How the market for Osho Books expanded after 1994
The door to re-entering the mainstream international publishing market for Osho Books was opened in 1994 – with the publication of the Osho Zen Tarot – a deck of tarot cards packaged with a book of Osho’s insights. Padma the artistic creator of this pack saw the opportunity to paint these tarot paintings as a great gift, and a gift that began while the Master was still alive.
She says, ‘back then, my studio was in his residence and I painted most of the art there. So, while living and creating in an atmosphere of meditation, both the artwork, and I myself, became suffused with His profound message and grace. It is impossible to separate the 79 paintings of this “transcendental game of Zen” from Osho himself, and all that he represents.” It looks like Padma was the vehicle for these paintings, and that the very authenticity of them kick started the revival of interest in Osho in a wider market.
A Card from the Osho Zen Tarot
The package, created in Pune over a period of two years, became an international bestseller. Today the deck is published in 23 languages, including Hebrew, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, German and English. The German version is now in its tenth printing and the US edition alone has sold more than 250,000 copies. This was the first major title to establish Osho’s new name in the international publishing scene. It reached a whole new audience, motivating publishers to acquire more Osho titles for their markets.
Since 1994, the number of external publishers of Osho titles around the world has risen to 212, and includes some of the world’s largest publishing houses, such as Random House and St. Martin’s Press in New York, Mondadori and Bompiani in Italy, Random House-Mondadori in Spain, Random House in Germany, and Penguin in India. Some of of the publishers that had dropped Osho in the 1980′s are back in play.
Over the last 20 years, from almost no presence in bookstores except for a few specialized local shops, Osho books can now be found in bookshops almost everywhere. Where print runs used to be a cautious 3,000-5,000 copies per Osho title, now first printings of 25,000 copies or more are common.
One good example is: ”Meditation: The First and Last Freedom”, a compilation published by Rebel in 1989. This was selling at most a 1,000 copies per year in the US at that time. However when St. Martin’s Press in New York agreed to publish this title in 1997, they sold 10,000 US copies in the first year alone! Surely people cannot be opposed to such an expansion, and compilation?
In the wake of that publishers began to gain more confidence in the author and have begun signing up original titles such as The Mustard Seed, a great commentary from Osho on Jesus – which was signed into seven languages in 2004.
There are those who see the books as simply profit making activity and without any real meaning. SN consider this ill judged. The amount of work that must have gone on to ensure the delivery of Osho’s work to the marketplace cannot be underrated, and also its sincerity. And in order to make a success of this, of course profits have to be reinvested all the time. These self evident truths seem to be “lost” on those fundamentalists who are so implacably opposed to those who have done the work.
(Sannyasnews Researchers)
Sannyasnews reserchers, when so much interest is generated in Osho Books through the networking of mind-boggling 212 publishers, why not you guys start a meditation centre again?
If after 3 months, there is no more money to pay rent for meditation room, request Swami Arun or Veeresh for support!
P.S:
Sannyasnews researchers! Gives the impression as if 10, 12 academicians are working round the clock to find God particle.
Shantam Booby, sitting in the pavilion throwing rocks at the players as usual.
“Something is happening here, but you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr Shantam?” (with apologies to Bob Dylan).
“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally.
Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path.
If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others.
This is what everyone throughout the world is attempting to do. Truth is narrowed down and made a plaything for those who are weak, for those who are only momentarily discontented.”
Jiddu Krishnamurti.
When a disciple reads books from this and that master, when a patient takes medicine prescribed by this and that doctor, when a woman sleeps with this and that man, then DNA test becomes important.
I have seen the results, students become wise, meditators become aware, so aware, in a chemistry exam, they write Newton´s third law of motion.
(Notes of an Indian – not as convincing as J.Krishnamurti)
Jiddhu Krishnamurti:
His lack of humour led to a kind of sadness.
Anyway, not sure whether this is on topic? But enlighten us.
I just like K’s take on people’s gibberish.
K was alone. He demanded, without imposition, that we be too. He also belonged to another era, more severe than comfortable, yet perhaps more gracious and graceful too. I only saw him once. Leaving me feeling as if I’d met the sweetest, undemanding-est, sunlight-filled, roe-deer.
