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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.