THE PRESENT ‘OSHO MEDITATION CAMPS'
TAKING OSHO’S VISION TO THE WRONG DIRECTION

About thirty years back Osho’s vision had become a worldwide phenomena. During these thirty years His message of meditation must have reached to those who have thirst for search of truth and a longing to change their lives. Osho has devised many meditation techniques which are very simple to understand and put into practice. Special books like Meditation: The first and the Last Freedom provides complete information and guidance in this respect. Now it has become very easy to understand and practice these meditation techniques because of the development of information technology. There are many websites on the internet which are providing demonstrations of various Osho’s meditations. The main website www.osho.com and its supporting websites are playing very important roles in this respect. Those who do not have access to internet can buy C.D.s of Osho meditations which are cheap and provide complete guidance as well as visual demonstration (videos) showing how to experiment with these techniques. These C.Ds and DVDs are easily available worldwide from major dealers of this kind. However we will not betray our master to advise you to purchase pirated material which is being circulated by some greedy sannyasins in India. In India some of the genuine suppliers are: Osho Media International, 17-Koregaon Park, Pune 411 001(M.S.), SONY Music Entertainment (India) Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai and SHEMAROO Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai.

In view of above scenario, the time has come that the role of Osho Meditation Camp conductors, facilitators and sanchalaks can be dispensed with. Moreover it is not difficult to find someone who has practiced Osho Meditations by participating in Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune programmes. One can also learn the techniques by participating in such meditation programs himself in Pune or Meditation Centers strictly functioning on the same lines.

The mediators are no longer needed because these are proving harmful to the rebellious spirit of Osho’s vision. Many of such mediators know little about the wishes of Osho how His work should be carried out. At several occasion Osho has said that most of the people become interested in religion out of greed and inferiority complex. Such sick persons with lust for money, power and respectability when become interested in religion, they use religion also to gain these things. One can see this disease spreading in sannyasins who are Osho Meditation Camp conductors/facilitators/sanchalaks. Seeing the present situation there is no hope that these greedy sannyasins will understand the right way.

They are also creating groups of sannyasins and functioning inevitably as organization. In this way these mediators are bringing in hierarchy and gurudom in the vision and destroying its true spirit. These peoples are exploiting the name of Osho and His wisdom just to earn respectability, money and power which nourish the ego. Sooner they are eliminated is better otherwise the history will repeat and Osho’s vision will fall in the main stream of other organized religions.

Out perception is that if only the Osho Camp Conductors or facilitators or sanchalaks could free themselves from helping others and devote their whole time and energy for realizing their own enlightenment, Osho’s dream can be realized. That will be the greatest contribution to His work and immensely helpful to others. But in the present developments it appears impossible. Ego has blocked the way.

“A master can create a situation around you – just a situation, remember. … And only one who has got it within him, one who has passed through all the stages, one who has become a big tree, flowering – only he can create the situation around you. So a person who has not become enlightened himself cannot help you: on the contrary, he may hinder.

(VEDANTA: Seven Steps To Samadhi # 4)

NEVER THINK HOW YOU CAN HELP MY VISION TO HAPPEN IN THE WORLD

Q. Beloved Osho,
More than anything else I want your vision to happen. When I am not with you, and I am out in the world, alone, what part can I play in helping your vision to happen?

Ans. “Just be yourself, utterly yourself. And never think in terms of how you can help my vision to happen in the world, because that’s what makes a missionary – and I am against missionaries. They are the poisoners. Their intention is good, they want to spread something which they feel is immensely valuable, but a missionary does not know that what he is trying to spread is not his own experience. So I would like to make it clear that you just be yourself, and that will be the way of spreading my message to people, because that’s my message – to be yourself authentically, sincerely. It is not a question of saying something to somebody; it is a question of being somebody in a way that the vision radiates from you... that the people feel that something has happened to you that has not happened to them... that there is something in you that they are missing... that you are full and they are empty... that you can give and yet you will not be losing anything. And they are only beggars; they cannot give, they can only take.”
(Light on the Path # 4)

‘Osho’s work, as to its nature and spirit, has now touched new heights since it was started perhaps in the year 1965-66. Since then Osho gave several new insights about spreading of His message and establishing Osho Meditation Centers or Osho Communes. Since the year 1865-66 and up to the year when Osho left India for America, its mode, nature of urgency, imperative need and motive was different. This was because of the circumstances that prevailed at that time and types of people to whom Osho was addressing. Osho’s work has also passed through different stages and with each stage of work His ideas relating to His work have also progressed.

After leaving India for America the circumstance had been changed a lot; therefore, the change in the nature of Osho’s work was re-considered by Osho Himself. New insights and directions for the same were given by Osho in what He said after leaving India for America.

