Tall Buddha Syndrome

This article explores possible links between Osho’s (possible) poisoning, and the violence towards Swami Rajneesh and Prem Abhay.

Remember when I made the researched proposal about the most likely scenario of Osho’s poisoning (that eventually led to his rapid decline and death): it is most likely that Osho was poisoned during the period leading up to (or perhaps just prior to) his ear-infection at the Pune 2 commune. The reason why no-one has ever considered this, even though it is much more likely than a United States government conspiracy theory, is because it is something that no-one would ever suspect.

If I wanted to rub someone out (so to speak), and if the finger was already pointing towards me, do you think that I would be smart to try and rub them out? No, if I was really crafty, the best time to rub someone out was either when no-one was looking, or when the finger was already pointing to someone else - that’s smart, of course if you were a calculating criminal.

Something is striking my little mind. It is a comment in “sannyasnews” about Swami Rajneesh: and we all know why that happened to him. Of course most people think they know why - he is that slow walking nutcase who thinks he is Osho. The interesting thing is that now, years on, he has decided rather than directing is entire energy into the inner search, to engage with the world. Most importantly, the world likes him very much - so much so that Vatayana had to send a circular out to all the Osho centres to tell them that ‘just to let you know there is a little guru play here’. The trouble for Vatayana and the gang is that Swami Rajneesh aint know little guru. He is not as great a seer as Osho, although he looks a damn lot like him. However this man is a very powerful and striking being, who is drawing throngs of followers.

Swami Rajneesh’s account of the threats and violence against him whilst at the Pune 2 commune suggests a systematic attack from the establishment. If this is the case and if it could be proven to be so, this would result in serious criminal convictions. Swami Rajneesh was threatened with a knife, he was also badly beaten: some of the injuries took many years (and intense therapy) to heal.

Yet at the time, Swami Rajneesh was by all accounts a nut-case. The only objection to kicking him out was that he was anyhow just harmless. The onslaught on him was extremely harmful. Yet this did not raise any concerns. Just see the absurdity of this.

Unfortunately for some, Swami Rajneesh was not some psychotic nutcase. He was also not a little buddha in the making. He was a big buddha in the making, and the establishment (probably) knew it. Of course the crowd of blind followers went along with the violent campaign that the establishment likely set into train. If you think he is still a nutcase, read his book or have the courage to sit in front of him and look him straight in the eyes.

What about this Prem Abhay fellow that I also talk about. He is another nutcase like Swami Rajneesh isn’t he? First of all he has a string of academic qualifications so if he is indeed a nutcase, he is not a stupid one. Also, Prem Abhay spent years and years and years in silence. Three of those years were spent in Osho’s Samadhi and Osho’s Lao Tzu garden. He used to work in the garden with Mukta (the old mystic lady that owns Lao Tzu – she bought it for Osho, to form the first and greatest commune). I can only suppose that Mukta and Abhay must have communicated in silence, for the sake of the flowers.

There were rumours that Abhay was Mukta’s latest lover. There were other rumours that Abhay was the lover of one of the other disciples that still resided in the Master’s home. Also, by some accounts Prem Abhay looked to be going through hell. By other accounts he was also a slow walking man like Rajneesh, with long hair and a beard (and in silence). I myself think Prem Abhay has walked around Buddha Hall more times than anyone else, including Mukta.

When Prem Abhay seemed to come out of his apparently withdrawn and mentally ill state, fireworks happened. Of course there were the nice people who wanted to help this lost soul by doing therapies and the like. However (from his blog) have a read of this…

I recall one particular incident that occurred when I was standing at the back-gate of the centre. A car roared up to the gate and stopped abruptly; music was blazing loudly; and the young man of Indian appearance gave the appearance of being drunk. The car window was down, and he made some strange obscure comments to me. Suddenly he accelerated of, only to stop approximately 100 metres down the road. The car then spun around, and came back at considerable speed. It then swerved towards me. I reacted quickly, and ended up near the wall of the centre – another person witnessed this event. Other than thinking what a ‘crazy driver’ (a euphemism), I thought nothing further of it; nothing further, that is until right now I type these words.

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com/2008/03/further-reading.html

Now this happened before he spoke out. It happened when everyone thought he was just a victim that needed saving by therapy. Noone knows where Prem Abhay is or what he is doing. However it seems reasonable to assume that he does not have a global following like Swami Rajneesh is developing.

His first collection of poetry is entitled “The Dark Night of the Soul: A Way Through”.

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com/2008/03/witness-doorway-to-higher-understanding.html

Perhaps Prem Abhay is a nutcase like Swami Rajneesh is not. Perhaps Prem Abhay is a great master who wants to see out his days in his last body sitting in silent communion because the crowd is too stupid. In any case, the background fits with the possibility that Prem Abhay may one day become a great Master, even one that could stand beside Osho. (I know this will be deeply sacrilegious to a few fools…get over it). Imagine what the establishment would think of that. Their whole future is based on abuse of Osho’s words and image. Imagine if a real living buddha that spoke in ways like Osho and that had a real and powerful presence like Osho’s, was still in the body. Such a person could be very dangerous (just like Osho was). Imagine Jayesh and Amrito going around saying ‘it is in the name of Him that I do and say’, when there is an Osho II that will stand up and run over them.

If I were an evil and calculating criminal, I would dispose of Prem Abhay at the earliest, well before anyone would think anything of it. If unfortunately that did not work, I would slander him and make him a pariah, just like Swami Rajneesh. It is unfortunate that Swami Rajneesh came back to haunt the establishment. However what about this Prem Abhay fellow? If he came back I think people might here about it. Where is he? Also, knowing what is happening with Swami Rajneesh and his world tours, I would think it may be pertinent to take a risk and find Prem Abhay, rub him out, and just weather the storm if anyone happens to here that the person that noone knows anything about (yet still writes on “sannyasnews” and oshoworld’s “sannyas world news” board) is dead.

http://oshodemocracy.blogspot.com

Crimes Against Humanity

It is argued that conduct at the Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, India, falls under Chapter 7 (k) of the International Criminal Court Rome Statute.

From wikipedia we have:

The definition of what is a "crime against humanity" for ICC proceedings has significantly broadened from its original legal definition or that used by the UN, and Article 7 of the treaty stated that:

For the purpose of this Statute, "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:

(k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.



The Rome Statute Explanatory Memorandum states that crimes against humanity…
are particularly odious offenses in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority.…On the other hand, an individual may be guilty of crimes against humanity even if he perpetrates one or two of the offences mentioned above, or engages in one such offense against only a few civilians, provided those offenses are part of a consistent pattern of misbehavior by a number of persons linked to that offender .... Consequently when one or more individuals are not accused of planning or carrying out a policy of inhumanity, but simply of perpetrating specific atrocities or vicious acts, in order to determine whether the necessary threshold is met one should use the following test: one ought to look at these atrocities or acts in their context and verify whether they may be regarded as part of an overall policy or a consistent pattern of an inhumanity, or whether they instead constitute isolated or sporadic acts of cruelty and wickedness.

To fall under the Rome Statute, a crime against humanity which is defined in Article 7.1 must be "part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population". Article 7.2.a states "For the purpose of paragraph 1: "Attack directed against any civilian population means a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts referred to in paragraph 1 against any civilian population, pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organizational policy to commit such attack."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_against_humanity



Based on the above information I would argue that research may indicate that (State) Indian governmental institutions are aware of, and have tolerated, the atrocious and systematic treatment of the collective of religious people that visit the Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, INDIA. Also, the collective of Osho Inner-Circle and Pune Resort management are an organization engaged in systematic and grave infringements on human physical and mental well-being – as per Article 7, Section (k). Also, the stipulation of “knowledge of the attack” is becoming more and more a reality. It is also clearly stated that it be directed against “any” civilian population. The collective of religious people that have visited the Pune resort over the last decade or so easily constitutes being a significant civilian population (in the order of hundreds of thousands, if not more than a million, civilians).

More of the Ugly Truth

In comments on the article “Osho Park in Pune Causing Local Unrest” in “Sannyasnews” we have the following responses by Prem Abhay.

Nullah or nala essential means an open sewer. So many times I sat on a seat watching the trees and bamboos sway around Buddha Hall. Unfortunately the crackling of the bamboos did not drown out the annoying introductory video coming from the Visitors Centre. What particularly annoyed me was the reference to the pristine stream that flowed passed the resort. Of course with Osho’s guidance a series of drainage ponds provided a novel and efficient cleaning mechanism. However over the years of transformation into a supposed 5-star resort, the return of the natural flow of the sewer began to unmask the murky truth.

No doubt a lack of care of the sewer has contributed to increased contamination of the resorts wells. This would also have contributed to the problem of excessive clogging of the filters at the wells. However it should be noted that the main reason for permanent removal of these filters was excessive build-up of calcium carbonate. (No need to take calcium supplements if you drink the resorts water!)

Was the well filter problem intractable? Perhaps periodic cleaning would have been sufficient. Maybe the filters needed to be of a higher gauge of mesh (bigger holes to let more rubbish through). Another possibility would have been to consider a different type of filter. But no, the resort took the financially efficient option of permanent removal. Hence all the rubbish that clogged up the primary filter was free to travel on through the system. Of course as it does so, it leaves filters further on in the system to try and deal with the problem. It also means the any purification system will be less effective. For example, it is hard for UV light to kill micro-organisms as the light does not so effectively penetrate the ‘murky’ or turbid water. Also, the chlorine will breakdown as it interacts with particulates (muck), rather than attacking the intended micro-organisms. It was also unfortunate that for some reason the old (and still functioning) water treatment system had a central filtration system that was after the central purification system. Hence, water from the well had no filtration whatsoever prior to being supposedly purified.

