Open letter to Inner Circle
Wolfgang Doelz
## Ursprung : /SANNYAS-LIST
## Ersteller: mi...@earth.path.net
Please read the following letter,and sign it if - in general - you agree.
If you feel you can mark hearts by things you agree with strongly,
and X's by things you disagree with, or write comments in the margins or on
the back. Please send the letter to _________________________ on the Inner
Circle.
An Open Letter to the Inner Circle
This letter is to express the feelings of many of the lovers of Osho here
at this time, or elsewhere in the world.
Neelam's departure is not the issue we are concerned about, if she has
chosen to withdraw from the IC, we fully support that. However it is a
symptom of what we see is wrong, and has been a catalyst for bringing
concerns to a head.
If we learned one lesson from the Ranch, it was that we are responsible if
we allow the people in authority to lead us in a direction we don't feel
agree with. Like the Ranch, the current Inner Circle has remained in
control because in leaving no avenue to even express dissent, it has pushed
those who disagree to just leave, something that is evident in the fewer
and fewer numbers of old-timers that we see around the Ashram. There is
however one big difference between the current IC, and Sheila's gang, and
that is that many of you are people that many of us call friends, and I
don't think there is any doubt among any of us that we all love Osho. We
send this letter in the hope that it is still possible to bridge the
widening gulf between the IC and sannyasins before even more withdraw their
energy.
What follows is not a list of demands, its a collection of points that we
believe need hearing, thinking about, and discussing. Some - even the
drafters of this letter - won't agree with all the points, but they are all
issues that a lot of people feel deeply about.
Listening
By far the biggest point that we are all worried about, is the deepening
gulf between the IC, and the people who have given this Commune its life
for - in many cases - several decades. It shows itself in an arrogance in
dealing with issues that people hold dear. It shows itself when its clear
that IC members haven't really talked to anyone about the issues - for
example how now, days after the announcement in White Robe, many of the IC
still think it was just Sarjano's thing - or when Global Connections sends
out a copy of Turiya's beautiful letter, as if she was the real issue
rather than the last straw that broke the camel's back for many centers. If
you talk to almost anyone who has been here a few years you'll hear stories
of how they have approached IC members only to be met with a brick wall, or
a sermon. Most of all, it shows itself when you ask almost anyone whether
they believe the IC is listening.
Its clear that informal communications aren't working, many of the IC are
never seen mixing with the regular workers, never seen in Mariam, or
hanging out in Osho Cafe, and when IC members meet with departments, there
is usually far more talking than listening done. If the IC members cannot
for themselves figure out a way to make the informal communications work,
so that people feel that they are being heard and that different
perspectives are being considered, then we think its time that some more
formal process was considered. We aren't saying what that should be, the
test will not be whether some meeting is held or anything like that - it
will be when the majority of workers in the Ashram know that at last they
are being heard.
Heart or Head, Yin or Yang, Meditation Resort or Commune?
The second most important group of issues concern what is perceived as a
move away from the heart towards the head, or from the yin to the yang. I
think everyone realizes that without good solid business management the
commune won't succeed, but nor will it succeed if the heart is cut out. If
the current IC members have lost touch with their hearts, then maybe its
time for some new people, or maybe its time for the IC members who think
they are coming from their hearts to stand up and be counted when decisions
move the ashram towards being a Club Med rather than a Commune.
Essentially, we believe the ashram has a choice - either become a business,
a Club Meditation, a resort catering to the business executive looking for
the quick fix, in which case treat the workers as staff, pay them and be
clear about being a business, or be a real Commune something which doesn't
only receive energy from its members, but gives back as well.
How would this be different from now? Well just for example:
* In a real Commune, people who've given decades of full-time energy to
the place wouldn't be asked to leave because they don't have an
outside pension plan, nor would they have to beg money to pay for
hospital bills.
* A real Commune, would care about the working conditions of its
members. Apart from the factors that are of course outside of any of
our control - such as Pune's pollution, if you aren't powerful or
rich, chances are that you are working in the most unhealthy,
unsupportive environment you've ever had to: An overcrowded office;
with poor lighting; poor ventilation and/or inadequate AC; too much
noise; chairs that cripple backs; ancient computers and so on If you
want so much of our time and energy, then value it, and treat us like
it is valued.
* In a real Commune, we'd remember that participants in Working
Meditation are essentially volunteers and treat them as such. Neither
the trivial discount of 90 Rs a day (gate pass plus workers Chai) nor
even the limited support and room that some get (worth maybe 50Rs an
hour at maximum), qualify people as wage-slaves. Remember that people
are volunteers, giving their energy and treat them like that, and
remember that this place is theirs too.
There are plenty of other indications that the IC has lost touch with the
heart. Decisions put through with little, if any, discussion with the rest
of us. Some of these decisions may have been right - we accept that
sometimes decisions won't be easy or popular, but without discussion or
explanation many people are going to feel cut out, and see these as
symptoms of a trend that we don't like. For example.
