What's in a Name?

Many called him a cult leader and he's been branded everything from false prophet to criminal. Ever wondered how a 20th-century mystic came to be known as Osho? He explained that the name, which he adopted in the late 1980s just before his death, is derived from the William James word "oceanic," which is meant to mean "dissolving into the ocean." "Oceanic describes the experience," he said, "but what about the experiencer? For that we use the word 'Osho.'" Triumphantly for him, "Osho" also has historical roots in the Far East, where it also means "The Blessed One, on whom the sky showers flowers." That hasn't stopped many people from somewhat disparagingly referring to him as both a "sex guru" (he was vehemently against all forms of social and personal repression) and "the rich man's guru" (he famously owned 99 Rolls Royces -- all of which were gifted to him by wealthy devotees), worse still, many of his followers refer to him as a god-man, whereas Osho shunned all religion. He is, in every possible sense, a true enigma.

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