According to Osho, people gather around him because truth itself is magnetic, drawing the young, open and receptive. Women come in great numbers because, unlike past religions that demeaned them, he honors women equally to men, teaches that the soul is beyond gender, and builds an inclusive, liberating commune where male chauvinism has no place.
People follow because his message feels true, and many women join because he treats them as equal souls, not second-class.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Why have your teachings attracted so many followers, and why are women, particularly, attracted to your teaching?
Truth has a magnetic force in it. It always attracts, particularly those who are young and fresh, particularly those who are not burdened with old rubbish and garbage and junk; who are receptive, capable of seeing, understanding. That's why so many people, without any special effort on my part to attract them, have come close to me. I started the journey alone, and then people started coming and the caravan became bigger and bigger. Now it is surrounding the whole earth. You are asking why more women are attracted. All the religions have condemned women. I am the first man who is trying to compensate for all the harm and the wounds that have been done by the past and its so-called religious people. My respect for women is equal to my respect for men. This has not been the case in the past. Gautam Buddha, a man I respect,…
Osho, why is there such a preponderance of beautiful and young women here in the ashram?
And why are there young, beautiful, healthy people here? There should be. Until now, people have taken religion to be the last thing to do at the time of death. I take it to be the very foundation of life. When you are young, full of energy—then pray; only then will your prayer soar to its loftiest heights. When your breath is faltering and your body is decrepit, you may say “Ram-Ram,” but that sound will not travel beyond the bones of your heart. This does not mean I tell the elderly not to come. It means that only those elderly will come to me who, in some sense, are still young. If you see a young person in other ashrams, you will find a dead young man—someone who has become old before his time, and that is why he has landed there; otherwise he would have no place there.…
Osho, why are so many people attracted towards you from all parts of the world?
DON'T know! I am also surprised; it should not be so. The government is against me, the society is against me, all the religions are against me, and still people go on coming. All kinds of barriers are created, still people go on coming. Something mysterious is happening, something which cannot be explained. Something is transpiring which is elusive. That's why those who come as observers or spectators or journalists cannot catch hold of it. So they collect rumors in the town from people who never come here, and they go on reporting. Almost all over the world, in almost all the languages, there are rumors and rumors. This is very strange! The people have not experienced what is happening here, they have not been participants, and yet they think they have understood. There are things which can be understood only when you participate. You cannot know what love is…
Osho, you explain so much, yet nothing seems to get through to my wife. She’s still wasting time at the hidebound, orthodox sages’ satsangs. What should I do?
Rajaram! Raja-bhaiya, it’s your good fortune she’s attending the sadhus’ satsangs—otherwise you wouldn’t be able to come here at all. Let her go. At least it gives you the chance to come here. Don’t obstruct her. And don’t try to explain things to her. Otherwise even that convenience won’t remain—if she starts doing your satsang. Let her go wherever she wants. The moment you hear some sadhu has come, immediately tell her, “Bai, go.” Chandulal was telling his friend Dhabboo-ji, “These days in town there’s Swami Muktananda’s satsang—simply magnificent, amazing, extraordinary! My heart felt bagh-bagh—meaning garden-garden! Last night I felt such bliss as never before in my life.” Dhabboo-ji said, “I’m surprised—I never thought you were such a connoisseur of saints and spirituality! Forgive me, friend; truth is, I took you for just a Marwari businessman and didn’t recognize your spiritual heart. But one thing I don’t get: last night…
Osho, please shed detailed light on Sri Krishna’s rebellious and revolutionary contribution regarding sex. There are two supplementary questions; I will place them later.
This denial of the biological personality in the figures of Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus—this is part of their sadhana. In Krishna’s life, the sadhana is total acceptance—biological included: the sexual being, the erotic body, the erotic mind—all accepted. Krishna says: all is to be accepted; nothing is to be denied. In Krishna’s view, whoever denies is, in some sense, a little or much atheist. In truth, denial is atheism. In what measure one denies—someone says, I do not accept the body: then he is atheist toward the body. Someone says, I do not accept sex: atheist toward sex. Someone says, I do not accept God: atheist toward God. But non-acceptance is the style of atheism; acceptance is theism. Therefore I cannot call Mahavira, Buddha, or Jesus as theistic as I call Krishna. Total acceptance—no denial, no condemnation. Whatever is, has its place in existence. For this reason, if hundreds of thousands…