Commune

Osho, since each of us is born alone and dies alone, and aloneness is the state of our being, what is the function of the commune?

THE function of the commune is exactly that: to make you aware of your absolute aloneness. The family does not allow you that. The family gives you the fallacy that you have a mother, you have a father, you have a husband, you have a brother, you have a sister -- that you are not alone. The society gives you the idea that you are a member of the rotary club, the lions club; that you belong to this church, to that temple, to this congregation or that congregation -- that you are not alone. The society provides you with all kinds of crowds to mingle with. You are republican, you are democrat, you are liberal -- but you are not alone, all the republicans are with you. The function of the commune basically is to destroy all these fictions. Nobody is with you. You are alone, and you have…

Question: BELOVED MASTER, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE NEW COMMUNE? Krishna Prem, the new commune is an experiment in spiritual communism. The word 'communism' comes from 'commune'. There is only one possibility of communism in the world and that possibility is through meditation. Communism is not possible through changing the economic structures of societies. The change of economic structures of societies will only bring new classes; it cannot bring a classless society. The proletariat may disappear, the bourgeoisie may go, but then the ruler and the ruled...that's what has happened in Soviet Russia, that's what has happened in China. New distinctions, new classes have arisen. Communism is basically a spiritual vision. It is not a question of changing the economic structures of the society, but changing people's spiritual vision.

Beloved master, is it true that power-oriented people were needed to create this commune? Is it also true that meditative and loving people cannot create such beautiful and rich communes?

Power-oriented people can create much, but their creation is basically criminal. And sooner or later, it is going to fall apart. Meditative people, loving people, can create higher things, better things. And whatever they create is never in the service of death and destruction. Whatever they create is basically godliness. Whatever they create remains forever; it is eternal. Adolf Hitler used to say that the regime that he is creating is going to last for one thousand years. I want you to know, what we are creating is going to last forever. Love is immortal. Love knows no death. Meditation leads you within yourself to eternity. So don't think that I had put Sheela and her group to create the commune. They turned out to be power-oriented. Perhaps any one of you would have turned out to be the same. You all carry the same desire to be somebody special.…

Beloved master, is it possible that where the old religions failed, our commune can succeed?

It is not only possible, it is absolutely certain, because our commune is not a religion. Our commune is a very liquid religiousness. It is not an organization; it is just a meeting place of people who have dropped all conditions, all religions, all ideologies, and who are ready to become seekers on their own, individuals on their own, who are no longer searching for a prophet and a savior, who have decided that all the saviors have failed -- now the only way is to save yourself. And because the search is the same, there is a loving atmosphere, a togetherness -- not of any ideology, not of any belief system, but only of a friendship of fellow travelers. The commune is a totally different phenomenon from religion. Religions are dead; the commune is a living phenomenon. And each individual has absolute freedom to be himself. There are no…