During the earlier several years Osho’s insistence was that His disciples should take his message to every nook and corner of the world. The essence of His message was meditation and his words which may create a thirst for the same in the hearts of millions of people. He wanted that more and more people be motivated to experiment with His meditation techniques. It is for this purpose that sannyas movement was started in the year 1970.These sannyasins were asked to first meditate themselves, experience the taste of meditation and then teach the meditation techniques to others so that more and more people could benefit from the same.

Since the year 1962 and up to the year 1973 Osho personally used to provide direct guidance for meditation to the participants. For this purpose He started to hold 3 to 10 days ‘meditation camps’ in the countryside and conducted the same Himself. In the year 1974 Osho shifted from Bombay to Pune where a commune of sannyasins was subsequently established. Since this year there used to be ten days intensive meditation camps at Pune every month in between regular schedule of meditations. These meditation camps used to be conducted by different sannyasins who themselves were sincere meditators and know Osho Meditations techniques and were also nominated by Osho himself for this purpose.

The most fundamental characteristic of these Meditation Camp conductors (sanchalaks), at present known as Meditation Camp Facilitators was that they were neither different from other participant sannyasins, did not have any distinction or special status nor were treated as such. They used to provide only technical and practical guidance to the participants. Their work was not different or special and was just like a plumber doing plumbing work or an electrician doing electrical work in the Commune. In other words there was no hierarchy in this commune. Moreover the roles played by everyone in the different activities went on changing – everything was in a flux, dynamic, alive and nothing was static except the techniques of Meditation.

This non-hierarchical setup was one of the most rebellious and unique characteristics of Osho’s vision the like of which cannot be found anywhere in any setup of religious or other organizations. The same setup is still followed in Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune and other communes and Meditation centers which are connected with it.

“Meditation can only make you a “nobody.” Who wants to become a “nobody”? Everybody wants to go on higher on the ladder of ambitions. People sacrifice their whole life to become somebody.”
(The Osho Upanishad # 6)

But there were few sannyasins who were not comfortable with the above non-hierarchical setup. This was the major cause for cropping up of differences among sannyasins in Pune commune in the year 2000 – few Indian sannyasins who were holding certain positions – those who were working as Osho’s secretaries or were engaged in managing the commune or were assigned the work of giving sannyas or were carrying on the work of editing etc. of Osho’s books, all wanted to be treated as special and higher than the other sannyasins. This was, however, against the basic insights of Osho. These differences went on growing underground and came to the open only in the year 2000 when few sannyasins who were holding important positions in the commune left the commune just to go on their own way and continue to maintain the hierarchy among sannyasins. The leader of these outgoing sannyasins was Ma Yoga Neelam which was followed by Swami Chaitannya Keerti, Ma Dharam Jyoti, Swami Narender Bodhisatva and Swami Tathagat etc.

Another group of sannyasins who were not happy with the non-hierarchical set up was formed by not much known sannyasins – Siddhartha, Shailender and Priya, now called by their flock as Osho Siddharth, Osho Shailender and Osho Priya. The name of their flock is ‘Osho Dhara’. These three are nick-named by their followers as “Osho Triviir”. They have added with their name ‘Osho’ with the presumption that they have now become enlightened. They claim that they maintain the true legacy of Osho which they call ‘live current of Osho’ (Osho Ki Jeevant Dhara). They vehemently proclaim that only alive masters can help and they are the only alive masters – right substitutes of Osho. But the truth is that “Osho Dhara Group or Osho Triviir” is the trinity of false enlightened masters. They provide shortcut to false Samadhi. As is the case in India – anyone who is capable to exploit the gullibility of masses can easily gather crowed around him; these have also been succeeded in this game.

There is another group functioning at Osho Tapovan, Kathmandu, Nepal under the leadership of Swami Arun. The only motive of this group is to increase the number of Osho sannyasins irrespective of the fact whether they are seekers of the truth or seekers of distinction. For the fulfillment of their motive they like to exhibit their maroon robes and a mala on their neck with Osho’s photo to continue the dead tradition, a system which had been stopped by Osho since long. In this way these all three groups of people make them as ‘Orthodox Osho Sannyasins’ while in actuality Osho Sannyasin means he who is not in any way orthodox but is ever changing for the higher and higher spiritual values.

There is a fourth group under the leadership of Swami Chaitanya Bharti now ‘Whosoever’ who has become special by being first person to have been initiated into Osho Neo-sannyas and claimed to have been more intimately connected with Osho. In proof thereof he has printed his photo with Osho on the first pages of his books. Because he was the first sannyasin (according to him), therefore, naturally he was the first to start working against the rebellious spirit of Osho’s vision.

