SUBSCRIBE FEED

I have started to believe of late, that one should try to keep away from the Osho communes and his followers. The master was so impressive that you start expecting his followers to match his virtuosity too, at least in some degree, which is too much of an expectation unfortunately. A majority of them can be found making stupid arguments and fighting amongst themselves if you ever visited the places frequented by the usual Oshoites. You may be amazed to see the number of times they might utter the phrases like spirituality, consciousness and love…yet providing no hint of any experience if they ever had about these words! You must be mentally prepare to meet a mass of dry and barren souls, if you ever decided to visit the ordinary Oshoites. At the same time, those knowing better about Osho might hardly try to open their mouths, since they too are tired perhaps of bearing with these meaningless crowds.

I have also noticed, how the old timers are increasingly complaining about the changing face of the Pune commune and the movement’s overall mood. The problem lies again in what I stated earlier. Osho was so omnipresent during his heydays, that nothing seemed to bother his juggernaut. However, the commune started to somewhat fade away as soon as his physical existence ceased to exist. This is why perhaps, the Pune Ashram has now been given the facelift of a meditation resort, since they knew it was not feasible to meet with the challenge of embodying the original master. Nobody can, to be frank. The original was so vast and fulfilling that none of his substitutes, including the communes, can ever think of matching his performance. (There is one so-called Rajneesh incarnation as well who is selling his books free online these days…lolz)

Obviously, it was only after Osho’s demise that the anti-Osho forces began to sniff their first real chance, something the past and disgruntled Oshoites like Christopher Calder have flourished upon in the recent years. To me, it is the sign of the filth lying within the Sanyasins more than the so-called Osho’s misconduct itself, which is coming out into open as Calder’s outburst now. No doubt, the guru must have carried a Mulla Nasruddin (read shrewdness) within him to run this circus, but the more I see the variety of Oshoites across the spectrum, my appreciation for him increases with each passing day. These Sanyasins are no ordinary souls for sure. There must have been a hell lot of fight for sex, trance and drugs going on in those days. The master was easily made the target for whatever the Sanyasins finally ended up pulling down each other for.

The present Osho movement lacks the courage to face the Calder like hiccups, I suspect, even though it is the movement’s own incapacities that might see its downfall (if it was to ever happen) more than any of Calder’s brickbats. The entire anti-movement is dependent on the Osho movement itself. They are playing out the role of Osho’s shadow, nothing else, and so they will have to follow each of his footsteps as well. The shadows (or negatives) make Osho more colorful, interesting and human for a lay fan like me, as compared to the two-dimensional doctrines preached by his mouthpieces for so long.

Osho’s healing discourses and words are more significant for a majority of his well-wishers, and it is this treasure, which needs being preserved for the future generations. Let Osho’s communes and his stagnant followers dilute into the air…who cares. But, the guru’s discourses must be digitalized and made available to each and all who might need to go through his healing experience. Remember, whatever the wounded Calder might say, we know how magical and healing the experience of Osho was and will always remain like that. And this means more than anything else for a person like me, besides any other ongoing fights, claims and counterclaims among the Oshoites and his detractors all encompassed into one.

——————–

To the devoted Oshoites: Do not take my words too seriously. One hopes you’ll only grow more from here on and there will be no looking back in the future.

Also, one Osho sympathizer, Anthony Thompson, has been refuting most of the anti-Osho propaganda being circulated by the latter’s detractors in the recent times, as this link (also shared in my previous post on this issue) might prove.

Check out more by Mr Thompson on this issue here.