Editing Rajneesh (section)

=== Pune ashram: 1974–1981 ===
While living in Mumbai he developed [[diabetes]], [[asthma]], and numerous [[allergy|allergies]].<ref name="FF1-78">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=78}}</ref> In 1974, on the 21st anniversary of his experience in Jabalpur, he moved to a property in [[Koregaon Park]], Pune, purchased with the help of Ma Yoga Mukta (Catherine Venizelos), a Greek shipping heiress.<ref name="FF1-87">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=87}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Carter|1990|pp=48–54}}</ref> Rajneesh spoke at the Pune ashram from 1974 to 1981. The two adjoining houses and {{convert|6|acre|ha}} of land became the nucleus of an [[ashram]], and the property is still the heart of the present-day OSHO International Meditation Resort. It allowed the regular audio recording and, later, video recording and printing of his discourses for worldwide distribution, enabling him to reach far larger audiences. The number of Western visitors increased sharply.<ref name="FF1-80" /> The ashram soon featured an arts-and-crafts centre producing clothes, jewellery, ceramics, and organic cosmetics and hosted performances of theatre, music, and mime.<ref name="FF1-80">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=80}}</ref> From 1975, after the arrival of several therapists from the [[Human Potential Movement]], the ashram began to complement meditations with a growing number of therapy groups,<ref name="Joshi123"/><ref name="BM26"/> which became a major source of income for the ashram.<ref name="JMF16-17">{{harvnb|Fox|2002|pp=16–17}}</ref><ref name="FF1-82-83">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|pp=82–83}}</ref>

The Pune ashram was by all accounts an exciting and intense place to be, with an emotionally charged, madhouse-carnival atmosphere.<ref name="FF1-80" /><ref name="JMF18">{{harvnb|Fox|2002|p=18}}</ref><ref name="JSG76-78">{{harvnb|Gordon|1987|pp=76–78}}</ref> The day began at 6:00&nbsp;a.m. with Dynamic Meditation.<ref name="TLS192">{{harvnb|Aveling|1994|p=192}}</ref><ref name="BM24-25">{{harvnb|Mullan|1983|pp=24–25}}</ref> From 8:00&nbsp;am, Rajneesh gave a 60- to 90-minute spontaneous lecture in the ashram's "Buddha Hall" auditorium, commenting on religious writings or answering questions from visitors and disciples.<ref name="FF1-80" /><ref name="BM24-25" /> Until 1981, lecture series held in [[Hindi]] alternated with series held in English.<ref name=Mehta93>{{harvnb|Mehta|1993|p=93}}</ref> During the day, various meditations and therapies took place, whose intensity was ascribed to the spiritual energy of Rajneesh's "buddhafield".<ref name="JMF18" /> In evening ''[[Darśana|darshans]]'', Rajneesh conversed with individual disciples or visitors and initiated disciples ("gave sannyas").<ref name="FF1-80" /><ref name="BM24-25" /> Sannyasins came for ''darshan'' when departing or returning or when they had anything they wanted to discuss.<ref name="FF1-80" /><ref name="BM24-25" />

To decide which therapies to participate in, visitors either consulted Rajneesh or selected according to their own preferences.<ref name="TLS193">{{harvnb|Aveling|1994|p=193}}</ref> Some of the early therapy groups in the ashram, such as the [[encounter group]], were experimental, allowing a degree of physical aggression as well as sexual encounters between participants.<ref name="FF1-83">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=83}}</ref><ref name="NYT131181">{{harvnb|Maslin|1981|p=}}</ref> Conflicting reports of injuries sustained in encounter group sessions began to appear in the press.<ref>Karlen, N., Abramson, P.: ''Bhagwan's realm'', ''Newsweek'', 3 December 1984. Available on [https://web.archive.org/web/20090710170848/http://www.nealkarlen.com/newsweek/bhagwan.shtml N. Karlen's own website]. Retrieved 10 July 2011.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Prasad|1978|p=}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Mehta|1994|pp=36–38}}</ref> [[Dick Price|Richard Price]], at the time a prominent Human Potential Movement therapist and co-founder of the [[Esalen]] Institute, found the groups encouraged participants to 'be violent' rather than 'play at being violent' (the norm in encounter groups conducted in the United States), and criticized them for "the worst mistakes of some inexperienced Esalen group leaders".<ref name=Carter62 /> Price is alleged to have exited the Pune ashram with a broken arm following a period of eight hours locked in a room with participants armed with wooden weapons.<ref name=Carter62>{{harvnb|Carter|1990|p=62}}</ref> Bernard Gunther, his Esalen colleague, fared better in Pune and wrote a book, ''Dying for Enlightenment'', featuring photographs and lyrical descriptions of the meditations and therapy groups.<ref name=Carter62 /> Violence in the therapy groups eventually ended in January 1979, when the ashram issued a press release stating that violence "had fulfilled its function within the overall context of the ashram as an evolving spiritual commune".<ref name="JSG84">{{harvnb|Gordon|1987|p=84}}</ref>

