Is Osho Auditorium next Bhopal?

This article discusses the possibility of the feet pounding WHO stage of Dynamic meditation and evidence of poor construction standards at the Pune resort combining to produce a disastrous scenario. It also mentions problems with cabled trees.

Significant stressors to a bridge can come not just from the obvious vehicular traffic and from powerful winds, but also from pedestrians (walking or jogging). A tightly packed bunch of marathon fun-runners pounding their way across a bridge can be a significant stress if the joggers become synchronised in their step, and if the step frequency fits with the natural frequency of the structure.

High profile examples of pedestrian induced bridge vibrations include the 8-lane Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand, the London Millennium Bridge and the Passerelle Solferino in Paris.

Relevant news – you may well be wondering – applies to the (Osho) International Meditation Resort in Pune, India – a resort that claims to have over 100, 000 visitors annually. In particular I refer here to its new almighty, award winning, towering, monolithic, pyramid-like meditation auditorium.

The news is that this building has had cement failure, and a neighbouring building (constructed as part of the same project) has had failings due to mixing down of cement (not using enough cement in the concrete mixture).

The interesting question is what happens to the brickwork, structural steel, cement, welds, and bolts, when the devoted Osho sannyassins pound the floor of the Auditorium during their controversially active morning Dynamic meditation?

The following example shows how construction work at the resort is not necessarily of high standard. A brick-layer came to the resort to do some work-as-meditation. He was put to work supervising labourers doing construction projects. The summary of the scenario – as told by him to me – was that the workers thought that he would obviously not know anything about construction work, and so they could pull the wool over his eyes (so to speak). He was of the opinion that they were trying to steal cement. What they did was overstate the amount of cement needed and used for any particular job. Now a supervisor who has no idea of construction would not have a clue how much cement is needed for a job. However this person happened to be a brick-layer by trade.

I don't recall the exact details: whether they were stock-piling cement on the side or whether at the end of the job it appeared that all the cement was used, yet could not possibly have been: someone who knows about such things would be able to look at the colour of the concrete to see how much cement is used in the concrete mixture. The likely scenario put forward to me was that over-quoting and supposedly using this excessive amount meant that the labourers were free to steal a certain amount of valuable cement.

Now if someone wanted to investigate the quality of cement work on a project they could easily look at the amount of cement used, and draw conclusions accordingly. However in this case the conclusions would be wrong.

So what about the mixing down of cement that I identified on the project that included the grand meditation pyramid? One possibility is that the correct amount of cement was quoted, with lesser cement used, and some of the valuable product strangely disappearing.

While I am on the subject, one last little twig. Trees and branches have historically been neglected, and a high-tension cabling system winds trees up into a dangerous state of tension.

It has been some time since my last un-meditative visit to the resort – where I was assaulted for revealing the truth about negligence at the resort – and I assume that deep meditation in the still-standing auditorium has channelled wisdom and compassion into the supposedly spiritual management group.

Also, although I am not a civil engineer, I am a qualified engineer with practical civil experience.

Global Web of Deception

A seemingly cohesive argument in support of mass marketing of abridged Osho texts is as follows. Cast the web wide with a marketing plan that has popular appeal. So much of the starving humanity will have a taste of Osho’s precious depth, and will either at least be helped a little, or hopefully come looking for more. It is an argument which seems to make perfect sense.

Cast the net wide with a soft touch and gently bring humanity into the fold of consciousness, hence saving the planet and the universe. Of course by logical deduction we have it that those who have tasted the divine shall in time be drawn to the source. Unfortunately a few fish will taste Osho and go to another well. Jayesh and the gang will no doubt be full of best wishes towards them that got away.

There are two problems with this approach: one technical, the other practical. The technical problem is that every word that a Master utters is not without good reason. Also, the use of a particular word or phrase may be critical to the Master’s message. However to anyone other than the Master there is no way of knowing. It may be that a word or phrase can be removed or added, and the essential message remain the same. Unfortunately there is no way of ever knowing whether this is the case or not.

