(An amazing home for destitute children in India is under threat from unscrupulous developers. Across the river Ganga from the present site lie the ruins of the historic ashram where the Beatles learned to meditate. Could it be transformed into a new home for India’s destitute children?)
Dwabha, an old Poona one Osho sannyasin, reports from the home she has created for destitute children in Rishikesh, India, called, Ramana’s Garden.
” Ramana’s Garden is now a loving home to 67 kids, newest arrivals Vishal 18months and Rekha 5 yrs.
Our location situation however worsens by the day. Huge condos are going up nearby, up to 8 stories high, and worst still is that they have huge pipes to run all their sewage untreated direct into the River Ganga. This will make it impossible for our kids to bathe, or wash their clothes there any longer. It rules out any possibility of pumping up water for our urgent water shortage. Without pumping up from the Ganga we can’t continue to grow our own food in Ramana’s Garden. However there is an intact pumping and storage system down at the old Beatles Ashram.
We have to Move!!!! We can’t continue to provide clean drinking water to our kids, our animals, our visitors, or our vegetables.
(15 acres) is lying abandoned and in waste for over 18 years at the Beatle’s ashram that could with minor renovations provide a loving, safe, supportive environment for shelter, education, vocational training and rehabilitation to over 2500 children (the number of abandoned children living in the streets of Delhi alone is over 50,000) while at least 23 million still slave in child labour and the Indian Govt states they can’t afford to relocate or give them vocational training) and provide vocational training and jobs for 500 destitute women..(In Uttrakhand there is not a single shelter for destitute women and none of the jails in our district even have a separate holding cell for women)
It is a fact that the Govt. is planning to “round up all the beggers” in Delhi, and move them to restraining camps out in the desert outside Delhi for the 2010 games—good time to be doing this coverage as there will be 1000s of children in those camps.
The former Beatles ashram has over 500 accommodation rooms all with attached bathrooms that are recoverable, 3 large halls, Kitchens, classrooms, and plenty of open area for sports fields, organic vegetable gardens, etc. It was given on lease from the Forest Dept. The lease has since been canceled and the status now is that it cannot be given again on lease without permission from the Central Government. Chief Wildlife Warden Shrikant Chandola has taken the protection of this valuable forest asset strongly to heart and has kept a vigilant eye that this historic treasure does not fall into hands that would lead to it’s destruction. The are few sites in all of India that can guarentee such a safe, sheltered environment here on the Ganga’s banks.
The children that can benefit from our assistance programs here are not any different than the children throughout India today that face dire circumstances of starvation, abuse, sexual exploitation and bonded labour. They need help to turn misfortunes into stepping stones for their future.”
How to help? visit the Website of Ramana’s Garden: http://www.friendsramanasgarden.org
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Looks like the Mother Teresa trip, revisited — what Osho spent his whole life talking against.
Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Osho sannyasin of Pune 1………then why call the place ‘Ramana Garden’?
Is there not a Ramananews website for this?
Mother Dwabha in the footsteps of Mother Theresa?
The problem is: over population, missing birth control and information on birth control, religious blindness.
We need distribution of free condoms. Otherwise this planet is doomed sooner or later.
There is a great need for Dwabha to read the book of Osho on ” Bharat Ke Jalte Prashann and topic – “JAN SANKHIYA VISFOT” In this book, Osho had come out about 40 years ago.
If the Government does not understand and had not evaluated Osho book, and applied practically, and people do not want to understand, then there is no much use to take up such assignment, by one person, for handful people, as a philanthropist, out of millions,which fulfils the Ego and time pass. Even the concept learnt on Meditation and Enlightenment, from the Master, will also be lost.
Sometime i wonder, why sannyasins have become so cynical about the other people.
Dwabha story is one of the most inspirational sannyas story.
Before someone criticises her, please check may be this is her way to share the love and creativity with the world.. She is not doing it as a business.
Bob- what do you think Ma energy should flow only through the groups and sessions, dealing with existantial questions, “how much one should open the legs on the path of love” or may be should have checked first with some high priest and high priestess of Osho….what the blessed one says about this and that?
As far as I remember Dwabha has been banned from the resort for using sannyasins to collect money for her project.
Dwabha left Pune and became a disciple of Poonjaji and after his death settled in a cave near the Ganga.
I checked her website and could not find any mention of Osho.
I wonder why sannyasnews put up this story, very non sannyas related.
As i can recall, she was a regular visiter during Osho discourses.
I think the life and actions of banned sannyasins, ex. sannyasins are also interesting news.
Any way…i just thought how long these stupid, rotten, hinduistic and past oriented words “Sannyasins and Sannyas” will remain in the circulation of modren, hi tech, futuristic vision of Osho Resorts Inc.
