Rajgir Meditation Camp

Ageh Bharti travelled from Jabalpur to Rajgir in South Bihar, where an Osho Meditation Camp was held from January 6th to 9th, 2019.

The journey by train took 17 hours. I enjoyed both the trip and the camp tremendously, with 80 friends joining the meditations. They all were delightful people, with high energy levels, overflowing with love.

Ma Prem Isha from Supaul is a wonderful and dignified camp leader, punctual and sincere and working well together with Swami Kalakar, the organizer: I always found him laughing. Nothing was expected from me to do; Isha took care of everything, and so well too. Kalakar said they simply wanted me to be there with them. It was a pleasure for me to meet every camp participant, including SDM Shri Sanjay Kumar with his high spirit.

Having free time on my hands, I decided to join a tour around this historic town, Rajgir, which represents the confluence of five religions: Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism and Jainism. Hence it bears traces of these diverse religious influences, with numerous architectural and archaeological manifestations dotting the landscape. Isha and some friends accompanied me.

We visited the nearby located Venu Van; Buddha gave his sermons there and it is here that the Venuvan Vihar temple is situated, a small Buddhist shrine which preserves a metal idol of Lord Buddha, which was originally created in Burma but later transferred to Venuvan Vihar.

We continued to Pawapuri, where Mahavira left his body. After entering the Jal Mandir (meaning temple in water) I kept standing, my eyes closed, and from head to toe I felt my skin as if it were merely a bag, filled with nothing but light; no bones no flesh, no blood, only light. After some time, Isha touched my left hand to remind me that we were getting late for evening satsang, but I didn’t feel to come out of that blessed state. Again, after a while, she touched my hand but I did not emerge. When suddenly a thought came that it was getting late for evening satsang, I took 15-20 deep breaths to leave that blessed space, opened my eyes, and found all of them waiting; we then proceeded to the venue of camp.

We also saw the ruins of Nalanda, the former large Buddhist monastery Mahavihara, in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar). The site is located about 95 kilometres southeast of Patna and was a centre of learning from the fifth century CE to c. 1200 CE. I tried to feel its stature of 2500 years ago.

We saw the Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, the Japanese Temple Venuvan, and numerous other places of great interest and also enjoyed a bath in the Hot Springs for half an hour. The entire Rajgir area carries the vibrations of Buddha and Mahavira in affluence. That must be one of the reasons that every participant of the camp was so high in spirit, each one of them seemed to be flying high.

More than fifty friends told me that they had come so they could meet me, a couple told me that they had been waiting for twenty years for an opportunity to see me, and one fellow said that he had been wanting to see me for forty years.

The campers’ energy increased when a friend asked me for my opinion about Osho’s death as there was great controversy about it; hence I began to speak. The venue became still and everybody listened in absolute silence and alertness. I said, that event was crystal clear.

I was asked, “Why is Doctor Gokani talking about the events when Osho left his body now, after 26 years?”

“Dr Gokani divulges that only he was called, and why? He alone was called because more than one doctor was not needed. It could have been any one. The second thing he says that when he arrived, he was told that Osho was leaving his body. At this Dr Gokani started crying. But he was asked not to cry. He also questions as to why he was not allowed to cry. Any disciple can feel the stupidity of this.

“Then he says that he was not allowed to go near Osho, why? He was not allowed because he was not worthy of going near Osho when he was leaving the body. He would have wept even more loudly, which would have disturbed Osho who taught his entire life to celebrate death.

“Then he says that even Osho’s mother was not informed, why? A mother is a mother. She would have cried even more loudly which would have disturbed Osho badly. Moreover, Osho spoke till last. If he wanted his mother to know, they would have called her. Indeed, the sannyasins taking care of him behaved like flawless disciples.

“Dr Gokani charges that Osho’s body was cremated quickly, why? He is talking nonsense. Osho gave his last message about this. When disciples died in Pune in the past, their bodies were kept for ten minutes in Buddha Hall for a last darshan and were then carried to the burning ghat, with sannyasins dancing and singing. Osho chose the same simple way for his body too. His message is clear: he is an ordinary man and all of his people should remain ordinary.

“Dr Gokani also charges that the entire event was not video recorded, why? I can’t think an Osho disciple can be such a fool. A great event in the history of the entire human consciousness was happening. A Buddha, after giving the necessary instructions lay down on the bed and was leaving the body. Such a great thing was happening. They must have stood absolutely silent. Had they videotaped they would have proved to be fools. But they were great disciples. They deserve our regards having been those who witnessed the Master leaving the body.

“What should make it even clearer is that on 17th January 1990, despite his weak body, Osho appeared in Buddha Hall for 19 minutes to bid goodbye; with folded hands, he looked into the eyes of each and every one present in the hall. It was so clear that he was leaving, that many disciples responded to his goodbye. The video is named, The Last Namaste.”

The questioner and the entire audience felt satisfied, clear and happy with the answers. This was evident by their loud clapping at the end of my talk.

Then followed the evening satsang, the crescendo of the day. After satsang, friends enjoyed dancing and chanting until 11.30 pm, two hours longer than scheduled.

The next morning we parted with joyful tears and looked forward to meet again one day.

Ageh Bharti is a regular contributor