An Eye Opener

Osho Commune International. From the very beginning, has always been functioning under various trusts - known as Jeevan Jagruti Kendra, Rajneesh Foundation, Rajneeshdham etc. Later when Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh dropped his name and became known as Osho, some of the trusts also had a name change like: Osho International Foundation…. etc

The commune in Pune has been the meeting place of Osholovers and disciples coming from over hundred countries. This place was host to thousands of such people year after year, even after Osho left his body in 1990. The main center of all Osho meditations, sannyas initiation and celebrations, was Gautama the Buddha auditorium. There was a beautiful Zen style pagoda on marble podium, which was the heart and soul of this auditorium. This is where Osho sat for several years and gave darshan and discourses on Buddha, Krishna, Patanjali, Ashtavkra, Meera, Nanak, Kabir, Raidas, Upanishads, Sufi masters, Yoga, Tantra, Tao and Zen.

Recently, after the inauguration of new Osho Auditorium and a Hotel type Guest House, next to Godrej Millennium building, the original Osho Dhyan Mandir (Zen style pagoda) and the marble walls and glass door from where Osho always made his entry to the podium, was destroyed without proper permission from the Pune Municipal Corporation, as has been already published in the media. Thousands of Osholovers around the world are deeply hurt by this sacrilegious act and want this to be restored to its original form.

Behind this insensitive destruction is an organisation of people known as Osho International Foundation registered in Zurich and operating from New York. It has five members:

(1) Mr. Michael O'Byrne (Canadian)
(2) Mr. John Andrew (British)
(3) Mr. Klaus Steeg (German)
(4) Mr. Peter Kreutzfeld (German)
(5) Mr. Mukesh Sarda (Indian)


The Commune management has been heard saying that, "...we have been moving from Ashram to Commune, and now we are moving from Commune to Resort…"

This resort is functioning under Zen Resorts Pvt. Ltd. Earlier we had some knowledge of the trusts, but now we don't know. We have heard that all commune properties are gradually being converted into private limited companies, there are share-holders and people are going be hired and fired. Turning the trusts into private limited companies seems to be a clever device to sell off properties. If unofficial sources are anything to go by, soon there will not be any sannyas initiation and maroon robes for meditations in the commune!

Osho's birthday and Punyatithi celebrations have already been stopped. The spiritual dimension of the ashram, the commune and the neo-sannyas movement started by Osho is being systematically killed. Osho has been converted into a brand, and a saleable commodity. All the copyrights and trademarks of Osho's meditations, words, photos, audio and videotapes, about 880 of Osho's signature paintings and personal belongings have been shifted outside the country and are being controlled by this outfit based in Zurich and New York. The trusts that were entrusted by Osho himself to do his work have no control over this.

Osho disciples and Sannyasin publishers who were publishing Osho's books in their original version, have been harassed by this outfit with costly legal cases. We know that they have also sold world rights of some books to Western publishers and the books have been heavily edited. We are afraid that soon there will be no original versions of books left in the world.

The same outfit is behind banning some Indian and Western sannyasins from entering the commune. Osho's secretary Ma Yoga Neelam and a few other well-known disciples who have been working for Osho for last 20-30 years have been banned, because they expressed their concern for Osho's entire legacy being surreptitiously transferred out of India for personal benefits of some sannyasins.

We want the Govt. agencies to look into this matter and request them to find out all the conspiracy that the commune has become victim of and stop this remote control from New York. Let Osho Commune be Osho Commune - a spiritual place for seekers as it has always been, with the original Dhyan Mandir restored urgently, the sannyas initiation, meditation and celebration should continue there, all the banned people be welcomed again. The entry fee Rs. 80/= for Indians and Rs.250/= for Westerners should be reduced to affordable level, and this place should not become anybody's private property.

IT IS OUR COMMUNE! A MEETING PLACE OF SEEKERS, OPEN FOR ALL WITHOUT ANY DISCRIMINATION!

For details, please contact:

Osho Friends International
C-5/44 Safdarjung Development Area
New Delhi-110016