Falling in Love with Darkness

by Osho

A quick online search for the word “darkness” shows how the media, popular culture, and even literary archives, are awash with images that trigger ideas of fear, gloom, horror, evil, and foreboding. In other words, the whole collective of society seems to be terrified of darkness. It is seen as everything that people would like to escape from. Here, Osho presents a radical rethink: “Darkness is unknown. We are alone in it. We feel lost and all that was known and familiar seems to have vanished. And remember, only people who can start the journey on the path of truth who have the ability to let go of the familiar, who are ready to drop the known, who can enter the unknown where there is no path or track only they can enter truth. “I am saying these few things as an introduction because without falling in love with darkness, you will be deprived of loving the great truths of life.” Osho

253 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2017

About the author

Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain, 11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990) and latter rebranded as Osho was leader of the Rajneesh movement. During his lifetime he was viewed as a controversial new religious movement leader and mystic.

In the 1960s he traveled throughout India as a public speaker and was a vocal critic of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Hindu religious orthodoxy.

Rajneesh emphasized the importance of meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humor—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialization.

In advocating a more open attitude to human sexuality he caused controversy in India during the late 1960s and became known as "the sex guru".

In 1970, Rajneesh spent time in Mumbai initiating followers known as "neo-sannyasins". During this period he expanded his spiritual teachings and commented extensively in discourses on the writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. In 1974 Rajneesh relocated to Pune, where an ashram was established and a variety of therapies, incorporating methods first developed by the Human Potential Movement, were offered to a growing Western following. By the late 1970s, the tension between the ruling Janata Party government of Morarji Desai and the movement led to a curbing of the ashram's development and a back taxes claim estimated at $5 million.

In 1981, the Rajneesh movement's efforts refocused on activities in the United States and Rajneesh relocated to a facility known as Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon. Almost immediately the movement ran into conflict with county residents and the state government, and a succession of legal battles concerning the ashram's construction and continued development curtailed its success.

In 1985, in the wake of a series of serious crimes by his followers, including a mass food poisoning attack with Salmonella bacteria and an aborted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles H. Turner, Rajneesh alleged that his personal secretary Ma Anand Sheela and her close supporters had been responsible. He was later deported from the United States in accordance with an Alford plea bargain.[

After his deportation, 21 countries denied him entry. He ultimately returned to India and a revived Pune ashram, where he died in 1990. Rajneesh's ashram, now known as OSHO International Meditation Resort and all associated intellectual property, is managed by the Zurich registered Osho International Foundation (formerly Rajneesh International Foundation). Rajneesh's teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought, and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.

Reviews

[Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is series of Q&A by Osho during a meditation.

It is filled with tales as is typical of master influencers using social proof.
It has material for a wide variety of audience. It is mostly well spoken. I skimmed many chapters which do not appeal to me

There are many useful ideas and tips that appealed to me, such as
-Darkness is more Divine than Light, it is everlasting, it is calm energy.
-Meditation tips including 30+30 minutes minimum per day, on being a witness during it, impact of doing it as different times. On bliss.
-On not romanticizing poverty, old culture of India to newness.
-On suffering of seeking money or enlightenment

The above ideas are 4, even 5 stars, the book is more of 3 stars overall as meanders. Recommended for the thoughtful seeker who can pick what appeals

[Saranya Krishna · Rating 3 out of 5]

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