A new Osho Padma in New York

Update: Celebration in Downtown Manhattan – July 1, 2018: Opening of the new Padma Meditation & Holistic Centre in New York City

Osho Padma Meditation Centre has the distinction of being the longest-running Osho center in the USA that offers a regular meditation schedule. It was founded by Priya who left her body last May at age 85. The center that she ran for nearabout fourty years had brought together people from all parts of the world and her grounded strength and totality has been an inspiration to everyone.

Until last October the center was located in Priya’s apartment in Barrow Street. When this opportunity was lost, the group of people who had been helping Priya and had kept the center running, understood that a new physical space needed – absolutely – to be found. In recent times more and more young people had come to the center, and this year’s annual retreat was double the attendance from previous years.

Anurag, the spokesperson of the group, writes: “Meera and I were sitting on a bench last night outside a coffee shop. We happened to sit next to a young man who was an artist and musician. He started to speak to us very passionately about the state of the world; he felt very angry at the system. He has been trying most of his life to change things through protests, signing petitions and camping out at Standing Rock where young people were killed for trying to protect the land. He was furious. I found myself feeling sensitive towards this man and felt his pain for not knowing what he could do next. The last few words he said to us was, ‘There’s nothing more we can do, it’s all going to shit and now we just have to sit back and watch’, almost as if he had given up his fight.

“The meeting with this man helped me to see more clearly why we need to create an Osho center in New York. People are slowly giving up on the fight and perhaps with nowhere else to turn.

“The time feels ripe and I feel America needs it urgently. It seems to be the most influential country in the world. If we can bring more celebration, playfulness and meditation into this power-driven society then perhaps another vision of life can be seen.”

The group’s vision for the new center would be that of an ‘oasis in the city’, a place where anyone can drop in at any time, step out of their busy lives, let go of their anxieties and allow themselves to laugh, dance, cry, and find the joy of being themselves.

It would be the first Osho center of this size in New York that would offer a full schedule of daily Osho meditations, including bodywork, creative workshops and meditative therapies.

The group has recently found a space in a building in Lower Manhattan that would be ideal after some extensive renovation work. At the time of writing the project is still in the air, reason why they keep looking at other options and are staying open for anything else that would be suitable. So stay tuned to hear about further developments.

The organizers of Osho Padma have set up a new website oshopadmanyc.com and an account with youcaring.com for those who wish to contribute to this new, exciting project.

Article by Punya