You're running two nursing homes in Switzerland? He, the book says, had a litany of demands that petrified Sheela. Sheela has lived and worked here for more than 20 years. She was born in 1949 in Baroda, Gujarat. She is not pleased to see me. During the said conversation, Sheela also stated that she wants to initiate a cleanliness drive in India. More than 7000 followers moved to Rajneeshpuram, which was a city in itself and had facilities like an airstrip, public transport, restaurant, malls, police force, fire department, townhouses, post office, and even a zip code. Sheela today runs two nursing homes in Switzerland. Contributions under this article have been turned off. I am then ushered into the office, which is unlike any I have ever seen. The fine lines on her countenance reflected wisdom and her eyes glinted with the sparkle of many untold stories that I was holding my breath to hear. What Sheela eventually forwards me is a letter from a former member of Rajneeshpuram, who details a conversation that he apparently had with Bhagwan in August of 1986. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Just before I leave, Sheela suddenly tries to convince me that she never did anything wrong, offering to send me an email she received from Bhagwan just before he died as proof. Ma Anand Sheela was sentenced to prison for 20 years for the convicted charges and was on parole for 39 months in 1986. I called him my caveman, because if he saw me he would grab me, throw me over his shoulder and run away with me," she says, leaning back and shaking with laughter. As personal secretary to the spiritual guru Rajneesh aka Osho, Ma Anand Sheela ran the ashram town of . After serving her prison term, she left the US for Germany but was denied re-entry without explanation while on a shopping trip to Switzerland (Germany had extradited her to the US when she first left the country and commune in 1985). . Hans Habltzel renounced worldly ambitions to embark on a spiritual journey from Switzerland to India, never to return. I was looking for her when I heard a tiny but crisp voice calling out my name. When I first saw her at the airport, I thought she was dainty and fragile, yet in some strange way strong as a mountain. I worked for a mad man, says Ma Anand Sheela. She opens it gently and flicks through until she finds a letter. Netflixs newdocumentarySearching for Sheela follows Ma Anand Sheelas return to India after decades for an interview tour. All rights reserved. This content was published on Oct 5, 2014 Talking about the time when she worked with. ', Super Mario Bros. 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Will Vedanta prove that it will not be the next Adani? Sheela, who turn 50 on Tuesday, has been in Switzerland since late 1988, when she was released from federal prison after serving 29 months for assault, attempted murder, arson, wiretapping and causing a food poisoning epidemic in The Dalles that made about 750 people ill. Ma Anand Sheela rose to fame afterbeing spotlighted in the popular Netflix documentaryWild Wild Country,and with the excitement around Searching for Sheela'strailer, it's safe to say that she continues to be a topic of major interest around the world. And I love them all today., But her faith has diminished. Sheela probably won't watch it. In an interview with The Guardian, Sheela (who is still alive, BTW) revealed that she never watched the entire Netflix series that she took part in. Sheela later moved to Switzerland, where she married, and purchased two nursing homes. Sheela, who had taken the title of Ma Anand Sheela after getting involved with Guru Rajneesh, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison but was paroled after just 39 months due to good behavior. The couple sealed the deal with an on-flight wedding ceremony while on their way to Mumbai, most likely while flying over Turkey. In an interview with The Guardian, Sheela (who is still alive, BTW) revealed that she never watched the entire Netflix series that she took part in. Published on Aug 05, 2022 08:28 AM IST. When you are protecting a community and an asset likeBhagwan, you have to show your strength. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel in 1985, the guru himself explained, "When others use violence, we will meet that with violence. "Bhagwan always got so angry when I told him that members thought they were now enlightened. This is one of the biggest conflicts that my siblings have. As the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the spiritual leader of the Rajneesh movement, from 1981 through 1985, she managed the Rajneeshpuram ashram in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. You run nursing homes in Switzerland? After his demise in 1980, she married John Joseph Shelfer, another American. Every hour of my existence now hasfragrance of Bhagwan's teachings that I have carried in my heart and my brains." Produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, Searching for Sheela is easily one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year, and is all set to release on Netflix on April 22, 2021. And I have done my best to create a neat melange of Mas words and experiences and things as they happened. But the psychologically healthy think that they're going to achieve enlightenment or be led to enlightenment" She breaks off and smiles. In that context, do you think she was used in some ways by her beloved Bhagwan? I started writing on my flight back from Switzerland. People sell meditation and enlightenment. