It is quite hot in Delhi these days, and it may get hotter. But whether it is hot or cold, it does not stop Osho lovers to travel anywhere, because it is not that four letter word “work” or “duty’. It is really another four letter word–”play”.

Whenever it becomes unbearable in Delhi, I find myself packing for Dharmshala, some times to conduct a meditation camp at Osho Nisarga, and other times to just be there–to feel the cool breeze and view the beauty of snow-clad Himalayan peaks of Dhauladhar. Dharmshala is also famous for Buddhist people- the Dalai Lama and other Buddha-lovers are living there. In fact, they have created a very spiritual atmosphere in Dharmshala.

I do not stay there too long, and often the very next week I find myself returning to Delhi for editing Osho World magazine or facilitating another meditation camp at Oshodham.

When travelling I notice a current aspect of human greed. The travel to Dharamshala by air has become as expensive as flying to Dubai because there’s only one airline flying to Dharmshala. Exploitation by monopoly.

Comparing the airfare, I got an idea: Why not fly to Dubai and have a meditation camp there for some Osho lovers in the Middle East. It is really mysterious that you wish, and then things start moving in that direction. After having a camp on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh, I started planning my trip to Dubai. And in the last week of March I found myself in Dubai conducting a meditation camp. This was the first camp there and organised without any publicity. And it is true maybe that one cannot publicise openly there, though I am sure there are thousands of people reading Osho books and listening to Osho discourses in Dubai, and waiting for the taste of meditation. It became quite clear when I was there that more and more people will join in meditation workshops in the future. It was a good start.

After a gap of two days, and after Dubai, where Arabic and Islamic culture has been flourishing, I travelled to Chitrakoot. And as a matter of fact, it is easier to travel to Dubai than to Chitrakoot, though not that expensive. This real tiny town is in the heart of Hindu religion and culture. Dubai and Chitrakoot are such a big contrast! And into such opposite extremes, Osho is entering in a mysterious way. As Dubai does not have a large number of Osho lovers, so is the case with Chitrakoot, though the people there are knowledgeable about meditation and Samadhi. While in Dubai, I noitced even the people from India living in Dubai have only gone there to make money. But who knows, those who are intelligent and sensitive, their prosperity may create boredom, and they may be able to look for something more meaningful beyond it. They may turn to meditation.

This way the Zorba – the outworldly rich person – may get attracted to Buddha, the spiritual richness. And at this point people may turn to an holistic vision, which Osho offers to the whole humanity.

Osho says In Messiah, Vol. 2: I have been proclaiming the New Man as Zorba the Buddha — which is a meeting of East and West, which is a meeting of science and religion, which is a meeting of logic and love, which is a meeting of the outer and the inner. Only in these meetings will you find peace; otherwise, you will remain a battlefield. If you are miserable, remember that the misery is arising out of an inner battle that goes on day in, day out. There have been great Zorbas in the world. “Eat, drink and be merry” is their simple philosophy. “There is no life beyond death. God is nothing but an invention of cunning priests. Don’t waste your time on unnecessary things; life is short.” In India we have a whole philosophy, the system of the Charvakas. Perhaps a charvaka is the most articulate Zorba, and if you try to understand him he is very convincing: “There is no evidence, no eye-witness of any God or of any life after death. There is no evidence or proof that you have an immortal soul. Don’t get caught in these words, which have been created just to create a conflict in you so you can become Christians, Hindus, Jainas, Buddhists, Mohammedans.” India has also known great Buddhas. They say the world is illusory; all that is true is inner, and all that is untrue is outside. So don’t waste your time in desires, in ambitions; they are nothing but the same stuff as dreams are made of. Use the small time that you have in your hands to go as deep inside as possible so that you can find the temple of God — your godliness. If you listen to the Buddhas, they seem to be convincing. If you listen to the Zorbas, they seem to be convincing – and then you are in trouble, because you have both within you.

Swami Chaitanya Keerti

(This contribution to the current debate is from Swami Dhanyam. Dhanyam has sold Osho books for some 25 years, and also laudably supported the community sannyas magazine based in California, “Viha Connection”, through all that time. )

Many people feel that it is important for OIF (Osho International Foundation) to own Osho trademarks and copyrights to protect the purity of Osho’s words and works from any distortion, dilution, and/or editing. However, this is happening all the time, and the biggest offender, in my opinion, is OIF.

Who is able to challenge OIF on their editing, dilution, and distortion of Osho’s work?

For example, OIF has produced 25 Osho compilation books (most of them were published by St. Martin’s Press, NY). These compilation books contain Osho’s words in some form, but they are not pure Osho books.

I remember that in the 1980s (when Osho was still alive) the “Rebel Press”, (the official publisher of Osho’s work) produced many popular compilation Osho books. When I later tried to order these titles, I was informed that Osho did not want His books produced as compilation books, and Rebel Press (at that time) stopped producing any compilations.

But there is another side to this story. The Osho compilation books produced (in the years since Osho’s death) by St. Martin’s Press and a few other publishers have sold worldwide in the millions, have made lots of royalty money for OIF, and have also brought lots of people to Osho. Due to good advertising and promotion, the compilations are very popular and outsell all original Osho titles.

I have been selling Osho books for 23 years and know that new people especially like the compilation books. When I went to Brazil a few years ago and visited the Brasilia airport bookstore I found eight Osho compilation books (in Portuguese) prominently displayed in the window. When I (currently) visit the local Barnes & Noble or Borders bookstores ( here in California) I see 10 to 20 Osho compilation books for sale.

OIF has done a great job in making Osho books available worldwide, but they are not pure Osho books.

In the past few years I have noticed an interesting trend: Some of my buyers insist on buying “Rajneesh” books as they know that these are pure, unedited books.

Love to you all,

Dhanyam