Enlightenment Intensive (group)

Intensive Enlightenment (group) redirects here.

Enlightenment Intensive was a three-day Pune One introductory group given to many newcomers, although we learn from early Darshan Diaries that in its earliest days it was not so newcomer-oriented. The group first started in Oct 1975, and continued to be offered, as far as we know, until Jun 1981, when Osho left for the States, and possibly a little afterward.

The group's form was created in the 60s by Charles and Ava Berner and brought to the early Pune One ashram by Arup, now Garimo. A correspondent has sent images of some typed notes that Arup made for Osho to sort out the details of how the group was to run. Osho's hand-written answers can be seen on the side. The first page has a detailed proposed daily schedule.

Soon the group came to be led by Ma Amida (possibly Prem), assisted by Sw Vimalkirti, Ma Anand Ganga and Ma Anand Parijat. The Community to Provoke God brochure said of it:

The process used here combines the eastern meditation on a zen "koan" -- concentrating and meditating on a question -- with western communication techniques. Eighteen hours a day for three days, participants sit in pairs alternately answering the question "Tell me who you are", and maintaining total isolation within the rigid structure of the group. Layer by layer the mind is cleansed of superficial identifications as the question "Who am I", penetrates deeper and deeper layers of being.

Maneesha has also described the EI/IE process. In the Dec 12 Chapter of the Darshan Diary Hammer on the Rock, she reports:

Members from the Enlightenment Intensive group were present at darshan tonight. The aim of the group is to provide a situation in which one can gain a glimpse into what goes on behind the mind, and directly encounter one's consciousness. The method used is a synthesis of the East and West: the Zen method of using a koan (concentration and meditation on a question), is combined with western communication technique. The basic question asked is, "Who am I?"

The group, which is residential, runs for eighteen hours each day for three days. Apart from the asking and answering of the koans, physical movement, simple labour, and a walking meditation are also part of the process.

Maneesha augments this description in Nothing to Lose but Your Head (Feb 24 1976) with "... each day a total cleansing of body and mind happens. This demands a total commitment. A special diet, physical movement, simple labour, walking meditation, bathing and even sleep itself are part of the process and help toward a continuous deepening of awareness".

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