The second problem with this approach is, as mentioned, a practical one. The source of the Orange people was Sheela, her gang, and The Ranch. Osho was either hidden from the world, or chose to remain silently waiting for the tide to turn. My position, as supported by the arguments and facts I have repeatedly tried to share, pertains to the Maroon movement centred on Osho International Foundation (OIF), the Inner-Circle, and the Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, INDIA. The view is that this Maroon movement is a cult no different, and perhaps worse, than Sheela and the Orange gang. Hence the argument goes that if you go to the source you are drawn to unconsciousness and criminality not consciousness and freedom.

If you go to the source of Osho what do you think I may find? What do you find at the Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, INDIA, for example? My logical mind leads me to conclude that I will find all of Osho’s original discourses and transcriptions - in Hindi and otherwise. Surely the sacred book store shall be filled with all the unedited truth, after all I am no longer just interested in a taste. I am looking for the real thing. Also, since reading all his cheap, pleasure filling fictions, I still do not even know what the great Master looks like. At least when I go to the Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, INDIA, I will be able to see what he looked like. I am myself a professional painter and would therefore like, with special permission, to view all his paintings, signature and otherwise.

What you will really find when you go to the well is water contamination (literally) and criminality (literally). Do you see the absolute stupidity, lack of common sense, and insanity? People go on and on about superficial arguments, have been shown what lies in the depths of the basement, yet still carry on with meaningless crap.

Yes go to the source like me, get banned, received threatening emails, get verbally threatened, physically threatened with a broom, sticks, metal rods, get pushed and punched, get threatened with a knife, be on the receiving end of mysterious threats outside the resort, and get told to leave Pune (as I was told not to come).

I know what lies at the source for I have been there. One year in silence I spent working in Osho’s Samadhi. Two years I spent in silence in his sacred Lao Tzu garden. I perhaps was the last one to have a chance to come close to the source, before the lid finally be closed by Jayesh and his gang.

If you are so stupid as to not see the brazenly obvious then I agree that you are asking for cold water to be splashed upon your face. However what about all the innocent people that do come to Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune, INDIA, after reading a cheap fiction? What about all the Osho sannyasins that have had the integrity to leave, quietly or otherwise?

What about so many other Osho sannyasins that know how ugly things have got, yet they feel there is nowhere else on this planet to go? This is perhaps the most ugly thing of all. There are so many of these people. They no how ugly the resort has become, yet lonely they still come. Isn’t this so sad.

There are so many centres all over the world, yet still so many feel lost. In part this is because most, if not all, of the centres are a close circle of friends. It is therefore difficult to integrate into this cosy situation. (Nothing wrong with this mind you, but the point is there is little else). The irony is that those in need are by definition not in the most open and positive social space. Hence they do not fulfil the requirement of being happy and friendly and therefore able to integrate into the closely knit community. Therefore many of the lost souls of this world who do not fit with any of the mainstream religions either travel the path alone, or come to Pune despite knowing the tragedy of the place.

What do the real seekers need? They need safe and affordable accommodation - nowhere to be seen in Koregaon Park as the locals rip everyone off. They also need cheap and healthy food - nowhere to be seen in Koregaon Park, especially at the resort. They also need an affordable space to meditate - the only one I could find was down at the burning ghats, but it has its limitations. They also need safe means of getting there and a safe environment upon arrival - no chance of that…have you taken a taxi from Mumbai to Pune…or have you walked the back streets of Koregaon Park alone (day or night)?

If an authentic space for seekers were to be, I could go there, have a chai, see a picture of Osho, perhaps talk to a stranger or an old friend, listen to a discourse, or maybe do some dynamic meditation. The crazy thing is these type of basic ingredients do not cost that much. We have lost the way. Not a space exists on this planet for souls like me that love crazy people like Osho. You may say I am wrong, and invite me to your place with welcome arms. You may say come and sit down and have a chat and meet my friends. I may say that I am looking for Osho’s hidden truth and am not in the mood. Do you see how something essential is missing? An authentic friend may start out as a friendly stranger. The resort is an absurd indictment on all the powers that be. Cannot we do a little better?

