Osho movement

Osho movement
Family	New religious movement / Neo-sannyas
Origin region	India and international communities
Founding period	Late 20th century CE
Estimated adherents	Unknown; centers and meditation communities exist internationally.

Osho movement is a modern spiritual movement based on the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho, emphasizing meditation, inner freedom, celebration, and individual transformation.

Overview

The Osho movement developed around the Indian teacher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who later adopted the name Osho. Britannica notes that by the early 21st century his movement had hundreds of centers in more than 60 countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The movement is also remembered for the controversies surrounding the Rajneeshpuram community in Oregon.

Key beliefs

Meditation is central to inner transformation
Direct experience is emphasized over dogma
Joy, celebration, and freedom are valued
The individual should move beyond inherited social conditioning
The movement combines Indian, Buddhist, Western therapeutic, and modern spiritual influences

Practices

Dynamic Meditation and other active meditations
Discourses and study of Osho's talks
Retreats and therapy groups
Sannyas identity in some communities
Music, dance, and celebration

Places of worship

Osho meditation centers
Retreat communities
Private meditation spaces
Online study groups

Sacred texts

Osho's discourses
Books compiled from talks
Meditation manuals
Community publications

Holidays and observances

Osho's birthday commemorations
Retreat festivals
Movement-specific meditation events

Branches and related traditions

New Age spirituality - Osho communities overlap with modern alternative spirituality.
Buddhism - Osho used Buddhist language and Zen themes but was not limited to Buddhism.
New Religious Movements - The movement is commonly studied as a modern religious movement.

References