Ma Dharm Jyoti is one of Osho’s earliest followers. She was initiated into Sannyas by him in 1970, becoming one of the first of his disciples to embrace the life of a Sannyasin. Osho describes Sannyas as “living life in its totality, but with an absolute and categorical condition: that condition is awareness, meditation.”
She has also authored the book, One Hundred Tales For Ten Thousand Buddhas.
In an exclusive conversation, Ma Jyoti, who leads meditation camps at the Osho Dham in Delhi, discusses her guru, the life of a sannyasin, and more.
In the late 1960s, Ma Jyoti was searching for a guru, drawn by her interest in religion and psychology. She attended talks and seminars led by various spiritual teachers, but none resonated with her. Then, in 1968, in Bombay (now Mumbai), she noticed a banner that read, "Acharya Rajneesh Ke Pravachan.” Acharya Rajneesh, later known as Osho, was giving a public discourse.
"I went straight away to listen to him, having heard that someone new had arrived. My first experience was in a large auditorium in Bombay's Shanmukhananda Hall, with thousands of people present," she said. "The moment he appeared on stage, and said 'Mere Priya Atman–my beloved souls‘, there was pin-drop silence. I was seated far away, on the second-floor balcony, and as he began to speak, my eyes closed. His voice carried me into a deep silence.”
She recalls it being an unusual experience where her thinking ceased as she listened to him. "I was amazed as he seemed to answer all the questions that had been haunting me for so long. It made me realise that what he was saying came from his own experience and was not just intellectual knowledge. It was as if my heart recognised the truth of his words. In that moment, I knew, I had found the person that I had been searching for," she said.
Her curiosity about Osho's teachings led her to purchase one of his books and attend a meditation camp near Surat in Gujarat, marking the beginning of her journey as one of his followers.
"I was fortunate enough to meet him in person at one of these camps," said Ma Dharm Jyoti. "During our brief interaction, I expressed my gratitude and shared my feelings with him. Our initial conversation was formal—he asked where I was from, my name, and my profession. Then he asked, 'Will you do my work?' Although I had no idea what his work entailed, I simply responded, 'Yes, I will'."
Ma Jyoti considers herself fortunate to have had the chance to travel with Osho across India. During one such visit to a camp in Manali in Himachal Pradesh, she was initiated into Sannyas by Osho.
"At that time, Ma Yog Lakshmi had been appointed as his secretary and was wearing an orange lungi and kurta. When I mentioned this, Osho asked if I liked Lakshmi’s outfit. I said yes, and he suggested I have a similar dress made for the Manali camp," she said.
She wore the dress to the camp, and when she showed it to Osho, he complimented it and gave her the name "Ma Dharm Jyoti."
"I was initially confused and amused, as he had never discussed Sannyas with me before. But that’s when Sannyas truly began for me. The next day, Osho called a meeting and announced the start of a new Sannyas movement," she said. The Sannyasins were to live at their homes, remain financially independent, wear orange robes, and meditate.
However, being a Sannyasin who was visibly a disciple of Osho, evident through their orange clothes and mala (necklace made of beads), wasn’t always easy. "Back then, Osho had a notorious reputation and was labelled a 'sex guru.' Wearing an orange robe and mala made it clear that we were his disciples," she says. "The office where I worked didn’t have a strict dress code, so no one really objected to what I wore. On the streets, though, it was different. When I took the bus or train, people would stare as if to say, 'Here comes the disciples of that so-called sex guru'," she said. As a result she would often face harassment on streets.
Osho's main message was not to take people too seriously, which is how she stopped letting it bother her.
"I was standing at the bus stop when a bus drove by, and from the upper deck, boys started sending flying kisses to me. It was an incredibly awkward situation," she said. "We would report these incidents to Osho. He would just laugh. When I told him about the flying kisses, he said, 'Oh, you should have given them flying blessings in return. We all had a good laugh about it," she added.
And what is the one teaching of Osho that she deeply believes in and finds relevant for everyone?
"Whatever you do, do it with awareness. Don’t be like a robot. Bring awareness to your life. His message was about awareness and totality. Do it with totality and love. Awareness and love are his messages. Bring balance to your life," she explained.