Anyways – back to the topic…
The trying to encapsulate wisdom, pathways, being, insight, solely by publishing it as a value per se, is an echo of an echo. Comforting, but needing people and vibrancy to bring it alive in myriad ways. And without a living, loving, hologram of a reference point, that’s also tricky unless the collaboration is effective in going in and out of our most willing engaged selves and then some.
It comes down to having a mutually invested community that can lift meaning into praxis, replenishment and that companionable willingness. The core effort and realisation is to live in the stream, not define it.
Any idea of self-recognition and identity has to be abandoned as soon as it is realised, otherwise it has a habit of causing bland, temporary conformity. Unless that is what one wants.
Communities dressed in red would bring me out in a rash nowadays. I see a total disconnect in Osho and sannyasins. I’m Sannyas-allergic. There may not be a cure. So on the one hand you have the awakening reminders as published. Then…
And conversely, having no mutually accountable audience for one’s wares is like facebook. Delusional. Bookish. Sad.
Thankfully, there’s always another destination and the lands are plentiful and still filled with experiencing.
As Rumi said, “You must ask for what you really want.”
There’s every chance that the universe is looking for you too, Bambi.
What a marvellous prose!
But what does it mean, Shantam – do you know?!
It may be a form of gibberish meditation? Or an “echo of an echo” in the deep mind of space?
I don’t understand any of it much, although I like the reference to Krishnamurti as a roe deer!
Shantam, all donations to the Krishnamartyn Fund for Buying SN Editors a thank-you Scrabble kit.
Ta.
Just in case anyone’s interested, the other day I happened to see in two papers that there’ll be two free screenings of Krishnamurti discussing What is Communication with Others? and What is a Responsible Human Being? with a professor from San Diego University, this Wednesday and Wed. Feb. 18, London Uni, Malet Street, WC1, 6-8pm. (I presume you’ll make an effort to get to both of these, Shantam? You certainly need to!).
Also, there’s a Krishnamurti video, plus dialogue, on the final Sunday of each month, 3-6pm, Marchmont Community Centre, Marchmont Street, WC2.
I would have come with you to these events, but right now London looks too far away.
As far as communication with others is concerned, I am not the same as in the boxing ring. Many times it is a common observation, butchers are nicer, softer and caring human beings than managers of all kinds, including clergy.
This one is for Arpana:
Few people go for the top leadership, few people throw stones at the soldiers; this is the difference between Israel and the neighbours.
More Shantam booby boobyism.
19th January 1990
I leave you my Dreams.
19th January 2015
I leave you my Books.
Wasn’t that, “I leave you my Dream”?
“Dreams” – as in, “I’ll see you in my dreams”, or, “Lie down, relax and tell me, have you had any interesting dreams lately?” (answered by, “Man, I had too much to dream last night!”) – and “Dream” – as in “The Vision Thing” – are different animals….
I leave you my Dream…It has grown into, changed into, I leave you my Words.
Shantam booby is jealous because no one is interested in him, and remain interested in
Osho’s words.
ROTFLMAO
” “Dreams” – as in, “I’ll see you in my dreams”, or, “Lie down, relax and tell me, have you had any interesting dreams lately?” (answered by, “Man, I had too much to dream last night!”) – and “Dream” – as in “The Vision Thing” – are different animals….”
SO true, Satyadeva, and thank you and also Prem Martyn – for your today´s contributions.
Love,
Madhu
Lots of Osho’s 70s books are available at Amazon for Kindle, I have just discovered.
Thanks, Arps.
For many, the idea of Osho leaving a “dream” was a bit of an absurdity, even in 1990.
To phrase it in an Indian way, Osho had shaktipat.
Shaktipata is a Sanskrit word, Shakti means ‘(psychic) energy’, and pāta, ‘to fall’). It refers in Hinduism to the conferring of spiritual ‘energy’ upon one person by another.
That was Osho’s wonderful gift when he was alive, and it continues after his physical death. A tape, a video, even a book can evince it if the disciple is in tune, whatever the rhythm of the years of ordinary time. The books are only important in that context.
