What was Acharaya Rajneesh : a man before the Modern age?

Acharya Rajneesh or as his followers refer to as 'bhagwan' is no more having died quite a few years back. His books and CD's are still available and do the rounds of the believers and research scholars.

I had met Rajneesh at Mumbai( then Bombay) about 3 decades back. That brief meeting convinced me that he was a man with a very superior intellect and a fertile mind. His eyes had a hypnotic glare and looking into them was not easy. I did not meet him again, despite having the desire to do so as my duties with the Air Force took me to distant parts of India.

Many people have opined that Rajneesh was a' love guru' who preached free love. I am afraid this is far from true as he preached nothing like that . He in real terms talked of an awakening which could be reached by channelizing the sexual urge. In fact there is nothing new in this as the ancient Hindu texts , the Puranas and other books preach precisely this only. The path to God through Tantra and sex is an ancient Hindu thought.

Rajneesh advocated sex without orgasm, a prolongation of the sex act for geater understanding and mental rest. It is a difficult thing to practice and one must study hard to understand the essence of what Rajneesh preached. A reading of his many books will reveal that rajneesh preached greater love. He questioned some age old beliefs and his sharp mind found many flaws in all religions.

Rajeesh committed a mistake in going to the USA where the Christian religion regarded him as a threat and they conspired to send him back and also to his death. But for people in India, it is incumbent to remember Rajneesh and savor the fact that this land has produced another man who spread wisdom.