What Swami Chaitanya Bharti writes in his books clearly shows that the phobia of ‘Three-day Osho Meditation Camp’ (insisted by Pune commune) balanced by the mania of ‘Many-days Osho Meditation Camps’(his own insistence) and continuous haunting by the ghost of “Inner Circle” of Pune has made him to hallucinate that he has disappeared and experienced enlightenment (Sambodhi). Now he is helping others for their enlightenment by holding 40 days Osho Meditation Camps far away from Punjab i.e. in Karnataka state. Whether he has got any spiritual benefit from being Osho’s “oldest sannyasin” or not cannot be said with certainty, but there is no doubt that he has been able to become a good parrot of Osho’s teachings and repeat them verbatim and sell his books by using the name of “Inner Circle” and Osho’s photo. And Osho sannyasins impressed by him and have gathered around him indicate that they have learned nothing from the teachings of Osho—to differentiate between a ‘Master’ and a teacher. We suggest them to read the book TA-HUI: The Greatest Zen Master by Osho.

These above four off-shoots of Osho’s “Movement for the Birth of the New man”, developed their own network of Meditation Centers and started conducting Osho Meditation Camps and initiating new comers into sannyas in India. They also continued the old system of sannyas initiation which was stopped by Osho himself. Osho Dhara Group totally abandoned the line of Osho’s Vision and immensely diluted it with their ideas born out of their unconsciousness. These groups also have been selective as to the teachings of Osho – they spread and highlight only those parts of Osho’s vision which support their own ideas about the same. In this way, unfortunately, some of Osho’s disciples/friends in India have now formed a separate block – the orthodox block( the above four groups) having no link with Osho International Meditation Resort and Osho International Foundation, Pune, India which has been functioning as nucleus of Osho’s work.

A new phase of Osho’s work started after the American commune was destroyed i.e. after Rajneeshpuram. During this last stage of His work the priorities were changed. His insistence was now to spread his words so that His ideas reach to the maximum people. The role of those who were involved in His work was reduced as to that of the role of a postman. The idea behind this shift was to protect the ‘Movement’ from gurudom. As has always been the case, the most important was His message of meditation. Those who were involved in this work were to teach various techniques of meditation devised by Osho. Spreading His words was to invite people to experiment with the meditation techniques as a scientific experiment and not a religious activity. Individual to individual contact was preferred to the formation of groups because with the groups enters the organization and with organization enters in the hierarchy. There was absolutely no place for the preaching and preachers. Nobody was allowed to preach unless he himself is awakened or enlightened.

As the most important part of Osho’s work was taken over by the printing and electronic media, sannyasins were supposed to first seek their own enlightenment and devote their whole time and energy for the same. Their enlightenment will be sufficient accomplishment of His work. This was stressed by Osho many times in His discourses. We are giving hereunder few extracts of Osho’s discourses which were an advisory to the sannyasins and friends who were involved in Osho’s Work:-

UNLESS THEY EXPERIENCE, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPREAD ANYTHING.

Q:* This morning you said something about that believing is just carrying on knowledge from somebody else. But is not that exactly what these sannyasins are doing?

A:* “No.”

Q:* They are taking your knowledge to themselves.

A:* “No. They are not. They are experimenting, they are meditating; and unless they experience, they are not allowed to spread anything. It is none of their business. I'm alone enough. I have my ways; just sitting here in this chair I can flood the whole world with my ideas. What is the need for them? They have to experience first. Unless it becomes their own, they are not to become missionaries. I hate the word missionary. Each sannyasin should speak on his own authority, then there is strength.”

“Now, if it is not your experience, from where you are going to have strength?
Books and knowledge derived from books cannot be your strength. I want my people to be strong, that if somebody does the same thing as I did to Stanley Jones they need not say, that "It is not our experience, we have believed in a Master and we are repeating like parrots." No, that will be ugly. I would not like these people to say that. It is better to say, "I don't know."

“Unless you know, don't bother to say anything to anybody. When you know, you will have to say -- because then you become just like a rain cloud, which is so full of water that it has to rain somewhere or other.”

“The moment you know you become a rain cloud, and then it is something totally different. You are not a missionary; you are not changing anybody and trying to convert him to your faith. You don't have any faith, you have certain experience and out of sheer love you are sharing it. If that sharing transforms the man that is a different thing; it is not conversion, it is transformation.”

(The Last Testament)

NEVER THINK HOW YOU CAN HELP MY VISION TO HAPPEN IN THE WORLD

Q. Beloved Osho,
More than anything else I want your vision to happen. When I am not with you, and I am out in the world, alone, what part can I play in helping your vision to happen?

Ans. “Just be yourself, utterly yourself. And never think in terms of how you can help my vision to happen in the world, because that’s what makes a missionary – and I am against missionaries. They are the poisoners. Their intention is good, they want to spread something which they feel is immensely valuable, but a missionary does not know that what he is trying to spread is not his own experience. So I would like to make it clear that you just be yourself, and that will be the way of spreading my message to people, because that’s my message – to be yourself authentically, sincerely. It is not a question of saying something to somebody; it is a question of being somebody in a way that the vision radiates from you... that the people feel that something has happened to you that has not happened to them... that there is something in you that they are missing... that you are full and they are empty... that you can give and yet you will not be losing anything. And they are only beggars; they cannot give, they can only take.”

