoundenlightenment,in1970,heintroducedthe
practiceof"dynamicmeditation,"becameaspiritualteacherand
begantoattractasignificantfollowing.Whenhiscontroversial
teachingsputhimrepeatedlyinconflictwithIndianauthorities,
RajneeshandhisfollowersfledtoaranchinOregon,wherethey
attemptedtoestablishacommune.Conflictswiththelocalcommunity
thereresultedinRajneeshandmembersofhisgroupturningtocrime
toachievetheirends,however,andin1985Rajneeshwasarrestedfor
immigrationfraud.Afterpleadingguilty,hewasdeportedtoIndia.He
diedonJanuary19,1990,inPune,India.

Early Life

BhagwanShreeRajneesh(nChandraMohanJain)wasbornon
December11,1931,inKuchwada,India.Helivedwithhis
grandparentsduringhisearlyyouthandthenwithhisparentsandwas
anintelligentbutrebelliouschild.In1951,Rajneeshgraduatedfrom
AKA
highschoolandstartedattendingHitkariniCollegeinJabalpurbutwas
AcharaRajneeh
ChandraMohanJain
forcedtotransfertoD.N.JainCollegeafterhisdisruptivebehaviorput
himatoddswithoneofhisprofessors.In1953,aftertakingayearoff
FULLNAM
fromhisstudiestosoulsearchandmeditate,Rajneeshclaimedthathe
hagwanhree
hadachievedenlightenment.Hereturnedtoschool,however,and
Rajneeh
aftergraduatingwithabachelor'sdegreeinphilosophy,hewentonto
pursueamaster'sinphilosophyatSagarUniversity.Followinghisgraduationin1957,Rajneesh
acceptedapositionasanassistantprofessorofphilosophyatRaipurSanskritCollege,buthis
radicalideassoonputhimatoddswiththeinstitution'sadministrationandhewasforcedtofind
workelsewhere,eventuallybecomingaprofessorattheUniversityofJabalpur.
PLACOFDATH
Pune,India

Spiritual Leadership

ConcurrentwithhisteachingattheUniversityofJabalpur,RajneeshtraveledthroughoutIndia,
spreadinghisunconventionalandcontroversialideasaboutspirituality.Amonghisteachingswas
thenotionthatsexwasthefirststeptowardachieving"superconsciousness."By1964,hestarted
conductingmeditationcampsandrecruitingfollowers,andtwoyearslaterheresignedfromhis
professorshiptofocusmorefullyonspreadinghisspiritualteachings.Intheprocesshebecame
somethingofapariahandearnedhimselfthenickname"thesexguru."
In1970,Rajneeshintroducedthepracticeof"dynamicmeditation,"which,heasserted,enables
peopletoexperiencedivinity.TheprospectenticedyoungWesternerstocomeresideathis
ashraminPune,India,andbecomeRajneesh'sdevoutdisciples,calledsannyasins.Intheirquest
forspiritualenlightenment,Rajneesh'sfollowerstooknewIndiannames,dressedinorangeand
redclothes,andparticipatedingroupsessionsthatsometimesinvolvedbothviolenceandsexual
promiscuity.Bythelate1970s,thesixacreashramwassoovercrowdedthatRajneeshsoughta
newsitetorelocateto.However,hismovementhadbecomesocontroversialthatthelocal
governmentthrewupvariousroadblockstomakethingsdifficultforhim.Tensionscametoahead
in1980,whenaHindufundamentalistattemptedtoassassinateRajneesh.
Facingongoingpressurefromgovernmentauthoritiesandtraditionalreligiousgroups,in1981
RajneeshfledtotheUnitedStateswith2,000ofhisdisciples,settlingona100squaremileranch
incentralOregon,whichhenamedRanchoRajneesh.There,Rajneeshandthesannyasins
startedbuildingtheirowncity,calledRajneeshpuram.Disapprovingneighborscontactedlocal
officialsinanattempttoclosedownRajneeshpuram,assertingthatitviolatedOregon'slanduse
laws,butRajneeshwasvictoriousincourtandcontinuedtoexpandthecommune.

Crimes and Arrest

Astensionsbetweenthecommuneandthelocalgovernmentcommunityincreased,Rajneesh
andhisfollowerssoonturnedtomoredrasticmeasurestoachievetheirends.includingmurder,
wiretapping,voterfraud,arsonandamasssalmonellapoisoningin1984thataffectedmorethan
700people.Afterseveralofhiscommuneleadersfledtoavoidprosecutionfortheircrimes,in
1985,policearrestedRajneesh,whowashimselfattemptingtofleetheUnitedStatestoescape
chargesofimmigrationfraud.Duringhissubsequenttrial,Rajneeshpleadedguiltyofimmigration
charges,realizingthatapleabargainwastheonlywayhe'dbeallowedtoreturntoIndia.

Later Life and Legacy

Afterpleadingguilty,RajneeshreturnedtoIndia,wherehefoundthenumberofhisfollowershad
significantlydecreased.Inthecomingmonths,hesearchedunsuccessfullyforaplaceto
reestablishhisashram.Hewasdeniedentryintonumerouscountriesbeforereturningagainto
Indiain1986.
DuringthenextfewyearshecontinuedtoteachandrenamedhimselfOsho,buthishealthbegan
todecline.OnJanuary19,1990,hediedofheartfailureatoneofhisfewremainingcommunesin
Pune,India.Followinghisdeath,thecommunewasrenamedtheOshoInstitute,andthenlater
theOshoInternationalMeditationResort,whichiscurrentlyestimatedtoattractasmanyas
200,000visitorsayear.Osho'sfollowersalsocontinuetospreadhisbeliefsfromoneofthe
hundredsofOshoMediationCentersthattheyhaveopenedinmajorcitiesacrosstheglobe.
ArticleTitle

BhagwanShreeRajneeshBiography
Author

Biography.comEditors
WebsiteName

TheBiography.comwebsite

TheBiography.comwebsite
URL

http://www.biography.com/people/bhagwanshreerajneesh20900613
AccessDate

January5,2017
Publisher

A&ETelevisionNetworks
LastUpdated

June6,2016
OriginalPublishedDate

n/a

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