Bombay in 1970

Laxmi writes of the early Bombay period

It was( translation Laxmi ) proposed that Osho be invited to live in then Bombay.

Osho’s reply was simple. He would be fine in any place, however people would need to be aware that no one was obliged to him. He said that the invitation stemmed from people’s love for him, however he would not accept any interference in his work. He warned that the message was to help people to be aware. Osho quoted the example of the lady on a train who wished to learn kundalini, awakening technique. Further he said when a doctor examines a patient,  patients do not decline an examination. Similarly as a doctor of the spiritual world he would have to do the needful. As regards funds Osho said that it was up to the trustees to take care of the needs of Osho’s work. The trust could publish books, charge entry fee to visitors for lectures, charge for food and lodging. Osho was not in need of money for personal expenses. The trustees agreed to these proposals and Osho accepted their invitation to live in Mumbai.

With this decision Laxmi was overjoyed. She was reminded Osho often said that a guru comes to be with disciples once they have matured. Laxmi saw things falling into place, as more and more people were eager to be initiated and wanted to work for Osho.

An apartment was rented out on the fourth floor in CCI Building, Marine drive. Many people came to visit Osho. Invariably the lift would malfunction owing to overload. In the afternoons Osho would take a nap while Laxmi would return home to eat and shower and returned in the evening. One afternoon Laxmi stood outside CCI Building with a friend, waiting to be driven home. Two ladies, who passed by noticed Laxmi’s orange clothes, bowed to her and inquired who she was. Promptly Laxmi’s friend replied, “She is Ma Yoga Laxmi and has come to see Acharya Rajneesh who lives here”. He happened to know them. Just as he finished making this statement he retreated and went in to see Osho again. Laxmi informed him the driver had arrived. Moreover Osho would be asleep. However he was persistent in wanting to check somehting ut ith Osho.

He told Osho that he was surprised as to why Laxmi was simply called Laxmi all over the place, as Osho had known her for long as Ma Yoga Laxmi. Sitting up in bed Osho took a fresh sheet of paper and wrote ‘ Ma Yoga Laxmi, Secretary to Acharya Rajneesh’. Handing the sheet over to Laxmi Osho explained to Laxmi that with the death of a person the identity dies too. Similarly with a new birth a person gets a new name. “Laxmi you are reborn. A changed name will help you to disconnect with the life you have lived so far and commence a new life When I initiate people each male will have a prefix ‘swami’ and each woman’s name will have prefix ‘ma’ to her name. Ma means mother. It denotes feminine attributes including warmth, love, soft and care. While swami is one who is a master of the self, one who has conquered the unconscious ”.

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Meanwhile Laxmi was keen to wear a mala with Osho’s locket around her neck. A few days later someone suggested that a mala with a locket of Osho’s picture be introduced. Osho approved it. This too amazed Laxmi.

Shortly after this,  26th September 1970 marked the beginning of a new era. At a meditation camp at Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Osho initiated twelve people, including Laxmi, a western and a Japanese woman. Manali is a beautiful hill resort enveloped by tall mountains. Laxmi liked these lush green mountains scantily populated with sparse residential houses. High peaks stood firm at a distance. The more distant virgin peaks were clad in snow. There was a feeling of vastness and expanse in these mountains. Deep gorges and canyons seemed to have bottomless depths.

Neo sannyasins were advised to wear lose clothes particularly during meditation. The twelve neo-sannyasins were given new names written on a letterhead each personally by Osho. They were asked also to wear a mala, with a locket of Osho’s picture, the neo-sannyasins were explained the significance of the locket. They were told that the beads of the mala (locket) were strung in one thread,  – similarly all the paths of spirituality led to one absolute and ultimate truth. Therefore it was meaningless to argue with someone on the credibility of any single path. Osho’s picture in the locket was a constant reminder that he was faceless, a non-entity, a commoner, a nobody.

At Manali there were over fifty people and the gathering was intimate. Leading Dynamic Meditation himself Osho said that all must put in their utmost to enable transformation to take place. Each sannyasin and friend worked hard and meditation was an intense experience. It was an experience of timelessness. This was followed by discourse in the morning and evening. Osho spoke on Lord Krishna, a Hindu god at Manali. After the morning meditation Osho would return to his room. Generally some disciples would sit around Osho while he talked spontaneously at that time.

