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More than a decade after Bhagwan Rajneesh left the
earth, the Osho ashram continues to attract devotees and controversies in
equal numbers .
FOUNDED by Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh (as he was called by his followers in his
early phase), Osho Ashram has, over the past few years, become a virtual
refuge for anyone looking for exploring Indian spirituality and that it
connotes.
Born as Rajneesh Chandra Mohan (1931-1990) in Kuchwara, a town in central
India, Rajneesh attained samadhi (enlightenment when he became one with the
universe and the power of life and death over him was removed) on 21st March
1953, at the age of 21.
It is believed that the faith had about 2,00,000 members and 600 centres
around the world at its zenith. To the outside world, Osho, both the leader
and the commune, has been the centre of controversy. Ranging from sex
scandals, drugs, corruption, arson and even murder. And targeted by many
anti-cult groups as an evil, mind control cult. One source, in a masterful
stroke of religious disinformation, claimed that Bhagwan means Master of the
Vagina. He has been called the "sex guru."
Osho's
Journeys
Though Osho was raised as a Jain, he practised his own form of spirituality
after his samadhi. This was first called Rajneeshism and then Oshoism. He
went on to study, and then teach philosophy in Jabalpur for nine years,
while teaching his faith. After which, he left his post and focussed on
teaching entirely. Local opposition from the public forced him to close down
his ashram in Mumbai in 1974, he was rebuilt it in Koregaon Park, a more
isolated suburb. Many of his students came from the US.
In 1981, he went to the US for advanced treatment of his health problems,
and the ashram settled in Big Muddy Ranch near Antelope, Oregaon. Bought at
an expensive six million dollars, the ranch was renamed as Rajneeshpuram (puram
means town or city). Once again, the sprawling rich Rajneesh community was
not tolerated by the local groups, and Rajneesh's followers found itself
involved in a messy controversy. Two of his disciples were convicted of
conspiracy to murder and local pressure once again forced the ashram to
relocate to Charlotte, NC.
Finally, Rajneesh was forced to leave the country, when faced with charges
of arranging false marriages and of lying on his immigration papers. Back in
Poona in 1986, his health began to fail. And with his return he took on his
new name Osho from the phrase "Oceanic Experience". He died in Poona in 1990
as he lived, amidst controversy.
Underlying Belief
Having shunned the cumbersome garb of religion, Osho took to exploring the
greater realms of the unknown, his main thrust focussed on shredding the
veneer to reach into the unknown that eludes the unseeing eye and the
unseeking mind.
Osho emphasised that different people needed different methods to find inner
peace. These methods could range from ancient techniques of Tibetan
Buddhism, Vipassana, Sufiesm, Greek philosophy, Zen and Indian mystical
traditions to the new scientific methods including humanistic psychology
specially designed for the contemporary human being who can find it so
difficult to relax and be silent.
Having himself achieved nirvana, he believed in a form of monism - that God,
humanity, life and non-life were one and the same. That God was in
everything and everything was part of God. Duality that attributes an entity
with superior powers as different from human beings does not exist. Human
beings are inherently neither good or bad as they were part of God. It is
only one's own social and personal repression that distorted perception of
this truth. To achieve nirvana, he believed that the individual should
overcome this repression. A combination of chanting, naturism, primal
screaming, different kinds of meditation - static and dynamic, extreme forms
of violent exercise, free love without social inhibitions to purge the ego.
Once having done that the individual would develop a "state of emptiness",
and attain enlightenment "no past, no future, no attachment, no mind, no
ego, no self." And would escape from the vicious cycle of birth and death
and become one with the eternal force.
The Commune
The
Osho Commune in Pune is a beautiful place spread over 32 acres of land
carefully converted into an oasis for spiritual health. It provides a
multitude of possibilities for inner discovery and exploration.
It receives thousands of visitors every year from all countries and from all
walks of life. Not all come for spiritual reasons. Some do to satisfy their
curiosity. The commune, though, is open to all. To participate in the
commune's activity, one needs to have an AIDS negative certificate. The
testing is to be done in the commune itself.
The followers of Osho wear maroon robes for meditation and white robes for
the discourses, with a necklace of 108 rudraksha beads with an attached
picture of Rajneesh. They are assigned new names by Osho. Men were given the
title "Swami" and women "Ma". They are not expected to continue
relationships with their family, when they are in the commune.
There are six different meditations that happen on a daily basis for the
duration of one hour each. The high point of the day is the Osho White Robe
Brotherhood which starts at 7:00 pm and incorporates music, dancing,
meditation and discourse. For being in the ashram and for attending the
meditations one has to wear maroon robes, while the white robe is compulsory
for attending the evening discourses.
How to reach there
Just 180 kms from the nearest metro, Mumbai, Pune is easily accessible via
air, road or rail. Though road travel should be avoided during the monsoons
(June to August), as the Mumbai-Pune highway is nothing much to write home
about or anywhere else. Private airlines like Jet Airways, along with the
domestic carrier Indian Airlines conduct two flights to and from Mumbai
daily.
The train shuttle service between Pune and Mumbai is an excellent one.
Trains start as early as 6:00 in the morning and continue till 10:00 a.m,
after that one could easily hop on to a passing train to reach the metro.
Buses ply every half an hour to Mumbai and back and getting a ticket is no
problem at all.
Weather
Unlike the more humid metro, Mumbai, Pune enjoys a temperate climate though
the winters could be rather chilly. The even-tempered city generally sways
between a warm 24 to 30 degrees celsius. November to March is the best time
of the year to plan a trip to the former Peshwa capital. And it would be
prudent to carry an extra pair of woollies then. Summers could be rather
scorching and the wise would not venture forth in the rains.
Osho Centres and Event Calendar
The full moon celebrations at the commune start on Osho's birthday (December
11) and goes on for well over a month. The festivities at the commune
attract the virtual who's who from all over the country and from abroad as
well.
Osho centres are present across the Indian continent. Not all of them have
daily activities though the evening and morning meditations and the white
robe brotherhood is present. The programmes of each centre is decided by the
centre head themselves based on timings and possibilities available.
The centres are run by the center heads with other friends but they do not
act as gurus. The only guru recognised in Osho himself. And if he is not
present in his body, then taped discourses/ videos of him are used for
guidance. Some of these centers are