(The Light on the Path # 4)

MY MESSENGERS’ FUNCTION IS NOT MORE THAT THAT OF A POSTMAN

“Bodhicitta, it is a simple phenomenon.
The people who had allowed me their total receptivity had become my messengers, but their function was not more than that of a postman. When you receive a love letter, don’t start kissing the postman!”
“But Bodhicitta himself is a psychoanalyst and he has developed a few techniques of his own, which may look stupid to you, but in America stupidity and spirituality are synonymous. For example, Bodhicitta has developed a psychological technique called ‘hugging’; so the whole group of twenty or thirty people just go on hugging each other. It is good exercise, particularly in cold countries, but don’t try anything like that here in Bombay. In Bombay only enlightened people can hug each other, and it is very rare to find two enlightened people.”

“You had seen those therapists who were working in the commune in Poona under me – and they were going around the world, because I was not going anywhere. I had prepared them to be just a passage; that’s why you felt that they were so innocent, such beautiful people.”

“The therapists who went around the world found sannyasins everywhere receiving them with as much love and respect as if I had come there. They had come as my representatives, they were sent by me. But what happened to those poor fellows? They started thinking that all this respect, all this love was for them. So when the commune was destroyed by the American government and there was a chaos, those few therapists started behaving as if they were enlightened, calling themselves enlightened.”

“And this is the difference: You can know a technique – but just to know a technique is one thing, to be a master is totally different. That is the difference between a scientist and a technologist.”

The scientist himself discovers – it is his own discovery, it is his own authority. The technologist simply imitates. He can do perfectly well as far as the objective world is concerned, but as far as the subjective world is concerned it is not possible.”

“Only the master can bring the transformation. The mediums can simply spread his word. The moment they start thinking that the respect and the honor is being given to them, they are no longer mediums. Then a dead technique is in their hands, which is not going to help.”
(Osho Upanishad # 23)

MY METHODS NEED NO GROUP, THESE CREAT DEPENDENCE AND HIERARCHY

“My method can be used in a group, but the group is not necessary; you can use it alone. Any group can become dependence – so that you can work only in the group. Out of the group, you are back to your usual self. When you are in the group you are a certain person; when you leave the group you are a different person.”

“I don’t want my sannyasins to be dependent.”

“It is perfectly good to have small groups, but the methods I have given to you are individual; you can work alone. You don’t need anybody to watch you, because my method is that you have to be the watcher.”

“He can help you on the path, he can show you the path, but you have to be strong enough to follow the path, to go alone like a lion.”

(Light on the Path # 29)

So because it has been my own individual growth, whatever I can give to you needs no group; you can work individually. That’s why it is easy for me to call you my friends, because I am creating in you the same desire – to move alone, to go alone, to risk, and not to be dependent.”

“Discovering something on your own has an ecstasy of its own, which no follower of Gurdgieff, or anybody else, can have – there is no adventure, there is no search.”

“My experience is that the adventure and the search do not only bring you to the truth finally; the very adventure and the search create in you a maturity which never comes to a follower.”

DON’T BE WORRIED ABOUT MAKING MEDITTION A GREAT MOVEMENT

“And you have asked how we can make meditation a great movement. Don’t be worried about making it a great movement because this is how the mind is very tricky. You will forget all about your meditation and you will be concerned about the movement – how to make it big, how to make it worldwide, how to make many more people meditate. If they are not willing then force them to meditate. It has been done; the whole of history is the proof.”

“The mind is constantly trying to change the subject.

Whenever you will be thinking of meditation, the mind will change the subject in such a way that you will not even be aware that the subject has been changed. The mind will start making a great movement of meditation, transforming the whole world and forgetting meditation itself. Because where is the time? – you are in a great revolution, changing the whole world.”

“In fact, the mind is so cunning that it condemns those people who meditate. It says, ”They are selfish, just concerned about themselves. And the whole world is dying! People need peace, and people are in tension; people are living in hell and you are sitting silently in meditation. This is sheer selfishness.”

“The changing of other people through meditation is a byproduct, it is not a goal. You become a light unto yourself, and that will create the urge to become a light to many people who are thirsty. You become the example, and that example will bring the movement on its own accord.”
“So for the second part of your question, I would like to say to you: forget about it. It is your mind which is trying to change the subject. First the marriage, marriage with YOURSELF... first the meditation and then out of it the fragrance will come, out of it the light will come. Out of it, words which are not dead but alive, words which have authority in them will come. And they may help others, but that is not going to be your goal; it will be a byproduct.”