Laxmi felt indeed fortunate to be present with the master in the mountains. It was an extraordinary camp. Rarely had man been alone with a master, meditating and working on self- transformation in the Himalayas. For thousands of years’ man had fought wars, was involved with mundane activities and there was no opportunity for the growth human consciousness. However there were several such small islands of timelessness amidst mundane human existence in Indian civilization.

Meanwhile in Mumbai several people were being initiated. Initially there were two options available for sannyas. There were sadhus initiated who wore white and continued living as householders. In some cases people were initiated temporarily for a few months in order to enable them to adjust to a new lifestyle. Sannyasins however were initiated for long-term. Later the title sadhu and temporary sannyas were dropped. Only sannyas was offered and all became neo-sannyasins.

Osho would leave Mumbai limits for outstation mediation camps. More and more curious people from all over the world thronged meditation camps. In Mumbai Osho’s apartment seemed to swell with people all the time. As a result the residents of the building complained of overcrowding and the expenses of elevator maintenance shot up because of frequent use.

In the beginning of 1970 Osho moved again to a beautiful and spacious three- room apartment in a residential complex known as Woodlands on Peddar Road, Mumbai. An elite address in Mumbai the building was twenty- seven storeyed. Osho lived on the first floor overlooking a beautiful front garden. Visitors used the staircase and there was no problem of overuse of the elevator. Osho was personally involved in the selection of this flat. He was shown a flat on the twenty- first floor that had a terrace adequate to hold two hundred people. However Osho suggested that meditators must relate with nature and being above tree level at that height would result in distancing from nature. He added that the effect of living on heights away from nature was unknown. In the beginning the setup was small scale. There was also a car for Osho’s comfort.

One afternoon a disciple who is now a self acclaimed guru, requested Osho to accompany her for a picnic about a two- hour drive from Woodlands. Interested to start an ashram in Mumbai, she said her husband who was well connected would help in the acquisition of land. Not happy with this arrangement, Laxmi requested Osho to take his cousin along, as the hostess did not want Laxmi to join them. Osho however said he would be fine and would return in the evening.

In the afternoon she arrived in a Mercedes and Osho left along with her. Laxmi had an uncanny feeling through the afternoon that made her uneasy. A meeting followed by discourse was scheduled as usual for evening. However as Osho did not arrive at eight the meeting had to be cancelled. Worried Laxmi asked the trustees to notify local police to search for the vehicle. After a long wait for an hour at nine a few trustees volunteered to go on a search. In vain. They had no clue as to where the vehicle was.

Eventually Osho returned to Woodlands. All those present in the apartment jumped as he arrived. He was his usual calm and smiling. Unruffled he informed that the car met with an accident and was wrecked. However all the passengers and the driver were safe.

Osho departed to rest in his room where Laxmi checked him for bruises. To Laxmi’s surprise he had not one scratch and was unhurt.

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43 Responses to Bombay in 1970

  1. Kavita says:

    I am reminded of my visit to Woodland Apts. in July of 1992 with Ma Divyam & Swami Chaitanya, their baby Sita Shanti, Swami Satish & Swami Shashwat.

    Divyam had delivered her baby in Poona couple of months before & she, along with her partner & baby were returning to their homeland, Germany, wanting to start an Osho Centre near Frankfurt. I had invited them to Bombay to stay in our family home for a couple of days before they left for Frankfurt.

    Swami Satish, who has been with Osho since his teenage days – Osho used to stay at their home in Jallunder – he was the only member in his family who after Sannyas shifted to Poona when Osho had his commune in Poona. He had visited Osho in Bombay and would tell us all interesting stories.

    We had a great time in this flat, which was now sold & the carpenters were at work but they allowed us to enter the house. Divya & Chaitanya got an idea of having the old main door transported to Germany for their Centre; I doubt if that materialised.

    There was a small area next to the pantry and Divya asked Satish what this area was & Satish said, “This is where Osho’s underclothes were dried after washing!”

  2. shantam prem says:

    This article reminded me two news about two historic houses.

    The other day, there was a news, someone has brought the childhood house of Beatles drummer in Liverpool. Same person has previously purchased the two other houses of two other musical legends.

    Why such properties once domiciled by legendary writers, musicians, poets, artists, scientists and leaders etc. are purchased at hefty prices or preserved in their originality? Why this drama of sentimentalism?

    What it is going to serve? What is the need of this shrine-like status of such properties? Is humanity Kaput or the so-called great seekers of late 20th century now in their declining numbers?

