by Swami Chaitanya Keerti
I have just completed 30 years in Sannyas life. On 4th September. I arrive in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and decide to celebrate Sannyas-birthday in Pachmarhi, a beautiful hill-station. Swami Dev Anuragi, Osho’s childhood friend, Balsakha, who is also a well-known poet, accompanying me. I leave him and his endless poetry in Bhopal and proceed to Kuchwara, Osho’s birth place. Swami Satyatirth, the coordinator of our meditation center in Tokyo, has invited me to Kuchwara, where he is developing Oshotirth, a place of pilgrimage for Osho lovers.
I had visited Osho’s birth place 29 years ago when I was traveling in Osho Kirtan group. Nothing has changed in this village since then, except that you see four Japanese and one German sannyasins. They are fully involved in the development program. Kuchwara has certain similarities with Rajneeshpuram, Oregon. It is very muddy during the rainy season. You see the deer and stags dancing in the fields. But the local people are not so hostile as Oregonians. Actually a small child shouts Osho in excitement when he sees us arriving in the village. Life is very relax otherwise. I see a buffalo relaxing in the neighboring field and a crow jumping on her and trying to search some eatables in her ears. But she does not seem to get disturbed by the activities of the crow.
I visit Osho’s house, where he was born on 11 December, 1931. Efforts are being made to keep that house in its original shape. Another house adjacent to this house was sold to somebody by Osho’s father for only 250 Rupees. Now the owner of the same house wants ten million Rupees for this house.
Modern facilities have also started arriving in this village and there are plans to have meditation programs for 21 days, starting from 11 December, Osho’s birthday. Swami Vairagya Amrita who originally comes from Gadarwara, where Osho spent most of his childhood and who was picked up by Osho to spread his message around India, would be available in Kuchwara to lead meditation camps. Varagya led a Kirtan group before getting totally involved in the practical work happening in Osho Commune International, where he was a trustee of Osho International Foundation. I was also the trustee. Now we both enjoy a special status: we both are banned from the commune. Under the dictatorship of New York based Osho International Foundation, the present management team of the Commune in Pune has banned Ma Neelam, her daughter Priya, Swami Tathagat, Ma Dhyan Shakti, Swami Vedant Bharti and myself from entering within the hundred meters radius of the Commune property. Vairagya tells his own story in his letter to fellow travelers.
Luckily we are welcome to visit and stay in various Osho meditation centers around the country. I was welcome everywhere in my travel to Madhya Pradesh. Our sannyasins and centers showed no fear. Though they did express their concern about this situation that so many of Osho disciples have been banned.
Swami Vairagya Amrita has written an open letter to the fellow travelers
