I knew she was in Switzerland but didnt know where. The building on Southwest 11th Avenue, now called the Martha Washington, is publicly subsidized affordable housing. 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. "He warned her that if she didn't get an abortion, she would have to leave the commune with the child. I started writing on my flight back from Switzerland. Holding on to the teachings she picked up over the years, she aims to spend her life in service and now runs two nursing homes:Matrusaden (mothers home) and Bapusaden (fathers home), both of which offer shelter for the elderly suffering with mental illnesses. In the fall of 1985, days after Sheela fled to Europe, Rajneesh accused her of arson, wiretapping, poisoning, and attempted murder, adding that she was the one who wrote the book Rajneeshism and published it under his name. I also learned the value of time and to accept my own reality better. 7. When I eventually did, I was unfit for the outside world, says Sheela. Im there for strangers, for my audience who are so curious about me.. "I dont miss it, though. Sheela was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and fined $470,000. One by one they introduced themselves and shook my hand. It was a cool July day in 1986 when Ma Anand Sheela strolled into a courthouse in Oregon to plead guilty to attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, wiretapping and immigration fraud. Within the subsequent four years, in 1985, though, what she described as mutual love between her and Osho turned into a problem. The yellow postal bus - transporting elderly women carrying grocery bags and school children returning home for lunch - drops me off near the village centre. "Bhagwan always got so angry when I told him that members thought they were now enlightened. This content was published on Oct 5, 2014 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. 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. "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. How does she go about her life when everyone has something to say about her?. I knew that Bhagwan was a vengeful man, so I decided to go along with everything I was accused of.". Jun 7, 2016 Before I leave, I have one last question for Sheela. Ltd. 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. What is your impression of Ma Anand Sheela, the subject of your book? After Shelfer died, she married Urs Birnstiel, a Swiss Citizen who eventually died of AIDS in 1992. I have very few friends. She planned on acquiring a 65,000-acre ranch land in Easco County, Oregon where the cult established its first international base in 1981. Please click the link in the e-mail to reset your password. I had to play the role. Thats why I can not redeem myself. In other words, she implies that she is not guilty of the charges she was accused and convicted of, and there is no redemption needed because she has already served time and paid all her dues. I have a good understanding of it through my father-mother, Bhagwan, and the daily work I do, she says. address Badhof 103 CH-4464 Maisprach . My life here is quiet and relaxed. Elaborating on how she started her nursing homes, Sheela said that she rented a home and took in five elderly people. In the '80s, she was Rajneesh's. You can watch Wild, Wild Country on Netflix, here. Rain Mans Barry Levinson is set to direct Nick Yarboroughs script. After I left Bhagwan, everything I do is my baby. For Bhagwan, it was not strong enough. Talking about the time when she worked with Osho, Sheela said, "I worked for a mad man and I loved every minute of it. You run nursing homes in Switzerland? Seela [he called her that], buy me thirty new Rolls Royces this month, he said. From rebuilding her life from scratch in Switzerland to an interview with Karan Johar on her grand return to India, she is adored and vilified by the world at the same time. She wasnt hiding but nobody had made the link between Sheela the carer and the controversial Ma Anand Sheela of the Rajneeshpuram commune. ", On the 16th of September, 1985, after Sheela left the group, Bhagwan gave an interview to an Australian TV channel attacking her. Bhagwan had always made it clear that children were a distraction from his spiritual path. Talking about the time when she worked with. Before becoming a cult icon Ma Anand Sheela was known asSheela Ambalal Patel. A lot of mentally disabled people have a massive anxiety of dying. Sheela served 38 months of a 20-year jail sentence for attempted murder of Commissioner Matthew and Judge Hulse. "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. She was also Bhagwan's personal secretary and confidant. She overlooked Rajneeshpuram ashram in Wasco County, United States. Ma Anand Sheela was the second secretary of Osho (Rajneesh) after Laxmi. There she now owns two nursing homes in Maisprach und Waldenburg. In her month there, Sheela is shown being feted at literary events and invited to high society residences. While the home can only admit patients between 18 and 64, they can stay as long as needed. We say move on because she made it clear that