[[Sannyasin]]s who had "graduated" from months of meditation and therapy could apply to work in the ashram, in an environment that was consciously modelled on the community the Russian mystic [[Gurdjieff]] led in France in the 1930s.<ref name="Clarke466">{{harvnb|Clarke|2006|p=466}}</ref> Key features incorporated from Gurdjieff were hard, unpaid labour, and supervisors chosen for their abrasive personality, both designed to provoke opportunities for self-observation and transcendence.<ref name="Clarke466" /> Many disciples chose to stay for years.<ref name="Clarke466" /> Besides the controversy around the therapies, allegations of drug use amongst sannyasin began to mar the ashram's image.<ref name="Paradise" /> Some Western sannyasins were alleged to be financing extended stays in India through prostitution and drug-running.<ref name="JSG71">{{harvnb|Gordon|1987|p=71}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sam|1997|pp=57–58, 80–83, 112–114}}</ref> A few people later alleged that while Rajneesh was not directly involved, they discussed such plans and activities with him in ''darshan'' and he gave his blessing.<ref name="JMF47">{{harvnb|Fox|2002|p=47}}</ref>

[[File:Rajneesh and disciples at Poona in 1977.jpg|thumb|left|Rajneesh (right) with his disciples, in 1977]]
By the latter 1970s, the Pune ashram was too small to contain the rapid growth and Rajneesh asked that somewhere larger be found.<ref name="FF1-85" /> Sannyasins from around India started looking for properties: those found included one in the province of [[Kutch]] in Gujarat and two more in India's mountainous north.<ref name="FF1-85" /> The plans were never implemented as mounting tensions{{clarify|date=April 2025}} between the ashram and the [[Janata Party]] government of [[Morarji Desai]] resulted in an impasse.<ref name="FF1-85" /> Land-use approval was denied{{why|date=April 2025}} and, more importantly, the government stopped issuing visas to foreign visitors who indicated the ashram as their main destination.<ref name="FF1-85" /><ref>{{harvnb|Goldman|1991}}</ref> Besides, Desai's government cancelled the tax-exempt status of the ashram with retrospective effect, resulting in a claim estimated at $5&nbsp;million.<ref name="LFC6364"/> Conflicts with various Indian religious leaders aggravated the situation—by 1980 the ashram had become so controversial that [[Indira Gandhi]], despite a previous association between Rajneesh and the [[Indian National Congress|Indian Congress Party]] dating back to the sixties, was unwilling to intercede for it after her return to power.<ref name="LFC6364" /> In May 1980, during one of Rajneesh's discourses, an attempt on his life was made by Vilas Tupe, a young Hindu [[fundamentalist]].<ref name="FF1-85" /><ref name="FF1-227">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=227}}</ref><ref name="retard">{{cite news
 |date=18 November 2002
|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/28605046.cms
 |title=First suicide squad was set up in Pune 2 years ago
 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]
 |access-date=10 July 2011
|url-status=unfit
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819044604/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/28605046.cms
 |archive-date=19 August 2010
}}</ref> Tupe claims that he undertook the attack because he believed Rajneesh to be an agent of the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]].<ref name="retard" />

By 1981, Rajneesh's ashram hosted 30,000 visitors per year.<ref name="Paradise">Mitra, S., Draper, R., and Chengappa, R.: ''Rajneesh: Paradise lost'', in: ''India Today'', 15 December 1985</ref> Daily discourse audiences were by then predominantly European and American.<ref>{{harvnb|Wallis|1986|p=}}, reprinted in {{harvnb|Aveling|1999|p=143}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Mehta|1993|p=99}}</ref> Many observers noted that Rajneesh's lecture style changed in the late '70s, becoming less focused intellectually and featuring an increasing number of [[off-color humour|ethnic or dirty jokes]] intended to shock or amuse his audience.<ref name="FF1-85">{{harvnb|FitzGerald|1986a|p=85}}</ref> On 10 April 1981, having discoursed daily for nearly 15 years, Rajneesh entered a three-and-a-half-year period of self-imposed public silence, and ''[[satsang]]s''—silent sitting with music and readings from spiritual works such as [[Khalil Gibran]]'s ''[[The Prophet (book)|The Prophet]]'' or the ''[[Isha Upanishad]]''—replaced discourses.<ref name="BM30-31">{{harvnb|Mullan|1983|pp=30–31}}</ref><ref name=Joshi157-159>{{harvnb|Joshi|1982|pp=157–159}}</ref> Around the same time, [[Ma Anand Sheela]] (Sheela Silverman) replaced Ma Yoga Laxmi as Rajneesh's [[secretary]].<ref name=Gordon94 />