A Land of Sheltered Promise by Jane Kirkpatrick

Author:Jane Kirkpatrick [Kirkpatrick, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-55137-5
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

22

ATTENTION

Razi sits in the back of the coordinator’s meeting with Ma Anand Sheela reigning at her living room’s throne, legs curled under her like a kitten on the cushions. Razi’s invitation to be present at this July meeting, included in the small inner circle, is a high honor, especially considering the failure of the festival. Only half of the projected fifteen thousand people attended. There were no incidents, nothing to warrant trouble, but fewer had enrolled in the lucrative month-long therapy sessions than planned, and even fewer presented alms on behalf of the needs of the Buddhafield.

Rajneesh Mayor Ma Prem Deepa says it isn’t failure, but rather a challenge. “Fewer people came in support,” she says. “So we are challenged to spread the word of Bhagwan’s needs. We must work harder now, another kind of joy.” The mayor sits close to the front on the pillow-covered floor, looking up at Sheela.

Razi’s palms grow wet with the effort of making herself small in this hallowed place. She imagines this is what it’s like to sit in the presence of the Bhagwan, sitting here at the feet of one closest to him. Incense perfumes the air. A soft morning breeze lifts a meadowlark’s warble through the screened windows. Razi blows against the oolong tea she cradles, then tastes, her eyes focused on the dark liquid rather than on the leopard-black eyes of Sheela. Razi pushes her dark hair behind her ears so it won’t dip into her mug. She wipes her palms on her sunset-colored jersey pants.

This meeting did not begin with jokes. Instead, the chief lawyer updated them on the various lawsuits involving the land, the city, and the permit process, as well as one against Sheela by a former Antelope resident for libel and Sheela’s countersuit. Sheela, however, jokes about these and the “little worms” that brought them all.

The head of the Rajneesh Modern Car Collection Trust discusses acquisition of Rolls-Royce number seventy-five, and each Sannyasin present smiles and applauds with the pads of their fingers, making the sound of rain. Individual units of the Rajneesh Neo-Sannyas International Commune provide reports, including the Buddhafield Transport Bus Line, and the community infrastructure coordinator, who discusses the successful sewage disposal during the Master’s Day Festival. Rajneesh Investment Corporation, Rajneesh Foundation International (the church), the Institute for Therapy (of which Razi is currently an assistant), the international commune, the medical corporation, legal services, the financial trust, the humanities trust, the World Celebrations Committee, even the Rajneesh Travel Service all provide updates. Ma Prem Deeva provides a report of the city of Rajneesh, as does the mayor of the incorporated city of Rancho Rajneeshpuram. Like a talisman, everyone who speaks of Rajneeshpuram precedes the word city with incorporated in an almost reverential tone, as though saying it will make it so.

“We will implement our larger plan, then,” Sheela says when each coordinator finishes. Murmuring ensues, and Sheela raises her small hand dismissively, gold bracelet glinting in the morning sun. She silences the others. “I will tell you which one,” she says.

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