Following Osho's Vision

Where has Osho gone? If he is in all his peoples hearts, why are they not dancing together rejoicing? His message is tangible. It is that religiousness and life are not separate: that religion is not dull, and life is not empty. It is a message often repeated but difficult to embody.

In the absence of the Master celebrations can become empty or hypocritical. Without the blessing of the Master going inwards can become an idea rather than an experience. Yet those who have crossed his way or read or heard his wisdom can capture Osho’s spirit and his vision.

Without the presence of the Master the crowd easily disperses and the seekers move forth in fits and spurts. The path can become full of doubt and despair. In the vibrant celebration of the throngs of followers, and in the settling calmness that follows, humanity propels and is propelled by a collective field of energy. The energy field of the Master and the gathering create the sacred space for empty hearts to be filled, and for timid tigers to leap forth.

Understand this clearly, Osho is the indivisible collection of three things: himself; his teachings; and his people. If his people are split than Osho is fractured. It is like careering down the road in the middle of a moonless night with one headlight shining off to the right and the other shining off to the left. The driver is blind to what is directly in front.

There of course can be different groups of Osho’s people. There may be an exclusive resort or a sadhus thali stop - more rich of course would a sacred space be that welcomes and embodies all types of seekers. However this issue of accepting differences is different to the division of us and them, of friends and foe. How foolish it is to have as an enemy a fellow traveller on the path. How can such a blind person not lose their way?

There are those whose ego’s stand on the road in front of Osho’s fleet of rolls-royces, deflecting and splitting the headlights to the left and right. They stand tall on the highway facing the travelling caravan. Yet the Master does not stand and face his people. The light of wisdom leads the way and shines forth into the mysteries beyond. The Master does not blind followers eyes. Rather, the great light shines forth so that others may also see.

Some travellers veer off the road to the right. Other travellers veer off the road to the left. Naturally one should not travel blind into darkness. Better to travel by lesser light into the gutter and then along a rough dirt track…hmmm. The journey does not stop and after a while the great ego’s will stand tall in a cloud of dust.

I just say that for the dispersed and dusty voyager, Osho’s paved autobahn lies just to the right or the left. Egos of destruction will in time deflate. How long can one be a megalomaniac standing on a dusty, dark, and barren highway – a highway that once led somewhere and is now forever disused: new travellers will pave new paths. Of course these lost souls are welcome to join the end of Osho’s convoy, for they will need the support and guidance.

Life is a festival of carnivals and silences.

News Story 26 Feb 09

News is often bad so may as well start with the bad news for the day. If luck has its way there will then be room for some good news.

The bad news is that the current Chinese presidents greatest achievement to date (other than for his efforts being promoted to president) is that he was governor of the Tibetan region during the brutal crushing of the second Tibetan uprising.

The good news – see I had a feeling there would be some good news forthcoming – is that Australia will soon no longer manufacture any clothing, and hence if Australia goes to war with China they will have to fight naked. No problem in that I should think, at least we can drive our cars around until they run out of fuel from the Middle East.
Interesting news is that the most pressure applied to a bridge comes not from a convoy of fully laden trucks driving over them, but from a tightly packed bunch of marathon fun-runners pounding their way across it.

Of relevant news – you may well be wondering – applies to the (osho) International Meditation Resort in Pune, India – a resort that claims to have over 100, 000 visitors annually. In particular I refer here to its new almighty, award winning, towering, monolithic, pyramid-like meditation auditorium.

The news is that this building has had cement failure, and a neighbouring building (constructed as part of the same project) has had failings due to mixing down of cement (not using enough cement in the concrete mixture).

The interesting question is what happens to the brickwork, structural steel, cement, welds, and bolts, when the devoted Osho sannyassins pound the floor of the Auditorium during their controversially active morning Dynamic meditation?

