Comments on: The Luminous Rebel

By: shantam

shantam — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:02:23 +0000

Pope Benedict has writeen a book about his Osho, Jesus from Nazarth and Dr, Joshi writes a similar book for his Jesus who was crucified again this time in Ronald Regan’s America, The master known around the world as OSHO.
Masters or the prophets also die like everybody else, few years sooner or later. What matters for the generaions to come is what kind of people and what kind organisation you leave behind. As the leagcy will be judged not through the books but from acts and deeds of the followers.

I can bet Dr. Joshi would not like to go into this dangerous territory. Dr. Joshi aka Swami Satya Vedant one of the 20 inner circle members can take a quantum leap if he dares to bare the inside world of deceit, intrigue and power struggle.

By: alokjohn

alokjohn — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:25:35 +0000

“Entrusted with the sacred responsibility of being Osho’s story keeper, Dr. Vasant Joshi has created a direct pathway into the life and work of Osho…. ” Osho entrusted Joshi alone to do this?? Really??
I wonder if there is anything in this book that is not in Maneesha’s (Juliet Forman) three tomes. Still, a single volume well written biography is probably worth doing. I may well read it.

By: Lokesh

Lokesh — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:48:36 +0000

Joshi writes, “…Misunderstanding arises because mostly people only see a snapshot of what really is an adventure movie.
Ehm..well…yes…Joshi Wallah is obviously a master of understatement.

By: r p macmurphy

r p macmurphy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:04:39 +0000

“osho is not a person but a phenomenon” says joshi.
it reminds me of the scene in “the last temptation of christ”,when saint paul is visiting the town where jesus is living,having survived the crucifixion.
paul is preaching of jesus,the god born of the holy spirit…
jesus confronts him in the town square where he is speaking,saying he is in fact the son of mary.
they argue.
it ends paul says,
“i dont need you,i need the ressurected jesus.
the people don`t need you
they need the ressurected jesus…”
jesus is powerless,as paul sets out to give it to them.

By: Lokesh

Lokesh — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:18:46 +0000

My first thought upon reading this was, ‘Leave it alone’. Half an hour later I’m back, because I can’t keep my big mouth shut, especially when confronted by books, claiming to give the ‘inside’ story when I just know this book will be as lopsided as most accounts I’ve read about Osho’s life.
Being a sannyasin independent writer myself I know how tempting it is to try and tap into the buying power represented by sannyasin readership. As sannyasins we just love to hear just a little bit more about what must be one of the strangest and most fascinating storuies ever told. What makes me suspicious of this glowing review is how ‘respectable’ it makes Osho appear. Respectability was something Osho shunned while alive. I’d even go so far as to say that he deliberately went out of his way to be portrayed as someone who was not respectable in the eyes of the mainstream media and I can understand why.
Sai Baba just left the planet accompanied by a twenty-one gun salute. India’s greatest holy man has left us. Well, I won’t miss him. Compared to Osho, Sai Baba was a giant in terms of numbers of followers…even ex-heads of state down there in the ranks. Yet Sai Baba was caught on film palming gold watches and using pellets to create holy attar. Need I mention the numerous accounts concerning the man’s sexual conduct? Lets leave it at that. The point is, Sai Baba will, with a little time be elevated to the level of global saviour. With Osho it will take a lot longer, because, thanks in part to his own behaviour, such a lofty mantle will not fit so well on his padded shoulders. Osho simply was not respectable enough. Osho often pointed out how Hitler brainwashed the masses by repeating certain catch phrases. And so it will be if people continue to describe Osho in terms such as, and I quote, ‘He radiates consciousness which brings light to those groping in the dark.’ For me this is a half truth, because Osho radiated (true to life) cosmic chaos and confusion and left the unprepared completely puzzled and without any real direction in regards to the light of understanding.
There is much talk on websites just now about information relating to the events leading up to the fall of Rajneeshpuram because 25 years has passed and American govt. agencies are obliged to share that info. Also we have the GURU film which does not exactly leave Osho looking squeaky clean. In the film we have Osho saying that Sheela was not doing enough in provoking the powers that be and a few frames later we have him claiming that Sheela murdered her husband in terms that look utterly unconvincing. There is two ways one can view this. Either Osho really did intend to destroy people’s ideas about how an enlightened man should behave, or that he was capable of acting in a thoughrally unelightened way.
This morning I read an excerpt from an interview that Osho given just after Sheela left the ranch. It was an obvious attempt at damage control. but it also indicated that Osho really did not wish the ranch to go down…for better or worse it did and the rest is history.
If I see “Osho Luminous Rebel—Life Story of a Maverick Mystic” for sale in an Oxfam shop I will definately buy it, but for me Sam’s ‘Life of Osho’ captures the man best. As for the hyberbole contained in the following, ‘a long-awaited and much-needed biography of Enlightened Spiritual Master Osho’…I’m not waiting on it and I really don’t need it…curious at best, jaded at worst.