Any OSHO fans still reading? It was a great experience in Pune, India and I’m fond of the place itself – the real world!

Eight blog posts & 17,000 words later and over 400 comments I’d aired my experience as it happened. A meeting with an editor and a flower smelling photograph later GO! Smell the flowers the OSHO experience made it into the Pune Mirror Sunday Magazine that comes with The Times of India.

Targeted at the young readers of Pune it aims to combine racy content with the sophistication and gravitas of a broadsheet - something worth aiming for to ensure debate, right?

For those who missed the posts and the hundreds of ‘make you think’ inspiring comments that accompanied them just scroll down this flowers blog for a taster and hit on ‘previous posts’ at the bottom left for the rest. Thanks to the article we’ve had some great insights in the OSHOpping post from day 7 at the bottom of this page that are still going on.

Why the Ying-Yang sign you may wonder? More on that but first here are PDF’s of the 3 page article that make their way over to the Flowers in the media section found in the right column of this homepage and right here for those interested:

OSHO 1

OSHO 2

OSHO 3

Splashed over the main Sunday mag in Pune as it makes it’s way to other Times groups…..

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Despite making the call for an early last night to de-robe, pack and conclude my stay here at the OSHO retreat, Pune I was distracted during my amble back to my room. I noticed that the dark side of the moon auditorium doors were open which was unusual as after the white robes meeting was concluded they were closed.

Sean Connery anyone? Just click on the image

All that was missing was the Bond theme tune (inspired by GO! Smell the flowers founder Lib) as I tiptoed up up the stairs at the side on the main entrance to find….

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An OSHO 8a.m ‘Sir, room service, room cleaning ? ‘ morning call was my first glimpse of reality that earned the messenger 100 rupees. It was good he knocked otherwise I’d have probably slept the morning away and claimed man-flu although my calves were STILL slightly sore from dynamic meditation. My cold had dropped from my head onto my chest and throat now so maybe the sauna helped?

I still had plenty of vouchers left to use up for breakfast and with only 1 day of robe wearing left to GO! tucked into a bowl of cereal with Soy milk, a samosa, a bowl of yellow daal and a slice of delicious fresh papaya. Surely every other western lentil eating, Soya drinking guest here really wanted juice, coffee & chocolate?

Enjoying the listening to my Ipod mediation whilst doing a sudoku puzzle I made my way down to the OSHO campus shop….

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Before I share another maroon robed meditation session first up is my first OSHO Multiversity course I attended which revealed even more about this place. I’d recommend a cup of tea as this article is my largest yet at GO! Smell the flowers at 2,669 words. It needs sharing as the plot thickens as I am intent on writing a true account of my experience here, good, bad, indifferent or no-mind as OSHO might say.

Down at the Zorba the Buddha cafe I devoured my papaya, herbal tea and paratha breakfast alone, probably not as zenned up as the others due to me watching 3 Sopranos episodes cooked up in my room the previous night. So be it, I wasn’t down with the kids – or in the moment with them. As I sat back and watched I noticed symbols of western life that I assumed would be either banned or inappropriate – Mobile phones, ipods and even a lap top – all of which I’d brought with me of course but left in my room. Whatever would OSHO say? Here he is preaching about the flowering of love……

He mentions flowers! Time to get to class – I’d signed up for……..

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So, flower folk it’s time I reported on some more of the activities I’ve been getting involved in here at the OSHO ashram in Pune.

The early Morning dynamic meditation started at 06.00am and resisting the temptation to settle for the early morning sleeping version, showered and stepped into my maroon robe and headed to the dark side of the moon auditorium where I joined white robes inc at the insightful evening meeting the night before.

Dynamic Meditation was due to last one hour and the black robed, white belted instructor announced that if we couldn’t take the full hour then leave now and once the session had started nobody would be allowed to join in as I prepared for one of the most surreal hours of my life on this earth………..