January 19th, 1990 and January 19th, 2015 – just the same gift, and the same importance. It can be missed, especially if one’s head is clouded by Ashram or any other politics.
And actually, for me that is still what defines a sannyasin, whether they feel that, and feel in touch with it, beyond all words whatsoever.
Luckily on SN we have plenty to choose from – it’s a multi-media emporium…
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=54ccc5c3e8793cfc33ea4dfee753f721
I liked the link. Who are these people? Sannyasins?
Parmartha,
Your sentiment about the power of the man, his words and his videos has a beautiful ring to it.
If we ignore the Hindi explanation of shakti, or spiritual ‘energy’, isn’t it the words themselves and the meaning that we infer from them, that is truly important? Does it help to use such eastern terms here in the West?
What is the truth behind the meaning of the word, ‘disciple’? Is it still applicable or necessary? If so, how? Are you a disciple? In what way does it help you or others in this day and age to use such terms?
Thanks.
One final question, Parmartha, if I may. Can you further explain what it is to be a sannyasin today?
To be a Neo-sannyasin is simply to recognise Osho’s energy and feel closely in touch with it, and it always was. Of course, there were many who ‘joined’ in the seventies and eighties for the women, or for the men, or in response to loneliness – to be a part of a social group.
I was at a London party last Friday, about 40 or 50 people there whose lives in different ways had been touched by Osho. Many using their sannyasin names.
The energy felt light, and there was a certain magic around. Moving in an energy field without the normal encumbrances!
The Vedic traditions seemed more in touch with the ‘transference’ than western mystical traditions, and were more interested in defining it. For me, what defined a ‘Master’ was someone who had that. Someone who was not ‘teaching’, but simply transferring and pouring out the energy of the Beyond, and a conduit only for that.
But the choice of words is not important, it’s whether people ‘understand’ it. I have met many people, including people who have been on various spiritual paths, who say such transference is ‘imaginary’. That would be a more serious disagreement, but don’t think this is where, Simond, you are coming from?
I myself still find the word disciple valuable, and would call myself one. However, I am not a devotee!
Being a disciple is an important self-recognition, in that it keeps one humble and the ego in check. Being a disciple means that one simply embraces the Socratic phrase ‘I dont know’.
A few mystics are further on and seem to me to sincerely want to help. I always experienced Osho this way, and even though deceased, I still do.
Lovely stuff, Parmartha, I always enjoy reading your posts and the sincerity which you display. Thanks.
I might quibble with the Vedic references, but only because I ‘see’ the man, Osho, and prefer to look behind the myth. It is the message, rather than the energy I prefer to focus on, and what for me is the lasting legacy.
In today’s world, with so much confusion about spirtuality, I like my teachers to be as ordinary as possible; that way the tendency to mythologise and put on a pedestal is lessened.
But hey, I can’t argue with you!
Yeah, thanks Simond. Gracious reply.
There have always been ordinary mystics, particularly in Sufism, people who drove, and one suspects, drive taxis, or just tend cows, etc. Just ordinary (looking) people, but who preferred to remain sort of annonymous. I think this was to make sure that they were surrounded only by genuine and able seekers. I would not see it as a ‘modern’ phenonmenon.
Osho was different in this regard, and seemed to like the circus around him for the most part, and clearly ‘announced’ himself. Equally valid way of reaching people, I would say. He soon ‘tested’ many, and many left, so those left behind arguably were those he wanted.
You seem to be interested in Osho’s message, and presumably the message of others with whom you have been involved after him. This is the only real point of disagreement as I see it. Could you be open to the idea, couched in a western way, that ‘the whole Osho movie was/is not conceptual’?
Thanks for your post, it’s good to connect after so many years.
Thanks for the reply.
Sorry, but I don’t understand your last point about the whole “movie” being “conceptual”.
I like your reference to the circus Osho created. It served a great purpose. As I see it, through the profound glamour of the man, through his ‘shakti’, through the mythology of the ‘master’, he attracted many people. He acted as beautiful introduction to the teachings of a mystic, and even more importantly, showed me the importance of love.
