The Osho Festival in Roccione, Italy
this year gave us another stark example of “difficult to understand” behaviour by the official Osho organisation. Three of the therapists who had been invited to partake have been removed from the attendance list for future Festivals…. not on grounds of therapeutic competence but on their allegiances in the European “Osho Trademark” case. They had all submitted “affidavits ” in European legal proceedings seeking the cancellation of the Osho trademark in Europe. (The official Osho organisations consider that if there were uncontrolled use of the name Osho as a trademark, then the quintessence of what is really Osho could easily be lost by freeloaders, etc.)
There may or may not be some sense in this argument, but in the Italian case it makes no sense as the organisers of the Festival can “control” those they invite, and hithertoo their choices have met with “official” approval. In addition the message seems to have gone out that if the therapists were to withdraw their affidavits then they could be re-invited! This seems to be also a deterrent type of thinking, that is to stop others going down this line.
This decision was not in fact the Festival organisers. It has emerged that they were directed to do this by someone on the board of Osho International Foundation in Zurich! Of course those who get these type of things together do not have to “submit” their decisions to Zurich, and it will be interesting to see who submits and who does not as Zurich tries to take out those European centres who do not tow the party line.
One dislikes to be cynical, but Trademarks are in a way more potent than copyrights. They are without time limits, unlike copyright which lasts simply for 70 years. If granted, Trademarks can have infinite financial value.
As things turned out some of the Festival organisers did apologise later for this decision to the therapists – only to find that they themselves are now no longer invited to work and meditate in Pune for part of the year, as they had done for the last 25 years !
One tells this story like it is, but also because it could be argued that whatever the apparent rights and wrongs of the case, the “Master” is still stirring the pot, making disciples uncomfortable, disturbing their egos, which is his main function, and all the players are just scripts in his “play” to move us all on, including those who issue the edicts, and those who resist them.
The information, but not the take on this story appeared first in Viha Connection and was written by Ramateertha.
Not only were all the happenings on the Ranch all a perfectly scripted device from the master and an unparallelled paradoxical success…
Now Osho`s directing a drama from beyond the grave for a bunch of squabbling lawyers, therapists and important spiritual seekers to have their “egos disturbed”….
Amazing,really.
Yes, here we see the problems of the beyond egolessness, little confused but brings lots of money.
And what do you mean by this too?!
Thought the theme is about Authorities and Therapists with Money focus, justified by spreading Osho’s Message and Meditations, for some Money. Egoless and Tax avoiding, confused by “no truth” and afraid not getting enough for old age, what already has become very old.
>> (The official Osho organisations consider that if there were
>> uncontrolled use of the name Osho as a trademark, then
>> the quintessence of what is really Osho could easily be lost by freeloaders, etc.)
The official Osho organisations should perhaps consider that it may be their actions that is holding back the spreading of the message.
“So we have gathered here so that I can discuss with you in what ways the message of love, peace and compassion can be spread to as many people as possible. What methods can we find to make sure that the message reaches them? Is it possible? It is not to be propaganda, it is not to create a cult, it is not to create an organization, or a group. We are not to create a center which becomes powerful in itself, but we are to spread the message as widely as possible, without becoming a group, without becoming a cult, without becoming an organization, without creating any centralized power. And this needs a great deal of contemplation.” Osho: A Gathering of Friends
Vartan
PS Trying to control sannyasins is like herding cats. If ‘they’ contemplated enough ‘they’ would know.
First thoughts:
It’s surely only genuinely possible through individuals or small groups (really small!) who somehow impress others simply through ‘how they are’.
That, plus the distribution of videos and books by Osho. Not forgetting making Osho meditations available to anyone interested enough to practise them, which would be up to individuals/small groups to organise.
I’d say, keep these initiatives as informal as possible, no need for one dominant organisation trying to rule, to control everyone else. Any central office’s job should be purely to help run the publicity and books/videos distribution. No more corruption, no more power trips, please.
What would the stance of the official Osho organisations be on the use of the term ‘Osho’ if, let’s say, Osho’s brother (oshodhara.com) opened a centre in the UK?
Vartan
Hello SD.,
yes it may seem an easy matter but consider Barry Long who I happen to think was an authentic master. He had as far as I understood it by his own design and wish, a low key “organisation”, and one imagines he saw the spreading of his word in much the same way as your good self above.
However after his death, his “organisation” has had a long split and no-one hears of him these days. Apparently if videos, etc are requested it’s a long wait, or sometimes they say the organisation says it is not functioning at the moment.
Also the long awaited autobiography that Barry said should be published within a year of his death has never been published due, it seems, to disagreements between those who were close to him!!
I myself have always found at least that Osho International functions, has energy and is efficient.
So nothing can be guaranteed in this world… I would add that the disciples of Gurdjieff do in fact seem to have done a good job with his legacy, and without disagreements, so it is not impossible!
Parmartha
Well, I’ve received weekly emails from the BL people in Australia for quite a while, which advertise new videos, cd’s etc. and there’s apparently a programme of public videos in many countries.
Maybe they’ve sorted out their differences now?
No there is a major difference about the autobiography. There is much demand for it to be published but the Board is divided about it! after how many years since Barry died!
I just looked at Sarlo`s “Guru Ratings”.
He rates Barry Long as “one and a half buds”.
(I`m not sure if that’s a reference to American beer or what).
And also rates him as “below average”.
Is that below average as a guru or below average intelligence?
So if the guy was so dim, I guess there`s probably not much point in publishing his autobiography.
It would probably be a waste of trees.
Mmm, nice piece of fishing there, frank…
But ‘frankly’, I don’t think Sarlo really knows what he’s writing about, certainly not in this case anyway.
Too foolish for words (to coin a phrase) – I wonder what some people are afraid of…
If BL himself wanted it published, what’s the problem?!
It’s what Barry wrote about some of his people, including one of his beloveds!
But can’t their names be changed so they’re anonymous?
So he took the opportunity of writing his autobiography to slag off his old girlfriends and mates?
Very enlightened, I must say.
Or is it that final gambit those old rogues always play..?
“I told you I was just a normal bloke” (after they`ve spent years impressing on you how enlightened they are..).
“Now it’s a lesson for you to learn about ordinariness and undo your ideas about enlightenment etc.
That’s even more boring than watching Arsenal win 1-0.
SD, I know you`re a big BL/Arsenal fan.
Is there a football fan element to supporting a guru? (Picture on the wall, scarf on the window, albums in your collection),
even if they are complete losers and turn out to be non-league material, you still support them out of loyalty?
You’re getting too obvious, fisherman frank, so you ain’t gonna reel me in on this one.
Well, I didn’t say there should be no ‘central office’ but that any such outfit should be mainly concerned with distribution of books and videos (plus, come to think of it, youtube and even Facebook etc. contributions – but PLEASE, no twitter or similar medium!! Plus any other means of publicity and maybe occasional larger gatherings – or perhaps such events are best left to local groups?).