Of course in the new water treatment system that lies hidden in the dark unknown recesses below the grand new auditorium/hotel/kitchen complex, the charcoal based large central filter (the size of a small room) was found during the commissioning phase to take out the added chlorine. Residual chlorine is needed so that the purified water remains that way as it travels to the (end-user) drinking stations. The grand new kitchen was opened. Much fanfare surrounded the opening of the new meditation auditorium. Yet unbeknownst to all but a few was the fact that water (without pre-filtration at the wells) passed through a brand new 5-star water purification system with a brand new central filter that was never turned on.

I do wonder about this issue of it taking out all the chlorine. Presumably this means that the central filter was positioned after the central purification system. However I am wondering why this filter was not positioned before the central purification system. This would have meant that the water was filtered prior to purification, and that the added chlorine (for purification) was not removed. Anyhow the end result is that the problem was ignored and two stages of filtration were removed. This only left the filter at the (drinking) water stations to do the entire job, which is entirely inappropriate and ineffective. Funny enough of course, the filters at the drinking water stations were expensive, high quality European types, and despite years of efforts by sannyasin engineers to get them replaced, nothing happened. So if you were to have a drink of water from the new 5-star resort, the filters at the wells are removed, the central filter is turned off, and the filters at the drinking water stations were so old that they needed to be replaced years earlier. Of course no doubt in the time that I have been banned from the resort everything has changed, and you now have at least an on par water treatment system. Sure everything has changed, except of course the visible things like the stench coming from the nala in Osho Park.

You see for a long time only the hidden was left to degrade, and of course visitors would not suspect anything was amiss…even when they got sick from drinking the water or eating the food (Indian curries have lots of water in them!). Unfortunately business is getting a little tougher these days, and even the visible façade is starting to reveal the ugly truth.

Concerning the pristine stream that flows through the park, if you believe the Visitors Centre video or the pictures in glossy magazines or on Osho.com, then I invite you to not only drink the water, but also go for a nice spiritual dip in the adjoining sewer.

I have heard that in recent years the resort has solved the problem with drinking water contamination in the monsoon. With numbers down in the monsoon (and especially so in recent years) this has meant that only a few (perhaps just one) water station need be open. Of course it is reasoned that the open stations are the clean ones. However this shows a deep misunderstanding. The resort has two central filtration systems. If there is a volume of water that passes through either of these systems, and if it remains contaminated, than it is entirely random as to where this contamination may travel. The contaminated body of water does not decide to always turn left or right or whatever at different intersections of the pipe line. It might be argued that a really good filter has been installed at a particular drinking water station. However firstly I would be surprised. Secondly this is entirely ineffective by design (it is designed to be the last resort final filtration and purification mechanism). Thirdly, purification systems at the drinking water stations have historical been shown to be ineffective. Finally, the water from the wells goes to the coffee at the Cappuccino bar, to the miso soup in the fancy Zorba restaurant, to your Indian curry, to your shower, to the pool etc.

I have seen the deliveries of (large) bottled water to Dhyanesh’s room. I have heard that Vatayana had a first-class filter installed at the drinking station in Krishna House. I know a lot of the truth that has happened. There should be an investigation of this, and the current state of play with respect to water (and everything else).

Yahoo
Abhay

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com (click on “osho resort” tag)

Kranti I am amused by your comment that the problems “may” be financial. The problems to do with Osho Park, as with many other serious problems, have been unfolding for many years. During those years a hotel/kitchen/auditorium complex complete with surrounds and dishwashing etc, was constructed. A new Zorba restaurant was also built during the same period. A year or two later a brand new Cappuccino Bar sprang up.

So you can tell me that it is reasonable that millions of dollars be spent building a 5-star facade while people can get (very) sick drinking contaminated drinking water because finance won’t by some filters? Do not tell me that the problem may be financial.

How can massive new expenditure be justified when basic maintenance (that for example ensures people drink clean water) is ignored. The problems may now be also becoming financial, but that is not how things started out. Also it is unlikely that the root cause has been removed. Investment in a facade generates a return on investment so long as people don’t suspect that underneath is filth. This works nicely for the 3-week turnaround jet-setting business-person. Why don’t you go for a holiday? The monsoon has not finished yet so you might catch a good bout of typhoid, cholera, e-coli, amoebas, or whatever. Hence I suggest you not forget to get your injections up do date, else I might just be singing sweet songs around your funeral pyre down at the burning ghats.

With the slowing down in visitors, for sure there is now no way there will be the financial resources to get basic infrastructure like the water system upgraded, let alone properly maintained.

Kranti you also talk about value. When I first identified the drinking water contamination problem (some 6 years ago) and the drinking water stations were consequently shut down for a month or more, we (the sannyasin engineers) investigated the problem. We were looking into chlorine fluctuations when all of a sudden at the drinking water station for the new resort complex there was no chlorine at all. Investigations found that the Sodexo technician had turned the machine off for service, and forgot to turn it on. I wonder how often that has happened?

When working in Hygiene I took to delivering a contamination report to the Sodexo engineer-in-charge from the consulting micro-biologist. Normally I just dropped off the report. One time, because there was a serious problem, I discussed the situation with the engineer. The report identified particular water stations that needed cleaning by the engineer. However the engineer was not familiar with the labelling system for taps, and hence did not have a clue which taps he should have been cleaning. This is an ongoing and important job that he was supposed to have been performing.

The above two examples are not isolated incidents. Hence your argument about value is NOT FACTUAL.

Yahoo
Abhay



If a community is based on volunteering, than whatever value that gets generated out of the selfless service of love (the path of devotion) should be returned into the ongoing prosperity of the community (and its outpourings). From what I have heard, when Osho left the body there was a genuine outpouring of devotion, and this created many flowers and reduced the treasured ego. However if a few like Jayesh have profited from that then this is criminal not capitalist. I would like to know who has profited and by how much over the years.

On a personal level, one instance of me being attacked by Dhyanesh and his security team was when I was handing out a water contamination report outside the front gate of the resort. I was not in any ones way, was going about the task peacefully, and was well received - including by a resort engineer. I was asked to give a copy to the front gate. I did so, and the main guard there told me to wait nearby as someone was coming to talk to me. I waited nearby for the oncoming violent attack on me. However later on I found out that the reason I was attacked was because I was blocking the entrance to the resort. Do you see how the truth gets twisted! People like Dhyanesh, and no doubt others higher up, know the truth, yet they are smart enough to twist this into a lie that others will believe. This lie gets fed on down the social channels and then people like me turn out to be the violent aggressors.

I ask anyone this question. If I am just a fool making crazy statements, and of course have a number of mental illnesses that Osho therapists can fix, what is the harm of me standing around (out of harms way), looking like a fool. Can I not just stand around and hand out a Water Contamination Report that is full of lies? What is there to fear? Is there anything to fear in what I have to say on this site?

The line of argument presented by people like Harri Om has as yet gone unanswered to the general sannyas community. I am sure that Harri, myself, and of course many others, are just completed mentally warped. Why not set us straight. Jayesh, let us hear from your deep insight into Osho’s work how it is that his people can for years sit in a nice air-conditioned auditorium, and then go outside, drink the water, get sick, and possibly drop dead. I eagerly await your wisdom for you I dream to touch on thy feet. Let us not hear the rebuttal of Kranti and Shantam. Let us hear words of wisdom from the Awakened One. Please grace us with your presence. Shower flowers upon my deluded sole.

Of course I also concede that Prem Bubbie has a rather sharp tongue.

Yahoo
Abhay



Re: Banned Buddhas

A lot of the Osho sannyasins that are banned remain innocently unaware of the ugly lies that are made up about them. These lies are fed to the entire sannyasin community. The banned buddhas cannot respond to the lies because firstly they know not what they are, and secondly because they are crafted with such evil and cunning intent that it is difficult to anticipate.

Re: Osho Global Connections Osho Centres

All the global Osho centres that are listed on Osho.com and that are part of Gobal Connections are partially responsible for what is happening at the Osho resort. This is especially so if attempts have been made to make them aware of criminality and negligence, and if they have intentionally ignored this.

Yahoo
Abhay





Has anyone every got sick from drinking the water or eating the food at the resort? I used to work assisting the consulting micro-biologist at the resort. I became aware of a clear pattern of serious contamination of food service equipment, of food, and of water. Furthermore no serious attempts were made to address the problem. Why would the resort go to the effort of finding out about contamination (unlike almost all other such places in India) yet do nothing about it? It is the same as asking why build a flash new resort and not replace the water filters.

I used to help the nurse out in the Medical Centre. You wonder whether people actually ever got sick. People used to come in their droves to the medical centre. I am sure that not all the ailments attributed to consuming unclean food and water was from bad airline food or from eating out at the local Koregaon Park restaurant.

There is such a thing in law as proximate cause. It is almost impossible to say that the resorts drinking water caused a person to contract a water-borne disease. However if the resorts water is sufficiently contaminated, and other possible ways of contracting the water-borne disease are shown to be not nearly so likely, then in the legal sense it can be argued that the resorts contaminated drinking water was the proximate cause of contracting the water-borne disease.

People have been commenting about volunteering. It reminds me of the nurse I used to help out in the Medical Centre. She has basically given a life service to Osho, from Pune 1, to The Ranch, and to Pune 2 (the ashram and the resort). When she arrived at the front gate Christmas before last, she was expecting the usual scenario. She was living in Lao Tzu on a residential program and she worked in the medical centre. However she was informed that there was no room for her. She had to find a room outside the resort. Someone else was performing the medical duties. The reason for this happening was of course a mix-up: Vatayana had somehow got it wrong and had informed everyone that she was no longer coming to the resort. This is the kind of thankyou that is given to people that offer their life to voluntary service. Also, if Vatayana got it wrong, why then did not someone have the wisdom to get it right? But no, this devoted Osho sannyasin spent the rest of the season coming to the resort infrequently because she could not afford to regularly pay the entrance fee or the exorbitant food prices. All this to a person who has perhaps given more service to Osho than any other.

I am sure that this nurse’s association with me also had nothing to do with the outrageous treatment of this devoted Osho sannyasin.

