Customer Reviews

Freedom: The Courage to Be Yourself (Osho, Insights for a New Way of Living Series)

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I think that the value in this book lies in the deviation of thought from anything mainstream. Even though you might not agree with everything or anything in this book, Osho guides you through a world of thought that many of us had not even heard of. It frees you from a way of thinking that we are used to every single day. A good book to pick up and gain perspective when the problems pile up one after another. You will gain a new way of looking at freedom and a new way to define freedom. And althought I doubt that I, or most other people that will pick up this book, will alter their lives significantly, there are many words of wisdon to pick up. Afterall, all that we need sometimes is a breath of fresh air.

Osho talks in plain clear words. There is no confusion here. No pretention, no complications. There are no theories, no convoluted rationalizations. Its just common sense talk. Sometimes we forget how to think in simple terms about our own free will. I highly recommend this book.

for all who know Osho, this is defnetly a must-have!
for all others, get ready to ask yourself some provocating questions!

I recommend this book and of course all Osho's books.

You will find good food for your intelligence and your soul.

Have a nice reading!

Tiziano

It's the best book you'll ever read. Besides maybe some of his other books like Being in Love, Awareness, Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic, etc. Buy this book now, and then buy about 10 more of them for your family and friends. Enjoy!

Osho explains different types of freedom and concludes that the real freedom is spiritual freedom when our mind is free from 'conditioning'--you recognize yourself and have courage to be true to yourself.

The book has endearing style with anecdotes sprinkled here and there. The author presents convincing arguments with compassion and love which a receptive reader will certainly like.

Overall, the book is quite good!

Osho. You either love him or dislike him but he will always get a reaction. What I like about all his writings is that he is able to challenge us on our way of thinking. In this day and age we seemed to have become so locked in a way of thought that has no freedom and has no awareness. Yes he has some radical ideas but he also challenges to explore how we have been taught and how valuable that really is. Freedom is not about doing anything you choose to do, but rather doing whatever it is with a mindfulness that is brought about by deep reflection. He is teaching us to ask ourselves why do we do certain things. Do we know why? When we do know this can brings about a profound freedom.
Dr Gunta Krumins-Caldwell author of On Silver Wings

i really enjoy this book and the rest in this series.
quality osho for the whole family.

Osho is one of the few spiritual teachers I feel a certain instinctive sympathy with (although I don't really support his philosophy). The reason, of course, is his iconoclastic, near-frivolous and yes, anti-religious attitude. It's a dish best served at Youtube, where Osho says that "thank God, God does not exist", "It's time for Mother Theresa to jump into a lake", "I don't allow meat at my ashram, but I allow alcohol, because that is vegetarian"... It's a real pity that Osho turned out so badly, creating what was just another cult, at "Rajneeshpuram" in Oregon. Does the name Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh ring a bell? Yes, that was Osho's name as a cult leader! I suspect Osho (who died in 1990) adopted his new name when the old one became too tainted.

Osho's books are less provocative than his speeches on the web. At least the ones I read so far. They are also difficult to pin down. The message sounds trivial, nebulous and yet, in some strange way, profound. "Freedom" combines Eastern meditation with Western self-help and positive attitude. However, the self-help and attitude-building isn't connected to a New Age prosperity gospel (as in "The Secret"). Rather, Osho sounds like a sixties hippie. He calls on people to become drop outs, to sing and dance, practice free love, and die with a smile on their face. The message is both life affirming and yet somehow anti-social. What Osho is really getting at, I think, is fear of "not belonging". His main enemy is conformism, in matters both big and small. Going with the crowd, what Osho calls "being a camel", is the greatest sin, but so is being a negative rebel, "being a lion". The positive rebel is innocent like a child and quite simply floats where the stream takes him.

All gurus are surrounded by tales about their childhood, when they supposedly did miraculous deeds, and Osho also tells such stories about himself, but in his case they are not about miracles but about anti-conformism. The book contains a story about how as a young child, Osho refused to get a haircut, although long hair was associated with effeminacy in patriarchal India. When his father forcibly cut his hair, Osho responded by shaving his head completely bald, which in India means that one's father has died! Somehow, I get the feeling that Osho loathed the strong conformism in a traditional society like India, and began preaching a message that sounds like a hedonist and individualist version of Buddhism.

In "Freedom", Osho also makes political, or rather anti-political, statements. He doesn't believe in changing society by political means. All revolutions are purely negative and are doomed to failure. He exemplifies this both with the Russian revolution, and with India's struggle for independence. Real change has to come from within. Only if people change on an individual basis, and then drop out and form communes, can society be changed in the bye and bye. Being a political activist or leader is pointless. Rather, be a nobody, be invisible, but practice love on an individual basis.

"Freedom" is part of a series of eight books, called "Insights for a new way of living". If you are looking for concrete self-help techniques, be they secular or spiritual, you will probably be disappointed. At least if the other seven books are anything like this one! Rather, the books attempt to ground a certain attitude, an attitude very different from dogmatic theology, hard-and-fast rules, and life denying asceticism. I'm not sure who the main beneficiaries may be. Perhaps people dissatisfied with traditional religion, crowd mentality and even "The Secret"!

It's a shame that Osho blew it in Oregon, but hopefully he will be reborn as a more positive and life affirming creature. A bonobo, perhaps? :-)

I couldn't get past page 30 around the time when I read that there is no freedom unless God dies. I don't want to kill God in any way shape or form. Its funny cause I needed a book to help me feel stronger in myself worth. I thought this book might help me. I was torn between buying a good study bible to expand my staggering faith or a new aged book on self growth. I thought " Hey this is it!!!!" I figured I would give it a try. Its funny cause reading it made me want to read the bible even more. I felt as though I were reading the words of someone that hated a long lost friend of mine. I didn't like his standing point on religion at all. So needless to say I purchased a bible shortly after and I am growing in that. I feel free now!!! Osho seems to hate everything thats normal in our society and everything thats loving as well. To be free frienship must die because it is like a form of slavery, marriage is a form of slavery becuase it binds you to another person. We should all just love one another and not claim one another.. then you are free. I just couldn't get with his idea of freedom.