A different birthday

Friday was my birthday and since I’m here on my own I decided to check out Osho Meditation Resort for something different. After a bumpy start in the morning with a misunderstanding with a rickshaw driver, I made it to the centre around noon. I guess I should know by now that when someone say "yes, yes!" it doesn't necessary mean they know where you're talking about, but I figured I was close when I saw a lot of maroon dressed people walking around. According to Osho everyone wearing the colour maroon will increase ”the collective meditative energy” levels and it will help to put focus on the inner instead of the outer, so everyone who wants to enter at the centre has to wear maroon robes.

Osho was one of those who brought spirituality to the West in the 80’s, but he had a different approach than many others as he encouraged sex as a way to enlightenment, hence also the reason why he earned the nickname ”sex guru”. As we all know AIDS was becoming an issue at this time and on his website you can read that Osho was soon sure that this was ”not just any disease” and he encouraged people to get tested regularly. Today you still have to get tested before entering the resort and you will not be allowed in if it is positive. 

After getting my test approved and buying my three-day pass I could finally enter to get my ”amazing” maroon robe! Many of the people there had obviously been there for a long time or been coming back many times as their maroon robes were washed out and they had all kinds of accessories in the colour of maroon. It felt like everyone noticed I was a newcomer. It didn’t take more than 10 minutes before one guy asked if it was my first day. He told me he’d been there for more than 3000 days now and when I asked if he worked there or what, he said ” No, no! Never work! Only enjoying life!”. I guess that goes with Osho’s teachings that life is meant to be about play, celebration and dance.

A sneaky photo with my Ipod

My birthday was spent next to the pool, which was really the reason why I went there at all, and all of the sudden some people said they wanted to organize a birthday party for me. An unexpected birthday party can never be a bad thing so I thought why not. The party was a weird mix of about 9-10 people from India, New Zealand and Germany. I even got a birthday cake so it turned out to be a great day. 

And guess what?! They had ice-cold CANS of coke at the centre. I was so happy about this and said to someone that this would have to be the only place in Pune where they sell cans of coke; either they didn’t get it or they just didn’t care.

Yesterday I had to join the compulsory Welcome Morning, which is a three-hour introduction about Osho and his three main meditations; Dynamic mediation, Kundalini meditation and the evening meeting; the last one is supposed to be ”the highlight” of the day. The first thing they told us is that Osho encouraged people to dance and celebrate so we started the Welcome Morning with some dancing! Some people are just natural born dancer, but for others it doesn’t come that easy, such as me for example. But I joined in and it definitely got me out of every comfort zone I have ever known.

We also had to practice the three main meditations. Normally they last for 1-2 hours with different stages, but we got a taste of it with two minutes of each stage. The stages includes for example shaking the whole body, dancing, screaming your brains out, talking ”gibberish”, jumping up and down while shouting ’hoo, hoo!’, laughing hysterically and being still. It is pretty much about letting your body do what ever it needs to and letting go of whatever comes up.

The one part I liked was screaming! It actually felt really good and we were a big group so I couldn’t even hear my own voice. The dancing part was hard but in a weird way I did feel good after it, but I still don’t think it is for me. I will stick to Iyengar yoga for sure.

I’m glad I went to the Welcome Morning because it gave me an introduction about what it is but I didn’t join any of the meditations after that. I was planning to go to at least one since I was already there but I just couldn’t make myself go. I can understand people like the place because it is really easy to meet people there and everyone is very open and dancing around talking to people, but it just got too intense for me. It says on the webpage and information brochure that you are not required to join any of the meditations; it is actually written many places that you can come and do nothing, just relax and be present, but it didn’t feel like that was acceptable. I had people asking me all the time what meditations I’d been to and which ones I wanted to go to and a lot of talk about energies and all that. I sort of got over it after one day and thought about buying one of those ”in silence” badgers you could get if you’re doing a silent meditation to stop people from talking to me.

Everyone seemed to be crazy about it; one girl said she was only there for three days so she wanted to go to as many meditations as she could, and when I told them I was there for three days but wanted to do as little as possible they all looked at me like I’d just killed a cow! But I guess when many of them have been there for a while and working really intensely on themselves through meditations they would be very in to it and focused on only that.

One girl told me everyone at home thought the centre is so commercial and she wished they could understand that it is not. But really, even though you’re into the meditations there is no way you can possibly defy that it is not commercial; everything about it is commercial. You have to pay for everything from registration fee, your daily pass, the maroon robe and a white robe for the evening meeting, and if you don’t have a mat with you, you also need to buy this or a meditation chair. And of course if you want to use the swimming pool or gym you have to pay extra for this and also get maroon swimwear and gym wear. If you want any one-on-one sessions to learn more about the meditations or any other courses this also cost extra. Photography is strictly not allowed but it is of course possible to buy postcards; that’s what they said at the Welcome Morning. And the whole place is just like a 5 star resort so I don’t understand how someone can say it is not commercial no matter how much they enjoy the meditations.

I got one of the security guards to take a photo of me outside Osho's teeth park. How is that for todays outfit?? 

Another thing I don’t like is the way Osho used to criticize other religions and gurus. Maybe I just don’t know enough about it but I don’t get why people should listen to him when he criticize those who follow any kind of religion or any other master/guru. He did say he didn’t want people to ”follow” him, but it seems to be what is happening anyway. I even heard one guy saying he’s in love with Osho and if that is not following him I don’t know. I find it strange and I get sceptical when someone justifies their teachings by criticizing others.

In the Welcome Morning they were pretty much making fun out of other ashrams saying Osho’s centre is different because they don’t have the co-operative smiles and seriousness of other ashrams. Osho didn’t actually call the centre for an ashram but to me it doesn’t seem any different than that and many of the people staying there call it for an ashram.

I was tempted not to go back today but I just really wanted to use that swimming pool one last time so I went for a couple of hours. I met one guy who seemed normal and I admitted to him that I thought it was all a little too much, and he said: ”A little too much?? They’re fanatics!!”. As for the highlight of the day, the evening meeting, he actually pointed it in that way that if you’re a smart person you will find it interesting but you will definitely not like it. He said it is almost like hypnoses because in one of the stages they put on a speech by Osho and no one can really understand it because of his English and the quality of the sound, but they just want you to listen to his voice and the way he talks and meditate on this. The first stage is a 20 minutes dance and celebration, as they say, and at the end everyone shouts Osho! three times. I didn’t go to the evening meeting and I don’t regret it.

As said before, I do understand a lot of people will like the place, it allows you to be exactly as you want (as long as you participate in the dancing and meditations) and it is beautifully designed almost like a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city (with a massive swimming pool), but for me it was just too much. I don't even think I like Osho; the only thing I agree with him on is that you should forget the past, don't worry about the future and live in the moment. But he is not special for saying that, I think every spiritual teacher, master or guru would say that.

All in all it was an interesting experience, but one thing I know for sure is that I’m definitely not going back there to celebrate my 27th birthday!