BHAGWAN the God That Failed
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BHAGWAN The God That Failed Hugh Milne St. Martin's Press New York BHAGWAN: THE GOD THAT FA�ED. Copyright© 1986 by Caliban Books. All rights reserved. Printed-in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address .St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. Edited by Liz Hodgkinson Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Milne, Hugh. Bhagwan: the god that failed. 1. Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree, 1931- . 2. Milne, Hugh. I. Title. BP605.R343M55 1987 299'.93 86-24832 ISBN 0-312-00106-1 (pbk.) First published in Great Britain by Caliban Boolcs First U.S. Edition 10987654321 To MadamX CONTENTS Dramatis Personae 7 Glossary 11 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 The Route to Bombay 25 Chapter 2 Early Days With Bhagwan 45 Chapter 3 Abu and After 61 Chapter 4 Bhagwan's Hold Grows Stronger 77 Chapter 5 Heat, Heaven and Hell at Kailash 90 Chapter 6 Early Days. in Poona 106 Chapter 7 Poona Becomes World Famous 127 Chapter 8 Poona Grows Apace 145 Chapter 9 Protecting Bhagwan 161 Chapter 10 Death of a Prince and Last Days in Poona 173 Chapter 11 The Start of the American Dream 190 Chapter 12 The Move to Oregon 206 Chapter 13 Winter on The Ranch 22 1 Chapter 14 Underhand Dealings 234 Chapter 15 I Leave The Ranch 245 Chapter 16 Life After Bhagwan 272 Chapter 17 Showdown 294 Appendix 311 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A few of the characters mentioned in this book have requested that their names be changed to reduce the possibility of recrimination from Rajneesh Foundation International. I have complied with all such requests. I would like to thank Tom Casey of the US immigration service for being unfailingly honest with me, and ultimately respecting my wishes for privacy while he conducted his investigation. Les Zietz, Jim·Long and Scotta Callister of The Oregonian were instrumental in encouraging me to publish at a time when I feared to do so, and generously shared their time and research findings with me in a thor oughly professional way. My friend Jeannie added her encourage ment to go public. Brett provided me with an IBM PC on which the original manuscript was brought up to date, and lent ceaseless sup port to the completion of the project. Dee Milne learnt the intricacies of the IBM and gave me invaluable assistance in transferring what was then three-year-old information onto floppy disks. Cia Criss, Gerald Emmet and Kathy Schepps in the U.S.A. and Belinda Grant in London provided invaluable support and critical appraisal, and Tony Malmud in New Mexico helped me to authenti cate historical data. Betty Balcombe of London and Hal Stone of Los Angeles, both of whom helped me in the darkest moments with selfless candour, intelligence and perception, have made their own contribution to the book-Betty with her quite remarkable clarity and Hal with his deeply human insight. Margaret Schwarzer of St. Martin's added her encouragement and selfless support to the updat ing of the book forthe American edition. I am indebted to allof these people, and especially to a certain Madam X, without whom not a single word would have been put to paper. DRAMATIS PERSONAE Alpert, Richard Wrote influential counter-culture books in the late 1960s and 1970s under the name Ram Dass. Ambara One of Bhagwan's disciples, a Canadian farmer's son, who was drowned in Oregon. Lack of concern over his disappearance precip tated author's departure from Rajneesh movement. Arup, Prem Dutch disciple, real name Maria Gemma Kortenhorst. Barnett, Mike Encounter group leader.. early disciple who took the name 'Somendra'. He bas now left the movement and set up his own centre in Zurich, Switzerland. Bhagwan Literally God. Also 'The Blessed One'; title Byron, Helen Former disciple who won a $1. 7 million lawsuit against Rajneesh movement in May 1985. Casey, Tom Immigration investigator from Portland, Oregon, who handled Rajneesh immigration fraud case: Champa American disciple, photographer and bon vivant in Poona. Chinmaya Sheela's first husband, an American Jew, Marc Harris Silverman, who died of Hodgkins disease in Poona in 1980. Chinmaya, Yoga Bhagwan's first Indian disciple. Cyriax, Dr James British doctor flown to Poona to treat Bhag wan 's back trouble. Deeks ha Former disciple, an Italian who left the move ment in 1982. Formerly in charge of catering, construction and maintenence in Poona. Devageet Bhagwan's dentist; real name Charles Harvey Newman, a British national. Deva raj Bhagwan's personal physician, a British doctor, real name Alexander Wynne-Aubrey 8 Meredith. Now married to Prem Hasya. Dhyandipo Sheela'a third husband, a Swiss, whom she married after divorcing Jayananda in 1985. Dhyan John An American, John William Wally, formerly President of Rajneesh International Corpor ation. Divya, Prem An American, author's girlfriend