Kranti has mentioned that the lack of continuity and commitment of the transient voluntary community has needed to be balanced by a paid workforce. However if you follow the circumstances closely you will see that the matter is not so simple. Firstly many volunteers stopped doing so because they were no longer allowed to work a couple of hours a day. A real volunteer had to work at least six hours a day. This reduced the voluntary workforce. Also, much of the sincere and committed voluntary community left in disgust at the way things were run. Of course others left because they were banned or forced out. Hence with a limited and incohesive voluntary system, this led inevitably to important work being neglected and to problems in communication. The blame for these problems then was transferred to the existing and depleted voluntary team. Of course now a hired workforce was needed, and Sodexo came to the rescue. From all accounts Sodexo has done a tremendously abysmal job. However don’t they look smart in their nice uniforms.

Kranti you have written a sincere comment that is quite lengthy. I therefore assume you also don’t mind reading a little. All your questions are already answered in my blog.

Shantam has been openly critical of me and has claimed to have read my blog. His uninformed criticisms show that either he is lying, he has been hypnotised, or that he is just plain stupid.

You wonder why you have not heard replies from people like Jayesh. This is not because they are above me or a site like sannyasnews. It is because if they do reply you will see their stupidity. I for example have always taken the position that all I want to know is that the water problem is fixed. If I got even the shortest of emails saying so, this will be an acknowledgement that there was a problem in the first place. This is something they cannot do. Also, to whatever extent they respond to criticism, it is in writing and they therefore need to stand behind that. They have nothing to stand behind except lies, negligence and criminality.

Yahoo
Abhay

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com




Anand…just a little health information. I had a girl-friend who had typhoid. I also had a case of diagnosed amoebic dysentery, after making the change from bottled water to resort drinking water. I had an ultra-sound at a Pune hospital that thankfully gave the all clear for anything like previous intestinal damage: cysts and the like. However, despite the benefits of modern medical treatments it is still the case that people who contract serious gastro-intestinal infections may never fully remove the microbe, or heal from the physical damage. Sometimes for example cysts may develop in the bowel, and this may create significant health problems many years from now.

Alok John I suggest you use a little more lateral intelligence than your current narrow minded and deluded brain is currently doing. Your response to my anecdote about the Medical Centre nurse is typical of the establishment, and is typical of their ignorance: just let-go, be cool, and meditate. The example of the Medical Centre nurse, which includes me spending significant time helping her out, leads somewhere. This nurse knows all about the detailed health problems of all the people that come to the resort. She for example knows whether they just came for a week-end special at the new hotel. She also knows things like whether it is likely they contracted an illness from travelling in India.

While I was helping her I for example spent time as a minder of a person who spent a brief few days in intensive care in a Pune hospital. The person collapsed at the local Gurdjieff Resaurant, went into a coma, and then died. His body was burnt down at the burning ghats. I know a lot about the events surrounding this person’s death. That knowledge may be inconsequential, however it may be extremely significant. The nurse new a lot about the health situation at the resort, and I, inadvertently or not, did also. So Alok John, before you reply in the ignorant and predictable manner of a resort spy, I suggest that you reflect on what is being written as it is written with more intelligence than you currently can fathom.

With the long-stay nurse out of the way, the Medical Centre functioned only as a referral service to the local hospital. Hence there is no longer extensive information (evidence) about the illnesses that people contract.

Shantam Prem where are you getting you facts from? You are making up a story at your own pleasure, and even if you account had an element of truth (which it does not), it misses the point. Let it be understood that the resort’s target market is not the average Western hippie. They are targeting quick turnaround wealthy professionals. Anyone in the West, or indeed in India, that gets drawn to the all inclusive short-stay Resort packages that are being widely marketed is not interested in drinking water or eating food that is not of the highest standard. This is the expectation, and the resorts marketing campaign mirrors this. If the resort does not comply than it is being deceptive. Also, if these short-stay wealthy visitors new that the quality of hygiene may systematically be not better than the worst street-stall, I think they may be a little annoyed, especially if they got (very) sick. Also, if such people got very sick, then it is likely that they got sick from the resort, as presumably a lot of these visitors do not go down to the local street vendor and buy a week old curry.

Kranti I understand your approach with respect to water. You want to know what really has and is currently happening (and why). That is all I have asked for around six years. At first I asked nicely, I got a nice no-reply. Gradually I asked louder and louder, and the no-reply was louder and louder. In the end I asked by standing outside the resort with a piece of paper; the response was violence. However I still kept pointing out that all I wanted to know was whether the water treatment system is now at least up to minimum standard. I didn’t even place the expectation that it might even get close to being optimum. To be at a minimum standard is in my view still deplorable, but at least it is neither negligent nor criminal.

Shantam Prem, on what grounds do you say that the water thing is a one man crusade? Just because you have not heard about it from anyone else does not mean that people who sense they have become sick from resort food and water don’t care. And even if it is a one person crusade, is there a problem with that. If one person is trying to stop thousands (perhaps historically hundreds of thousands) of people from drinking contaminated water from a water treatment system that is in a deplorable state, is there anything wrong with that? What is wrong is that someone like you writes emotive language that is personally directed at someone and something that you no absolutely nothing about. Are you also on the take?

Again, like so many times before, I conclude with the following. All I want to know is if the water treatment system(s) at the resort is (are) at least up to minimum standard. What would also be nice, but (perhaps) not as important, is a clear response to so many other health and safety issues that I have raised. I also think that for all the people that have become sick from drinking contaminated water, they have a right to know the historical facts, and also a legal right to compensation.

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com click on “osho resort” on right side of blog

Yahoo
Abhay




I have not finished yet…

Why go to the effort of finding out about food contamination and do nothing about it? I know that Harri Om will have an excellent metaphysical response to this one: the evil and criminal unconscious mind. However this is not sufficient explanation for a world of laws and courts.

When I was involved with Hygiene in the Kitchen Department I found out that lettuce was contaminated regularly and for years. I went through years of old reports and put this information in graph and table form. This information went to the then Kitchen manager. The remarkable thing out of this was that the then manager said that she knew about the problem and that if she had her way lettuce, along with a number of fruits (papaya for example) would simply not be served. So if the kitchen manager could not have her way, who’s way was it?

I was informed by a senior sanyassin engineer (who as I understand designed both water treatment facilities, and was also deeply involved in food/water purification – including the use of Hydrogen Peroxide) that McDonald’s had taken to flying in lettuce from overseas because it was impossible to grow and keep it clean in India.

My efforts to remove lettuce (temporarily) were successful. I was also temporarily successful with the water contamination problem. I noticed and then informed (what is now called) Facility Management about the water contamination problem. Facility Management included the water division. The drinking water stations were closed for more than a month while the problem was supposedly addressed. During that same monsoon the Himalayan drinking water was found to be contaminated. I managed to get Himalayan water withdrawn from the resort, and no more orders were to be accepted until the problem was understood and rectified.

Some weeks after the Himalayan bottled water problem was first identified, to my surprise Himalayan water was back on the shelves. I approached the micro-biologist about this. The decision was done without my knowledge and from my recollection was made by the then kitchen manager Gartha. However the issue of Himalayan water contamination was not resolved, and was subsequently found again to be contaminated. Furthermore this problem continued to occur in subsequent years.

The water treatment system was found to be in a state of severe neglect. This was the conclusion of the person in charge of water (a sannyasin engineer) and myself (I have an honours degree in manufacturing systems engineering, and have specialised in fluid systems). We made a number of recommendations. However part of the process was to inform and discuss the issue with the historic engineering leadership. A partial dialogue with one of these senior engineers took place. Another sannyasin engineer who was previously in charge of water returned to the resort and took over the problem. He in my opinion did nothing of any significance to fix the problem, and hence (according to the microbiologist) the problem was worse the following year. I accept however that this engineer made it clear to me that his efforts to request even the simplest things like some new filters went unheeded. Hence there was little chance of the needed significant upgrade.

Regarding re-opening of the water system, from the head of the micro-biology consulting company, it was clearly stated to me that the water pipes needed to be flushed prior to re-opening: after a serious contamination, a film of micro-organisms can build up at different places throughout the system. If they are not removed through for example injecting hot steam into the system, then they can continue to remain in the system, and periodically release toxins or microbes. He offered this service, and also stated that though this was not his field of expertise, he knew someone that was, and that this person resided in Pune.

The year after I tried to get lettuce removed, it was back on the menu. This brings me back to the main question. Why would lettuce continue to be offered when it was for years not possible to keep it clean (from memory, some months the average pass rate from the microbiologist was around 50%). The answer is that lettuce, along with a wide variety of other raw foods and meals, is seen as the healthy Western ideal. Of course many health conscious Westerns are interested in eating such meals. Also, many Indians aspire to adopt Western eating habits, and hence this food also appeals to them. Hence, having such foods on the menu is very good for business. Of course in India such foods are regularly contaminated and hence will make people ill, but that doesn’t really matter does it? Also, I am quite sure that the microbes that the microbiologist tests for are chosen with clear scientific reason. The acceptable level of microbes is also no doubt stipulated with good reason. E-coli for example is so concerning that even a count of 1 means that the item fails the test.

From my experience and understanding, and from the accounts of other relevant people, E-coli has historically been regularly spread throughout the resort, from the water and food, to the food containers and the pool. E-coli is a microbe that is already found in our intestines. However, it is also something that can also cause death.

You may think that when you visit the resort you can just drink the bottled water. Perhaps the water treatment system has anyhow been ‘fixed’. Perhaps Himalayan water no longer gets contaminated. I do not know the current situation. What is strange to me is that I have the potential to hurt the image of Osho and the resort. Hence I just cannot work out why I have never been informed of where it is that I have gone wrong in my understanding, or whether the problems that I have raised are important (as Amrito agreed in a phone conversation), and have been, or are (time permitting) in the process of being, addressed. Hence I continue to inform people of the historic situation and can only assume that the trajectory has not changed.