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "You can complain about it only when you can do something about it," she said, adding that it's the same passion which inspires her to start a sanitation drive in India. Book Specification Item Code: UAO132 Author: Anand Sheela Publisher: Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ma Anand Sheela was the figure that towered above all in the stories I heard. How does she react to the country and how does the country react to her? he says. Everything was going fine in Rajneeshpuram, Sheela says, until Bhagwan started hanging out with the wrong people. In 1985 she pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack, it said. Apart from the talks that we had shared in Ma Sheelas home, we now discussed everything over the phone every day as I wrote. When Neha referenced to a previous statement by Sheela that there are similarities between spirituality and criminality, the latter replied, "There is a certain spirituality in criminality.". She spent decades away from India building a new life and then re-appeared on screen with Wild, Wild Country on Netflix. Sheela was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and fined $470,000. Sheela, the controversial former personal secretary of mysterious godman Bhagwan Rajneesh (Osho), talked about working with him, her life lessons, and managing her nursing homes in Switzerland, where she now resides. Soon after the Indian natives restrictions ended, she migrated to Maisprach, Switzerland, where she started a government-approved special needs nursing home called Matrusaden. Her entertaining rudeness in the face of authority or imprecise media questions emerged at an early age. You can watch Wild, Wild Country on Netflix, here. Or thinking that death comes to others, not me. Hundreds of people fell ill after eating salmonella and Sheela was accused of sprinkling the bacteria on the salad bars across many restraunts. It felt right because I was missing my parents very much. It was claimed as the largest bio-terror attack that the United States had ever witnessed affecting the health of 750 people and hospitalizing 45 people. She was trying to take over the countys municipal legislature by asking thousands of homeless people to vote Rajneeshee members into state government positions. 7. "I've never been interested in meditating," Sheela tells me, sitting cross-legged on a rug in her room, shifting quickly from one thought to the next without any warning. My father was articulate. She served as personal secretary of Osho and a principal spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement, during the 1980s. She became bodyguard and personal secretary to the guru, and was in large measure the person most responsible for executing the organizations decamp from Poona, India, to the U.S. As the most devoted followers (Sanyassins) built their cash-rich city of free love and ecology in rural Oregon, articulate and feisty Sheela emerged as the Bhagwans spokeswoman, strategist and attack dog. He also claimed she had stolen $55 million from the commune. She eventually pleaded guilty to the charges of immigration fraud and illegal interception of telephone calls and served 39 months of her 20-year sentence. Ma Anand Sheela used to manage all day-to-day business matters of the Rajneesh Foundation. Ma Anand Sheela visited India after 34 years and was, 12 Facts You Need To Know About Ma Anand Sheela Before Watching Searching For Sheela On Netflix, 21 Hollywood Movies That Will Inspire You To Never Give Up, 20+ Best Romantic Korean Movies To Watch With Your Partner: Sad, Comedy, Action Romantic Korean Movies, It Broke Our Hearts When Aditi Almost Lost Her Friendship With Jai In Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, We Asked ChatGPT For Alternate Endings & Plots For Bollywood Films. After a short stint in Portugal she settled in Switzerland in 1989. "I dont miss it, though. "I don't have a sex life anymore," Sheela smiles today. Furthermore, it reads: "Sheela is not a criminal, and anything that she did, she did to protect the commune. Ma Anand Sheela (born 28 December 1949 as Sheela Ambalal Patel in India, also known as Sheela Birnstiel and Sheela Silverman) [2] is an Indian-Swiss woman who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement (aka Osho movement). In 1981, he appointed India-born Sheela as his secretary and she was tasked with finding a new location for the commune in order to expand. Talking about the time when she worked with Osho, Sheela said, "I worked for a mad man and I loved every minute of it. Rajneeshees in Oregon -- The Untold Story: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's former-aide, now running care homes for disabled in Switzerland, will not discuss her crimes. Though she's welcoming, there's something distant about her. I am happy with both my legacies: with and without Bhagwan., More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative. I was trained byBhagwanhimself to be quick and witty. And even now, thats why I can enjoy life so well, You should see some of the photographs and see how he looked at me. Please use a modern web browser for a better experience. Interest clearly remains high. All rights reserved. They were my inspiration to create nursing homes., Born Sheela Ambalal Patel in Vadodara, the 71-year-old was once married to Marc Harris Silverman, an American citizen who moved with her to India to pursue spiritual studies. She was involved and led the commune in the $5.75 million Oregon deal that would help them to establish a utopian town called Rajneeshpuram.. And, she moved to the U.S at the age of 18 to attend Montclair State College in New Jersey. My life here is quiet and relaxed. Manbeena Sandhu switched on her laptop on the flight taking her back home to Toronto. She was sentenced to a 24-year jail term in federal prison, but was released 1988 after 29 months in jail and moved to Switzerland on Dec 13th, 1988. "Everything I did was based on Bhagwan's teachings," Sheela explains. Edited excerpts from her interview with BL She asked me to visit her in Maisprach, a charming Swiss village near Basel where she lived. 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