Blog # 2: From Within

After some searching, I came across this article published by the New York Times titled SHOCK SETS IN AS GURU'S FOLLOWERS IN OREGON LEAVE TO FACE OUTSIDE WORLD.

The article covers a few key followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their departure from the Oregon commune. I felt it really captured the feelings of uneasiness they felt. Plus, I chose to use this article instead of someone who willingly left, so I could see it from a different perspective.  I thought it would be beneficial to see both sides since the first thing that is usually at the forefront of searches regarding former movement members tends to be very biased. While I would not normally choose to use a source that uses the word "cult" so carelessly, I felt this article really captured what I wanted to be illustrated.

When Rajneesh moved back to India people were faced with some life-altering decisions. I can only imagine what it would be like for someone in the movement. I guess the best way for me to imagine it is like having one of your parents taken away from you, only to be thrown out into the "cold, cruel world." Once I read through the article altogether, it seems like my imagination was mostly correct. The people who left felt lost and had legitimate fears, rightfully so, about what was to come. 

The first person that was interviewed was Swami Sagar Chetcan. He said that upon leaving the commune, he was faced will problems that he had not had to handle for quite some time. He said ''My clothes were clean. I had clean sheets. I was fed. I had a doctor when I was ill and a dentist when I had a toothache.''  Now that he was leaving, he had to worry about all of this and even more. ''Now I'm about to go out in the world again, that success-oriented place, and it worries me,'' he said, ''I don't even have clothes to wear to be interviewed for a job, except these. What would I say, that I've been a member of a cult?''  

This just illustrates how worried he was.  I can only imagine how hard it would be for me to start over new, especially that late in life. Though his beliefs were not necessarily stripped completely from him, but I can completely see how it would feel like it was. I mean, he, along with many others, were having their homes, friends, leaders, and beliefs taken forcibly from them. It was not fair and I can only assume how singled out and targeted they felt. He was fully integrated into the religious movement and I believe he felt he was fully apart of it. He embraced the lifestyle, the culture, and the theology of the movement. It was a sort of give and take relationship. He benefited by being taken care of in all senses of the word, but also, others in the commune benefited as well from the fellowship among other things. 

Natasha Young

Comments

  1. Maggie BillingsleyDecember 12, 2017 at 2:16 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this post because you used a primary source that gave a more detailed description on what living the Rajneesh life was like throughout these hard times. The part of your blog that really caught my attention was when you mentioned that they were faced with life changing decisions and the only way to imagine it was to imagine somebody taking away your parents. This caught my attention because I could not imagine the fear, and trauma that would cause. After listening to the things Swami Sager Chetan I felt a lot of compassion for the Rajneesh. It is not something people think about. To have to start a whole new life style unexpectedly is a very tragic process and is not something people plan to happen. This was a great blog and expressd the kindness, and love that the Rajneesh expressed toward each other. Great Job!

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