Yahoo
Abhay

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com



Alok John, you say you have not been to Pune since 1990. Perhaps you are smarter than you have indicated. However your brief sharing of Osho’s wisdom rings hollow – and that is not the hollowness of the metaphoric bamboo. If these were Osho’s words they would be full of emptiness because they come from and are connected to the source. This is why editing Osho’s words, or indeed paraphrasing them in a tragic blasphemy, is a crime in matters of the spirit.

Anand, I used to find it comical that the resort referred to its very own organic farm. First of all you would assume from this that the resort owned the farm, which it does not. Second of all you would assume that most of the food that was provided by the resort came from the farm, which it does not. You may ask who am I to make such comments. I have travelled to the farm with the owner of the farm in the owners own farm vehicle. When we set out for the farm I was looking forward to getting away from the craziness of Pune city. To my surprise we had yet to leave what I consider to be the suburban pollution belt when we turned of the main road at an Indian settlement.

I think dealing with the surrounding thick Indian air pollution may have proven difficult for keeping above ground vegetables clean from pollutants. I understand that the farmer also had significant problems with run-off from the local settlement that had unexpectedly grown considerably in size. Part of the problem was this run-off (nice stuff as you may imagine) used to make it into the farms open well. However the farmer was in my opinion genuinely and enthusiastically trying to do his best to grow vegetables that were as free as was possible from chemicals.

Yes “Osho.com” website is full of little twists and turns. It is a little like when I read that the resort tested the drinking water daily. Well in a way it is true (except of course on Sundays). Each day some water samples are taken. One day it may be samples from the wells, another day may be several drinking water stations and the pool. On another day samples may be taken from taps in various kitchens. So I suppose the statement was vaguely approximating the truth. Of course that hygiene is to the best of international standards is also just shy of the mark.

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com

click on “osho resort” link

Yahoo
Abhay

Inner-Circle & Resort News

In the interest of truth I have taken the liberty of providing the following references. I hope I have made the responsible decision.

If you are interested in the recent happenings at Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, India, then visit Prem Abhay’s site:

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com

Click on “osho resort” on the top right of the blog.

For a more historic perspective visit Swami Rajneesh:

http://www.oshorajneesh.net

You can download his book “Tears of the Mystic Rose”.

Resort Blues (News) from Prem Abhay

I hope I am not taking too much liberty in here reproducing Prem Abhay’s relevant comments in “sannyasnews.com”.


Re: Contamination of Drinking Water at OIMR Pune.

I have been following the recent posts with interest (and concern). For my efforts to have the resort laboratory proven ‘drinking’ water contamination problem resolved I was firstly removed from a Residential Program. However I was also not allowed to work at all, hence I had to pay (what I could not afford) to go to the resort. So I quickly ran out of money and left.

I know that in Pune 1 there were difficult circumstances and there is a sense that people tried their best on the hygiene front. I am also not talking about Pune 2 the ‘Ashram’, where to my knowledge the water treatment system was probably leading the standard for India. I am here talking about the new ‘Resort’. The water infrastructure for Pune 2 ‘Ashram’ had been left to slowly decay, and the additional water infrastructure that came with the ‘Resort’ did not work properly - and no-one fixed it!!!

I found the fact that people could simply go on drinking contaminated water year after year utterly unacceptable. I also found out about a lot of other serious problems at the resort: serious risks and negligence relating to food, trees, buildings, lighting etc.

When I came back to Pune nearly 2 years ago I stood near the front entrance of the resort and handed out a Water Contamination Report. The following is what happened in the days and weeks afterwards. (Prior to arriving in Pune I received a threatening email warning me not to come to Pune).

In Pune I have been verbally threatened with being beaten; I have been pushed and punched; I have been threatened with a broom stick, sticks, metal rods, and threatened with a knife in Osho park; I have been warned to leave Pune, and have been on the receiving end of a number of potentially dangerous incidents whilst walking around Koregaon Park.

From talking to people I have a sense of the terrible things I have supposed to have done: from being uncaring and reckless, violent and dangerous, a terrorist, a racist, and a hypnotist. Like many people that come in search of a Master, I have certainly gone through a difficult inner journey during my time at the Osho ashram/resort. Thankfully Osho’s message of cathartic therapies and active meditation saved me from the torment of strict Buddhist (and yoga) practice - I am forever thankful to him for this. However whatever drama I have been involved in at the resort has been from my side innocent in nature, and I have heard how these situations have been transformed to make me the culprit. Their lies start with an element of truth. Then they twist this into an utter fabrication.

You have not heard of the drinking water contamination problem because the person that has tried to tell you has been slandered and violently removed from the scene.

This Harri Om person is no doubt well versed in the long tale of Osho’s movement. He (oops…or She) has most likely read my stuff, or at least read the posters/reports that were once splashed all over Koregaon Park.

However the people who write here have not, or perhaps they may even know me as that crazy terrorist guy who had a fight with Dhyanesh at the front gate last year. Either way, you do not have a clue what is really going on there.

I have a blog:

http://oshobuddhism.blogspot.com

It used to be called nomindspiration.com

On the right side of the blog is a tag Osho Resort. If you click on it you will find the whole disgusting journey. Towards the end (scroll a long way down) is the nuts and bolts of what is trying to be covered up: “Water Contamination Report” and “Sheela and Who?: Further Reading”.

It is with some very real concern for my well-being that I write this. I do take some comfort knowing that there are many other Osho sannyasins that have had the courage to speak out. However, what has happened to me is testimony to the extent that people will go to stop our voices being heard.

People regularly comment in these pages (and elsewhere) on the oasis like buddha field in Pune.

The Pune resort is run like a violent tyrannical dictatorship, ruled by fear and an iron fist; you call that a buddha field???

Team management India and the current Inner-Circle are guilty of criminality and criminal negligence.

I somehow don’t get Harri Om’s murder conspiracy theory, but the thing that gets me is that I know that a lot of other things he/she is saying are true.

Good luck cause you might need it!

Yahoo
Abhay


Abhay then responds to criticism with the following:


…I am sure that I would have been banned in Osho’s life time too, but not by Osho. Since you are interested in backward looking, the same situation occurred with Swami Rajneesh. He was also banned and assaulted, however Osho told management to let him in and leave him alone, and for the guards not to attack him.

You say you have read my blog. So obviously you are aware that the filters had been removed from the wells and not replaced; that the filters at the taps were years old and finance refused to give the engineers new ones; that there is a serious design flaw in the old water treatment system; and that the central filtration system underneath the new resort complex has never ever been turned on because it does not work.

So a lot of the water that is from the wells has no initial or central filtration system. You say this is the best in Pune. However I am absolutely sure that the PMC has a filtration system that is not only installed, but actually turned on.

The entire water treatment system is in a deplorable state. However, even so, if it is on par or even better than the whole of Pune, is that any great achievement? If I am sitting at an internet cafe somewhere on this planet looking for a nice place to go for a holiday, and I see osho.com, do you think I might think much of the fact that there is actually not much difference between drinking the water at the resort and going down the road to the nearest slum and drinking that water?

Not far from the resort, in a slum area near the railway, there have been reports of cholera in recent years. The so called pristine stream in Osho Park is actually the sewer being fed from these upstream areas. Hence it is for example entirely possible that cholera, let alone all the other typical viruses and bacteria found in India’s water, can make its way into the resort’s wells. Hence, with a water treatment system in a state of either decay or not working at all, it is quite possibly that people at the resort will drink cholera and other potential deadly micro-organisms.

To be quite frank I don’t mind a few bones in my tomato soup, but if I go to the resort, am encouraged to drink the signed drinking water, and it may contain typhoid, e-coli, cholera etc, than actually I do mind quite a bit. If also this has been going on for lets say 7 years or so, and this includes hundreds of thousands of people, I would consider it more than a frivolity.

Of course feel free to go to Pune and drink the drinking water (especially when it rains) because I don’t know what I am talking about, and even if I did, it is just a little fuss.

Voting Anonymity

Osho Movement for Democratic Change (OMDC) has no technical information about voting participants, and this includes a computers IP address. The programming and technical details of the poll is an internal service provided by Blogger.

The Great Ocean

This is a story about a great Master, his people, and the crowd.

On planet Earth there once lived a Master called Great Ocean. He was called Great Ocean because of the long flowing waves of his beard, and for other reasons. After attaining the ultimate through a search not helped by another, the Master pondered in silence why he should help others know the truth. He knew that everyone wakes up from the dream in their own time; why throw cold water upon their smiling faces he thought. While he was pondering this he travelled all over the vast countryside. He wasn’t really interested in attracting followers, or even waking people up. He was just curious about the way the world and its inhabitants pursued their ways. However the Master’s magnetism grew many from near and far, and before long he had gathered many sincere seekers around him, and the crowd. The Master knew these people needed a home to collect their silence and cleanse their souls, so he stopped travelling and settled down.

In a way the Master did not settle to preach to the masses, but rather to explore another stage in the mysterious journey of this life. However the masses did so come with many needs and desires. The Master in his wisdom gave great discourses that were perfectly in tune with every gathering. However to the Master’s dismay, after every discourse his inspired followers, rather than letting the words and wisdom settle into their being, trod all over his words and ignored their true meaning. Of course meanwhile many sincere seekers were making their way along the pathless path that only a Master has travelled.

Unfortunately the crowd thought that they had grown wise and started taking over the Master’s home, and kicked out all the sincere seekers. The Master tried at every turn, but the crowd could not hear and would not listen. There was only one option left…to leave. One morning the Master left for a foreign land in hope of losing the crowd. Of course the crowd new better and followed him. This new land brought promise and hope, yet in just few short years the Master was again in the same dilemma. This time the Master was getting old and weary and hence decided not to run, but rather withdraw into silence. Of course the crowd destroyed the oasis, and the Master was also kicked out and left listless and homeless.

