Before reviewing “Ten thousand shades of Osho” let us ponder for a moment about the title. Ten thousand. Yes, you heard right, it is indeed a big number. Visualizing so many shades is daunting. Or maybe it is exciting. “Ten thousand shades of Osho” claims to examine all elements of Osho’s life, including the contentious ones- hence the title.
And yet, over the course of the entire 5 episodes, there is no mention of the recent revelations about Osho’s sexual abuse of female disciples and how he manipulated some of them into sex under the pretext of “attuning their energy”. There is no mention of his severe addiction to Valium and laughing gas, no mention of the systemic abuse of children in his communes, no mention of all the broken promises that were made to the sannyasins when they donated all their money, no mention of the 80-year-old woman who had her bank account cleaned out and was left penniless. And so much more about Osho’s exploitation of his disciples, disclosed recently by first-hand accounts, is simply not mentioned. Out of ten thousand, not a single shade relates the now undeniable and well documented facts that have shattered the world of Osho in the last two years.
If this film does a good job at examining the light, lighter and lightest side of Osho’s life, it leaves the dark, darker and darkest completely buried – because, as we all know, Osho had twenty thousand shades.
This film can easily be seen as an insult to the hundreds of then-children who were neglected and sexually abused in his communes. It can also be seen as an insult to the intelligence of the young generation who deserves better than whitewash, lies and manipulation. But let’s face it, waking up from 40 years in a cult is no small feat; it needs immense courage, an unshakable sense of integrity and a longing for truth that very few people have. Lakshen did his very best – I like to think that we all do – but based on what is known today, it is fair to conclude that “Ten thousand shades of Osho”, although well done in many regards, falls short of addressing the shadows that have been buried for far too long.
If you do have 5 hours to spend and are ready to have your mind blown and your heart broken, I recommend you look through the bibliography below- it is far from exhaustive. Sooner or later the truth will be revealed and the ghastliest shadows will be brought to light. It is always so.
Philippe Nirav, September 2023
Non exhaustive bibliography:
1) Russell King (journalist, researcher, lawyer) https://www.buildingutopiapodcast.com/home
– Book Rajneeshpuram : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rajn…/dp/B09L58FGHQ/ref=sr_1_1…
2) Sins of My Father by Lily Dunn, a stunning memoir about the relationship with her narcissistic sannyasin father & stories of the abuse of children in various sannyas communities. It was awarded The Guardian and The Spectator Book of the Year 2022 in the UK, and renowned American sociologist Janja Lalich wrote an amazing review of it here https://janjalalich.com/…/think-twice-before-posting…/.
Book : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sins…/dp/B09KM8WBPW/ref=sr_1_1…
3) 1st hand account of sexual abuse by Osho of one of his top mediums https://www.erinrobbins.life/
4) First-hand account of one of Osho’s closest, top disciples
https://storielibere.fm/soli-dragonlady/
5) Child sexual abuse was first disclosed in the personal documentary Child Of The Commune (2004) by Maroesja Perizonius.
http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/childofthecommune
6) Leela Goldmund published 2 books on her sannyas childhood. In German only. 2021. Available on amazon.de
Insektenglück: Ein kleines Mädchen tauscht Zuhause gegen Erleuchtung
Insektenpech: Ein junges Mädchen tauscht Erleuchtung gegen Leben
7) Podcast and interview with Sam Jahara:
8) Breaking the Spell: My life as a Rajneeshee, and the long journey back to freedom, by Jane Stork. An extraordinary life story, equally moving and disturbing. It chronicles the rise and fall of Rajneeshism.
9) Bhagwan The God that Failed, by Hugh Milne, Osho’s personal bodyguard. An incredible, hard to put down book.
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