Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1982)
Page 6 September 27,1982 September 27,1982 Page 7 Neighboring commune revitalizing lifeless land Just around the corner from' Warm Springs 350 new residents of Central Oregon are busily making a Garden of Eden out land that was once considered a no-man’s land. Clad in sunrise colors, members of the Rajneesh Neo- S annyas In te rn a tio n a l Commune are working land that has been abused and that has suffered from short-sighted fa r m in g a n d r a n c h in g practices. The land is being revitalized and turned into a p ro d u c tiv e e n v iro n m e n t suitable for supporting up to 3,800 people. The a rriv a l of these unusually dressed people with their communal living situation disquieted an area of Oregon normally considered conserva tive, peaceful and isolated. The residents of Antelope now see' 50 to 100 tourists daily headed n the direction of Rancho Rajneesh, located 18 miles from the small central Oregon town. The co m m u n e w hich operates the ranch, called R ajN ee sh N e o -S a n n y a s International Commune, is one of three enterprises operated by followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneese, spiritual leader of the group. Followers of the Bhagwan ilso operate a non-profit religious foundation called Rajneesh Foundation Interna- lonal which is responsible for listribution of books and p iritu a l m a te ria l. The Rajneesh Investment Corpora tion is a for-profit subsidiary of the Foundation. According to communica tio n s o ffic er Ma Prem Sunshine, the commune is fu n d e d so le ly th ro u g h donations. However, through agricultural profits and cottage industries the commune should be self-sufficient in a few years. Taxes are a part of life for Rancho Rajneesh, just as they are for other citizens of the area. The only non-taxable enterprise is the non-profit Rajneesh Foundation Interna tional. The church building is also non-taxable. The Rajneesh Investment Corporation purchased 64,000 acres of impoverished central Oregon land in mid-1981 because the price at $6 million was “reasonable.” Too, the followers of the Rajneesh had a firm desire to revive the land. We “were looking for land that had been abused and was an ecological disaster.. .a piece of land that we could restore in keeping with B hagw an’s t e a c h i n g s , ” M a P rem Sunshine stated. A long w ith the land p u rc h ased by R ajneesh Investment Corporation, the ranch also includes 17,000 acres leased from the Bureau of Land Management. T w o - th o u s a n d a c r e s , unsuitable for agriculture, has been incorporated into a city called Rajneeshpuram. The city which is divided into three sections will, upon approval of the comprehensive plan by city council, contain such features as a civic center and performing arts center, small industries, support services and ; resi dences. “Communal living is not for everyone,” explains Ma Prem Sunshine. It is necessary that members of a commune enjoy being constantly around other people and be willing to share. The 350 residents of Rajneeshpuram live six to a house. Each of the custom- built modular units has seven rooms. When there is time commune members will be able to construct their own homes. Within the structure of the c o m m u n e a re v a r io u s departments similar to those in Warm Springs such as printing, personnel, warehouse, heavy equipment, dam construction, dairy 4 garden, carpentry and kitchen. W om en are g en erally selected as department heads in the communal organization because the Bhagwan feels that women can make decisions intuitively, says Ma Prem Sunshine. They are more nuturingand have constructive personalities, where men too. often use power as a motive for their actions, she explained, Joining the commune does not require giving anything up. If a Sannyasin (follower) of the Bhagwan cares to donate to the commune he may, otherwise he may keep what he owns on the outside as well as devoting energy to the commune. Members of the commune receive no pay for their work. They are provided with everything they need from shampoo to cigarettes. Meals are elaborate with dairy products being made at the ranch and vegetables grown in the 43 acre garden.' Development of the land and keeping in tune with the environment at the same time demands much money and manpower. So far $25 million has been spent in development of the commune. Some of the projects have the future of a self-sufficient community foremost in mind. The construction of a dam is in progress which will collect three percent of the water flowing from three creeks on land. Three billion gallons of water will irrigate 400 acres of garden. “The people below us will see more water,” says Ma Prem Sunshine. A small hydroelectric plant The personnel department is will ev e n tu a lly p ro v id e responsible for screening electricity for the Rajneesh applicants for the commune. community. Twenty-five wells Applicants are considered for have been dug and now provide acceptance based upon their water for experimental gardens talents and skills. It is estimated and households. A two-acre greenhouse will that 65 percent of the members hold bachelors degrees and 25 enable the production of year- percent have doctorate degrees. round crops as well as tropical fruits. The temperature will be co m p u ter-co n tro lled . All fertilization is organic. No poisons or chemicals are used. Approximately 8,000 acres will be put into dry land farm crops. Soybeans, barley and wheat will be planted in small patches which is unsuitable for conventional farm machinery. Enough manpower is available to do the work. Experiments are docu mented and recorded with the State of Oregon for the use of Oregon’s citizens. One of the rules of the land is no hunting. To keep deer from crops, a 17-mile pulsating deer fence has been erected. Because of advanced technology in agriculture, members of the; commune feel there is no need to kill to eat. Red meat is not served with meals. An aviary where guinea fowl, peacocks and chickens are housed is protected by natural means. Rather than shooting predators the commune has imported two Emu. These large birds are known for their loud noises at the approach of predators. They are able to run 55 miles per hour and have the ability to kick hard enough to break the back of a coyote. Ninty-five beehives will p ro d u c e honey fo r the commune along with increas ing crop yields. Already, 23,000 trees have been planted. A total of 200,000 trees will be planted in th e area to ev e n tu a lly increase moisture in the soil as well as beau, y to the depleted land. An A-rate| dairy barn with 35 Holstein cows provides enough milk for cheese, milk and butter b r the commune members. A ineyard occupies one hillside a| the ranch next to calving barn. An admin stration building is currently u nder construction and an airport provides transportatii in to meetings. The commuie owns a small plane and a n ine-passenger jet. A service station provides gasoline for ehicles owned by the commutile Members who have their own cars must purchase and maintain their own vehicles. Keeping close to nature and focusing on the building of a community that blends with the environment and com pletely self-sufficient living is the goal of the Rajneesh Neo- S an n y as In te rn a tio n a l Commune. Giving to the land rather than taking from it is the philosphy taught by their spiritual leader and accounts for their unusual approach to living. Communal members are diligent in their efforts to create a productive environment from a once seemingly barren land. A sign surrounded with flowers indicates entrance to land owned by the Rajneesh Investment Corporation and occupied by the Rajneesh Neo-Sannyas International Commune. A/a Prem Sunshine feeds two imported Emu babies at the commune’s aviary. These giant birds from A ustrailia are able to run 55 m p h and have the strength to break the back oa a coyote. When full-grown they will protect chickens and other fo w l from predators. > : Zorba the Buddah restaurant was established when it appeared that the Rajneesh commune would not be able to incorporate a city on its own land. Since that time they have incorporated and the Antelope restaurant continues to serve tourists and the towns people. Construction o f a dam to provide water fo r the irrigation o f 400 acres is underway. A small hydroelectric plant will be built upon completion o f the dam. Spilyay Tymoo photos and text by Marsha Shewczyk Members o f the commune line the streets of Rajneeshpuram to pay tribute to their spiritual leader as he makes his daily sojourn to Madras and back. This is a social event fo r the Sannyasin as they are able to talk and socialize with other commune members at this time. The work day normally lastsfrom 7:30 a.m. to 8.-00 p.m. A two-acre greenhouse with computer-controlled temperatures will provide vegetable ad tropical fruit throughout the year. Experiments are currently being conducted to determine what grows well in the area.