In a strange twist of fate, the Great Ocean flowed back down the one river and ended up in his land of birth, and in his old abode. Would things be different this time, the Master wondered. With all the dramas, the trouble was that by now the Master looked bad not just to the world, but also to many of his closest disciples. Though they had followed him back home, they had secretly lost trust in his ways. They had also thought that they themselves had grown old and wise, and knew better the Master’s message than himself. Hence out of great compassion for the world they decided to do away with the Master, and just keep his message. They were the new vehicles and after all it is the message that is important, not the messenger - so they thought.

All seemed to work well for a time, and then strangely enough the new master plan seemed to hit a few speed bumps. Though the crowd came they also left not to return. Many of the old Master’s sincere seekers, not before troubling for the worldly games, decided to again engage with the world. This created even more trouble with the New Team. Perhaps, they thought, we are having troubles like Great Ocean had. These worldly dreamers know not the truth nor the way, and hence try and fight us. Of course there was no use in contemplation or meditation to solve this one, for the New Team had already attained all on that front - or so they thought. With their inward tools seemingly lacking, the New Team decided to fight the foolish world with freshly crafted outward weapons.

At first their conduct was subtle and cunning, yet in time the intractable sleeping world required a gentle touch of physical violence. After all, the physical threats and violence was just a new age Zen stick. This approach was very successful because the crowd became very silent. The New Team thought that now the crowd had finally started to learn a little about meditation. However the fearful crowd was more a dam readying to burst than a silent stream. Of course the fearless ones that stood pillars against the violent aggression were also unmoved. In fact they had grown more resolutely in the power of here and now. To be continued.

Who Really Poisned Osho?

The idea of Osho being poisoned by United States authorities makes for a good story, but as has been regularly pointed out, it does not fit with Osho’s circumstances. For the two years following The Ranch break-up Osho at least appeared to be in reasonably health. He has admittedly said that since that time he has felt some deterioration in his health. However what does not make sense is the dramatic turn of events that occurred when Osho had a minor ear infection that simply would not heal. As explained by Osho, he spent the next 7 weeks gravelly ill in a battle of life and death. It was this sudden and rapid deterioration, of which he never seemed to recover from, that struck me.

During his returning to better health discourse he kept repeating 7 weeks, and also kept referring to it all starting with an ear infection. This discourse was given on the 6th November, 1987. Hence 7 weeks prior to this takes us to around the 19th of September, 1987. The unusual thing about the minor ear infection is that it simply would not heal.

There have been many theories of how Osho was poisoned, with the most notable one being that of the heavy metal Thallium poisoning. Also, it has been noted that it takes around 8 weeks for the Thallium to disappear from the body. Dr Amrito, Osho’s personal physician was of the view that it could have been fluorocarbon. Osho no doubt valued Dr Amrito’s opinion - as Osho was fond of saying, Dr Amrito is a fellow of the Royal Society of Physicians in England, and the youngest member at that. There were many other professional opinions, and there was also the notion of Nitrous Oxide poisoning – excess usage in the dental chair over a long period.

The tact taken in this report differs from all previous accounts that I am aware of. For me it was always the ear infection which stood out (apart from the 7 weeks). It was not until I discovered the brilliance of Shakespeare that I started wondering.

In Shakespeare’s ‘Hamelet’ Claudius poisoned Hamlet's father by pouring a vial of a deadly poison into his ear while he was having an afternoon nap: ''with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pur the leperous distilment...that swift as quicksilver ... courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body...Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatched.”

It was a discovery of the time that it was possible for fluid to pass from the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat. It was thought that this was caused by an ear infection causing a membrane to perforate. Hence it was known that a poison administered through the ear can actually be ingested. With the wisdom of modern medicine, it is now known that this passage is not the result of infection, and is called the Eustachian tube.

Ear infections were frequent at the time, and as mentioned it was thought that a perforated ear drum meant that a liquid in the ear can pass through the perforation and travel to the back of the throat. Hence at the time of Shakespeare’s writings there was an account of a French surgeon being suspected of killing the King of France by giving him an ear infection.

Two fictional references that involve poisoning via the Eustachian tube include:

Huizinga E: Murder through the ear. Pract Oto-rhino-laryng, 1971.
Kan JA: Atropine poisoning in Hawthane’s The Scarlet Letter. NEJM

In the non-fictional domain we have the following reference:
Eclectic medical journal, Volume 22 – 1863, Ohio State Eclectic Medical Association, Worthington College (Ohio). Reformed Medical Dept
pp43-44 On Secret Poisoning – A paper having this terrible title was read by Professor Harley, at the Meeting of the British Association, held last month at Cambridge…yet he was sorry to say he could not but repeat the statement he made last year in a paper on slow poisoning, read before the Royal Medico-Chirurgical Society of London….Nay, more, he even went a step further, and declared that he not only believed that we magnified the difficulty of perpetrating the crime, but that we were also inclined to exaggerate the facility of its detection.

The article goes on to discuss how in small doses a slow death may result in the toxin going undetected.

The previous 5 pages of the journal discussed medical issues pertaining to the Eustachian tube.

The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London is now the Royal Society of Medicine.

Thanks to a google search there is the following text reference:

Criminal Poisoning: An Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, ... - Google Books Result, by John H. Trestrail - 2000 - Medical - 184 pages
XI: Thallium as "an untraceable poison," Pharmacy History, ... Huizinga E: Murder through the ear. Pract Oto-rhino-laryng, 1971;33:361-365. ...
books.google.com.au/books?isbn=1588291332...

Other editions
Edition 2 - 2007 - Limited preview
Edition 1 - 1899 - No preview available


Also from Google, there has been a scientific study of the effects of thallium on rats:

Revised Final Report: Toxicity of Thallium (I)
DW-89922097 between EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. .... The study was conducted according to EPA TSCA GLP guidelines in place at the time. The ...
oaspub.epa.gov/eims/eimscomm.getfile?p_download_id=471675

In the comments by a Dr. Koller we have that … extra steps were taken in an attempt to diagnose an unexpected ear lesion that occurred in all groups of rats in this study.

What about a possible motive? A little discussed but very real personal issue for those close to him was always whether and when you would be replaced by Osho. If you are not his personal physician, dentist, secretary, or indeed financial donor, than who are you? You might say well if a personal aid killed Osho, then what is the use of being an aid to a dead person? If you were Osho’s personal aid when he left the body, then this is how it will stay. You will always be his personal ‘aid’. Also, if for example you were sitting on certain boards of certain trusts and foundations, or if you were a signatory to certain bank accounts, then having that unchanged has certain advantages.

Let me be very clear here and state that the above proposition is a line of inquiry and is not an accusation.

The notion of secret poisoning reminds me of all the sanyassins and visitors of the Pune resort who have over the years unknowingly consumed contaminated ‘drinking’ water.

Jayesh & Turiya: A Response

Although this happened more than 10 years ago, it provides a clear account of the deceitful modus operandi under which Jayesh and the Inner-Circle still operate.

When in 1998 Jayesh sent a letter to Turiya asking her not to offer her work as an Osho therapist in Osho centres, with the Inner-Circle sending a copy of both this letter and her reply, it created enormous controversy, and so it should have. Turiya and people throughout the entire sannyas community were deceived by an outrageous strategy in manipulation. Everyone apparently appreciated her honesty. However I do not appreciate Jayesh or the Inner-Circle’s dishonesty.

The only section of Jayesh’s letter that is of any value is the introduction. It states the platform upon which he and the Inner-Circle operate. Jayesh talks about a “shared understanding of Osho’s guidance and insights for His work”, and then goes on to say that “this process, like others, is a reminder to the Inner Circle of a shared insight from Osho: to help us all in understanding ourselves and in understanding His work”.

Jayesh has the first part of this right: the insight that Osho helps us all in understanding ourselves. However the concepts of ‘shared understanding’, ‘insights for his work’, and ‘understanding His work’ are deceptive and false. Jayesh here takes the weight of Osho on his shoulders, delves deep into his being, and comes up with His own idea of Osho’s work. Unless Jayesh is offering himself as a spiritual guide, he is in no position to offer his interpretation of Osho’s way. He may use the word ‘insight’, but it is simply his view, filled with the usual Osho quotes, about how the world is now to work, with Osho no longer in the body. However as chairmen of the Inner-Circle, this conduct is outside his mandate in a managerial or administering capacity.

Here it might be argued that the line will always be blurred in a spiritual enterprise. However I disagree. Jayesh would have it that the line is blurred. Actually he would have it that there is no line and his position includes both the mundane and the spiritual. He uses terminology that blurs the line, and then he seeks to manipulate not only Turiya, but by using her as an example, seeks to wield more control over the entire sannyasin community.

Managing the day to day mundane affairs of Osho’s legacy appears to be a complex balancing act of managerial responsibility and spiritual insight. I do not believe that it is like this at all. If we take a look at Turiya’s issue, it appears on the surface to be a big problem that only the likes of Jayesh and his insight can solve. However the truth is far from it. The situation is very simple. What Turiya does in her private life is of no business to anyone else, and that includes Jayesh and the Inner-Circle. If however she is conducting an Osho therapy, and she happens to mention in the introduction that she is now sitting with a great new guru, then there is a conflict of interest. In such a case a straight-forward discussion with Turiya would no doubt be needed. However if it is that, as part of her personal growth, she sits with someone, and feels nurtured for that experience, presumably she will be more capable of fulfilling her roll as a therapist – whether that be an Osho therapist or not is not anyone else’s business. Osho therapists’ avenues for learning surely are not limited to reading Osho books. The same is the case for learning and growing in the company of other people, whomsoever they are.