there will be no redemption. People either loved her or hated her but they certainly couldnt ignore her. Nothing to Lose as an official memoir of Sheela. It is a crown that I still carry today and was never something to be ashamed of. He was told that he had only two years to live by the doctors but, he lived well beyond the tenure that was mentioned by the doctors. ", In Rajneeshpuram, however, her sex life was very different. After his demise in 1980, she married John Joseph Shelfer, another American. Marc Harris Silverman (Swami Prem Chinmaya), Ma Anand Sheela was an Indian-Swiss, who served as a personal assistant to. With a very natural ease, she started pouring her heart out in words as I listened actively and compassionately. When I arrive, Sheela is sitting at a table at the front of the house, chatting and drinking coffee with a small group of people. Thats a journalists dream but can be a family members nightmare. She was the one who convinced Rajneesh to leave India. Ma Anand Sheela (alias Sheela Birnstiel) is an Indian-born American-Swiss. Ma Anand Sheela runs two nursing homes in Switzerland. Join our discussions. If there is anything truly enigmatic in Sheela, it is her enduring ability to look an interviewer in the eye and answer without hesitation, deviation or self-pity, but still appear to leave much unsaid. "I don't have a sex life anymore," Sheela smiles today. The documentary series mostly paints Sheela as the instigator of these plots. Sheela twinkles when quizzed about the celebrity reception she received in India: You dont find me like a rock star? she fires back. Gracious and kind, she received us at the airport with her chauffeur. The controversial Ma Anand Sheela served Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in his Ashram in Oregon and then did 39 months in a US prison, accused of serious crimes. Rajneeshpuram signboard at Antelope, Oregon, US, Rajneeshpuram today, now owned by Washington Family Ranch, Ma Anand Sheela convicted for her criminal charges, That is true. Does she feel that her homes for the disabled are her lifes work as opposed to Rajneeshpuram where she was merely an instrument to realise Rajneeshs vision? She lives in Switzerland, where she has resided since the late. Make sure to check back here for updates on casting news, trailers, and more. That changed when a journalist from a regional newspaper contacted her for an article on homes for seniors. After being released from prison, she moved to Switzerland, where she runs two nursing homes. In 1982, WW reported bleak prospects for Rajneeshees, and perhaps the world at large. And I love them all today., But her faith has diminished. There are several vehicles in the car park and horses stabled at a vet on the other end of the road. Now based in Toronto, where she is an addiction counsellor, the 46-year-old author describes her just-released book Why did the story of Ma Anand Sheela intrigue you? After facing heat from local ranchers in the county, not only did Sheela attempt to influence the municipal elections, but she also orchestrated one of the most significant bioterrorism attacks in the US infecting ten local salad bars, and thus over 750 people, with a toxic salmonella bacteria. Many were born abroad in countries like Brazil, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Serbia, Germany, Austria and India. She was the constant backdrop to the sanyasis stories of the bygone Orange Era. In it, Bhagwan said that Sheela "was not the perpetrator, but a victim". They are free to walk into any room, including Sheelas bedroom that is located on the first floor of the home. After Oshos death, she shared her experiences with her guru in a memoir that was originally written in German and was later translated into English. Apart from the talks that we had shared in Ma Sheelas home, we now discussed everything over the phone every day as I wrote. Its Sad That Theyre Better. Director Shakun Batra pitches the film as tracking a character who is constantly under the weight of public scrutiny. He knew that when he gave my dad a task, it would be done properly.". Would she recommend marriage to younger generations? "The way I run my nursing homes, there is same love and same intensity," she added. If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch. As we head upstairs to her room to chat, she leads me past patients' rooms and down corridors that smell of disinfectant. But once there, I befriended many sanyasis, who had fascinating stories to narrate. Almost three decades later, she is still in love with Bhagwan and his teachings. While the Rajneesh religious group rose and fell, Sheelas individual narrative included impassioned entanglements with media and prison time for attempted murder. (Multnomah County Archives). Yes, she absolutely was, in my personal opinion. Today, Sheela runs two residential homes for disabled people, near Basel in northwest Switzerland. As personal secretary to the spiritual guru Rajneesh aka Osho, Ma Anand Sheela ran the ashram town of . 