By Sanjib Mukherjee,
Of all the flamboyant and engaging personalities to have dawned from India and represented its rich spiritual traditions in recent times, perhaps the most controversial character has been Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, or more commonly known as Osho. The one topic which invariably always arises when referring to Osho, is his liberal views on sexual practices and his attitudes towards those who sleep with numerous partners.
Though I confess to have not really studied Osho’s spiritual material in great detail, my personal interpretation of his views are that he was trying to get people to move beyond sexual thoughts and lust, by encouraging them to act out their fantasies and not repressing thoughts into their minds. By resisting what our mind constantly ponders on, the thoughts not only persist but grow in strength and can potentially manifest in more destructive modes if not adequately addressed.
The mind and ego are but two facets of our being and perhaps the areas where most seekers seem to get stuck. Transcending the mind is the goal of meditation, although different paths are layed out for different individuals. Yoga traditions has stipulated 4 main routes to treading this narrow path….Karma Yoga (path of action), Raja Yoga (path of Meditation), Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion) and Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge).
The Bhagavad Gita and other vedic texts like the Patanjali Sutras lay down doctrines as to how these paths should be followed, but the scriptures were written in bygone eras which perhaps many people today find difficult to relate too. That’s where the need for a Guru becomes crucial in understanding how to apply ancient philosophies with our busy modern day lives.
I believe that when a Guru like Osho allows his devotees to engage in free-will sexuality, his thinking and motives are way beyond the interpretation of most people. A Guru should always look at not only where you are now, but where your life has been in the past and where it is going in the future. Taking the bigger picture in mind, the Guru then dictates an appropriate course of action for his devotees.
Sex is just one small aspect of the mind-body complex, but whether rightly or wrongly, its where most people today seem to focus their attentions and awareness. Sexual promiscuity is thrusted from a young age into our lives through films, music, advertisements, the age of celebrity and has become a prominent part of 21st century lifestyle culture.
It takes a skilled mind to be able to overcome these thoughts and remain firmly rooted on the spiritual path. For some it happens naturally, for others, perhaps a more radical approach is required to overcome such thoughts, and thus it can only be a well trusted Guru who can permit such actions, albeit with a view to your future spiritual development in mind.
It’s a very subjective discussion which perhaps can never really be resolved, but the above represents my views on the whole topic of Osho and his attitudes towards sex. Would be interested to hear what you all have to say:)
Sanjib, Again, you knew how to express the inexpressible.
Fully agree, that today’s mind is much more focused on the physical pleasures. And that one way of getting rid of these thoughts or feelings, is to put them in action. Like with the people who become a vegetarian and who still feels having some chicken once in awhile. As Sri Sri says, better have a chicken in the stomach than a chicken in the head.
But, still I do feel that there are more ways, and I even more save ways of getting these emotions and thoughts calmed down. For example to accept that it is there, to breathe and let go. Realizing that the sexual drive is getting higher, to increase your prana level. Just like Anger, Hatred, Jealousy, Greed, the sexual energy indicates that the prana is going downwards instead of upwards. By doing more Pranayam, Sudarshan Kriya, change of food, meditation, fresh air etc, that the prana level will get upwards, and that the sexual energy will be transformed in a more positive energy named creativity.
Somehow I am not feeling very much connected with the free will of sex. To transmit this strong energy, is sacred and by giving it away in this way, it just doesn’t feel that good.
I am not saying that what Osho is explaining, is not right, as I am not familiar with his teachings. But I do think that his teachings might be misinterpreted. Having free sex, also could cause emotion and physical damage.
What do you think???
Loads of Love,
I’m able to relate to both Sanjib and Anjana nearly fully which is enough in one lifetime.
Sanjib you have explained this in very good light. What Osho tried to bring to the west is like bringing a fish out of its comfort zone, namely water. It will survive for a little bit but will want to get back where it belongs. Vama marga (left-hand path of spirituality) is a double-edged sword, if the Guru isn’t appropriate in his/her heart, the shishya follows-suite with the teachings and it can go both ways.
It best not to comment on anyone as I’d like to keep picking the nuggets of both your comments and enjoy my journey further.
The two of you have focused on the important subjects, just shuffled in the right manner can help attain Samadi and realisation, but only with the help of the appropriate Guru. There’s something waiting there beyond Kama and that’s worth pursuing. And personally I’m convinced that sexual energy is a vehicle to beyond sexuality itself but it also has us tied together.
Ego and desire don’t leave us fully till we have learned all the lessons it wants to teach us, and both spawn webs using sex or sexual drive as vehicles. We have embarked on a difficult and testing journey but the fruits of this expedition are very sweet when attained.
Thanks for expressing yourselves.
God bless.
- Mani
My sincere apologies if my post came across overriding. That wasn’t my intention.
It came to my notice while practicing SK that my response was missing some degree of humility.
I was driven and excited by the topic that in the midst forgot being humble. Now that I have touched ground zero, I’d like to like you both know about it.
As such these words are only my own experience and opinion, its best to take what resonates and leave what does not.
Thanks to both of you for sharing your views.