    Amazingly enough, none of world´s legendary greats other than the author Osho Jain has ever spoken, “People like me are born once in centuries”, or, “This is my last life”, and similar Messianic sentences.

    The devotion-like tone of this base article suggests the flat in Mumbai should be purchased by Osho Foundation, whenever money flows. Right now, they have just enough funds to pay the services of Sodexo!

    • frank says:

      Shantam,
      Here`s a poem with a commentary I got from the net.

      ‘The Temple and the Body’, by Basava

      English version by A.K.Ramanujan

      The rich
      will make temples for Siva.
      What shall I,
      a poor man,
      do?

      My legs are pillars,
      the body the shrine,
      the head a cupola
      of gold.

      Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers,
      things standing shall fall,
      but the moving ever shall stay.

      (From ‘Speaking of Siva’, by A.K. Ramanujan)

      The wealthy prove their piety by financing temples (or churches or mosques). Their devotion is concretized in stone and gold. It’s easy for a poor man, witnessing the splendour of a wealthy shrine, to imagine himself far behind on the road to Heaven. What can he offer to compete with that? What temple can he build to offer proper worship?

      Basava gives us the solution: Make of yourself a temple.

      My legs are pillars,
      the body the shrine,
      the head a cupola
      of gold.

      This is where all true meditation, prayer, communion occurs. The built temple is but a reflection of the temple of the self. And that true temple is available to all, equally.

      Basava carries it further, pointing out how far superior the inner temple is:
      “Things standing,” structures built of wood or stone, no matter how lovely or inspiring, are destined to fall. A temple of stone stands but does not move. It lacks the life necessary to continually adjust itself to the shifting forces of time and gravity and the flow of nature all around; it is already crumbling.”

      “…but the moving ever shall stay.”

      “That which is animated, the temple of the embodied self, has life! It dances with the flow of existence…and that life continues.”

      Basava’s reminder to us:
      “Regardless of whether we worship beneath a golden cupola or beneath the arch of the open sky, only meditation and prayer and communion that takes place within the living temple of the self matters, because that is what lives and lasts. Wherever you are, whatever your role in life, make of yourself a holy temple. More important than monuments of stone are monumental living souls.”

      India (1134 – 1196)
      Yoga/Hindu: Shaivite (Shiva)

    • satyadeva says:

      “Why such properties once domiciled by legendary writers, musicians, poets, artists, scientists and leaders etc. are purchased at hefty prices or preserved in their originality? Why this drama of sentimentalism?”

      Why? You answered the question yourself here; it’s because ‘the world’ values who and what it values, which certainly, at least in the West, does not include current or almost contemporary enlightened masters. If it did, we might be living in a very different place.

      You also defined your own standpoint, which is really nothing other than yet another slice of the “drama of sentimentalism”, with no real value at all – except to dyed-in-the-wool, past-obsessed sentimentalists like yourself, who like to indulge in such basically irrelevant minutiae and get a bit of a sentimental kick from it all, rather than ‘work on themselves’ (as the saying goes), which, after all, is the raison d’etre of Sannyas, a fundamental point that you so often appear to downgrade or even entirely miss, Shantam.

  3. shantam prem says:

    “The rich
    will make temples for Siva.
    What shall I,
    a poor man,
    do?

    My legs are pillars,
    the body the shrine,
    the head a cupola
    of gold.”

    Frank, based on this poem, let me try to write something contemporary…

    A mystic living on the banks of Narmada saw the video of Rajneesh Jain and his ashram and wrote:

    “Rajneesh has made the
    Ashram for rich.
    What shall I do,
    The poor man living in a temple ruin?
    Narmada is my river,
    Sometimes deep, sometimes shallow.
    What is swimming pool,
    Even with half-naked women around?!”

    Leftist and socialist version of Spirituality would have made Osho the household name in his home country and also in America. What to do when our master has the deadly fetish for ultra-expensive cars!

    • frank says:

      Shantam asks:
      “What shall I do,
      The poor man living in a temple ruin?”

      Free your mind and your ass will follow.

      • shantam prem says:

        “Shantam asks:
        “What shall I do,
        The poor man living in a temple ruin?” ”

        Is it really so, Frank, that Shantam has asked?

        Think about the plight of those whose lines are cut and pasted brutally and without understanding the context.

        MOD: POST EDITED (NO REFS.TO FACE PICS, PLEASE).

