A Deeper Truth - Alan Lowen (Sw Anand Rajen) (2018)

The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Vimeo summary

“Having lived as a disciple in the India and Oregon ashrams of Osho (formerly Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), Alan responds to the Netflix miniseries, "Wild Wild Country". This is his personal story, from his ego-surrendering odyssey in Bhagwan's Poona ashram in the 70s, on into the creeping disillusionment he lived through in Rajneeshpuram, Oregon until its 1985 demise, and the mysterious resolution, on Osho's death in 1990, of his intervening years as a willing outcast from Osho's world."

editor - summary

This video contains the biographical journey of Alan Lowen formerly known as Sw Anand Rajen from his childhood in an christian orphanage to a well known therapist and further on to a disciple of Bhagwan Shree Rajeesh later called Osho. Announced as an answer to the Netflix documentary „Wild Wild Country“ it is the very personal story told my Alan Lowen himself.

The talk is given to a unvisible audience and unwind Alan Lowen’s way of life with quite personal and even intimate details.

He studied psychology and became a successful therapist. After having a so called „30 seconds satori like experience“ at a beach in California he came in touch with Sannyasins and finally went to Poona, India, to meet Osho. He became a disciple himself.

His story spans from very personal issues like jealousy and physical fighting in his relationship up to his connection with Osho who guided him to be really himself and drop his personality. He became a famous Sannyas groupleader, nickname the „sword“, living in the Osho Ashram in Poona leading groups but also worked as a guard, editing translated Hindi discourses and even playing und directing Shakespeare theatre with Sannyasins until Osho left to the US.

After that Alan Lowen went back to the West and there he earned „a lot of money“ as a top groupleader in Osho Ashrams and communes around the world. When the commune in Rajneeshpuram, Orgeon, developed he was asked or as he called it „demanded“ to send his money to the ranch what he didwith the main part. Later on he went to the commune „Geetam“ behind LA where all the „main groupleaders“ were invited to build up the groups for the „Ranch“ in Rajneeshpuram.

After the infrastructure for group therapy in Rajneeshpuram was ready he moved there. But from the beginning he missed a personal space for himself, didn’t feel well at this place and couldn’t work from as a groupleader. He decided to leave and went to Ibiza to live there with a girlfriend leading groups again. But after some time he went back to Rajneeshpuram because he had the feeling there he had to „finish something“.

Back to the Ranch he first had to work in the kitchen which he felt was a kind of punishment everybody in some way had to go through after leaving and returning. Later he could escape from the kitchen which was a terrible place for him through claiming the job as a tea master in the tea tent for the workers. Then he worked in a construction crew and was very happy with that. Finally he was asked to leave the construction crew and work as a groupleader again which he didn’t like because he felt good being a part of construction.

But he had the feeling of uneasiness all the times. He didn’t like the politics related to incorporate the city of Rajeeshpuram. He also started to doubt on several issues like the number of Rolls-Royces Osho used, some incidents with women in Osho’s house which he assumed to be sexual but didn’t know more about it, the security measures with the weapons showing up and all the rules and regulations arising.

Although his mantra at that time was „How much longer?“ he wanted to stay and did that. Osho declared a bunch of people enlightened including him and declared he will be a „Sambuddha“. He didn’t like it too. When Osho started to talk again he felt distracted by Osho’s temporarily „attacking“ style which he didn’t discover when Osho talked in Poona.

When Sheela and her group left Rajneeshpuram over night he was there and felt a joyous atmosphere after they had gone. But then he was sent out to Europe to help communes and ashrams there not to fall apart.

Being in London he got informed that Osho got arrested on an airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alan Lowen decided that this was „the end“. He was totally disappointed that Osho „ran away“ due to the FBI coming in and did not remain in Rajneeshpuram laughing about all. Alan Lowen was clear that he don’t have „to do this anymore“. He felt very „blissed out“ to free himself and not „belonging“ to anybody anymore.

Later he visited his friend Amitabh in the Geetam commune behind LA again and saw the Rajneesh Times headlines stating that all the „top groupleader“ especially him, Amitabh and Teertha got „excommunicated“ because they decided to go their own way. From this point on almost all Sannays communes and Ashrams didn’t invite him anymore and he was not able to lead groups there. He found out that a lot of old friends turned away from him too. He felt to be an outcast.

After Osho was back in Poona Alan Lowen got informed by others that Osho talked bad about him even in discourses. Finally Alan Lowen tells that there was a message from Osho that he should „stop“ the name „Rajen“. He responded quite harsch in a letter to Osho that this name was „given“ and not „lend“ to him. He then decided to be Alan Lowen again and leaded groups under this name.

After Osho had left his body he found a letter in his postbox from Osho while being alive that „everything is good“ and he is always invited. Alan Lowen wanted to return to Poona that days but didn’t manage to get a visa due to incidentally no paying the right fee. So he stayed on Hawaii where used to live.

Later on while groupleading in Yucatan, Mexico, he had a vision in the night like a dream that Osho initiated him in a kind of ceremony but this time with the name „Alan“.

editor - some comments

Although this story seems to be very open personally and authenticly told the title already is irritating. Why „deeper“ truth? Deeper than what? Alan Lowen can only tell his own truth if at all.

On the other hand this story is not at all an answer to the Netflix series „Wild Wild Country“. It covers different times and you don’t get a real alternative view on the incidents happened in Rajneeshpuram. And due to the absence of a question it doesn’t appear to be an „answer“ at all.

The story also shows all the expectations of Alan Lowen. Starting with the complaint of not having a „own room“ as a „top groupleader“ up to the style of Osho‘s discourses and how his master should behave in a crisis.

The idea that a Sannyasin „belongs“ to Osho as the master and you have to reclaim back your freedom to be yourself appears strange too. From this point of view all Sannyasins would be similar to slaves what was never the intent of Osho at all. Even as the most surrendered disciple you always „belong“ to yourself and nobody else.

Alan Lowen would have liked Osho to stay in Rajneeshpuram when the FBI came in. This attitude seems to be naive due to the fact that even national guard was already preparing to fight for invading Rajneeshpuram. Researchers found out that even machine guns were already mounted to their helicopters in autumn 1985. Osho‘s departure avoided fights and conflicts and protected his Sannyasins.

Finally it feels funny to hear about a „30 seconds“ satori experience. There was nobody stopping the time. Some general description like „short“ would have been enough and doesn’t give the illusion of an exact measured happening. To claim a „30 seconds“ long experience is superfluous.