WEARING RED CLOTHS AND A MALA WITH OSHO’S PICTURE IN IT DO NOT MAKE ANYBODY A SANNYASIN; IT ONLY MAKES ONE LOOK SONBODY SPECIAL

Q. IN ONE OF YOUR LATEST LETTERS TO THE THERAPISTS HASYA SAID THAT YOU ABANDONED THE OUTER SANNYAS IN FAVOR OF THE INNER SANNYAS. WOULD YOU PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT?

A. “I have been working hard to abandon everything that is outer, so that only the inner remains for you to explode.”

"Otherwise the man's mind is a very immature mind. It starts clinging with outer symbols. That has happened to all the religions of the world. They all started well, but they all went astray. And the reason was that the outer was emphasized so much that people completely forgot the inner. To fulfill the outer was such life-absorbing task that there was no space left even to remember about your inward journey which is basically the meaning of religiousness.”

“I want my people to understand it clearly. Neither your clothes, nor your outer disciplines nor anything that has been given to you by tradition and you have accepted it just on belief, is going to help. The only thing that can create a revolution in you is going beyond the mind into the world of consciousness. Except that, nothing is religious. But to begin with and with a world which is too much obsessed with outer things, I had to start sannyas also with outer things. Change your cloths into orange, wear a Mala, meditate, but the emphasis was only on meditation.”

“But I found that people can change their clothes very easily but they cannot change their minds. They can wear the Mala, but they cannot move into their consciousness. And because they are in orange cloths, wearing a Mala, having a new name, they start believing that they have become a sannyasin.”

“Sannyas is not so cheap. Hence it is time and you are mature enough that beginning phase is over. If you like the orange color, the red color, perfectly good -- it cannot do any harm, but it is not a help either. If you love the Mala, if you love the locket with my picture on it, it is simply your ornament, but it has nothing to do with religion. So now I reduce religion to its absolute essentiality. And that is meditation. If you are meditating and if you are reaching higher and higher into your consciousness, thoughts are left far behind. You experience that your body is just outside you, your mind is just outside you and you are standing in the middle, the center of the cyclone, in utter silence, in absolute beauty, in great light, in utter fulfillment. Except the process of meditation, everything is non- essential.”

"I don't want my people to be lost into non- essentials. In the beginning it was necessary. Now years of listening to me, understanding me, you are in a position to be freed from all outer bondage. And you can for the first time be really a sannyasin only if you are moving inwards.”

WHY OSHO INSISTED HIS DISCIPLES TO MOVE ALONE, TO GO ALONE, TO RISK, AND NOT TO BE DEPENDENT?

These statements, as we have understood, indicate that Osho was more interested in individual development of His sannyasins than becoming messengers for spreading his words and message of meditation. We give here under our perceptions in this regard:-

1. Past experience has shown that the people who were entrusted with important work of spreading Osho’s words and message of meditation had fallen in the ego trap. Rather than treating themselves at par with others as fellow travelers, they had started to pose themselves as masters or gurus. Many sannyasins started to adore such sannyasins. They became leaders and the others as their followers. This was creating hierarchy and superiority complex in the leaders/teachers of meditation and inferiority complex in the followers/ the taught. This was forfeiting the overall purpose of Osho’s vision.

2. Almost all the work relating to spreading Osho’s words and His message of meditation had been taken over by the Print Media, Electronic Media and Information Technology. Books of Osho’s discourses were being printed at a very large scale and more fast. With the help of electronic media his audio and video discourses were reaching far and wide on the earth. His meditation techniques and their audio-visual display were easily available to any one by approaching the internet. In view of all this the role of any middleman in the form of preacher/teacher of meditation techniques/meditation camp conductors/facilitators/sanchalaks could be dispensed with.

3. Many of Osho’s sannyasins/disciples who were long associated with Him and who once had expressed great trust and love for Osho were also caught in ego trap and betrayed Him. They were under the impression that being near to Osho for long time and engaged in an important aspect of His work, were sufficient to become a master. Because of this desire they missed Osho.“Desire to become master can keep you missing me” (Beyond Enlightenment # 14)

4. Osho did not want to leave any scope in his vision to bring hierarchy and Gurudom in it. Destroying hierarchy among sannyasins proved suicidal to all those who had the desire to become masters and dominate others. Moreover, many sannyasins, even during the life time of Osho, were not comfortable with this concept.

5. Individual freedom is one of the basic ideas of Osho’s vision. Osho does not expect that one person should dominate or dictate the other; therefore, His vision is against any type of organization. His words and message of meditation should spread among people through individual to individual. This of course should not be imposed. The message should reach to the people and then left on them to experiment with it or not. With the group or organization comes in the hierarchy and all that is harmful for spiritual growth is added to it.

