Osho Festival in Riccione, Italy: Consequences for Therapists

There was a bad surprise at this year’s Osho Festival in Riccione, Italy: Three of the officially invited Osho therapists were removed from the attendance list for future festivals.

The festival organizers told them that they were no longer welcome because they were among the Osho therapists who have submitted affidavits in the legal proceedings seeking the cancellation of the trade mark „Osho“. Their argument was that allowing uncontrolled use of the name „Osho“ would create free-for-all opportunities, opening it up to indiscriminate abuse. They emphasized that they were concerned about quality, about ensuring that if the name „Osho“ is on the label, then the contents of the package should really be Osho!

This argument makes no sense, because a trade mark is not needed for this kind of quality control. It is entirely in the hands of the organizers whom they invite to their festival and whom they do not want to invite for whatever reason.

So what was their real motive?

What the festival organizers were really saying to the three banned therapists was this: You can’t support the cancellation of the trade mark „Osho“ with an affidavit without consequences, even if it is stating the truth. So you had better confess to the iniquity of your deed, repent and retract your affidavit. Then you will be welcome back into the fold of the blessed. At the same time with this action also sent a message to others, making it clear to them that there are now clear new definitions of Right and Wrong, and those who do not obey can expect to suffer swift retribution…

The question was, whether it was the organizers own idea to ‘uninvite’ the Osho therapists or whether it was due to Osho International Foundation Zürich intervention that owns the trademark which is at the center of the litigation. This would not only be a revenge for the affidavits given by the therapists but would also give a clear demostration of what is allowed in the world of Osho and what is not allowed.

There can be no clearer demonstration of where Jayesh’s vision of power and control in the Osho world is leading: to a trademark religion, in which self-ordained popes and cardinals take it upon themselves to dictate what is „Osho“ and what is not.

The open question now is who – or which Osho centers – is going to submit to this foolishness. After all, having a trade mark also makes it possible to make a lot of money from licenses and permits, and that without any time limits (Unlike copyrights, trademarks do not automatically expire after seventy years!)

What is important to understand here is, that nobody involved in any of this – on both sides – questions Osho’s basic and very clear stance on the matter: That the meditation centers should be free and independent, both legally and financially, and at the most only spiritually affiliated.

However, it seems that Jayesh is now hearing Osho speaking to him from the beyond. And amazingly enough, what he is hearing is the complete opposite of Osho’s own public statements while he was alive.

Honi soit qui mal y pense! (Shamed be he who thinks evil of it!)

PS: Meanwhile more therapists, that gave an affidavit have been informed by email, that they are no longer welcome in the Osho festival in Ricchione.