"Osho is the Epitome of Secularism"

Launch of Osho World Newsletter by Indian Information Minister

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, launched Osho World Foundation's new publication OSHO WORLD NEWSLETTER at Osho World Galleria in Ansal Plaza, New Delhi, on Thursday, 18 September 2003. The new OSHO WORLD NEWSLETTER presents the vision of Osho in the English language and joins with the earlier OSHO WORLD Hindi monthly magazine launched over two years ago.

Osho World Newsletter is an invitation to the world of Osho, and to meditate and celebrate in the marketplace. Osho says, "I don't teach renunciation of life. I teach indulgence in life--utter indulgence, total indulgence in life. Once you abandon yourself to life, once you become totally drunk with life, God is not far away."

We summarise below what the Minister said in his speech welcoming the Newsletter.

"Though I come from Patna, Osho used to frequently visit there. There was always a lurking appreciation of the great philosophical quest in which he was involved. In a way Osho was carrying forward the great spiritual, philosophical and intellectual legacy of India.

In a sense, this centers around the quest for God,and how to enlighten the individual so that he comes into closer intimate contact with God. The most outstanding attribute of the Indian way of looking at things is that it had allowed a complete secular approach to anyone on that quest. Everyone has been welcomed and they have been given sanctity, and they have been respected.

That great classical, philosophical tradition of India found a very eloquent spokesperson in Osho, who not only drew heavily upon India's spiritual tradition, but also sought to juxtapose it with a whole range of other (non-Indian) views. And when the blend comes about you see a different philosophy emerging which touches and encompasses perhaps the best of whatever has been said in the field. That is something really remarkable.
I see the English Osho newsletter as the concrete embodiment of this unique blend.

As the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, I feel that today information is power, people need to be informed, but this information need not only be in things which are material, this process of information intake should not be only be in fields which are commercial or too worldly, because there is whole range of information available as to know what is our tradition, what is our heritage, what is the great hallowed springs which have inspired us for generations and generations.

When I go abroad and interact with the whole range of young people as a Minister, I see a lurking desire among young people who desire to know what is our Indian heritage, and I always say if India has to give a real inspiration to the world it will be an inspiration both from a sense of history and heritage but mixed with a deeply immersed and over powering philosophical tradition. When I see this I see Osho’s teaching a playing a very crucial role. It is here I see Osho World’s newsletter will need to be widely circulated. My good wishes to you, keep the good work going".

The leading articles in the first Newsletter include:

• Meditation in the market place, not market place meditation
• Playfulness, happiness, and creativity
• Rejoice in Meditation, Then Go to the Market place
• Religion in Revolution
• Religion is a song, a poem, a dance of your heart
• Live With Nature and Bring the heart back
• Meditation is also Medicinal
• Mulla Nasruddin Jokes by Osho
• A review of cover story on Meditation published in the international TIME magazine recently