Personally, I do not envy anyone who has the job of keeping the Osho Pune Resort sustainable.
We could not have kept the ashram of Poona One going and certainly not the experiment in Rajneeshpuram going without a tremendous amount of donations. It does not take a genius to realize that once Osho left the body the amount of donations coming in would have dropped precipitously. This simple fact is probably the biggest factor on the difficulty of the finances.
Not only was the management of the resort charged with the task of keeping the resort going, but also, at the same time, to keep as many of Osho’s books in publication as possible, no easy task.
I am sure that it was out of Osho’s wisdom that he made the choice of personnel that he did to see the commune into, and through, the transition.
The effort to monetize the playing of Osho’s videos would appear to be part of that effort. The sale of discourse downloads for $1.99 each seems to be an effort to find the right balance between accessibility and sustainability. To make matters even more difficult, Osho directed that the books be sold as cheaply as possible and still maintain the high quality. I might have used a different strategy to maximize the publication of Osho’s books, but then again, if I had been given the entire picture, I might have concluded that theirs was the best option available.
Another difficulty that management faces is that Osho’s books are being published by others and the income from those books is diverted to support other communes. In addition, there were sites created online in order to distribute audio and video recordings of Osho’s discourses at no cost. While I am sure that all of these efforts were made with good intentions, clearly, they undermine the sustainability project.
In addition, the sustained effort to delegitimize the resort and its management year after year, surely, has to eventually begin to take a toll financially.
And then along comes Covid-19 and suddenly the resort is forced to close its doors to any visitors for almost a year.
So now what do some of us in the sannyas community do? We complain when management tries to find ways to keep the dream alive. Rather than being supportive we are Monday morning quarterbacking. Do you think that Osho would have wanted for us to take a poll, to have a vote?
Personally, I do not have any inside information as to how they are planning to weather this financial storm, but I do truly hope that they are successful, and I am willing to say so publicly.
-purushottama
The management team at Osho International Mediation Resort has written this letter to clarify the current affairs. It was published on OshoNews.
Continuing Preservation of the OSHO International Meditation Resort
And recently the following letter was posted by Rupa FitzGerald on Facebook.
Beloved friend
There is no doubt on the quality and volume of work resort team has done, keeping the beauty of place, book. publishing, apps, website, YouTube, social media.
As a disciple I am grateful to them and others who are working to keep the message pure and making the message available for others.
The confusion perhaps happen when most of us hear of big news / updates / plans / from newspapers and social media rather than from the source.
The vacuum perhaps gives food to the mind to imagine and usually it is not positive.
Love Is
A very one sided view.
Not a word about how the OIF management constantly sues and harasses people.
Not a word abou how the OIF banned certain sannyasins.
Not a word about how the OIF made great efforts to alienate die hard seekers and tried to attract rich professionals who seek a meditation holiday at Club Med.
Not a word about how the OIF banned the Osho mala (the most idiotic thing possible for a disciple of Osho. Of course not mandatory, but banning it is ignorant)
Not a word about how OIF increased the entrance fee dozens of times and offer expensive workshops- and they still lack money
Not a word about how OIF have been systematically removing Osho and also censoring, I repeat censoring Osho
When Osho’s full discourses are no longer published (and that is why they are offered on some websites)
And when they only publish safe, syrupy quotes taken out of context – compilations of such quotes – and the more controversial stuff in NOT PUBLISHED, that is actually CENSORSHIP of Osho!
C’mon, can’t you see it? Can’t you see the censorship of Osho?
4 millions Osho books have sold in Italy alone, yet OIF doesn’t have enough money.
EVEN NOW, sannyasins would want to donate to save the pool.
Not a word about how the OIF have behaved like a tyrant, suing everybody.
In your view, the OIF are innocent doves, sacrificing themselves to make the ashram financially viable.
Well, if they hadn’t behaved so dictatorially, and alienated so many sincere disciples.
And don’t blame Covid for this. The ashram being closed, all they need is a little electricity and food for the staff.
You also conveniently don’t mention that the OIF have been trying to sell parts of the ashram since 20 years ago, and they couldn’t because sannyasins protested.
Now Covid is their perfect excuse!
Can’t understand how you can be so naive.
What happens the next time there is a cashflow problem? They will gradually sell bits of the ashram?
If the task of keeping the ashram afloat was so hard, why didn’t they ask for help, ask other sannyasins to join the team?
They behaved like dictators.
Oh, and not a word how the original 21 people inner circle were gradually kicked out by Amrito, and now only 2-3 people remain.
If people left the inner circle, or were kicked out (it’s questionable why they should be kicked out by other members) why didn’t they replace them with other sannyasins, so that the 21 members remain on the board?
Because it was a power struggle, and a couple of people wanted Total control.
You have to be blind not to see it.
Please add these details to the story.
Dharma, It is not necessary for me to add the above details to the story because you have. I have written in response to the hundreds of endless posts piling on the management of the resort. The vast majority are second hand, repeated, regurgitated comments and so I have added a different take. Cheers! And here is another side. https://o-meditation.com/2018/04/30/suddenly-there-are-no-more-wounds-osho/
I totally agree with your comment. I was in Pune 12 years from 94 to and we have seen the progression of the master plan to destroy the ashram by the jayesh Amrito gang who have transformed a very alive commune in a so call 5 star resort empty and dull. The steps of this destruction was planned carefully starting to bring buses from the most drugged hyppies from goa organising a party where the police discover drugs. It was the beginning of a sorcerer hunt into the sanyasin community with gestapo like questioning and invitations to denounce drugged sanyasins and business people around the ashram.
Then it get worse osho pictures removed, Neelam left, as well as the mystery school. It was over.
So friends this is my experience and I have never forgive this mafia to have destroyed our ashram. They have done it purposely.
Sankalpo Veet from france
Oshodam in Delhi is an excellent example as one of many Osho Meditation Centres thriving in India. Why is it that the very place where Osho created and ashram lived and breathed there is unable to stand on its feet. Amrito, Jayesh and comrades have done their best to mismanage and undermine Oshos legacy in Pune.
Premsukh, There is a big difference in running a meditation centre and being charged with keeping as many of Osho’s books in print and at the same time making them available at a price as inexpensive as possible as well as maintaining the archives, etc. etc. etc. Let each do their work as they do. I do know that Tapodan in Nepal is seeking donations in order to keep afloat during these times. I have never seen the Pune management enlist donations, perhaps they should have. Or perhaps they were under instructions to make it self-sustaining. I don’t know, but I do know that all this piling on is ugly.
You are indirectly nothing more than an sycophant of OIF. It is because of impotent old Sannyasins like you who have no backbone that the present management has been able to run its agenda. I am relatively new to Osho and was born after Osho left the body. It shocks me how idiotic and cowardly the so called senior Sannyasins can be.