Anshuman Bali
Name of Book : Two Rebel Thinkers of 20th Century
Author : Dr Dev Raj Bali
The book, Two Rebel Thinkers of 20th Century, explains teachings of J. Krishnamurti and Osho, in a simple form. Since the composition of traditional Indian texts including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there has been a gap in original thinking and writing in India. The subsequent Indian philosophical, religious and spiritual tradition of over two thousand five hundred years has been of interpretations of the same original literature. These two thinkers however left that school of thought and courageously expressed what they found true on the basis of their own understanding.
J. Krishnamurti, or Krishna as he is fondly remembered was born in 1895, in a simple and modest family in southern India and lived for 93 years. His brother Nityananda, or Nitya, whom he was very attached to was born three years later. Nitya shadowed Krishna from early childhood, his years with the Theosophical Society, even accompanying him to England during their learning curve under the guidance of Annie Besant and C.W Leadbeater. Nitya’s death in 1935, at the age of 38 came as a shock to Krishna. The grief reflected his first impressions of intellect and wisdom when he said,”Sorrow is wonderful if you can taste it in the divine cup. I am happy, not that I do not miss my brother, but I have drunk at the fountain of human sorrow and suffering from which I have derived strength”. His published works cover almost every topic big and small in human life although his emphasis has been on human freedom and love.
Rajneesh or Osho which he wanted to be remembered as, was born in 1931 in a village near Jabalpore, and lived for 59 years. From the early childhood he was nature lover, avid thinker and loved his freedom of moving around without inhibitions. He later on taught philosophy at the university of Jabalpore for few years before moving on to his inner instincts of freedom and learning. It is believed that he used to read one book in it’s entirety every day. This is reflected in his nearly six hundred publications. Osho was a great orator and spoke for hours on any subject spontaneously captivating the listeners with his soft tone and sea of knowledge. He became part of many controversies and was saddened by the treatment he received at the hands of administrations, for speaking about the freedom of mind and body.
The book is a genuine description on the life and teachings of both these very similar yet different thinkers of modern times. It will also be of special interest to readers looking for original Indian ideology.
The author Dr. Dev Raj Bali, is a well known scholar and writer with various publications to his credit. His other publications, Modern Indian Thought and Introduction to Philosophy, published by Sterling Publishers have been bestsellers and were recommended by several Institutions for there research students. Dr Bali was a distinguished professor of philosophy at Govt. Maulana Azad Memorial College, Jammu where he started his teaching career and retired as the Principal. The book is an interesting read for everyone looking to explore the different aspect of modern Indian thinking. It is also a good reference point for the students and teachers of philosophy besides aiding as a research tool.
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