Of course it hardly seems worth mentioning that for years people drank contaminated drinking water at this so-called spiritual oasis.

To tie things up neatly, I wonder how many Chinese children died in schools that collapsed during last years horrific earthquake disaster due to atrocious and incomprehensible workmanship?

For the second string on the wrapping, the parallel between Chinese food contamination scandals and contamination of drinking water at the resort is also interesting.

You probably would not be surprised to learn that for my efforts to expose the truth I have been banned from this (osho) resort; I have been threatened in writing; I have been verbally threatened; I have been threatened with being punched, have been pushed, and have been punched; I have been threatened with metal rods and sticks; and I have (probably) been threatened with a knife.

I almost forgot about a sweet little anecdote. A brick-layer came to the resort to do some work-as-meditation. He was put to work supervising labours doing construction projects. The summary of the scenario was that the workers thought that he would obviously not know anything about construction work, and so they could pull the wool over his eyes (so to speak). He was of the opinion that they were trying to steal cement. What they did was overstate the amount of cement needed and used for any particular job. Now a supervisor who has no idea of construction would not have a clue how much cement is needed for a job. However this person happened to be a brick-layer by trade.

I don't recall the exact details: whether they were stock-piling cement on the side or whether at the end of the job it appeared that all the cement was used, yet could not possibly have been: someone who knows about such things would be able to look at the colour of the concrete to see how much cement is used in the concrete mixture. The likely scenario put forward to me was that over-quoting and supposedly using this excessive amount meant that the labourers were free to steal a certain amount of valuable cement.

Now if someone wanted to investigate the quality of cement work on a project they could easily look at the amount of cement used, and draw conclusions accordingly. However in this case the conclusions would be wrong.

So what about the mixing down of cement that I identified on the project that included the grand meditation pyramid? One possibility is that the correct amount of cement was quoted, with lesser cement used, and some of the valuable product strangely disappearing – perhaps into nirvanna?

While I am on the subject, one last little twig. Trees and branches have historically been neglected, and a high-tension cabling system winds trees up into a dangerous state of tension.
It has been some time since my last un-meditative visit to the resort, and I assume that deep meditation in the still-standing auditorium has channelled wisdom and compassion into the supposedly spiritual management.

As far as the Chinese communist party is concerned, the latest US state department survey has noted last years brutal crushing of Tibetans for the third time, and also an increase in the level of human rights abuses generally.

The contents of this article reflect the opinion of the author only. Some of the contents may appear factual, but are conclusions. The author shall not be held liable for any of the articles contents.

Also, the author is not a civil engineer, but is an engineer with practical civil experience.

Finally, it should be noted that the author worked with engineers and consulting microbiologist at the resort, and is a qualified engineer.

Following Osho's Vision

Where has Osho gone? If he is in all his peoples hearts, why are they not dancing together rejoicing? His message is tangible. It is that religiousness and life are not separate: that religion is not dull, and life is not empty. It is a message often repeated but difficult to embody.

In the absence of the Master celebrations can become empty or hypocritical. Without the blessing of the Master going inwards can become an idea rather than an experience. Yet those who have crossed his way or read or heard his wisdom can capture Osho’s spirit and his vision.

Without the presence of the Master the crowd easily disperses and the seekers move forth in fits and spurts. The path can become full of doubt and despair. In the vibrant celebration of the throngs of followers, and in the settling calmness that follows, humanity propels and is propelled by a collective field of energy. The energy field of the Master and the gathering create the sacred space for empty hearts to be filled, and for timid tigers to leap forth.

Understand this clearly, Osho is the indivisible collection of three things: himself; his teachings; and his people. If his people are split than Osho is fractured. It is like careering down the road in the middle of a moonless night with one headlight shining off to the right and the other shining off to the left. The driver is blind to what is directly in front.

