Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.8 $; site waltz Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!convex!waltz!dsouza From: dsouza@waltz Newsgroups: net.nlang.india Subject: Rajneeshpuram in uproar! Message-ID: <40800011@waltz> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 16:57:00 EDT Article-I.D.: waltz.40800011 Posted: Mon Sep 23 16:57:00 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 29-Sep-85 04:58:47 EDT Lines: 46 Nf-ID: #N:waltz:40800011:000:2549 Nf-From: waltz!dsouza Sep 23 15:57:00 1985 Rajneeshpuram is (once again) embroiled in controversy. These are excerpts from an article in the Austin American Statesman, Sept 23 (comments in parens mine): "...Indicative of the tremors that have rocked the commune was an offer by spiritual leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to give all but 1 of his 90 Rolls Royces to his 5000 disciples as a gesture of appreciation. (My, how generous!). "The offer was not accepted, however. The cars belong to the Rajneesh Investment Trust, which specifies that they be used exclusively by Raj- neesh. The trust president, Swami Dhyan John, said that because the guru had sat in all the vehicles, 'they are sacred, and we want them just where they are.' (How come Rajneesh gets to use them if they are sacred?) "...Rajneesh's principal advisor, Ma Anand Sheela, fled the commune with as many as 20 other leaders. Investigators are looking into charges by guru that Sheela was involved in attempted murder, wiretapping, arson and fraud. (I thought all that was what Rajneesh preached, among other such delights?). "...Observers outside the commune were skeptical of the charges, saying he may have been trying to draw attention to Sheela in an effort to shift focus from his visa troubles. "Rajneesh also says that Sheela was responsible for most of the activ- ities that profoundly angered surrounding communities...included bringing in 3800 homeless people last year (now wasn't that supposed to be a gener- ous, concerned effort at rehousing these people, as opposed to charges that it was done to stack the voting in local elections? Read on...). "'I'm not much interested in uneducated, illiterate street beggars', Rajneesh said. (So much for Rajneesh's claims to being a God. Uneducated, illiterate street beggars don't have Rolls Royces to 'donate' to him, unfortunately). "Rajneesh emerged last Oct from 3.5 years of self-imposed exile at the commune. He said little about it except that he 'got tired of talking to the walls'. (Maybe they got tired of him? Maybe he does not know that we are tired of listening to his fulminations?). "He is pressing the argument that Sheela...used her position to impose 'a fascist state' on the 4 yr old commune. "...His teaching that there is no God (besides himself, of course) has particularly angered local Christians, as does casual nudity and cheerful advocacy of free love." (Is there AIDS in the commune?) There is much I would like to say on the subject of Rajneesh; maybe I shall refrain from putting it on the net. cheers, dilip.