A grand 60th Birthday Party for Neerav: a Poona Revival Festival at Parimal in Germany, 22-26 September 2024. Five days of sharing, meditating and dancing, just like in the old Poona days…
My Story
Let me start with my story. The first time I heard about Poona – it must have been around 1979 when I was just 15 years old – I was sitting in a doctor´s waiting room where I picked up a copy of the magazine Stern and saw an article about wild things going on in group rooms at a spiritual school in India. My only thought was: “How disgusting! What a terrible place.” Well, it took less than ten years until I was sitting in that same group room…
Two years later I spent a week in a youth hostel with my school class for a social course about ‘meditation and politics’ (actually I was there only because I was interested in a girl who had decided to go to that course). The teacher was not a sannyasin, but he made us students do Kundalini meditation as well as Dynamic, Nadabrahma and Gourishankar! It was overwhelming for me, and I became interested in this strange guru.
So I went to the school library where I found the famous book Ganz entspannt im Hier und Jetzt* written by the Stern reporter Sw. Satyananda. In it he describes his personal experiences in Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s ashram in Poona. I was fascinated and shocked at the same time!
A year later (I was now 18), I went to a sannyasin meditation centre for the first time. There was one in my home town, Bielefeld. I attended satsangs and group rebirthing sessions. After a short while the centre closed. I was very disappointed.
The same year, after my baccalaureate, I visited Rajneeshstadt-Schloss Wolfsbrunnen. At that time the sannyasins owned a real castle! Within only three days of my stay, members returning from the annual world celebration in Rajneeshpuram announced the news that they had received the order to sell the castle. Another big disappointment!
So, the next couple of weeks I spent at the Hannover meditation centre and worked in the Rajneesh Disco. That’s where, in August 1984, I received my mala and the name Sw. Shivam Neerav.
Later on, for a couple of years I distanced myself from the sannyas movement, irritated by what was going on in Oregon.
When in 1987 I heard that Bhagwan was again in Poona, I felt a strong urge to go there. So finally, in February 1988, I arrived at the ashram gates. I sat many times in Bhagwan’s discourses and took part in a lot of groups. I also became a worker in the kitchen and made the chai for the whole commune.
But I missed the orange or red clothes which I so much associated with sannyasin life. It felt a bit odd for me to be wearing ordinary street clothes in a spiritual ashram. But then in 1989 the maroon colour was back – which I liked very much. After a short hesitation I felt very good in my maroon robe inside the green ashram and surrounded by all the other crazy sannyasins.
Weeks and months followed where I participated or assisted in various groups. I had a great time!
The Party
Now about the party. To celebrate my 60th birthday (23 September) I have decided to organise a big festival at Parimal, the Osho commune where I stay during the year (if I am not on my boat). It’s in the countryside, and bang in the middle of Germany (between Kassel and Göttingen).
I thought it would be fun to bring back the alive energy of the old Poona times of the 80s and 90s; with mini-groups, meditations, dancing, concerts, sauna, Sufi-dance and parties. And to enhance the atmosphere we will all be wearing red (from orange to maroon and purple). It does not have to be a robe, any styles of clothing will do.
After the viewing of short movies from Poona 1 & 2, everybody will be invited to share their experiences from the old days. The festival is not only for those who have been to Poona; newcomers who want to feel the energy of those times are most welcome!
Guests can come forward and contribute with workshops, presentations, events or individual sessions. I will also lead bodywork and Tantra groups. Did I mention live music? We have a resident band at Parimal, with special guests to join them.
Jot down these dates in your agenda: Poona-Revival-Festival 22-26 September 2024.
For further details (programme, residential costs, address) check out my dedicated website: poona-revival-festival.de
Related articles
- * The Cosmic Madhouse – Bhagawati reviews the English translation of Satyananda’s bestseller, published in German in 1979 (Ganz entspannt im Hier und Jetzt)
- A Contemporary Guru: Rajnish – Historical notes by Michael Topper on this re-surfaced documentary, one of the first about Osho and his commune
- Journey to the Heart: Music Group 1979 – Enjoy and tune into all that incredible energy, the river of love and marvelous long hair flying all over!
- The Blessed Times – Video: images from Pune 1 days…
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