It looks like a conflict of interest and Jayesh would like you to see it that way. Hence the remainder of his letter uses his interpretation of Osho to develop his erroneous point of view. Jayesh tries to get you to feel like if you sit at the feet of someone, than, like you, that someone is an idiot. Of course it is cloaked with the familiar repetitive notion that ‘He says’. This is only Jayesh’s interpretation of what ‘He says’, and since you do not sit at the feet of Jayesh, and since Osho made it clear that the Inner-Circle had absolutely no spiritual mandate, then he is trying to forcefully deceive you. Why would he do this? What he gets out of transgressing the line between mundane affairs and the spiritual is a spiritual authority. He uses his interpretation of what ‘Osho says’ to ensure that no-one wanders away from his own ideas about Osho. Hence he can maintain a tight control over Osho’s sannyasins. It is not about Osho here, it is about control. The strategy is to make matters look complicated and necessarily require resolution in the spiritual domain. This is a fallacy.

The outcome of Jayesh’s manipulation and deception is that people like Turiya are made to feel that they have acted against Osho. They look deep inside and reflect for a time and come up with Jayesh’s own idea that they feel lonely or inferior or wrong. This is what false masters do. They offer false guidance and lead seekers down the wrong road. This is ugly.

Jayesh does not want anyone to sit with someone that may act as a threat to his domination. However I would say that you would be better off sitting with your pet cat than you would be sitting with his false idea of Osho’s relationship in your life.

de-Oshoization: Do Not Pass Go

This report is an analysis of the bitter rivalry between the collective of Inner-Circle, Pune resort management, and Osho International Foundation (OIF), and the opposing side that includes groups like OshoWorld, Osho Friends International (OFI), and OshoViha. The conclusion reached is that the OIF-Pune resort collective is going against Osho, his vision, and the law. The opposing groups of people are not.


The idea of focusing on “Osho the vision” rather than “Osho the person” (or indeed Osho the photograph) appears to have some merit. It is argued that this is the key to a successful meeting between Osho and the contemporary mind. This is the key to the ‘success’ of the Pune resort, and Osho the mainstream popular author. I however argue that the collective of Osho International Foundation (OIF), the Inner-Circle, and the Pune resort management, are forcefully and systematically removing “Osho the person” not as the best and only means of supporting Osho’s legacy, but as a means of pursuing their own goals of wealth, power, and domination. They do this to the detriment of other approaches to sharing Osho’s legacy. I also demonstrate a logical proof that shows that the collective (OIF etc) are actually going against Osho and his vision. In other words, it is not the case that there are different Osho factions that need to come to some understanding and middle ground. Rather, it is the case that OIF (etc) are clearly in the wrong.

The situation is (not surprisingly) along parallel lines with the issue of the Buddha Hall pagoda and the Auditorium complex. It has always been repeated that the pagoda was removed (destroyed) because of the new Auditorium complex. I have however argued the reverse: the new Auditorium complex was built because of the need to remove Buddha Hall’s significance.

Along similar lines, it is not that Osho has been systematically removed from books, magazines, websites, and the Pune resort, to make way for Osho’s vision. Rather it is the reverse: the notion of “Osho the vision” has been created in order to remove the significance of “Osho the person”.

You might at first glance consider this absurd. This is because you have been deceived by a clever marketing campaign. I will provide here a clear parallel example to substantiate my point of view. At The Ranch, after Osho spent many years in silence and Sheela and her gang grew to dominate with violence, Osho decided it was time to start speaking again. It is absolutely astounding that the management of The Ranch (Sheela and her gang) discouraged and tried to prevent this from happening. Authentic sannyasins the world over had been waiting for the time when they could again sit at the feet of their Master, be graced by his presence, and listen to his wisdom. Yet those closest to him (presumably his closest disciples) tried to prevent this from happening. This is astounding.

Over the period of Osho’s silence, Sheela and her gang had taken charge, and used Osho paraphernalia as the means of doing so. Books or an audio/video discourse of Osho could draw in and keep Osho sannyasins, however with Osho not physically present, Sheela and her gang emerged at the top of the power hierarchy. The books and taped discourses present no threat to this power, and only stand to increase it by attracting followers. The key is that Osho the person had been removed from the game. Osho himself, though still alive, had stepped aside from the power structure. That Sheela tried to stop Osho re-emerging and retaking power (as number one in charge) is proof of Sheela and her gang’s ill motives.

As a footnote to this, knowing that Sheela set out to murder other disciples, it is not unreasonable to consider it distinctly possible that she had also planned to murder Osho (to prevent him from re-taking power).

After Osho left the body - supposedly from being poisoned by the United States – clearly he was no longer a threat to power. What was the need for such power struggles anyway: everyone was now lovingly trying to realize Osho’s dream. However if I had a mind like Sheela, or anyone else in her gang, I would adopt similar strategies. In this case, I don’t have to prevent Osho from talking (I think this is still the case, though he has said he will continue to go on talking after he leaves the body – just old habit). While I do not need to remove the living being Osho from the scene, what I can do is remove Osho the image, Osho the picture, and Osho the personalized and transcribed spoken word. You see if all that is personal is removed from the name Osho, than just like Osho not being present, it no longer is a potential threat to power. The argument may seem on the surface a little far fetched. However, anything that has a strong association with Osho the person means that whomsoever is attracted to “Osho”, is ultimately attracted to Osho the person – to Osho the real historic figure, not just a mythical figure attached to a vision.

To help explain how this works I will give a topical example. When Osho International Foundation (OIF - the owner of ‘osho.com’) tried to stop OshoWorld from using ‘oshoworld.com’ and have the domain name transferred to OIF, they lost the case for one reason, and for one reason only. They lost the case because Osho is not a made up name like Coke or Pepsi; Osho is the name of an historic and famous person (mystic). What is even more startling is that OIF, in their filing for licences and trademarks, did not explain that Osho was a real historic figure. They presented legal documentation that categorized Osho as simply a name, of which such things as meditations and therapies were attached. That OIF omitted to make it clear that Osho was a real historic figure is very revealing. Obviously OIF, supposedly representing Osho’s closest disciples, was aware that Osho was the name of a real, historic and famous person (mystic). What they did therefore was to remove “Osho the person” from the name Osho in order to advance their interest in monopolizing control of Osho copyright, trademark, and licensing.

If I again return to Sheela and her ways, it is important to note that the proof that she had not Osho’s best interest in mind was revealed when she did not want to let Osho the person return to his usual place. OIF have argued that they have Osho’s best interest in mind when they removed all his pictures, his pagoda, and many of his sannyasins from the ashram (now resort). They argued in the same way in support of their approach to mass marketing of commercially popular abridged Osho literature.

The efforts of other Osho sannyasins to bring Osho’s message to the world through his image, his picture, and un-edited text, has been met by staunch resistance from OIF. The arguments fly back and forwards between different parties: cost-price versus mark-up; edited versus un-edited; with a picture of Osho versus without a picture of Osho; free download versus priced download; budget ashram versus 5-star resort. However, and this is the key, why would OIF resist this in the way that they have? I argue here that it is the same as asking Why would Sheela try and stop Osho from talking? Why are they trying to control domain names with the word osho in it? Why are they trying to prevent people from downloading Osho script, audio, and discourse that is available at cost-price (basically free). Their actions appear difficult to understand.

Osho was for example utterly unchanging on the fact that his books were to be sold at cost price. Admittedly they were a little more expensive then some books because they were in hard cover. However this was to ensure that they lasted long – his message was timeless and not like a quick-read mainstream novel. Why would OIF do this? I conclude in this report that the reason is because to allow actions such as un-edited cost-price content would restrict their domination as sole controlling interest in Osho’s legacy.

Why would there be any arguments, why would there be any opposing sides, if both parties had Osho’s interest solely in mind (at heart). The only logical explanation is that one or both of the competing parties do not.

OIF is trying to remove “Osho the person” and just leave “Osho the vision”. It is argued that this is in tune with Osho the person’s “vision”, and that it is most in tune with the modern world – the modern Westernized mind (which also includes many ‘progressive’ Indians). Whether or not there argument holds water is a moot point. The key to unravelling the riddle is that they do not want to allow people to offer “Osho the person” to the world. They use threats, banning, and law-suits to ensure that this does not happen. They even lied to United States legal entities (by omitting the fact that Osho was a person) in order to obtain trademarks and licenses. This meant that they could enforce their position through legal authority. Though they have done this in many instances, a legal challenge has ensured that this approach is now failing in the United States. It is failing because OIF failed to inform the relevant authorities that Osho was indeed the name of a real historic figure, and the authorities are now aware of this.

If we take a look at the other side of the warring factions - (apparently) like a political divide between capitalism and socialism, or democrats and republicans – it is clear that they are openly critical of OIF’s position, of the current inner-circle, and of the management of the resort in Pune. However groups like OshoWorld, Osho Friends International (OFI), and OshoViha have not to my knowledge made efforts to actually coercively restrict the operation of the opposing side – aside from normal competitive practices. That is to say, they are not trying to monopolize Osho and his legacy. (The raising of issues such as editing of books and above cost pricing are prima facie legitimate concerns, as will be discussed later). However OIF have on the other hand proven that they are trying to actively disallow the operating of any individual or group that does not act in strict accordance with their view of how to carry out Osho’s legacy. OIF is trying to shutdown OshoWorld. OIF tried to have the domain name ‘oshoworld.com’ transferred to themselves. Can you imagine how much that would have affected OshoWorld (in Delhi) in their efforts to offer Osho to the world. OIF have also tried to restrict Osho meditations and therapies by wielding trademarks obtained through false pretence. Through legal threats they have currently forced OshoWorld to stop providing free downloadable audio and video of Osho.

By trying to monopolise Osho’s legacy - by trying to stop other genuine sannyasins from sharing Osho with the world in a different yet credible manner - OIF (and the inner-circle and Pune resort management) have proven that they do not have Osho’s best interest in mind (at heart). It clearly cannot be argued that there is something wrong with quality Osho literature, downloads, meditations, and pictures, especially if they are at cost price. Hence OIF is restricting legitimate means of Osho’s message reaching out to people. How can this not be going against the best interest of Osho?