Here’s a page on my website which addresses the population crisis, with some salient quotes on the subject by Osho, if you are interested:
http://www.livingworkshop.net/population.html
To sumarize that page quickly, I would say I am in agreement with Anand and Chinmaya in the above posts, citing the following realities, without a trace of cynicism:
There are about 350,000 live births every day on this Earth. Subtracting those that die, mostly elderly, of about 150,000 per day — we end up with a hard reality of an increase of about 200,000 new babies every 24 hours. That translates into an increase of 79 million new babies every year. Every year! They demand care — medical, psychological, and educational. They require food and shelter. They need the love and attention of adults. And much more. 79 million of them per year!
China instituted a one-child policy in 1979 — now that is 30 years ago — one generation. It is mandatory, with some leeway in rural areas for 2 children. It is estimated that this federally enforced policy has resulted in 300-400 million less children on the Earth today as a result. That is practical action on a large scale to deal with a huge and ever growing set of interdependent social and collective problems. But China did it. India did not.
India seems to be the most backward nation in the world in understanding the immensity of this situation.
When Osho started stressing the need for birth control in India, there were 400 million people, only 40 years ago. Now there are 1,000 million, or 1 billion. India did not listen to Osho, then, or now, for that matter. Now the problems are multiplied, straining all the systems beyond their capacity. Hunger, child labor, lack of proper facilities and care, crime, are all leaves on the big tree of the problem — prune them or manage them on a minute scale, and they will grow back in a blink of an eye. You are not tackling the root causes, as Anand has stated — religious traditional values which are now just ridiculous in the face of the monster that they create. India desparately needs birth control — if they won’t do it voluntarily, then is needs to be mandatory, enforced by the government. They can take China as an example.
The Indian mind is not in synch with the modern world, it is pulled down in the mud by these old-fashioned mentalities that lead to the situations that this Ramana Garden is trying to cope with. It’s like the Ganges is flowing in your front door, and you are asking people to support you and take sponges and soak up the water and dry things up. It simply won’t work that way.
And if you think these non-profit charities are not a business, Shantam, you should rethink that. They are most definitely. Big time. This lady’s place may not be that big, but if she could, she would want to expand to all of India and the World with her model. That has basically been the global strategy of the Catholic Church for centuries. Time to disconnect from that one — Osho was one of the most penetrating in his expose of the mechanism of that strategy of the wealthy for their guilt leak-off through throwing a few coins on the poor, as the poverty increases and increases….
But did Osho ever said that we should just let poor, destitute children suffer and die hunger and curable diseases etc.? With charity as with anything else what matters is the inner attitude. If done out of Love and Care – done out of an inner necesity -how can it be wrong to care for fellow human beings (or animals or the Planet)?
Good to do something about overpopulation – and absolutely urgent. But not by letting the poor suffer while we live in superfluent and empty luxury in the West.
And by the way didn’t Osho critizise the West for dumping food in the ocean while people died from hunger in Ethiopia? (To answer that question myself: Yes, he did).
So, oshobob and others, don’t turn Osho into an advocate of egotism and closeheartedness.
How much money and charity, bodhi heeren, did Osho ever dish out to the poor and destitude of India when he was alive? Do you think he was in the clutches of “egotism and closedheartedness.?”
It seems to me he thought taping his discourses on the perils of overpopulation and the root causes of man’s slaveries was much, much more important.
Some say that Osho was the most compassionate man that has ever lived. Possible.
Osho Bob I agree with your response. Very well articulated.
In the fairness of historical argumentation.
Yes, Osho criticized the EU for throwing food into the ocean, but never spent one dime on poor people.
So, his way was not charity, his way, as oshobob rightly points out was concerned with population control. He even advocated letting the Ethiopia children die as a way of population control.
On a personal note , if this woman feels happy, and fulfilled helping the children , I see no harm in it. It is her trip. If she thinks she is changing the world or solving the problem , she is deluding herself.
Actually if problem solving is the issue, I think she would do greater service to humanity by promoting birth control… but still those kids may benefit from her work.
We are doomed anyway… the studies show that this earth can support no more than 2 billion human beings, with a developed copuntry life style, and respecting the environment and the other species…. and we are well over 6 billion…
Therefore, at this point whatever we do is useless on a global scale… so, why not help on the smaller scale?
Unless we decide to kill over 3 billion human beings we are not of much help here… but I think that might be bad karma.
Tony, you’re throwing in the towel here too easily, my good man…
Solutions are always available, you just have to have some enthusiasm and optimism — qualities that diminish quite rapidly with advancing age, i’ve noticed. There is a definite correlation there.
As to reducing the global population…
If you limit every man and woman to one child, maybe two in some circumstances, and let those that don’t want children or can’t, go that route — then in a few generations, the population will drop considerably. I’m not a mathematical statitician, but you could work out the numbers easily. Two people with one offspring = less people, fast. Western people generally like instant gratification and results, but other cultures have longer time frames — the Chinese historically think easily in hundred year chunks, two hundred year programs or mind-sets.
But you have to enfore the rule. Not that hard. Societies enforce all kinds of rules, from traffic laws to abuse of children and spouses, to property inheritance statutes. Done every day.
No one has to kill 3 million people. Just educate the people, make the rules, and enforce them with fairness across the board.