6. Osho wanted His message to be kept as it is i.e. twenty four carats gold. The responsibility for the same was vested with his disciples and lovers. This could be maintained only when they first seek their own enlightenment. That was made the first priority and His work of spreading His words and message of meditation was secondary. But because seeking the enlightenment was a life-long search, most of the disciples opted for the secondary work. This was easy and most nourishing the ego. This also brought in the spirit of competitiveness among sannyasins which gave rise to groupism, organization and hierarchy, not directly then indirectly. They also started to dilute the message and compromise with it on many counts. This also gave an impression to others that because they are spreading the message, therefore, they are themselves awakened. Keeping in view this harmful future development, Osho almost eliminated the role of mediators or Osho Meditation Camp Facilitators/sanchalaks.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE PRESENT OSHO MEDITATION CAMPS AND ITS CONDUCTORS/FACILITATORS/SANCHALAKS

There is nothing wrong in spreading the message of an enlightened master. It is good to provide guidance to the people for meditation and thereby live the life of joy and celebration. But if such act is motivated to strengthen ones ego by seeking distinction, it is harmful to the guides as well as to the guided ones. This tendency was developed in many Osho Meditation Camp conductors/sanchalaks after Osho left His body.

By the year 2002 many sannyasins were attracted to become Osho Meditation Camp conductors/facilitators with the result that the nature and style of these camps was also changed. The guidelines given by Osho in this respect were being ignored and these facilitators were doing what they like, more so when there was nobody to control this development (except His words); and there could not be because Osho’s Vision is against any such organization. This was giving wrong message to the people in general and Osho sannyasins in particular. Seeing all this happening Osho Commune International(OCI) had issued advisory which was published in many issues of Osho Times(Asia Edition) magazine during the period 2001-2002 which we are reproducing hereunder:-

“Osho has asked that we offer 3-day meditation camps throughout the world. The camp may begin with playing of recorded music for 10-20 minutes while participants are arriving (There are many beautiful music tapes(C.D.s) available through “ Music from the World of Osho.”) This might be followed by Kundalini, Nadabrahma, or Evening White-robe Meditation.

The daily schedule from the next day onwards begins with Dynamic Meditation, preferably at 6-00 am, depending on the climate, followed by an Osho audio discourse, another meditation, is followed – for example Nataraj, No Dimensions or Devavani.

Lunch may be followed by a video about the commune, then Nadabrahma and Kundalini. By 6:45 pm the evening meditation begins. Dancing to high-energy music is followed, at 7:00 pm , by a 15-minte meditation of music and silence. After which an Osho video discourse, either in English or Hindi, is played. Gibberish and Let-go Meditation is the perfect conclusion to the evening.

As an option and if time permits, a 30-40 minute sharing and questions about meditation, the commune etc. might follow at the end of the second or third day. This session is a practical sharing, not a philosophical forum!

There is no hierarchy in Osho’s work; we are all meditators. The camp facilitator is simply someone who is very familiar with Osho’s meditations and who has been recommended by the OCI, so that the newcomers learn the meditations correctly. The techniques will all be done exactly as devised by Osho, using the music chosen by him.

Loose and comfortable garments are best. It is suggested that the maroon and white robes be optional – their use restricted to the meditation area – so that they do not create a barrier for new people’s attendance.

“This whole world would have been tremendously beautiful if we had accepted a simple phenomenon – that each individual is unique. Hence there can be no organized religions. Religion is of the individual, absolutely private, absolutely personal. It is a dialogue between the individual and existence, without any mediator.”……OSHO (The Hidden Splendor)

Many sannyasins who were conversant with the rebellious spirit of Osho’s vision and were without any compromise with it followed the advisory. But those groups of Indian Sannyasins who had chosen to be conventional and had desires to become masters – The Osho World Foundation Group, The Osho Dhara or Osho Triviir Group and Osho Tapovan Group, Swami Chaitanya Bharti or “Whosoever”of Karnataka and their associate Osho Meditation Centers and sannyasins, finding that the advisory issued by the OCI was against their vested interests, did not follow the same and continued to do what they wanted to do. Subsequently these orthodox groups started to work against the OCI:-

1. They started conducting meditation camps with their own schedule of Meditations and other programmes. These camps are designed in such a way as to make them more attractive and alluring meeting the likings of the participants and ignoring the standard and simplicity with which these used to be held during Osho’s lifetime.

2. Some groups made their own music for meditations and Osho White-robe Evening Meditation. Unlike OCI music, which was composed in direct guidance of Osho, the music they are using seems to have been composed by people who appear to have no experience of meditation and know nothing about the role of music in meditation.

3. The sacred Osho White-robe Evening Meditation event has been rendered less meditative and more like entertainment event. In many of such events sannyasins can be seen shouting and whistling while dancing.