And it was Osho who helped me with the longer process of how to integrate the teaching into daily western life.
Is NOT conceptual.
Cannot be comprehended by the normal senses and reason.
Ok, gotcha.
Feeling the great height through books, a flight into beyond or whatsoever; is this the rocket science started from the books, ‘Who Am I?’ or ‘Meditation – the First and Last Freedom’?
Till today and from the time of Bible and even before, books have been the greatest force to pass through darkest and cruellest phases of history. Holding the Bible and similar ones in hand and getting inner channelled with something within or without, we have a long, long tradition.
India´s External Affairs minister has recently said it is the verses of Geeta which guide her into the nitty gritty of her job.
Though the same job was done by the Muslim minister with equal calibre and Hilary Clinton finds the similar strength even better through the Bible.
Just remember the tv shot, heroic Saddam Hussein holding his book before going to the gallows.
On a personal note, if one of my friends is reading Osho books, it will be an easy choice to give one, but to a new friend I will never introduce Osho books.
Few years ago, I would have done it. As a tour guide in Pune, many times I played good salesman.
But that was a different era. Osho´s creation was intact.
And now…
When human resources are discarded, why the fuck I should do the crime to stress upon the words on the paper?
And Parmartha, I want to add that I feel grateful reading your response too this evening.
Since the buggings of my email account, also of this SN chat account of mine, I feel quite insecure and more of that to post like I did now in this last year.
Yet, to say this IS a special day today, and yes it also is none of that, and every day is special, this often is your way, I feel, to contribute.
The last two weeks, I have been having a deeper look into my ´dreams´ of expressing a longing to exchange and to contribute in a virtual Sannyas and Friends of Sannyas caravanserai.
In your evening contribution you mentioned the word ´context´, a living one besides books and tapes and videos and whatsoever (including Tarot cards, re the issue). It reminded me of an early afternoon here in Munich, when – to my utter surprise – Jayesha, who’d avoided me for decades, spontaneously invited me for a little city walk and talk in a nearby garden bistro.
Me – childlike – was enchanted and we went there. And talked with each other about this and that.
I was really stunned after a while, discovering at the tables next to us, at least two of the English Saturday breakfast meeting ´table- friends´. Dharmen was one of them, very much involved in a talk to a woman I also recognised (later) from your photo shot contribution months ago.
I was so stunned that I just felt like ´Alice in Wonderland´; however, a play from grown-ups for grown-ups and I didn´t say hello; Jayesha had left me quite abruptly in the midst of everything and had disappeared.
Only later, I felt just ´context´ in terms of meetings and the no-meeting in a meeting. I was sad about it.
Seeing my way – not only of looking for words – has been quite often more a nuisance for others here, I can see that more clearly now. I am not made for virtuals and I am not made for encounter games either.
I fell out of time. Without a living ´context´ that, what I feel inside as gifts given, I guess, I cannot share. Besides in my daily walks and just by being here, the way I am.
It has been sometimes very beautiful dream to write a letter or sometimes even two a day and type it and send it too. What a dream walker I am and have been. here in the virtual ´context´ in a virtual caravanserai.
If that post comes through, Parmartha, and does not disappear, like quite a lot of others, I want to say thank you for maintaining this website and putting so much effort into it.
And wish you all very well as LIVING BEINGS.
Madhu
Cheers, Madhu.
https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10537162_610010619129972_2184238190009590165_n.jpg?oh=e3e601b7a1d85eb5b3d16e43f4713987&oe=55239FDF
One elephant, one tiger one donkey and one monkey become human beings because of evolutionary journey. They all did something brave, something extraordianry to get this privilege.
After passing few lives as human beings and learning the tricks of the trade of being human, they felt, enough is enough, time to find a guru and meditate.
As it is said, ‘When disicple is ready, Guru appears.’ I am sure it is said about the Living guru and not guru in a book or a video.
Anyway, these four are on the way. One of them shows quite an interest in politics. Another one is missing a woman. One takes his robe off only while showering and another has developed a business.
In their heart of the heart, all are thinking, “What kind of idiots are the others?”