I get this feeling that the ‘old guard’ of sannyasins and Oshoites are creeping up into the ‘hard chair and a sweater’ mentality — maybe time to give up the reins to a new generation…inject some fresh air and people in the bigtop carnival…just…where are they, and are the old-timers ready to let go gracefully, or not…?!
For killing 3 billion people of this earth, another episode of Mahabharat with another Krishna and Duryodhan/Arjuna are needed. Karma theory is more for sermonizing than implementing in life.
Alas people sitting in the Governments at Global level could understand Osho.
It is easy to comment today on Osho and on his activities then to live practically, actively and meditatively. He always moved with the moment.
Oshooooo
If there was a solution to population crisis it would not simply be birth control.
eg we have had 50 years of falling birth rates in Europe and soon the bulk of the adut population will be retired. its about 20% now.
In China the CP is worried as 40 years of state control is creating a simlar situation .
Who will be there to create miracles of socialist labour if they are cleaning granny’s house for her?
of course its alarming that the world is now at its zenith ( so far) of population but without a killer plague or nuclear war or genetic war we need to teach all these extra people how to stop this getting worse and how to fix the things that we will still need when the people who made them retire or die off.
If Dwabha is helping orphans to find a meaning in life that is what it should be – it is good.
Bless you all
GREETINGS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL OF OUR MASTER….OSHO…..to all my friends
Ramana’s Garden is a good idea however it lures all the pedophiles to Rishikesh.
However they do have a good lunch and a good salad and salads are hard to find in India.
The old ashram is in way to much disarray and would require some serious structural work to make it livable again, more than this tiny orphanage could pull together.
I think some people are far too ready to condemn initiatives like this. Nothing wrong whatsoever with ‘compassion in action’, good for all involved, however it works out, if that’s what they’re moved to do.
If were destitute children, instead of being the over-privileged ones we are, do you think we’d reject such wonderful help as ‘spiritually incorrect’?!
Who’s pretending it’s a solution to India’s population and social problems anyway?
I’m not sure I agree with Prof. Thompson about the population issue, having read in various places there’s more than enough to go round, to feed everyone, to give all a decent life -it’s ‘simply’ a question of will. Which is obviously in rather short supply….
And why is there no overwhelming will for material ‘justice’ for all?
Because there is no widespread sense of responsibility? Little or no genuine compassion?
Guess it all comes down to our chronic unconsciousness, doesn’t it?
Usual picture: greed, selfishness, all based on fear….
its all very laudable the consciousness and overpopulation debate…..
We are all accidents….did I ‘choose’ to be born….really ? oh well then paying the rent shouldnt be too tricky to arrange then, as i’m so masterful….
If our existence is causing problems to the planet and each other well i know we shouldnt build orphanages made of egos and stuff.. but should we consider falling off a cliff so there’s one lemming less to consider?
Osho did not have a monopoly of ideas on social modelling,( the stinky snobs who hung around him like a bad smell did )
so dont get too otherwordly when passing by those oppressed by accidental birth.U never know it might be you next time.
40 years of Oshos message and millions spent on the Ashram ventures …and wow if you’re sick well erm..do you have insurance?No? then check yourself into the Osho health centre hospital where u …Oh yeah we havent got one…..ahh better go to the State run hospital down the road…you know the one that social modelling sponsored years ago…..
Get real.
I mean look ….you can go to your spine-chiilingly open hearted Osho therapist as an eg ;
Lets go back down the road a bit for the sine qua non of Osho’s chosen role model few..and the magic pointer falls on Teertha..(AKA.Paul Lowe main claim to fame now Sting’s and Trudy’s knob adviser…
Well its a difficult choice Osh..lets see Mother Theresa,wrinkles no clit.,..or Paul Lowe (Osho professional ashram swanner circa 1973-80) famous for , ‘so who do you fancy in the room?’ ‘ let it out , swami ‘..’any bint fancy a shag ‘ and ‘ I came from Venusia in a spaceship’ (okay the last one was in his post-Osh phase, but i couldnt resist it)
Its enough to make you wonder how you ever managed to have a good time ,innit?
LOL
m
Helping detitute kids sounds cool to me. Osho’s comments on mother Theressa were reactionary nonsense. It was fun at the time, along with Moraji Desai drinking his own piss. So many years down the line it seems to me time to let go of what Osho said. His real message was in the silence between the words.
Life is meaningless and it is up to us to imbue life with meaning. So, Dwabha, I bow down and touch your feet, for I can think of nothing better to do than help those less fortunate.
and by the way does anyone know the nickname for lovely Osho Ko Hsuan school….’the orphanage.’..(parents were busy otherwise…)
some orphanages are great..
click on this and you’ll find just how much is happening.(just use google translate)
http://www.streetchildren.it/ecohouse.htm
http://www.streetchildren.it/
Eco house.offers veggy retreats by sannyassins and friends in sicily…and they have an outreach programme for helping kids laugh too …very Osho !