There of course can be different groups of Osho’s people. There may be an exclusive resort or a sadhus thali stop - more rich of course would a sacred space be that welcomes and embodies all types of seekers. However this issue of accepting differences is different to the division of us and them, of friends and foe. How foolish it is to have as an enemy a fellow traveller on the path. How can such a blind person not lose their way?

There are those whose ego’s stand on the road in front of Osho’s fleet of rolls-royces, deflecting and splitting the headlights to the left and right. They stand tall on the highway facing the travelling caravan. Yet the Master does not stand and face his people. The light of wisdom leads the way and shines forth into the mysteries beyond. The Master does not blind followers eyes. Rather, the great light shines forth so that others may also see.

Some travellers veer off the road to the right. Other travellers veer off the road to the left. Naturally one should not travel blind into darkness. Better to travel by lesser light into the gutter and then along a rough dirt track…hmmm. The journey does not stop and after a while the great ego’s will stand tall in a cloud of dust.

I just say that for the dispersed and dusty voyager, Osho’s paved autobahn lies just to the right or the left. Egos of destruction will in time deflate. How long can one be a megalomaniac standing on a dusty, dark, and barren highway – a highway that once led somewhere and is now forever disused: new travellers will pave new paths. Of course these lost souls are welcome to join the end of Osho’s convoy, for they will need the support and guidance.

Life is a festival of carnivals and silences.

Summary of Articles

Tasty Morsels: Several anecdotes from the German Bakery, and a summary about the derailment or hijacking of the Osho religious movement.

Amrito & Resort Drama: A brief tragic history with evidence that Amrito - Osho’s personal physician (and senior member of the inner-circle) - is (or has been) aware and supportive of my views.

More Resort Drama?: Does the complex web of deception and violence spread beyond the walls of deluded religious grandeur and gross and abhorrent ignorance?

A Sample of Unwellness Yum Yum: Torrential rains drench the resort and stir up the wells; does a run-down water treatment plant spit out contaminated drinking water?

Terrorism & Religious Violence: A perspective on how the Osho community is being terrorized.

Revelations and Responses: Some feedback from resort management, inner-circle members, and the sannyasin community at large. Please note some of the language is offensive.

Report to Police: Assault 2 Was the Eviction Notice that was plastered all over Koregaon Park not received well?

Notice of Eviction: Basically it says kick the buggers out!

Report to Police: Assault 1 The water contamination report was received well at the front-gate!

Water Contamination Report: And remember that the clouds are looming over the resort; indeed I would resort to bottled water if it rains!!!

Introductory Note: Gives a basic picture of negligence at the resort.

Further Reading: Sheela and Who? Gives a more detailed picture of negligence: from water, to water in food, to food, and beyond…

A Funny Email: Funny to some is not funny to others!

Tasty Morsels

Tasty Morsels from German Bakery:

The following seeks to provide insight into the workings of a religious movement - or should I say a religious derailment (or even worse, hijacking) - by an account of several anecdotes.

A European lady recounted a deeply tragic situation that happened to her in the early 90’s in Koregaon Park. She explained that while attending the (then) commune, she was staying outside in a residential complex likened to a budget hostel. A man staying at the hotel spiked her drink with an ‘upper’ – as opposed to the date-rape style drug.

As often happens this overwhelmed her mind and she was unable to come out of the mentally disturbed state as the drug wore off. It is like the drug flicked a few neural switches, and they were unable to switch back. In this disturbed state she went to the commune for help. She arrived at the welcome centre, and the connection with some familiar and friendly faces started bringing her back. She said that there was a sense that this nurturing environment, and her own strength, was all she needed to get better.

Unfortunately a decision came from management to send her to the nearby hospital. No doubt a ‘crazy’ woman at the entrance to the commune would not look so good for business. Against her will the doctor prescribed and gave her a cocktail of drugs. She said that the combination of feeling like she’d been thrown out of her ‘home’, the forceful nature of her being administered remedying drugs, and the drugs themselves (on top of whatever drug she was given in the first place), left her deeply disturbed. She was sent from the hospital back to her home country. Also, she was banned from the commune! This experience left a very deep physical and emotional impression on her for years to come.

