Letters
The Bhagwan factor
Sir: I should like to clarify a few very misleading points that Mr Kerridge made in his article of 8 May. First, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh does not insist or expect that anyone should drink, smoke, swear or in- dulge in casual sex, as Mr Kerridge stated. Bhagwan does not offer any dogma what- soever — no particular activity is expected of anyone, and his followers are free to choose to live as they choose, not as Bhagwan chooses.
Second, many Indians have become followers of Bhagwan. Recent figures for India suggest that there are well over 50,000 Indian sannyasins, far more than in England.
Third, the statements that 'there was no intellectual life at Medina, as far as I could see' and 'everyone took for granted that they must do everything Bhagwan wanted' seem to be an attempt to persuade the reader that the members of the Medina community are all stupid or duped. Bhagwan's followers do not put much value on abstract intellectualisation, this is true, but the 75 adults who live at Medina hold between them some 25 first degrees, 15 higher degrees (including four PhDs) and numerous diplomas and certificates. Each one of them has chosen to be with Bhagwan out of his or her own free will and is free to leave whenever he or she chooses. Most choose to stay — but Mr Kerridge has made no attempt to understand what it is that draws these people to Bhagwan. Yet he must have had every opportunity to do so.
People stay with Bhagwan because of the love, the joy and the acceptance that they find in his presence, and in the communities of his followers — qualities that are rarely experienced in our society, Mr Kerridge's article remained in the journalistic world of doubt and cynicism, and gave no hint of whether he was any richer at the end of his weekend of 'Self-Experience' than he was before.
Swami Anand Veetmoha
Press Officer, Medina Rajneesh, Herringswell, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
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