Rajneeshpuram

A complex tale of breathtaking ambition, flamboyant personalities, palace intrigue, and many victims along the path to enlightenment. In 1981, Ma Ananda Sheela convinced the world-famous Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to move to the United States so she could fulfill his dream of building a modern utopia. Four years later, the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon collapsed under the staggering weight of criminal conspiracies, attempted murders, and the guru's unrelenting taste for luxury goods. Rajneeshpuram explores how this extraordinary community went so wrong, presenting the comprehensive story of how leaders developed their sophisticated commune in the Oregon high desert, and how the idealistic, progressive community transformed into a militarized police state. Drawing from extensive interviews with former disciples and an unprecedented review of commune records, law enforcement files, recordings, and archival materials, author Russell King probes why so many people were drawn to this controversial Indian guru and the legal and political dynamics that led commune leaders to lie, cheat, and poison to preserve their vulnerable community. Rajneeshpuramwill tell the Rajneesh story from a modern perspective, using newly available information and interviews with disciples who have never before shared their stories.