Osho Day Celebration in Osho Dham

Every Tree Tells a Story Each Bird Sings an Osho Song

By Swami Anand Kul Bhushan

It feels as if every tree in Osho Dham is telling a story and each bird is singing the songs of Osho, said an Osho disciple from Gujarat who has been meditating at many Osho centres for fifteen years. He likes to just sit and listen to the sound of dancing trees and singing birds in Osho Dham. No wonder why Osho Dham is called Oshofield and not Buddhafield.

Another Sanyasin from Canada saw one of the team members of Osho Dham cleaning the Buddha Hall in bare feet. When asked why he was doing it in this biting cold; why doesn’t he cover his feet and he replied that this is a temple and he cannot go there wearing any slippers or shoes. He added he does not feel cold in the Temple and he feels like worshiping while he cleans it.

The Osho Day celebration on 19^th January to mark 32^nd anniversary of the Master leaving his body witnessed a group of dedicated disciples and lovers to Osho Dham, New Delhi. In freezing cold, with a chilling wind, the icy cold marble floor of open-ended Buddha Hall made a unique experience. It was difficult to even stand in this cold.

“I was wearing two pairs of socks, a cap and a jacket to protect myself,” recalled Ma Shubh Tarangini (Poonam Rawat), “But when everyone started dancing in the celebration, I was sweating from head to toe. So much heat and energy were generated that at one point, I felt all my energy had collected in my head and the cap is not letting it out. My head was exploding. I had to throw away my cap and jacket to let that energy flow.”

“This was not the first time I have been to Osho Dham but the experience of Osho Day Celebration was definitely new and fresh. I learnt a new definition of death. I have seen deaths in my family, had lost my father when I was a teen. I had only learnt mourning the death so far but Osho has given me new meaning, a completely opposite meaning, opposite to mourning which is celebration.

“Celebrate death,” says Osho. He adds only the body goes away but the very being continues its journey and awareness is the path for that journey. Death is something we all need to understand. Osho is the only master who has shown us the way,” Tarangini said.

“On 20^th January, I got the news of demise of one of my IIM (Indian Institute of Management) batchmate who was a very good friend. She was a beautiful being and I always saw her enjoying and celebrating each moment. Everyone in more than 100 people in our IIM group was shocking on her untimely death. But for me, it was the first time when death did not shock me. What shocked me was that I am not shocked. I celebrated her death in the White Robe of 20^th January evening. I celebrated alone and it felt so nice. Never before I had celebrated death. It made me so light – like a feather, even a feather has some weight.

In his discourses during the camp, Osho explained the difference between Nirvana, Parinirvana and Mahaparinirvana. Mahaprinirvan happens when an enlightened master leaves the body. His presence can still be felt by those who connect with him through meditation.

“I very much felt the presence of Swami Om Prakash Saraswati in Osho Dham. Sometimes it feels that I am sitting at his feet in silence,” she went on.

She concluded, “This is the energy of Osho Dham. It is unbelievable. My heart is singing and my body is relaxed and my being is radiating and beautiful. Gratitude is the only way to say it all…. love you Osho.”

During her first visit to Osho Dham, Dr. Rimy Dey found happy faces all over. “I had a new vision; it seems I was born yesterday. Before coming to Osho, I had a very wrong impression of Osho from the media but my friend kept talking about him and I started reading him and then came for this camp.

“Osho Dham has a ‘nasha’ (intoxication) in its air; made me feel alive with a taste of bliss. When meditating, I felt the shackles of my body dropping away and felt really free. This place gave me a taste of heaven.

“My concept of religion which was raw and uncooked has changed completely. It’s a very new way of seeing life. Reading him and listening to him is now a priority despite the fact that I am very busy with my work of saving lives in this time, said Dr. Dey.

“Always an unforgettable experience” is how Piyush Sharma summed up this camp. An avid lover of Dynamic Meditation, he maintains it sets the tone of the day. Equally, he likes Kundalini meditation. All meditation experiences were very deep and intensive. Osho’s discourses and documentary enabled him to appreciate a new understanding of death.

The highlight of this camp was the Sannyas ceremony, said camp coordinator, Swami Amit Saraswati. When Swami Satya Vedant, a veteran disciple, initiated new Sannyasis, including a four-year old cute toddler with a new name Ma Prem Satbodhi.

A documentary, Osho Alive, was played during White Robe on Osho Day. Swami Ravindra Bharati conducted the camp with a special guided meditation on death while the celebrations were marked by boisterous dance and laughter sessions. It was Osho’s energy all over.