Osho

Osho (real name Chandra Mohan Jain) was born on December 11, 1931, and passed away on January 19, 1990. He adopted the name Osho in 1989. He was an Indian mystic philosopher and spiritual teacher who gained international recognition. His teachings focused on the importance of meditation, love, creativity, and bliss—elements inherent in humans that are often lost when integrated into a system composed of static beliefs, strict religious traditions, and socialization within rigid legal frameworks. Osho was a professor of philosophy and traveled throughout India teaching. His views on sexuality earned him the nickname "the sex guru," a result of the fear syndrome that grips conservative, religion-centric societies when their institutions are threatened. In 1970, he settled in Bombay, where the number of Westerners coming to be initiated into his philosophy began to increase dramatically. In 1981, he moved to Oregon, USA, where his followers established an international community called Rajneeshpuram. This community came into conflict with local authorities, and Osho was deported from the country on charges of violating immigration laws. He returned to Pune, where he died in 1990. His ashram (center) is now known as "The Osho International Meditation Resort."