Advertisement

Names in the News : Bhagwan--You Can Call Him Osho

Share
From Times wire services

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh has adopted a new name--Osho--and given his followers a change of habit.

Osho is a Japanese word that means “the whole man, the fully awakened one and respectfully symbolizes a man of peace, grace and love upon whom Existence is showering all its blessings from every direction,” according to a statement from the sect’s Oregon press service.

Disciples also have begun wearing maroon robes during the day and white robes during evening meditations at the commune in Pune, India, the release said. In the years when the commune was based in Oregon, Rajneeshees wore various shades of red, but the 58-year-old guru later advised them to drop the practice to avoid harassment and discrimination.

Advertisement

The self-described “rich man’s guru” agreed to return to India four years ago after pleading guilty to U.S. immigration charges.

Advertisement