Reflections, An Interview with Osho's Biographer Swami Satya Vedant

An intimate interview with Osho's biographer, Swami Satya Vedant, also known as author Vasant Joshi, PhD, about his new masterwork: “THE FABRIC OF LIFE—On the Songs of the Mystic Kabir, Osho,” translated and edited by Dr. Vasant Joshi.

More about Author Swami Satya Vedant
(Dr. Vasant Joshi)
Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
M.A., Ph.D. M.S. University of Baroda, India

After completing his Ph.D. from the M.S. University of Baroda in 1966, Dr. Vasant Joshi left for USA having been admitted to the graduate program in English Literature at University of Wisconsin, Madison. While he was a student at University of Wisconsin, Dr. Joshi got an invitation to teach a course on The Cultural and Literary Traditions of India at University of California, Berkeley. Although the course was to be offered for only one year, Dr. Joshi ended up teaching it for four years (1967-1971). Those were the days when the United States was deeply caught up in Vietnam War and the Berkeley campus was then the bastion of free speech movement protesting against the War. On the other hand, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, the Hare Krishna movement, contributed significantly in attracting young people toward learning about the Indian culture.

While teaching and researching at Berkeley, Dr. Joshi went through a change in interest and enrolled himself in 1971 for the doctoral program in Education at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In 1973 he attained his Ph.D. in Education from Michigan.

In America, Dr. Joshi has served on the faculty of University of California, Berkeley, and at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also worked as Director of Institutional Research at City Colleges of Chicago. He was Academic Dean, Professor and Chairman of Comparative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. Thus, Dr. Joshi has been in the academic field for over thirty years in India and in the United States of America. He has traveled worldwide: giving lectures, presenting papers, participating in seminars and conferences and conducting workshops.

While in America, Dr. Joshi came across the revolutionary works of Osho (then known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). He felt so touched by Osho’s insights and his vision that in 1975 he arrived in Pune for participating in a ten-day meditation camp. It was at the first auspicious day of this meditation camp that Dr. Vasant Joshi was initiated into sannyas by Osho and was named Swami Satya Vedant. Since that new birth a new dawn arrived in his life and known as Satya Vedant he has dedicated himself toward contributing to Osho’s worldwide work. Osho appointed him as Chancellor of Osho International Meditation University.

His recent publications include: 1. Osho: The Luminous Rebel – Life Story of a Maverick Mystic; and, 2. If It Could Happen to Buddha, Why Not You? Both published by Wisdom Tree, New Delhi. 3.The Fabric of Life: Translation of Osho’s Hindi Discourses on Songs of Kabir. Published by Osho Media International, Pune, India.

In July 2010, he travelled to Moscow, Russia, and presented Osho’s vision at the All Russia International Adwaita Congress.

Dr. Vasant Joshi, also known as Swamia Satya Vedant, renowned international educator and trainer, has appeared on radio and television shows all over the world.

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