from 1972-73 and again briefly in Poona. Erhart, Werner American founder of est movement who visited Bhagwan in Poona. Frohnmayer, Dave Oregon Attorney General, instrumental in investigating Rajneeshee activities. Frye, Judge Helen US District Court Judge who declared Raj neeshpuram illegal as an incorporated city. Gayan Beautiful German ex-ballet dancer and Bhagwan disciple; formerly author's wife, and still with the movement. Gurdjieff, Geo;�es Russian philosopher much admired and emulated by Bhagwan. Haridas German electrician; the first German disciple and a particular friend of the author. Haridas Rajneesh's childhood friend, drowned in a swimming accident. Harvey, Bob Original ranch foreman in Oregon; hired by Sheela, never a disciple. Hasya, Prem Bhagwan's secretary since Sheela left the movement; American socialite, Paris-born Fran�oise Ruddy, formerly wife of film producer Al Ruddy. Married to Devaraj. Isabel, Prem Bhagwan's chief PR executive, of French Chilean origin. Married to Niren, Bhagwan's attorney; author's girlfriend from 1979 to 1982. Jayananda Sheela's second husband, also American; real name James Shelfer. Jeannie American former disciple; left movement at same time as author. Karuna, Prem American disciple, also known as Wendy Cutler Wyatt, treasurer of comm�ne in Oregon. Kirti Prince Wilf of Hanover, disciple who died of a 9 stroke in Poona in 1980. Kranti Bhagwan's original Indian secretary; also his cousin. KB (Krishna Barti) American, boyfriend to Deeksha and photo grapher at Poona. Krishna Deva American disciple, former mayor of Rajneesh puram, now a federal witness. Krishnamurti Indian sage and philosopher, very anti Bhagwan, though admired by him, who died in 1986. Lax mi Laxmi Thakarski Kuruwa, Bhagwan's Indian secretary for ten years until replaced by Sheela. Leela Irish disciple, author's girlfriend for a short time in Bombay. Levin, Bernard Perceptive British writer who visited Poona in 1980 and wrote a glowing account in the London Times. Maneesha Australian disciple, still in the movement. ·Bhagwan's chief editor and early adversary of Sheela. Mukta Bhagwan's name for Mrs Catherine Venizelos, a Greek shipping heiress and one of the earliest Western disciples, who bought his house in Poona. Nelson, Alan C. American commissioner for immigration, who pursued Rajneeshees in Oregon. Niren American lawyer and disciple of Bhagwan; real name Philip J. Toelkes. Married to Isabel. Pilot, The South African disciple in charge at Kailash. Poon am Teertha's wife; organisational head of British centres. Prati ma Early American female disciple; dropped out about 1975. Price, Richard Founder of Esalen Institute, died in 1985. Puja, Anand Diana Yvonne Onang, Filipino nurse who ran health clinic in Oregon, latterly known as 'Nurse Mengele'. Richard Sannyassi construction boss at Rancho Rajneesh, one of Vivek's boyfriends and an ex real estate developer. IO Rishi British disciple, John du Cane, who was jailed in Bangkok for drug offences, but later freed on a Royal Pardon. Ross, Diana American singer who visited Poona ashram. Ryan, Sharon American disciple, daughter of American congressman Leo Ryan, who was shot and killed at Jonestown, formerly centre of Jim Jones' religious movement. Sant Indian disciple; Isabel's lover in Poona. Sashi Bhagwan's Indian girlfriend who died at the age of seventeen; supposedly reincarnated as his later consort, Vivek. Satch American martial arts expert, and chief karate teacher at Poona. Sheela, Ma Anand Sheela Ambalal Patel, Indian disciple who ran movement in Oregon before leaving in Sept ember 1985. Accused of conspiring to murder Devaraj. Somendra see under 'Barnett, Mike' Stamp, Terence British actor who stayed in Poona ashram for about four months. Renamed 'Veeten' by Bhagwan. Sushila American disciple, real name Susan Wallach. Bhagwan's chief fund-raiser in America. Sushi la 'The German Sushila', Eva-Marie Mann. Teertha Bhagwan's name for Paul Lowe, British former encounter group leader. Turner, Charles US attorney; whom Sheela plotted to kill. Veena South African disciple who founded first Rajneesh centre in London. Veeten Bhagwan's naame for Terence Stamp. Vijayananda Leading Indian film director who became a disciple. Vivek Real name Christine Woolf, Bhagwan's consort, by his side since 1972. Whicker, Alan British TV interviewer who visited Poona in 1978 to make a film about the ashram. GLOSSARY Abu, Mount Hill station in Rajasthan used from 1972 to 1974 for Bhagwan's ten-day meditation camps. Acharya Bhagwan's first adopted title, meaning 'Pro fessor'. Anand Prefix given to Bhagwan's disciples, meaning 'blissful'. Antelope Tiny retirement village in Oregon, taken over and renamed 'Rajneesh' by Rajneeshees in 1982. Name reverted to Antelope in 1985. Ashram A place of retreat, a religious sanctuary. Bhagwan Literally 'God' - can also be translated as 'The Blessed One'; title bestowed on Rajneesh in 1971.