Monday was Matt’s last day in India so I took off a bit early to finally see some of Pune. We went off with our favorite driver (the only one who really speaks English) to start our city tour. First stop, Osho – a local Ashram and “International Meditation Resort.”
According to Wikipedia, here’s the founder’s history: “Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain (December 11, 1931 – January 19, 1990), better known during the 1970s and 1980s as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later taking the name Osho, was an Indian spiritual teacher. He lived in India and in other countries including, for a period, the United States, and inspired the Osho movement, a controversial spiritual and philosophical movement.” Stories I’ve heard suggest Rajneesh was kicked out of Oregon for starting what was the early stages of Osho. For this “meditation” resort, sex was considered a path to enlightenment, and Rolls Royce was the vehicle of choice (as apparently the lined the driveways). Rajneesh was kicked out for unorthodox practice and finance reasons and found his way to Pune. Now, to get into Osho, visitors must pass an HIV test and pay a high price to enter “tranquility” land.
How zen…
We happened by the Ashram only to drive up a beautiful tree lined street. Not only were pink and green (and all shades in between) trees lining the street, but maroon clad sould seekers wafted up and down the road. At Osho, one must buy a set of maroon robes and pay a phenomenal price. Then, they can enjoy tranquility and hopefully become enlightened.
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