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

~ Osho (Author) "To be totally free one needs to be totally aware, because our bondage is rooted in our unconsciousness; it does not come from the outside..." (more)
Key Phrases: choiceless awareness, mind surrenders, Roots of Slavery, Friedrich Nietzsche, Lao Tzu (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In Freedom, Osho outlines three stages of freedom. The first is "freedom from," which is a freedom that comes from breaking out of what he calls the "psychological slavery" imposed by outside forces such as parents, society, or religion. The next stage is "freedom for," a positive freedom that comes from embracing and creating something---a fulfilling relationship, for example, or an artistic or humanitarian vision. And lastly there is "just freedom," the highest and ultimate freedom. This last freedom is more than being for or against something; it is the freedom of simply being oneself and responding truthfully to each moment.

The Insights for a New Way of Living series aims to shine light on beliefs and attitudes that prevent individuals from being their true selves. The text is an artful mix of compassion and humor, and readers are encouraged to confront what they would most like to avoid, which in turn provides the key to true insight and power.

Freedom helps readers to identify the obstacles to their freedom, both circumstantial and self-imposed, to choose their battles wisely, and to find the courage to be true to themselves.

About the Author

The works of Osho challenge readers to examine and break free of the conditions, belief systems, and prejudices that limit their capacity to experience life in all its richness. One of the best-known and most provocative spiritual teachers of the twentieth century, Osho has been described by the Sunday Times of London as one of the "1000 Makers of the 20th Century" and by American novelist Tom Robbins as "the most dangerous man since Jesus Christ." More than a decade after his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to grow, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312320701
• ISBN-13: 978-0312320706
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,014 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the value of this text..., December 7, 2004

By	Aga "exiledfirejinx" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So glad I bought this, February 27, 2006

By	Nefri (USA) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a pity this man was a fraud, August 15, 2009

By	Ashtar Command "Functional atheist, philosoph... (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

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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? :-)