After several years in her home country she returned to Pune. She found out that the man that gave her to drug had previously done the same thing to several other women. Also, he continued to do this to women after her. She also found out that sometime before her arrival in Pune, he had died: in simple terms his stomach exploded from a cocktail of drugs.

The way this woman was treated is in itself despicable. However in doing so what it does is to cover up the real cause of the problem. This man had done the same thing to other women, and by covering up the problem so as not to harm the commune’s image, more women were subject to this horrific crime.

This rings bells with me. I tried to bring management to the attention of drinking water contamination during the monsoon rains. I was banned, threatened and assaulted. This is in itself despicable. However in doing so for years to come people have been drinking contaminated water during the monsoon.

To in running a business cover up crimes is itself a crime. Just ask some Chinese government and business officials who have got themselves involved in the milk melamine debacle.

Another anecdote in the early 90’s is about a man who left Pune, changed his name, and went into hiding. Essentially the person just disappeared and has not been heard of since. It is said that he new something that led him to fear for his life. If he was to talk about it to anyone than the people it concerned would know that he talked. If there is any truth in this than what he witnessed or knows about must be very serious indeed.

I read Swami Rajneesh’s book – Tears of the Mystic Rose. He had a tough time in Pune I. Probably it was fortunate he didn’t go to The Ranch I. However he went to Pune II. It was at around the same time as the above mentioned incidents that Swami Rajneesh was repeatedly threatened and assaulted (early 90’s). It is likely that some of the incidents can be put down to personal differences. However from reading the book there is a sense that there was a campaign against Swami Rajneesh that came from management, and further that some of the threats and physical violence could possibly have been initiated from their. Swami Rajneesh was verbally threatened, physically assaulted, and threatened with a knife.

It is interesting to note a parallel here with my situation. There is a clear campaign by resort management against me. Also, I have the view that I have been threatened in writing, verbally threatened, physically threatened, physically assaulted, and threatened with a knife. Further, it is clear to me that this has been directed from resort management, and indeed in part carried out by resort management.

I will recount here one final tasty tid-bit from the German Bakery. After arriving in Pune late 2007, I had several months of issues with the resort. The front-line for the resort is Dhyanesh. It probably would not have been too difficult for people around Koregaon Park to find out that I had issues with the resort, and with Dhyanesh in particular.

One evening at the German Bakery a European man sat down across from me and engaged me in conversation. He started out by acknowledging he was in general aware that I had some sort of drama going on with the resort. Then he recounted a situation that happened some decades before (some time in Pune I).

A man committed suicide (jumping off of something) outside the commune. The European man was first on the scene. He said there was little he could do. An Indian person soon on the scene drove the person to hospital. However he was pronounced dead on arrival. The European man left Pune a few days later.

Now here is where the story gets interesting. Interpol turned up in Koregaon Park to investigate the death. There were two people murdered in Goa just before this death, and the gentleman who committed suicide had been in Goa at the time and had then travelled to Pune, and died. The situation is that Interpol believed that the person in mention travelled to Goa from Pune, committed the two murders, and then came back to Pune and committed suicide. However this situation became complicated.

As I understand from the conversation, Dhyanesh told Interpol that the European gentleman and the deceased were friends and were living in the same residence. Also, Dhyanesh told Interpol that the European gentleman had murdered the person who had actually committed suicide. So whilst the European gentleman was off travelling, Interpol was investigating him for murder. Fortunately the investigation led to Interpol contacting an acquaintance of the European man, who explained to Interpol that this clearly was not the case: the situation was that the European man was first on the scene of a suicide.

So for me, after two months of dramas with Dhyanesh and the resort, it became clear that the European man sitting across from me that evening in the German Bakery was telling this story not for his own gratification, but to warn me. It did leave me considerably worried. I said to him that if Dhyanesh had tried to set him up for a murder, that this was extremely serious: that it wouldn’t be much fun languishing in an Indian prison as a convicted murderer. I wanted to know what came out of it. He explained that well it was some decades ago, and that Interpol (and no doubt the Indian police) had limited investigative capability. However I said that for sure Interpol would still have a record of this. He agreed with me.