In the same way that Sheela tried to stop Osho from talking, OIF is trying to stop “Osho the person” from being shared with the world. It is proof that they (like Sheela and her murderous gang) have de-Oshoized Osho not in the interest of Osho, but in the interest of maintaining power as the sole heir to Osho’s legacy. In the same way that Sheela proved that her interest was not with Osho but with her own abhorrent domination, the senior members of OIF (and the inner-circle and resort management) have also proven that they too will de-Oshoize Osho in the interest of control.

Not surprisingly it is likely that the accumulation of wealth is also a contributing factor. No doubt free downloads would have a significant competitive impact on paid for downloads of Osho content.

The argument that I have presented is a logical proof. It is not that it is a conclusion that is something to be judged this way or that. Of course the premises in the argument need also be accepted before the conclusion is granted.

What is a logical proof? It is a situation where if certain conditions arise then the outcome is by definition true. If I am a sannyasin and Osho is my master, then it logically follows that I am an Osho sannyasin. It is a logical proof. Of course the premises would need to be established to be true in order to actually determine whether or not a person was in fact an Osho sannyasin. In other words, it would need to be determined whether a person is a sannyasin, and whether or not Osho is their master. If both these premises or preconditions are met than then it follows that the fact that I am an Osho sannyasin is a logical truth.

The argument that I use in the above report is as follows. If a person or group of people are trying to stop another person or group of persons from engaging in genuine Osho related activity, then they are not acting in the best interest of Osho. A precondition is that the ‘other’ people must be shown to be genuinely engaged in Osho related activity. Also, a basic requirement to be considered as a person or group of persons in this exercise is that they must be abiding by the laws of the land.

Another possible precondition relates to the following. In the event that there are competing interests, the expansion in one area of activity may lead to the reduction in activity of another group (competition). More people are receiving sannyas from one person and less from another person (or group) for example. However, to use this as a third condition in the argument is problematic. Who is to say how much an increase in one area of activity leads to a decreases in another area of activity; who is to say whether there is a net benefit or not. It might be for example argued that an increase in one area may lead to an increase in another area (synergy rather than competition). For the above reasons this condition is not a credible option as a precondition.

How does the collective of Pune resort management, inner-circle, and OIF, fit into the presented argument, preconditions, and requirements?

I will take the legal requirement first. There is significant reason to believe that OIF has broken United States law in lying by omission: as discussed earlier they failed to inform the relevant legal entity that Osho was a real, historic and famous person.

Turning now to the inner-circle and Pune resort, there is significant evidence to indicate that the Pune resort (Osho International Meditation Resort) has been for many years operating in a state of severe neglect, exposing sannyasins and visitors alike to harm and serious risk of harm. The list of ongoing and poorly addressed issues includes exposure to contaminated drinking water (and food), poor hygiene standards, the ingestion of toxic levels of chemicals, (cabled and other) tree hazards, unsafe and poor design of buildings, non-functioning or poorly maintained equipment, and inadequate night lighting.

Significant financial investment has gone into creating the appearing of a beautiful spiritual resort, however the truth is that basic maintenance and infrastructure needs have been ignored, and for many years the centre has operated in a severe state of disrepair. The ongoing drinking water problems (first identified 5 or 6 or more years ago) remind me of Sheela and her poisoning tactics.

Why is it that in all dictatorial regimes the general population subsists in a state of low physical wellbeing - things like a poor health system, frequent illness, and rampant disease? It is in part this way to keep the population weak. Then they shall not be a threat to the regimes domination. There are obviously other reasons: financial restraints and profiteering; inefficiencies; cruelty. There appears to me to be significant parallels between dictatorial regimes and the Pune resort.

Why would the people with financial and managerial responsibility for the resort (presumably resort management and the inner-circle) take the decision not to invest in basic infrastructure (a properly functioning water treatment system that actually does provide clean water for example)? Well for one thing, if the drinking water gets too contaminated visitors can drink the bottled water, and they have to pay for that. Also, it is a significant financial burden offering very little real return, especially when no-one knows what is really going on.

Dr Amrito, the vice-president of the inner-circle and long-term resort resident, is well aware of the serious contamination of drinking water; he was involved with looking at the issue when it (I assume) first arose some 5 or 6 years ago. Yogendra, inner-circle member, former resort administrator, and brother to the inner-circle chairmen (Jayesh), is also similarly aware. E-mail correspondence between Yogendra and Jayesh suggests that Jayesh is also aware (of the problem that is). Of course it would be very surprising if other senior members of the inner-circle were aware of such a significant problem and Jayesh was not. The same goes for Mukhesh. Many people in resort management positions know about what has been happening, as do many others. However it is likely that these other people are too scared to speak out.

From the above it is very difficult to see how the collective of Osho resort management, inner-circle, and OIF, actually meet the basic requirement of legality.

I will now address the precondition that the ‘other’ party or parties need to be shown to be engaging in genuine Osho activity. The other parties are prima facie authentic Osho groups and individuals. Their activities can generally be said to include the concept of “Osho the person”. Hence there is an emphasis on have pictures of Osho. This is hardly going to be considered non-genuine conduct. They present quality literature that is not edited. There can be no argument against the provision of well presented direct Osho text. A general feature is the availability on the internet of Osho content that happens to be available for free. There can be no argument against providing accurate, quality content for free, no matter what the media. Perhaps these ‘other’ parties – groups like OshoWorld, OshoTapovan, OshoViha, and Osho Friends International (OFI) – are engaging in illegal activity. I am not aware of any claims of illegality, and here assume that they are legally operating enterprises.

So we have it that the collective in question (OIF, inner-circle, and resort management) does not meet the requirement of legality. Also it is reasonable to conclude that the ‘other’ groups in question are engaging in genuine Osho related activity. This means I will turn to the central text of the argument: are the collective of Pune resort management, inner-circle, and OIF, trying to stop another person or group of persons from engaging in genuine Osho related activity?

OIF has had books shredded, not on the grounds of quality, but on basis of copyright infringement. OIF has repeatedly shut down Osho websites, not on the basis of quality, but on the basis of copyright and trademark infringement. OIF has repeatedly shut down downloading of Osho audio/video content, not on the basis of quality, but on the basis of copyright infringement. OIF has tried to have OshoWorld’s “oshoworld.com” domain name transferred to OIF on the basis of trademark infringement. OIF has acted in a coercive manner in trying to get centres to sign an agreement of understanding that although these centres are engaging in genuine Osho related activity, the ultimate control and rights rest with OIF. However what right does OIF have to have control over peoples Osho related activities. The situation is the same as with the domain name infringement case. The legal ruling was that because (as previously omitted by OIF) Osho was in fact a real historic and famous person, then the name Osho could not be owned. The same is for centre activities relating to Osho: Osho meditations and therapies for example. If a centre is conducting an Osho meditation or therapy in accordance with Osho’s instructions, then nobody has any rights over them. Why you might ask? The answer is because Osho is a real historic and famous person, and therefore his meditations and therapies cannot be owned by anyone in particular. OIF’s conduct in this regard is highly coercive and very questionable. I have a sense that further investigation in this area will bring to light similar cases of interference and monopolization.

It is clear that the collective including OIF is trying to stop other credible parties from advancing genuine Osho related interests. This collective is trying to disallow “Osho the person” and just present “Osho the vision” (albeit from my point of view a seriously erroneous one). It is also attempting to exert coercive control over groups that appear to fit with their idea of Osho’s legacy.

It is therefore concluded from the above that the collective of OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management firstly do not meet the requirement of legality. Also, it is concluded that the ‘other’ parties are engaged in genuine Osho related activity. The collective is also trying to stop other genuine groups from freely engaging in Osho related activity. Hence I conclude that the collective of OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management are not acting in the best interest of Osho, and also have dubious legal stature.

Does the argument work in reverse?

Firstly I am not aware of any illegal activity by the ‘other’ groups. If it came to light that this was not the case, then obviously there would be serious implications.

Is the collective including OIF and Pune resort engaging in genuine Osho related activities? Groups like OshoWorld, OFI, and OshoViha, clearly have raised concerns about editing, pricing, trademarks, copyrights, licensing and publishing. However these concerns are legitimate. The coercive manner in which OIF is enforcing its (supposed) copyrights, and the use of abridged texts, invites a response. Whether or not, or to what extent, editing of Osho’s books is accepted is a perfectly reasonable issue to raise. In order for Osho text to have integrity, it must in some way resemble the original. Where the line is drawn on this issue is worthy of investigation. Whether or not any legitimate person or group connected to Osho can use the word Osho as part of an (internet) domain name, or a meditation centre name, is a valid concern. Imagine if you are a legitimate Osho centre and you cannot use the word Osho in your domain name or centre name. The same is for other trademarks. OIF would have it that you would not be able to run Osho meditations (as instructed by Osho), unless you had approval from OIF. Knowing Osho’s clear stance on cost price, the issue of charging more than cost price for Osho media content is also a legitimate concern.


Groups like OshoWorld and OFI question whether or not the Osho related activities by OIF are in fact reasonable. It is legitimate to expect such queries; as is it reasonable that groups like OIF also raise legitimate concerns. I am not aware of any legitimate concerns raised by groups like OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management, against groups like OshoWorld or OFI.

Is the Pune resort involved in genuine Osho related activities? As has previously been described, there are serious legal and negligence concerns pertaining to the running of the resort, and its effects on Osho sannyasins and visitors. Even if the Osho product offered is genuine, if the service is provided in an environment that poses serious health and safety risks, then it simply cannot be considered to be engaging in genuine Osho related activities.

From the above it is concluded that the group including the inner-circle, Pune resort, and OIF do not meet the criteria for engaging in genuine Osho related activity.

Is the collective ‘other’ in question trying to stop the genuine Osho related activity of OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management? As previously discussed they have raised legitimate concerns. However I am not aware that they are engaging in any coercive or monopolizing practices that actually seek to stop any genuine Osho related activity of OIF and Pune resort.

