Article by Priya
Anybody who comes from the outside is immediately impressed by one thing in Nisarga: the cleanliness of the commune, the heartiness of the people, the continuous laughter and joy.
Cleanliness and a sense of aesthetics are integral to Osho communes. Visiting the Pune ashram in the early seventies as a kid, I was drawn to Osho’s presence and the energy of Lao Tzu house where He lived. His room was impeccably, spotlessly clean, had minimum furniture and a very strong presence. It radiated emptiness and yet it was complete.
In Rajneeshpuram, USA our school training was to keep our classrooms and study area neat and tidy. We the students would clean and mop the floor ourselves. This made us care and feel for the school as if it was our own home. In our boarding house, though I shared my room with five other girls we would keep our spaces spic and span. Sheela (Osho’s secretary then) would spontaneously check on kids homes and give the report to Osho. And about me she always conveyed ‘Priya’s room always looks like she has just cleaned and left.’ Osho was happy to hear that.
Being a Virgo and a perfectionist, cleanliness and order come naturally. I learnt the Zen way: use minimum but the best. All the communes were designed in this style. Zen refers to meditation. The way we live is a reflection of our own selves. I always like to create an ambience of sacredness in my living space. With no clutter and using simple furniture is elegance.
Osho Nisarga is followed on the same principle. The interior design here brings elements of Zen into a modern, aesthetic Himachal ambience. Our local staff girls have been well trained in housekeeping and cleanliness. Be it marble or wooden floor, the corners are deep cleaned every week. Bathrooms are kept dry with good hygiene.
To keep the energy contained, our Mandir which is our meditation hall is cleaned only by the participants. No outside staffs are allowed in. It’s cleaned twice a day in rotation. There is nothing cleaner, more pure than the marble. This special marble floor, rich snowy-white in color, is known in Rajasthan as the marble of the temples. And it’s cleaned by the meditators here with gratitude in their heart towards their master.
In Osho’s vision cleanliness comes before God. It’s the most respected work unlike in the world where cleaners are looked down upon. It’s about maintaining the beauty in every little work we do. It could be cleaning toilets, scrubbing the floor, clearing out the garbage; it’s not what work we are doing but how we are doing. It’s about totality and love that we pour in smallest things in life. It’s about inviting God, inviting Osho to our daily lives.