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Well flower smellers, I’ve had some nights out in my time and here at the OSHO meditation resort in Pune, India with my open mind ramping up the old karma dollars, despite me being encouraged to have NO MIND since my arrival here! I’d like to give you my honest as-it-happened feedback on what is considered the most important, must attend event of anyones stay here.

The Evening meeting of the White Robe Brotherhood.

I welcome all pro / anti or indifferent OSHO comments following this article so I too can learn from my time here. It is a unique opportunity, according to the OSHO meditations handbook is to experience ‘alertness with no effort’ the essence of the meditative experience.

This is not a teaching, a doctrine, a creed; that’s why I can say anything. I am the most free person who has ever existed as far as saying anything is concerned. I can contradict myself in the same evening a hundred times, because it is not a speech, so it has not to be consistent. It is a totally different thing, and it will take time for the world to recognize that a tremendously differ­ent experiment was going on. Just in a moment, when I became silent, you become silent…. What remains is just a pure awaiting. You are not making any effort; neither am I making any effort. – OSHO

Sounds good – I’m in. Another day at the power plant for Homer, turn up and do nothing?

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Day 3 here at the Osho International Meditation Resort and after an initial couple of days settling in to this lush 40-acre campus with white marble pathways, elegant black buildings and gorgeous landscaped gardens time to start sharing what I’ve been up to.

Osho is purported to defy categorisation, reflecting everything from the individual quest for meaning to the most urgent social and political issues facing society. He has been described by the Sunday Times in London as one of the “1,000 Makers of the 20th Century” and by Sunday Mid-Day in India as one of the ten people — along with Gandhi, Nehru and Buddha — who have changed the destiny of India. Got to be worth a look then, right?

So, my first step a couple of day a GO! was to don my compulsory daytime purple robes and attend my induction with 20 others who arrived the same time as me. This fast track of some of the things on offer here before I decided what to try before heading to the Evening meeting of the White Robe Brotherhood…….

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Here at the OSHO resort that claims to be the oasis of wellness and meditation in the affluent area of Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra, Pune. Time will tell if I leave with that conclusion but the food is really on the mark as guests cash in their vouchers for food & drink following a couple of concerns in comments at my earlier post today.

Residents can buy food stamps here if they choose to eat on campus (some live off and eat off site and come in for classes) and claim them back for food. Interestingly enough a statement on the vouchers says ‘Contribution for meditation activities‘ at the footer of the ticket.

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Well with so many things on offer here at the OSHO meditation resort and with the vast difference of opinion in comments from my arrival to day 1 (worth a read for those who haven’t yet) I’ve decided to change my flights and stay here for 8 days so I can take this place in and leave with an informed opinion as I write daily installments of how I find this whole experience.

Before I GO! on I need to clarify – our tagline, ‘one journey, many discoveries’ here at GO! Smell the flowers is exactly the aim and I’m living this by experiencing it without any preconceived ideas of what to expect. Any insights gained through your comments and research are also appreciated as I keep the confines of the OSHO retreat in perspective.

First I’d like to share this quote with you:

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Hi from the OSHO retreat in Pune. It turned out my health check aka H.I.V / AIDS test was a requirement of every guest at the ‘resort’ but that presented 2 problems that prevented me from a sound nights sleep despite finding the sound of the tropical crickets chirping comforting:

1) I am Trypanophobic – I’m weak at the knees with needles as the thought of them makes my palms sweat that and yesterdays episode with claustrophobia. That’s both phobias covered now then, at least.

2) The health center closed 30 minutes before I arrived so my medical would have to wait.

“It’s OK, Sir, you can stay tonight but you must register at 9a.m in the morning”.

I was still allowed in and at the white floored and white walled hospital type reception I was kindly asked to change my rupees for ‘credit tokens’ as no cash is handled at the resort, apart from at reception, you understand.

“Once you have registered in the morning you’ll need to buy your maroon robes to wear in the day and white robes for the evening meeting.”

“Are they compulsory?” I asked.

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