From the above analysis it is concluded that groups like OshoWorld, OFI, and OshoViha, are not trying to stop the genuine Osho related activities of the collective including OIF, inner-circle, and Pune resort; that they are raising legitimate concerns about the activities of OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management; that OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort management do not meet the requirement of legality; and finally that groups including OshoWorld, OshoViha, and OFI are not acting against the best interest of Osho.

Obviously the gathering of further information would help more clearly determine whether or not a person or group is engaging in genuine, legitimate, and legal, Osho related activity that is in the best interest of Osho.

From the information I currently have available, I am of the view that OIF, the inner-circle, and Pune resort, are acting against the best interest of Osho, and have transgressed the law. Also, they are considered to be a gathering of Osho’s closest disciples (just like Sheela and her gang were at The Ranch). Hence I conclude that Osho’s supposedly closest followers are harming Osho sannyasins and fellow seekers, and are trying to destroy Osho, his name, and his vision, in the pursuit of control, power, and financial gain.

Maroon, Money and Marble

If I have the opportunity, I will only vote for a people that allow me to wear whatever colors I feel reflect my current inner-beauty. Maroon happens not to be one of those colors. I like red, yellow, green, blue, and also white. Also, if I were a man I would like to wear a robe every second day and tight pants (to show of my bottom) on the other. However if I were a women, when I go to worship my beloved Master in the evening meditation, I would like to wear a dress that has lots of frilly flower patterns all over it

I am absolutely sick of having to wear maroon. Even worse, I am sick of having to wear dark non-faded maroon, preferably made from a disgusting synthetic fabric that does not allow my body to breath (especially during active meditations). Don't try and find any of those nasty crease forming natural cotton robes in the galleria.

The restrictions on the type of robe are a metaphor for all that is happening at the resort and in the inner-circle. It does not matter if it is unpleasant or unhealthy or vulgar, so long as everything looks beautiful.

Why is this so? You see there is a little mathematics involved. It is much much cheaper to make things look beautiful, than for them to be beautiful. What you then do is make sure that no-one from the outside can see behind the veil and find out that the truth is very very ugly. Then guess what happens? Lots of people are drawn to the beauty, especially because it is so cheap. This is where mathematics comes into it. The sale price is relatively high, but not to high. The cost is relatively low. Multiply the difference by the number of clients, and I have made heaps of money.

The trouble with this logic is that you can only deceive people for so long. Stay for a while or come back a few times and you might start to wonder about the quality of your experience. Also, when you as a client engage with something that appears beautiful but is in fact ugly, you can have a nasty experience. Although this may hurt people physically, mentally, and emotionally, this is not of any significance at all. The key is that unfortunately it reduces the brand image.

Brand images are rather important – it is also a form of hypnosis. If there is a beautiful ashram that has thrived by the efforts of its beloved disciples, then a strong positive brand image is built up. This gives me an idea. If I stop investing money into making the place actually functional and beautiful, and invest that money into making the place look artificially beautiful, then I can ride on the historically strong brand image, harm people and rip them off, and make heaps of money$$$. That seems like such a great idea I think I will do it.

All I have to do is push the positive brand image that the place actually is beautiful, and people will be hypnotised into believing so. It will be easy to push a strong brand image, because when Osho left the body, his beloved sannyasins gave their heart and soul into making the place very functional and absolutely beautiful. Also, from my experience, if I can deceive the crowd sufficiently with my very strong advertising skills, I can keep then deceived even when I have hurt and deceived them deeply. Ah, the flock of sheep to my slaughter…such joy, and indeed such big bucket loads of money.

There is an interesting twist to the metaphor of the plastic maroon robe. Following the argument it might seem that it does not matter that my body stinks from excessive sweating, so long as I don’t have any creases on my non-faded robe. However it does matter if I stink. People cannot see the ugly deception with their eyes, but they have other senses as well. They can get hurt by the dysfunctional and the ugly, and they can get put off by the stench.

Perhaps my nose is a little too sensitive. I know, I will go to the Pune resort and breathe in the air from all the poorly cleaned air-conditioners. Then I will get a nice flu (hopefully the pig or bird variety). This will block my nose so then I no longer have to smell the stench.

I just had another idea. I am going to vote for people that let me wear all kinds of colored clothing, and that also pledge to provide an efficiently functioning and good quality environment. I will also find out how I am going to be assured that this is actually happening, so that I don’t have to find out the truth once I have recovered from the flu.

Of course meanwhile if I have completely trashed the place and its people, and the joke is starting to wear a little thin, what to do? The answer is simple and obvious. I simply sell for a song to an unsuspecting buyer.

None of the above is particularly profound – just good business (sense if you have a criminal mind).

Just good business that’s all.

Of course in the last few years there was a lot of money invested in new infrastructure – a brand new meditation auditorium for example. This was an attempt to rebuild the cash cow that had been milked yet not fed. The smashing of Buddha Hall pagoda no doubt is connected with the building of the auditorium. It does provide an excuse to demolish it. This also provides many advantages. It removes meddling religious interference from worshipping Indians (and some devotional Westerners). It also makes the place easier to sell. However I do not think selling the place was in mind at the time. I think the aim was simple enough. The previous business model of ashram had been milked and the starving cow was almost dead on her feet. The idea was then to build a 5-star resort to attract wealthy clients. The brand new O-Hotel down the road fits nicely into the picture as well. Who would sell such a business? Also, resort management and the inner-circle become the elite in a powerful, religious organisation that has many wealthy adherents.

However the place was so trashed that the efforts to create a new business model have left gaping holes in resort infrastructure. Also, the new investments are in a few short years not so new anymore: built on the cheap, improperly commissioned, treated with neglect, and poorly maintained. Any interference from well meaning working Osho sannyasins (who could possibly create trouble) was addressed by a well-dressed team of Sodexo workers. However Sodexo has been shown to be utterly and resolutely incompetent. Furthermore, like management is there to make money, Sodexo workers are there to do a job. This very quickly has put a further and significant drain on the energy field – the resorts greatest historical asset.

So the old business model of ashram dried up, but thanks very much to all of Osho’s devoted sannyasins that in part gave years of their life to try and help recover from the guilt and injustice that arose out of the explosion of The Ranch experiment. The new business model is for the above mentioned reasons not working. With the current state of archaic resort infrastructure, and the rapidly corroding new infrastructure, the new resort model is aging fast. With the number of people coming to the resort dwindling to a trickle in off-season, and rising to a hillock in the main season, and with additional expenses like an army of staff that actually have to be paid (all be it for doing an incompetent job), there is absolutely no way that the place can get a return on its investment.

The only option left is to sell the place to the highest unsuspecting bidder. Of course this will create an uproar if the highest bidder has no connection with Osho and has no intention of keeping it as an Osho centre. The intractable part of this problem is that the Buddha Hall pagoda and the Samadhi are sacred to many Osho devotees. The pagoda is an easy one as the new auditorium provides the excuse to get rid of the old. Of course it would all have to be cloaked in spiritual terminology. You know how it goes, Osho wanted a 5-star resort and the Buddha Hall pagoda is the antithesis of Osho’s vision. I leave you my dream and all that nice mushy stuff. Ah yes it was his dream, and many tried to make it right this time, but others had there own ambitions and turned the dream into a nightmare.

The Samadhi is a tough call. One idea is to change the name, change a few things here and there, and slowly slowly the Samadhi becomes sufficiently changed (not just in name but also in nature), that it can be argued that it is no longer a Samadhi, no matter what you might like to call it. This is the only approach available as the simple approach of demolition of the pagoda created such an uproar.

You might argue that the demolishing of the pagoda was simply making way for the new auditorium, to enable a successful transition. However if the pagoda remained intact for any length of time after the opening of the auditorium, there was no way that the new auditorium could be used as an excuse. If the pagoda was left standing for several years, then that is how it would have to remain for a long time to come.

The pagoda was very important to many people and was therefore a very emotive, but also a very powerful, object. It being there (with all the devotional people) could always pose a problem. India is famous for its great temple protests. So the pagoda was a counter-weight to the powers of the establishment. In general it could pose ongoing problems with devotees, and in the end could provide the ultimate problem if selling the place became the preferred option.

A strategic thinker is always going to have a back up plan if things don’t go as planned. The new business model of resort was a big investment, targeting new and unknown markets. The risks and consequences of failure need always be considered. Hence it is straight-forward to conclude that if the business model fails the place may need to be sold up. It is also straight-forward to work out that there is absolutely no way you could sell a place that had a Buddha Hall, complete with podium and pagoda, and a Samadhi. Hence I would argue that it is entirely possible that strategic management was capable of reaching the same conclusions that I have here. It is not only entirely possible, it is, from a purely business standpoint, the smart decision to make.

So ashram business was good until the starving cow refused to give any more milk. Resort business sounded great, but isn’t so good. The Buddha Hall religious icon is gone. The Samadhi has changed its name and we have some small changes. Let these changes settle for a while. Make a few more changes. Put the place up for sale. However don’t tell anyone that the ashram was so trashed that it was not possible to build a resort on top of these shaky foundations. Don’t tell anyone that the resort has started crumbling on the old foundations. At least, with the pagoda gone and the Samadhi less and less in the picture, we have a bargaining position. It is tough to sell to a non-Oshoite. However it is now possible. This gives a bargaining position to put pressure on any collective of Osho sannyasins to pay a high price. Indeed Pune real-estate has boomed and just look at the brand new resort. However the reality is that market value needs to take into account the fact that the resort, although looking beautiful, is actually not. The trouble is that Osho sannyasins have not been deceived by the image of a beautiful 5-star style resort (as have many visitors). Hence they will not pay the asking price needed for investors to recover from the failing investment. As time passes, the aging of the resort will become more and more evident. Hence time is of the essence. Osho sannyasins revolted against the destruction of the pagoda, and they didn’t much like the subtle changes to the Samadhi. This is putting a dampener on the exit strategy.

I can not see an easy way out of this one. That is a terrible shame.