  4. Kavita says:

    Sometimes I wish there were these easy to operate modern-camera-phones to record each and every actionless actions of Osho during his time. But then I wonder, if this is His compassion, what would some of us be doing now!?

    MOD: WHAT DOES LAST SENTENCE MEAN, KAVITA?

    • Kavita says:

      Mod, it means some of us just don’t get it, even though He went on and on telling us time and again that the revolution was within.

  5. Lokesh says:

    Shantam, it may well be the case that you overrate Osho’s importance on the world stage. During the time that he lived there existed other gurus who had a much bigger following and still do. Take for example Sri Sri Ravi Shanker. I was never interested in him, but recently he held a gathering of half a million people. Osho never managed to pull something like that off, something I see as unimportant.

    During his time Osho became a household name in certain sectors of the world, but mainly because of scandal and sensationalism. For that reason he became a flash in the pan. The masses have a very short memory in regards such matters. Today most young people have never heard of him.

    So, although obviously Osho is a big deal in your life he does not exist in most people’s minds to the point that they do not even recognize his name. You are one in 10,000. Almost everyone in the western world knows who The Beatles were. To draw a comparison between The Beatles and Osho is absurd.

    The Resort is enough of a monument in memory of Osho. It is highly significant and fairly encapsulates the Sannyas movement in terms of where it stands today. The majority of sannyasins are not in the least bit interested in it, because Sannyas is and was an inner movement that has nothing to do with geographical locations. Sannyas freed people up in regards such matters. A point you appear to have entirely missed.

    • shantam prem says:

      Lokesh, with your solid but limited understanding about life, It is easier to say, Shantam you have entirely missed the point.

      Matter of the fact is Shantam is one of those few Osho disciples who can prescribe medicine, conduct surgery and also do post-mortem with equal detachment.

      Now look at your first sentence: “It may well be the case that you overrate Osho’s importance on the world stage.”

      Have I ever written, Osho is spreading in the world? Osho is everywhere? On the pages of Sannyasnews, I am the only one who has written time and again, because of the stupid policies of the disciples, Sannyas was a one generation shot in the West, that it is already RIP.

      It is me who has compared Sannyas with hotmail.
      It is me who has compared Sannyas with Orkut!

      Basically, what is late Osho without his product, Sannyas? Sannyas was his baby, his creation, his Apple Inc. And I wonder, from where you got the right to patronize the work of Resort? Have you been there? Have you the longing to be there?

      On some matters, you behave not even as a cup but a spoon. The spoon-minded sannyasins are those who read one mention of Osho by some celebrity and they say, “Look, Osho is spreading like a fire.”

      What is the present position? Let me show it with a photo. This photo is of yesterday. I have posted it on my facebook wall with the commentary, “Those global seekers from around the world who have walked on this road for years can feel the Nostalgia as well as difference. Once on these roads one could see Future of Spirituality walking like a pregnant being. Now it feels like a barren road near an abortion clinic.”

      In the next post, your other sentences too will have strong rebuttal or applause.

      • swamishanti says:

        Here`s some Osho quotes on Sannyas from a Russian Sannyas site.

        It`s pretty clear Osho never wanted any kind of religion.

        “Up to now sannyas has been tethered to a master who initiates someone into it. But sannyas is not something which anyone can give you as a gift; it has to be received directly from the divine. Who else but God can initiate you into sannyas? When someone comes and asks me to initiate him into sannyas, I tell him, “How can I initiate you into sannyas? Only God can initiate you. I can only be a witness to your being initiated. Get initiated by the divine, the supreme being, and I will bear witness that I was present when you were initiated into sannyas. My function is confined to being a witness, nothing more.”

        A sannyas tied to the master is bound to become sectarian. It cannot liberate you; instead it will put you in bondage.”

        Osho, ‘Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy’, Talk #22

        Don’t you think that initiation into sannyas will lead to the formation of a sect around you?

        “You think it will lead to the formation of a sect. No, it will not. To form a sect certain things are essential. To form a sect one needs a master, a scripture, a doctrine and an adjective for the sect. Besides these, one also needs a blind, dogmatic belief that one’s doctrine alone is right and everything else is utterly wrong. None of these things are here.

        The sannyasin of my vision is not going to have any adjective like the rest of the sannyasins, who are either Hindus, Christians or Buddhists. And a sect cannot be formed without such an adjective; it is extremely difficult. I call a man a sannyasin who does not have a religion, who does not belong to any religion. And you cannot organize a sect without a religion. I call a man a sannyasin who has no scripture like the Gita or the Bible, and who does not belong to a temple, church or gurudwara. And without them a sect becomes impossible.