4. The Camp Facilitators/Sanchalaks had become mediators and not co- meditators. They thought themselves as special as and higher than the other participants; and strangely enough the participants also treated them as such most probably out of their father/mother fixations.

5. Osho had stopped the role of any mediator for sannyas initiation. Putting mala on the neck of new sannyasin, touching his fore-head and giving energy and wearing red clothes were all stopped by Osho Himself. But these all conservative groups continued the same. They continued to play the role of Gurus/Masters and thereby the hierarchy among sannyasins has been maintained.

6. Osho Dhara or Osho Triviir Group started their own so called Samadhi programmes which had nothing similar to Osho’s vision. They have been giving wrong message to the people that the meditation methods devised by Osho were out of date and that what methods they have been teaching were the only effective methods.

7. The meditation camp conductors/facilitators/sanchalaks themselves are now in competition to attract more and more sannyasins towards them and their programmes. For this they are on the race to make their own meditation programmes more and more attractive and mystical making them complex contrary to the simplicity of Osho’s meditations. They have created an atmosphere among Osho’s sannyasins that meditating under their guidance will give more fast and remarkable results than meditating in Pune commune. But because of their unconsciousness they forget altogether that whatever the meditators experience is because of Osho’s meditations and His presence and not because of a particular place or a particular mediator/facilitator.

THESE CAMPS ARE NOURISHING THE EGOS OF THE FECILITATORS/SANCHALAKS

At present arranging Osho Meditation Camp and to conduct the same has become matter of prestige and pride. Osho Meditation Camp Conductors have mushroomed up everywhere in India. Everyone is after being leader of the group and Osho Meditation Camp Facilitator or sanchalak. Most of them have no experience of meditation and many cannot explain even the techniques of Osho’s meditations. For instance one very long time Osho Sannyasin while functioning as Osho Meditation Camp Sanchalak, at Solan, H.P. in India few years back instructed the participants that the Osho Dynamic Meditation had four stages when the same is of five stages. Similar incidence happened in an Osho Meditation Camp, Sunder Nagar, H.P. India several years back. The camp was being conducted by Swami Anand Vijay who is from the birth place of Osho:-

As per camp meditation schedule it was the time for Evening White Robe Meditation. In view of Osho’s instructions the Evening Meditation would start at 6.45 P.M. dancing to high-energy music is followed, at 7-00 p.m., by a 15-minute meditation on soft music and silence. There were about three hundred participants who had gathered wearing white robes right at 6.30 P.M. outside the meditation hall waiting Swami Anand Vijay. He reached at 7 P.M. and instead of leading the participants to the meditation hall started walking towards a nearby park taking other sannyasins also. There he started discussion with the sannyasins totally oblivious of the event of White Robe Meditation and its time. Entire time scheduled for White Robe Meditation was spent without any meditation whatsoever. This was very embarrassing for the sannyasins who knew about this meditation. This also gave wrong impression to the new comers who had listened about the importance and significance of White Robe Evening Meditation.

Why is so much attraction to become a facilitator/sanchalak? The reason lies in the psychology of man. Most of them suffer from inferiority complex. They know that they are empty within. They have heard much about the benediction and bliss of meditation but could not have the experience of the same. Such experience is not cheap and easy to have; the journey is long and there is no shortcut. One has to pay for it with his whole life. Very few are ready for the same. Therefore, to suppress this inferiority complex and forget it, the shortcut is to pose oneself an advanced meditator.

For posing oneself as an advanced meditator the easy course is to become Osho Meditation Camp Facilitator or Sanchalak. And the way to become a religious leader in the world of Osho is not as difficult as is in other religions. What one is required is to open an Osho Meditation Center/commune and start teaching meditations to others; make good arrangement for the lodging and boarding of the participants and give vide publicity to the event. Those who, for the time being, are not in a position to open up a Meditation Center/commune, then they can arrange an Osho Meditation Camp at some hill station in the summer season or at some place which attracts tourists; invite for the time being some already established facilitator in the camp and one is already on the path of being a leader. Once you are in the lime-light, nobody will ask you whether you have any actual experience of meditation or not.

The next step of the ladder is to start initiating others into sannyas and increase the number of one’s adherents. They will start respecting him as their Guru and most probably a substitute for Osho. After few years one will become a good manager and technician of Osho Meditation Camps and other sannyasins will treat him as saint if not enlightened one. With the increase of followers the money, power and prestige will go on increasing. This will give great nourishment to one’s ego and throw him back to the mundane world -- the place from where he had started the journey. This is the vicious circle called ‘sansara’. All priests and religious leaders of all the organized religions are caught in this trap. Osho has not ruled out the same development in His vision also:

“What happened to Gautam Buddha and his teachings is almost the rule, not the exception. The moment the master leaves his body, the disciples start compromising with the surrounding world to survive, to continue to exist.”

