Often described as a rebel, an iconoclast, an enlightened mystic and an intellectual giant, Osho (also known as Acharya Rajneesh and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) is all this and more. He brought about a spiritual revolution in the lives of those who cared to grow intellectually. He spoke fearlessly against orthodox religions, priests, politicians, age-old traditions and anything he thought was a hindrance to the path of self-realisation. This made him the most talked about and controversial mystic of the twentieth century. Enlightenment of this stature is not attained in a few years or even in a lifetime—it is spread over hundreds of years and over lives, as was with the case of Osho, who spoke about his previous life and birth. This is only one of the many astounding facts about Osho which this book reveals. Osho, The Luminous Rebel traces the story of Osho from his birth, talking about his spiritual search for truth and the wondrous story of his enlightenment. The book also takes the reader through those years of Osho's struggle with authority figures, his travels all over India, to the much-hyped city of Rajneeshpuram in the US, to one of the greatest mysteries of our times—Osho believes that he was poisoned by the US government when he was detained in various jails there; he was later denied visas in almost all countries across the world—events, he reveals, that exposed the true face of democracy. Osho, The Luminous Rebel is for all Osho lovers and admirers, for the uninitiated but spiritually inclined, and for those who are just curious to know more.

In these delightful and playful talks, Osho introduces the mystery, the wonder and the emptiness that is Zen. He shows how verses by the fourteenth Zen master, Ikkyu, can stir the heart, touch the being and help our transformation.

Osho and Ikkyu’s whole message is about how to experience the essence of emptiness: that blissful state of no-mind where all old conditionings are gone and man is free just to be himself. As Osho speaks of Ikkyu, and answers people’s questions, he is also speaking of himself. As he speaks of who Ikkyu is, he is revealing more about himself. Osho gives a fresh, new understanding of himself, and shows how each person can find the way to light his own path.

Zen means dhyan or meditation. The word dhyan is in Sanskrit. Which, when it moved to the Buddhist language, Pali, become Zhan. When it reached China, it became Chan. When it moved to Japan, it become Zen. Dhyan means a state of no-mind. The book bring together the magical power of Zen to take us to our greater self.