        It should be our great endeavour to see that no sect is born, because nothing has harmed religion as much as these sects have. Sects have done more harm to religion than irreligion itself. In fact, a genuine coin is always harmed by its counterfeits; nothing else can harm it so much. Similarly, if ever true religion is harmed, it is harmed only by pseudo religions. And a tremendous awareness is needed to avoid this danger.”

        Osho, ‘Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy’, Talk #22

        “Now Sannyas will be a totally different movement: it will be for more authentic seekers.

        It will not be just for anybody who wants to change the society because he is fed up with the society. He wants an alternative society so he joins a sannyas commune as an alternative society – but he has no desire and no longing for truth.

        Just because in this society people are wearing red clothes – and he does not want to look awkward, odd, strange – he starts using red clothes, becomes a sannyasin.

        But his reality is that he is escaping only from the big world, where he was utterly bored and had no other place to go. The commune became a shelter for all kinds of people.

        Now sannyas will be a school, a mystery school. Only those who want to grow and change will be joining it. And there are millions of people who want some more consciousness in their being, who feel that they are sleepy and unconscious.

        So don’t be worried if a few other, old sannyasins disappear; new ones, fresh blood, will be coming in.”

        Osho, ‘The Path of the Mystic’, Talk #37

        • Arpana says:

          Shanti.
          I would be interested to hear what you make of Buntar, if you attend one of his gatherings.

          • swamishanti says:

            Yes, I will let you know.
            He surely does look like someone with a purpose.
            Question is, can he knock us all out of our heads for good and get us enlightened?


            The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.

      • Kavita says:

        Shantam, wish the lane I live in was as calm & quiet as this one. Well, I have too many wishes to be fulfilled. Anyway, beggars can’t be choosers, so que sera que sera!

        • frank says:

          Looks like the local flasher trying to get his flies done up in time – or was it Shantam siphoning his python in public again?

          Honestly, his mum can`t take him anywhere….

        • shantam prem says:

          Kavita, maybe you can go for morning and evening walk on this empty lane. Road has some Buddhafield energy because of the fast disappearing banyan trees.

          • Kavita says:

            Shantam, I have not been a walk type of person; anyway, that buddhafield is wherever I am!

      • Lokesh says:

        Shantam, no, is it simply a case of you missing the point I mentioned, but again you do it. You say, “I wonder, from where you got the right to patronize the work of Resort?”

        Yeah, I wonder too, because I am not doing that. You misread my comment entirely. Really, let me make it clear, I don’t give a shit about The Resort or your delusional posturing. Good for a giggle from time to time and that is the extent of it. As far as being a joke unto yourself goes it is one of your rare successes in a life that appears to contain few.

        It does puzzle me a little that you continually set yourself up for so much abuse, most of which is deserved. It surprises me that you keep going with it because somewhere inside of your confused mind all that abuse is making an imprint that really cannot be serving you well.

        What good does it do you to be constantly ridiculed and lambasted? None. What harm does it do? Well, for a start, it certainly will not nourish a sense of self-esteem. If enough people call you a donkey, sooner or later you will start wearing a saddle. Of course, you will make out like you are unaffected and beyond such things. I reckon you are kidding yourself, which is your freedom.

        A more intelligent man would have left all this crap that you are playing with behind him. Not only are you unable to do that, you are actually very self-righteous about it. I suppose that is when contradictory Osho mantras like only losers win in this game come in handy.

        • madhu dagmar frantzen says:

          “It does puzzle me a little that you continually set yourself up for so much abuse, most of which is deserved.” (Lokesh)

          I contradict here, Lokesh.
          Abuse is never “deserved”! And the process of abusing says as much about the abuser as about the abused.

          More that I am shocked here about the missing of moderation in these ongoing and ever-repetitive fights and abuse.

          And another point often is that I am asking myself, when reading the stuff, what some of you would have to share when an identity like Shantam would be missing and you would have to talk your very own stuff regarding the topics and issues.

          Madhu

          • Arpana says:

            Madhu,
            You revel in what goes on here.
            Moral superiority and disapproval are your drug of choice.
            You wouldn’t know who you were if you didn’t have disapproval to wallow in.