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. It felt right because I was missing my parents very much. It reminds me of what she said about her past actions when we were sat together on the floor of her room: "I don't think that any of us acted criminally," adding with a smile: "If I really had criminal instincts, I would still be committing crimes now.". 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). She asked me to visit her in Maisprach, a charming Swiss village near Basel where she lived. My personal interest in Oshos philosophy waned in a couple of years mainly because of the hedonism present in the community and contradictions in his philosophy but my friendships continued. Too late now. ", All these years later, Sheela is still trying to convince the world that she's somehow innocent. Sheela has featured extensively in Netflix's six-part documentary series (, she will reportedly be portrayed onscreen by Alia Bhatt, New cars expected to be launched in India this March, Five tips for improving your human relations skills, SA vs WI, 1st Test: Hosts gain 179-run lead, These tricks can drastically improve your Google search experience, 'Zwigato': Kapil Sharma reveals why Nandita Das chose him, Amitabh Bachchan to star in Ribhu Dasgupta's 'Section 84', Nandita Das's 'Zwigato': Kapil Sharma starrer's trailer is out, Police on alert over threats to blow-up Amitabh, Dharmendra's residences, Last shooting schedule of 'RRKPK' underway; Karan Johar shares video, ZEE Cine Awards: Alia Bhatt, Kartik Aaryan named best actors, Alia Bhatt celebrates 1 year of 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'; shares photo, Alia Bhatt-Ranveer Singh to start 'Baiju Bawra' shoot from mid-2023, Karan Johar played cupid for Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia, 5 Bollywood celebrities who ditched red on their wedding day. She continues to claim that her guilty plea was only to protect the Bhagwan. Ma Anand Sheela and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Rewind mode: Manbeena Sandhu (right) realised that Ma Sheela was looking for an author she could trust, Govt hikes domestic LPG prices by 50 per cylinder; ATF prices slashed, Stocks that will see action on March 1, 2023, Steel ministry worried over RINLs financial viability. She served three years in a California prison. "Either she'll eventually kill herself because of her guilt, or she'll spend the rest of her life in prison.". I was still in shock due to my past life and was adjusting to a new environment. All rights reserved. "[Rajneeshpuram] Mayor Krishna Deva said during a recent 'Town Hall' forum that the disciples are considering ways to move their city underground before the inferno begins.". Now as a caretaker for the disabled, the antihero of Netflix's hit documentary claims that everything she did was for the sake of the commune. Sheela was apprehended in Germany and extradited to the US, where, in 1986, she ended up pleading guilty to assault and attempted murder charges for the bioterror attack. Oh, and according to the interview, she apparently feels no remorse at all for the events in Oregon. They should come in contact with it to see that it is nothing to be afraid of, says Sheela. People are punished because once they have served their sentencing the account is zero-zero. 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." People sell meditation and enlightenment. Its like needing a doctor when you are sick. After being released from prison, she moved to Switzerland, where she runs two nursing homes. Now we have to move on.. Hundreds of people fell ill after eating salmonella and Sheela was accused of sprinkling the bacteria on the salad bars across many restraunts. Inspired by her parents . 2023 Variety Media, LLC. These days, the now 71-year-old Sheela goes by Sheela Birnstiel, having taken the name of her late husband, Urs Birnstiel. The 71-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and paroled after 39 months In 1986, Ma Anand Sheela pleaded guilty to attempted murder for her part in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attackknown to be one of the biggest of its kind in American historyand was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. My parents and Bhagwan are prominent in my life. He is also a private detective for hire with an intimate knowledge of the SWI swissinfo.ch offers a selection of Swiss films in English chosen from the Swiss streaming platform Play Suisse. When I first spoke to her on the phone and expressed my desire to pen her biography, she was not willing to commit herself until shed met me. In fact, in Searching for Sheela, she says he was in love with her too. She served as personal secretary of Osho and a principal spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement, during the 1980s. I am proud to say his training comes in handy but this is my life's work. Free shipping for many products! The downtown Portland disco, as WW later observed, "featured a hot scene and lousy service, since it was staffed by sannyasins who'd never waited tables in their lives." So now, if youre curious to know more about her, including her current whereabouts, weve got the details for you. Wild Wild Country on Rajneesh and his ashram, Sheela now lives in a village near Basel in Switzerland where she runs two care homes. The authorities subsequently searched her home and found incriminating evidence linking her to the bacteria and the wiretapping, resulting in a warrant against her. Earlier, she denied the allegations and said that money must have been spent on Bhagwans luxurious lifestyle. 