* Osho's pictures are being removed from public view in the Ashram and
also will be removed from his books. (Osho was always adamant that his
picture should be seen on the book covers and his image should be
prominently displayed.) As we all know his photos have a strong
spiritual radiance, which can transform people in an instant.
* Lots of people have concerns about the new Buddha Hall, about its
location at one extreme end of the Ashram, at its cost, at its lack of
fresh air, about the meditation room being directly over the kitchen.
As far as anyone remembers, the plans were never made public before
construction began, and given our track record on creating the barely
usable (due to poor ventilation) pyramid group rooms, and the
soul-less Pyramid Plaza, people we think have reasons to be concerned
that the same mistakes are not repeated.
* Creative Arts were continuously harassed to give up their space in the
Commune and were finally removed from the Multiversity. They are now
viewed as a department which is not allowed to lead groups or expand.
With the squashing of creativity we feel one of the most important
aspects of Osho's vision is being squashed.
* Enlightenment has become a dirty word around the Ashram, Osho's whole
work was to take us to that point, and many people cannot believe that
after all these years, noone attained it. However there is no open
discussion of this issue. Instead to most people it looks like
pronouncements on supposedly enlightened people are made from the
perspective of protecting the business interests of the Ashram rather
than any serious consideration. While there undoubtably are
fraudulant, or at least deluded claims, we doubt that any of the IC
have sat with any of the people they are passing judgements on.
Pushing away people who are still seeking enlightenment, doesn't keep
Osho's vision "24 carat gold", it removes the shine.
* Many, if not most, of us found Osho through meeting other sannyasins,
however the current view especially of IC (especially Amrito), seems
to be that people will come through books and the web, and he focusses
on the short term newcomer visitor. This is perfectly fine as one of
the perspectives within the IC, but when it becomes the only one, then
it clearly fails to reflect the people here.
* The books from Osho's library which have his signature paintings have
been taken apart and His paintings removed and taken to London. It was
done secretly, without people knowing. Osho has always taken
tremendous care of His library. We cannot imagine Him ever condoning
such an act as to destroy his books.
* Osho's Samadhi is now being used as a group room. People disagree as
to whether Osho's wish for this was meant to be while he was in his
body, or after it became a Samadhi.
Spiritual or Mundane, Pune or the World
The third major group of concerns that we hear people expressing are around
the areas in which the IC makes decisions. The Inner Circle was set up to
look after the mundane, administrative aspects of Osho's work. However,
many decisions are made which strongly affect the spiritual dimension of
His Work. When this issue is addressed to certain IC members, then there is
always some reason to justify a decision being within the IC's mandate. For
example by linking a spiritual issue, to the "Osho" trademark, or to
copyright or something like that. Many of the decisions above are we
believe clearly spiritual in nature, for example the issue of
Enlightenment. Of course, there are grey areas but the IC needs to
recognize that it doesn't have an unquestioned authority in all areas, and
that if it wants support it needs to earn it.
The biggest source of friction around the issue of who makes what decisions
relates to centers. We have yet to find a center leader from a functioning
vibrant center who thinks the IC, or Global Connections knows how to run
their center better than they do. Up until Sheila closed down most of the
European centers, the centers had a mutually supportive relationship with
the Ashram, therapists flowing back and forth between the two, newcomers
connecting with Osho through local centers, and then being directed to
Pune. Now it seems that centers are seen more as competition rather than
fellow participants in spreading Osho's vision - the attitude seems to be
that if a center cannot be controlled, then it should be pushed out of the
family. The standard answer of "The IC doesn't tell you what to do, you can
do anything you want, just don't call it 'Osho'" is a clear example of the
arrogance that believes that the IC knows best. Functioning, beautiful
centers like Osho Mevlana in Byron Bay and Osho Academy in Sedona aren't
officially recognized as centers, while many others have received
threatening letters to conform or give back their names, or tricky "Letters
of Understanding" that give up the rights to the names Osho gave them. For
many centers, their only relationship with Pune is one of control, not of
mutual support, and as a result few now direct people to come to Pune.
And its not just centers, the prevailing thinking is that anyone promoting
Osho's vision, while not directly under the control of Pune is at risk from
the lawyers, and as a result, many people withdraw there energy and stop
coming to Pune. If Osho's vision is to thrive in the world, it needs to be
expanding, not narrowing, it needs to be including people with energy for
it, not pushing them away. Otherwise the lessons of history - the
Reformation when the Protestant churches split from Rome - are likely to be
repeated.
So, our overall message to the Inner Circle. We believe it is not yet to
late to:
* Listen
* Reconnect with your hearts.
* Communicate with us
* Reconnect with the sannyas family that you have pushed away.
* Listen
* Remember that you aren't infallible, and nor do you have an
unquestioned authority.
As signers of this letter, we don't neccessarily agree with every point
above, but we feel its time for a change, time for more communication, and
time to get back to the heart.
With love, for you, for Osho, and for each other.
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