            • madhu dagmar Frantzen says:

              You have nothing to say here, Arpana, more so, as I did not address and respond to your words.
              But no surprise again is your interfering here and thouroughly aggressively. Not talking your own stuff – like pretty much always – just hitting back in repetition. Your style of abuse!

              And I say it again: No abuse is ever ´deserved´!

              Madhu

              • Arpana says:

                I and we are not responsible for your aggression and disapproval, Madhu.

              • Lokesh says:

                Madhu, abuse in this case implies an outburst of harsh and scathing words against another. If you do not agree that someone might deserve that, in this case Shantam, I can only conclude that you are…Well, I will let you fill in the blanks.

                I am not really interested in pouring abuse on Shantam’s thick head. For the most part I have better ways to spend my time. When I see others do it I usually feel it is justified. I also have no need to argue about it. You either see that he deserves it or you do not.

                What you fail to see is my main point. Why does Shantam put himself in the obvious position that he will attract abuse, implying an outburst of harsh and scathing words against himself? You must understand that he is asking for it, unconsciously or consciously.

                As for your stance of taking the moral high ground…who are you trying to fool?

                • shantam prem says:

                  Lokesh, most of the times Madhu is the most balanced person. I appreciate her feminine force to take stand against the male bullies. She deserves to take moral high ground.

                • madhu dagmar frantzen says:

                  “You must understand that he is asking for it, unconsciously or consciously.”(Lokesh)

                  We don´t meet according to that point, Lokesh; as for me such understanding is one thing and reacting verbally is quite slippery ground.

                  You live on a small island, you say. If visitors come, most of them come for holidays and recreation and entertainment.

                  I live in a crowded place of a European city and have to face in body, mind, soul and in everyday terms, trespassing, robbery, up to rape and not at all rare violence of all kinds.

                  Quite common and increasing is in the minds of those kind of actors that the victim has “asked” for it.

                  It’s a very slippery ground, to say the least. We don´t meet here. Sorry.

                  Madhu

                • satyadeva says:

                  It’s surely a matter of simple common sense to see that likening the situation in inner-city Munich to the one here at the SN Chat is a thoroughly specious argument, to say the least. If you can’t see this, Madhu, then I suggest you yourself are over-reacting as a result of your difficult circumstances, which have at times appeared to be exaggerated by a tendency to a certain degree of paranoia.

                  Lokesh is absolutely spot on. If you can’t see that Shantam largely deserves what he gets then I suggest your perception has been clouded by whatever negative influences have been affecting you over the years, in this case evoking an inappropriately exaggerated ‘compassion’: “Oh, he’s being heavily criticised, made fun of – therefore he must be a ‘victim’ (like me) and they must be wrong.”

                  Why does Shantam carry on, knowingly inviting such ridicule? Probably because he really believes he’s on the right track, ie with both Osho and ‘God’ on his side (not to mention all those Indian ‘followers’ on facebook, equally hungry for a traditional Indian-style ‘religious’ framework).

                  Thus, his otherwise rather pointless existence is given ‘meaning’: in his eyes, he’s a sort of ‘martyr’ for a righteous cause and he translates the attention, however critical, however full of ridicule, into evidence of his ‘importance’; the conflict makes him feel like ‘someone’. Hence this is something he’s driven to do all the time, keeping the whole obsessional pot boiling to keep such internal psychological ‘benefits’ recurring.

                  Add a native stubbornly combative bone-headedness and a skewed intelligence that seems to have little developed capacity to see through itself and you get a perfect recipe for ongoing, well-meaning, righteous stupidity.

                • frank says:

                  April fool!
                  Nice one, Shantam.
                  You almost had me there!

                • Lokesh says:

                  Shantam declares, “Most of the times Madhu is the most balanced person.”

                  Yeah, right, pull the other one, it has gangrene on it.

        • shantam prem says:

          Lokesh, seems like the post is written by the bruised ego. Don´t worry, you are not a spoon but a cup filled with silence!

          To read many of the wise-sounding posts, I quite often remember my Swiss ex-partner. During our regular crusades, she used to hit this one of the “Pune Boobi with the scooter”, “If I have to be you, I will prefer to be me.”

          Me too has the same opinion. I don´t want to change my experiences with anyone, not even with that person who is thinking to be incarnated as next Swami Lama Avatar!

          MOD: she used to hit this one of the “Pune Boobi with the scooter” – MEANING, PLEASE, SHANTAM?