NOW MANY SANNYASINS HAVE MADE ‘OSHO MEDITATION CAMPS’ THEIR PROFESSION

In many case it has been seen that when for the first time someone comes into contact with Osho through his books or audio/video discourses he is very much impressed and feels elated and euphoric. After meeting Osho he finds a different world and his link with the society as well as his family members is loosened and sometimes severed. One feels very much high in emotions and feelings. Meditation further stimulates the emotional center. With the spade of emotions many left their jobs, homes and businesses and started living in Pune in the presence of Osho. Many who were more fortunate could find the opportunity to involve themselves in commune work for which they were offered free food and shelter. But this was not supposed to continue forever. Sooner or later one has to face the challenges of change and come face to face with hard realities of life: Those who did not have permanent sources of income find it difficult to remain in Pune commune and to continue to participate in its programmes.

Money was needed for food and shelter as well as to participate in Commune programmes. Therefore, many of the sannyasins for the last so many years started to carry out their own business in Pune itself. Many, who could not manage any source of income in Pune, left Pune. In many cases they were not welcome in their families and, therefore, could not get any financial support. The easy option for them was to function as missionaries of Osho’s vision. Many such sannyasins started teaching meditation to others by holding Meditation camps and earning money to meet their needs. Some of them in association with others raised Osho Meditation Centers and started such activities there. Many think that such activities of sannyasins were out of their love and devotion to Osho’s work which is not correct. This they have not been doing out of their love and gratitude but out of their material compulsions. (Here, however, we are not ruling out the exceptions.). Moreover, in vie w of Osho’s vision, since they were not yet enlightened, they were supposed first to devote their whole time and energy for the same and not be entangled in such work.

Some of these who succeeded in this business became rich in terms of money as well as in terms of being Gurus. As is the case in India the religion and spirituality has become a very good business and so called saints, mahatmas, religious leaders have become good businessmen. This gives both money and respectability and power of the crowed they have around them. The business is the same, whether one runs a karyana shop, a hotel or a religious shop. However the goods sold are different – one sells visible goods and the other, the religious man deals in invisible goods. What is the difference so far as the business mind is concerned? Both are after money and power. This disease has not spared even Osho sannyasins.

So far as the business in the name of Osho is concerned, the Osho Dhara Group has proved to be the most efficient and proficient. They have made the best use of Osho’s name and goodwill so far as the money and respectability is concerned. They are selling their so called samadhi in retail in many small packages charging hefty price.

Here we want to make it clear that Osho was never against charging for meditation programmes. Participants used to be charged for meditation programmes during Osho’s life-time also. But the charges should be just to meet the expenses only. Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune also charges for the same. But their charges hardly meet 10% of the overall expenses of the resort. Further, Osho Meditation Camps should not be made a profession i.e. a source for accumulating money and increasing the movable and immovable assets. If they want to earn money, power and respectability, then whole of the world is available for struggling for the same. But spirituality should not be used specially to achieve these things.

What can be the remedy for the wrong developments which we have discussed above? We suggest the following knowing well that no one with vested interests will accept them:-

1. Osho Meditation Camps should be arranged and conducted according to the advisory circulated by the “Inner Circle”, Pune. This is part of the work entrusted to it; it in no way trespasses the spiritual domain of Osho’s vision.

2. If someone finds it difficult to follow the above mentioned advisory, then he should not arrange and conduct Osho Meditation Camp at all. This will not cause any harm to Osho’s work at this stage.

3. There is no need of any special person to conduct meditation camps. Any person who knows the managerial part of it can conduct it by using audio-visual electronic devices and add nothing to it of his own. This is being practiced at Pune for the last so many years and is working well. Those who doubt it should go to Pune and see with their own eyes.

4. No big communes, no big meditation centers on religious lines. These should be run on the same lines as Osho International Meditation is being run. Otherwise we apprehend that in the long run these will start working on the same lines as Temples, Gurudwaras, Mosques and Churches are working. As an alternative there should be help centers providing information to the persons who are interested in Osho’s ideas purely on scientific lines.

5. Sufficient books in many languages with quality printing and designing should be published and made available to the masses. Osho Media International is doing this work perfectly. The information technology should be used to spread Osho’s words and His message of meditation. It should take over the work from the persons who are now working as Osho’s missionaries and preachers which have grown as weeds in Osho’s garden.

6. Stop giving publicity to the Osho Meditation Camp facilitators. They have now become out of date and obsolete. If they want to help Osho’s work then they should stop guiding others and devote their whole time and energy for their own enlightenment in this very life. That will be their great contribution for realizing Osho’s dream.

Note: Osho International Foundation has the copyrights of all Osho’s quotations given above.

“Osho Friends Trust”