Sanjib
You had taken an interesting topic; following quotes from Osho give us some more views,
“Love is the creative refinement of sex energy. And so, when love reaches perfection, the absence of sex automatically follows a life of love, an abstinence from physical pleasures is called brahmacharya, and anyone who wishes to be free from sex must develop his capacity to love. Freedom from sex cannot be achieved through supersession. Liberation from sex is only possible through love”.
“When you are with a woman, if you are of the opposite sex, you begin to feel more alive than with a man. With a man you feel less alive because nothing is pulling you out. You are enclosed, the opposite energy pulls you out; the flame flickers, you can be more alive. And whenever you begin to feel more alive, you begin to feel happy”.
“If you start being happy then the things that you grabbed onto because of your misery will drop by themselves. If meditation comes then wine will drop. If meditation comes, then meat-eating will drop. If meditation comes then slowly slowly sex energy begins to be transformed into brahmacharya.”
But what is happening is people misinterpret his teachings and are having free-sex.
Interesting topic as you had mentioned it is very subjective.
Cheers!!
Siva
Most interesting topic on the planet!!!
Once we tap into our inner happiness then the whole body becomes charged with sexual energy and it is no more focused only in the lower chakra ie. in the genitals. When the whole body feels these sensations without outside stimuli and if can learn to control the mind at this point then you begin to experience something like inner mating. This experience automatically leads you into the path of Bramcharya. Freeing ourselves from seeking happiness outside is a necessity on the path of enlightenment. Suppression does not work. Bramcharya should be a well informed choice.
Vijya
There are 650 books of Osho but people always talk about “sex to superconsciousness”.It shows their interest people want to hear about sex. It is not fault of Osho. He had of the views that a sexually tensed man cannot go into meditation. Even Sigmund Freud says that sex is a great tranquilizer. There is no need to fight against your own energy. I think the focus of Osho was on superconsciousness not on sex.
He always used to quote Freud who had the views that suppressed thoughts causes many mental illness and these thoughts are generally related to sex. Sex is pure energy. It is not a subject of guilt or subject of suppression. Osho had the dare to speak the truth………sanjibji i would love to hear ur comments too:)
Hi Kundan, yah I absolutely agree with you….Osho wanted people to move beyond sex and not get stuck with concepts in their minds…..it’s a fascinating topic but also as you eluded to, slightly taboo aswell….hence the controversy when anyone speaks about sex….
Ya that’s why no one is commenting on this particular article. We are hypocritical too much concerned about our image.
Sex is the natural energy !!.The very Guilt about sex is against evaluation!! Sex in mind perverts its beauty!
Hi Sanjib…incredible…all of the above views are so clearly expressed on such an avoidable topic that we r ashamed 2 discusss…but taking yoga as the base,this subject has been dealt carefully & the solution by doing Kriyas (as Anjana said)..I personally also believe as what Guruji advise that 2 much imagination of sex prohibits creative energy ..
Agree with Siva by taking recourse to Love…I read in an article in TOI that -”power of Love is so overwhelming that even its skewed form,Lust ,impels two incompatible people to come together in the name of love.Genuine love essentially commits itself to first giving from the heart with an attitude of pleaing the recipient & high expectation of returns are practically never there in one’s list of priorities.Lust feeds on feverish praise,dominance,recognition whereas Love maintains detachment from selfish gain,willing to sacrifice everything 4 the welfare of beloved…”
I deviated from your main theme but it was to bring light to the Strength of Love to overcome our negative tendency.
Thanks…!!!!
Great observations on this controvertial topic by all.
Sex is an integral part of evolution.
Sex, in animals, is purely for the purpose of procreation.
In humans, (being in the higher evolutionary process), it gets expressed in multiple ways: for sense gratification, and as an expression of possession, power and control, sometimes…and thus is more an aspect of lust or desire, in its crudest form.
In its most refined form it can be one of the most beautiful means of communication between two souls, when two energies vibrate at the same wavelength, two beings are in perfect union, and become one in that moment of total understanding; as defined in the amorous plays of Radha and Krishna in ‘Geet Govind’; the highest expression of selfless-love.
So, the evolutionary process is from lust to love:
LUST…LOST….LOSE….LOVE.
The lusty soul is still lost and is trying to find its Self. When it loses the lust, it gains love.
The shift from lust to love: Sex to Superconsciousness.
Osho’s focus may have been on this.
Hi Sanjib, a very interesting reflection. I don’t pretend to be an Osho expert, but from what I have read, if anything his views promote a proper respect for sex. It is a reductionist Western viewpoint and ugly interpretation that would say he is just out promoting free sex, similar to the way in which the Kama sutra in the West has been reduced to a catalogue of sexual positions. Osho’s whole point in Sex Matters is that the reason everyone is obsessed with sex is that it offers a glimpse of what is better achieved through meditation: timelessness and egolessness. Interestingly enough, I found it, strangely, to coincide extremely well with a healthy Christian view of sex in fact (that it is a beautiful, natural thing, to be held sacred – not the guilt-ridden view), bringing forth the aspect that the love between two people is a reflection of the love between humans and God, so the physical expression of that love, sex, can be an experience of the transcendence of communion with the divine. But Osho in fact says that sex is the cheater’s way, in a sense, and that one can achieve a more full and lasting experience of transcendence through meditation.