A long-time sannyassin that was very close to Osho told me once that Osho (Bhagwan Rajneesh) left Pune I because a number of people had taken over the place and were destroying it. Obviously (and unfortunately) some of those with abuse of religious power on their agenda followed him to The Ranch in Oregon, America. After the destruction of The Ranch by a small but powerful gang of criminals, Osho eventually found himself back in Koregaon Park for Pune II. However it seems to me very likely that again a small but powerful gang of criminals has been wielding a worsening formula of violence against innocent and authentic Osho sannyassins and devotees.

Granted in any organisation, especially so in a religious one, there will be disagreement and in-fighting. However what has happened at The Ranch, what appears to be happening in Pune II, and what may well have happened during Pune I, goes beyond the bounds of normal religious politics. I am of the view that criminality, and a very serious form of it, has weaved a thread through all the decades that a great Master and his beloved followers have shared the most sacred of journeys.

Unfortunately the profound messages of injustices - from individual tragedies to the destruction of the Buddha Hall pagoda - have not yet brought about change. On the issue of the pagoda, unless there was some health and safety issue, there are no grounds for this to have occurred – and even if, like the fabric (and perhaps metal structure) of the tent, there was an issue, this could easily have been addressed with due care. Osho was very clear that the inner-circle was an administrative body, not a spiritual one. Also, the management team in India clearly does not have a spiritual function. Hence there are absolutely no grounds for the destruction of the pagoda. Only a Master can make that choice! This wilful act of destruction is a most grave encroachment of managerial decision making into matters of spirituality.

Who at the resort operates in the capacity of making (supposedly) excessively attached devotees of Osho learn from their attachment? Indeed like the removal of all the photos of the ‘dead guy’ from the resort, some spiritual tourists may not like the religious sentiment of a beautiful pagoda in the surrounds – bad luck!

While it is outside the scope of any managerial group to rule on matters of the spirit, they do have a primary duty to protect whatever legacy of the spirit Osho left behind – whether that is his words, his ashes, his pagoda, or indeed is samadhi (whatever it may now be called!).

The inner-circle is a body with legal status. Others that have sought power at any cost have worked their way up in what is now called ‘management team India’. Some of these people have from their hard work also made it into the inner-circle. Other than by Osho himself fighting Sheela and her gang (rather than instead going into a prolonged period of silence), the only way for the Sheelites to be removed from their murderous rule was by the law.

Unfortunately I do not think Osho is going to visit us any time soon. The majority of the original inner-circle members that he himself appointed are no longer members. The current inner-circle, though smaller in size, continues to have new recruits. Members of management team India continue to jostle amongst themselves as well. While this complex web of power games plays itself out, there is a growing and considerable consensus of opposition within the Osho sannyass community against the inner-circle and its affiliated foundations – Osho International Foundation (supposedly the publishing wing) for example.

Osho organisations in India and abroad are becoming a considerable political force. This applies growing pressure to a resort that caters for the exclusive (or should I say exclude-sive) in a world that is heading into a global recession. The long-term strategic direction of Pune II is at odds with the current economic climate, and the effects of this are already being played out.

Though the resort looks great, it actually needs to invest significant money into neglected basic infrastructure. I am quite sure the place is not awash with the funds necessary to do this. Instead, over the last few years a great amount of financial resources have been allocated to making the place look great, while the underlying problems remain unaddressed. Does this ring any bells with the account I gave about the women who was drugged so many years before?

The last point I would like to make is that though Osho’s place in Pune needs to have in part a commercial orientation – to remain soundly economically viable - the place is not there to make money. This is not the primary objective. It, like any authentic spiritual sanctuary, is first and foremost a resting place for pilgrims on the path.

I suppose that at his stage it can only be said….to be continued!