          • shantam prem says:

            ‘Boobi’ is a Swiss word for boys or spoiled teenagers. In my ex.’s opinion, life in Pune has the elements of teenage romance, driving on the scooter with the girlfriend and feeling great.
            In her opinion, this has made people like me incapable to deal with the harsh realities of the real world.

            It is true in a way. In real world, toilet papers are more useful then the books with the photos of the authors.

  6. shantam prem says:

    “It`s pretty clear Osho never wanted any kind of religion.”
    Any idiot worth its salt won´t hesitate to put finger in the …ss of books and dig the treaures out. Never read from these bookworms. What the hell Osho wanted after all?

    Did He want to create Silicon Valley kind of innovative industries in the city called Rajneeshpuram?

    It seems his whole life, Osho had only one agenda, not to die anonymous. He wanted to die like that inspirational orator whose grave has the marble stone with inscription, “Never Born, Never Died…Only visited the planet Earth to create Neo-Sannyas.”

    • swamishanti says:

      “Sannyas movement is not mine. It is not yours. It was here when I was not here. It will be here when I will not be here.

      Sannyas movement simply means the movement of the seekers of truth. They have always been here. There have always been a line of seekers of truth. I call it Sannyas. It is eternal. It is sanatan. It has nothing to do with me. Millions of people have contributed to it. I have also contributed my own share.

      It will go on becoming richer and richer. When I am gone there will be more and more people coming and making it richer. I will be gone. That does not mean that the Sannyas movement will be gone. It does not belong to anybody.

      I cannot give you the truth, but I can show you the moon…please don’t get attached to my finger which is indicating the moon. This finger will disappear. The moon will remain and the search will continue. As long as there is a single human being on the Earth the flowers of sannyas will go on blossoming.

      First, I am the only man in the whole history who gives you individuality. The so-called gurus were doing just the opposite: they were taking away your individuality. Their whole effort was that you should surrender to them. That your function was just to touch their feet and receive their blessings. My effort is totally different. You cannot receive any blessing by touching anybody’s feet. On the contrary, you are making that man more egoistic and sick. Ego is the cancer of his soul. Don’t make anybody sick. Be compassionate. Never touch anybody’s feet.

      My effort is to take away all traditions, orthodoxies, superstitions, beliefs, from your mind so that you can attain a state of no-mind…the ultimate state of silence, where not even a thought moves. Not even a ripple in the lake of your consciousness.

      And the whole thing has to be done by you. I am not saying that “Just follow me. I am the saviour. I will save you.” All that is crap. Nobody can save you, except yourself. And the spiritual independence is the only independence worth calling independence.”

      Osho, ’The Last Testament’, Vol. 6, Talk #14

  7. shantam prem says:

    “How someone can ever discuss with a priest who holds his Bible as a shield.”

    The above sentence is for Swamishanti, with love.

    • swamishanti says:

      I don`t disagree with everything you go on about, Shantam.

      I mean, removing all of the devotional music from the `Resort`, (if this has indeed been the case) , does seem like a very strange idea to me, such music I would say was the heart of sannyas and was always a enjoyable in Buddha Hall.

      And charging exorbitant entry fees does seem a little disgusting, if the price has indeed multiplied manifold as much as you claim it has in the last ten years or so.

      But why go on and on about the place again and again? Is it really that important? I mean, if Buddha`s teaching had been confined to Bihar, to some Sangha in Bihar, then there would have never been any Tao, or any Tibetan Buddhim, no Tibetan Tantra or any Zen.

      Things have to move and change.

      At any rate, the place is bound to end up in the hands of the Indians again sooner or later. But it will never be exactly the same as it was when you were there in 1988-90. How could it be?

      Does it really matter?

      • Lokesh says:

        SS reports removing all of the devotional music from the `Resort’.
        Sounds like a good idea, because most of it is cheesy crap.

        • swamishanti says:

          Remember, I do not know whether they have removed all of the devotional music. I have heard the reports that some of the musicians have been banned.

          But yes, a lot of it is cheesy crap. The thing is, they have removed most of the good stuff and are selling mostly the cheesy crap on their website.

          Ah well, it’s all a matter of taste.

        • shantam prem says:

          World is full with arrogant airbags. Lokesh is one of them: that which is not of my taste has no right to survive. To puncture these airbags gives me immense satisfaction.

  8. frank says:

    Incredible news! Has anyone heard?

    Amrito and Jayesh are stepping down at the Resort.

    Watch this space!