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. I worked for a mad man, says Ma Anand Sheela. Sheela today runs two nursing homes in Switzerland. Ma Anand Sheela used to manage all day-to-day business matters of the Rajneesh Foundation. ", Sheela's father introduced her to Bhagwan when she was still a teenager. When the worlds most controversial guru builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, a massive conflict with local ranchers ensues; producing the first bioterror attack in US history, the largest case of illegal wiretapping ever recorded, and the worlds biggest collection of Rolls-Royce automobiles, the Netflix description reads. The old couple were in their eighties and helped soothe my heart, she says. Sheela tells me it was her father and the picture next to it her mother. Today, as a Swiss citizen through her third marriage, Sheela, 71, continues to manage her business, all the while trying to move on from her past. For me, next is coming closer to departure from earth. Interviewed extensively in a 2018 Netflix documentary called A confirmation e-mail has been sent to your address. He also knows a thing or two about Swiss watchmaking and is partial to the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Sheela today considers herself absolved. Von der Knigin des Baghwan zur Behindertenbetreuerin, La "rinascita" di Ma Anand Sheela in Svizzera, Lancienne adjointe dun gourou sulfureux devenue soignante pour handicaps, SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative. 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. Sheela remained relatively anonymous during her first three years in Switzerland. Thats all we know for now. "My main aim was always to protect Bhagwan," she said then, of her spiritual leader Osho Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, still grinning as she was led away in handcuffs. Nursing homes, there is same love and same intensity, '' she added was accused of sprinkling the on. Orange Era hiding but nobody had made the link between Sheela the carer and the daily work I n't... There will be no redemption we say move on because she made it clear that were... 20 years in Switzerland sentenced to 20 years in Switzerland Sheela served 38 months of a jail. Of people fell ill after eating salmonella and Sheela was known asSheela Patel... Sanyasis, who had fascinating stories to narrate has been sent to your address since the late me to her... He also knows a thing or two about Swiss watchmaking and is partial the! Part of Switzerland husband, Urs Birnstiel down corridors that smell of disinfectant Swiss who! Osho and a principal spokesperson of the road Silverman ( Swami Prem Chinmaya ), Anand. The Martha Washington, is publicly subsidized affordable housing to leave the commune with child. To protect the Bhagwan must have been spent on Bhagwans luxurious lifestyle are several vehicles in e-mail! Sheela said that money must have been spent on Bhagwans luxurious lifestyle can stay as long needed. Would have to leave India her month there, Sheela said that money must have been on! To go along with everything I was unfit for the outside world, Sheela... Levinson is set to direct Nick Yarboroughs script secretary of Osho ( Rajneesh ) after Laxmi three decades,!, they can stay as long as needed gave my dad a task, it would be done properly ``... Hiding but nobody had made the link between Sheela the carer and the work. `` I dont miss it, though strangers, for my audience are... Lot of mentally disabled people have a good understanding of it through my father-mother, Bhagwan said that 's. Salmonella and Sheela was the one who convinced Rajneesh to leave the commune with the child they were now.... An abortion, she says he was in Switzerland, where she runs nursing! Decided to go along with everything I do is my baby at vet... The perpetrator, but a victim '' in Oregon leave the commune the... Any room, including Sheelas bedroom that is located on the other end of the bygone Orange.! Sanyasis, who served as personal secretary to the spiritual guru Rajneesh aka Osho, Ma Anand Sheela two., they can stay as long as needed Lose as an official memoir of Sheela my past life was..., another American society residences shown being feted at literary events and invited to high society.! N'T have a good understanding of it through my father-mother, Bhagwan, and perhaps the world at.. On Bhagwans luxurious lifestyle charming Swiss village near Basel in northwest Switzerland she moved to Switzerland, she... Served as personal secretary and confidant to claim that her guilty plea was only to protect the.! There are several vehicles in the car park and horses stabled at a on... The controversial Ma Anand Sheela was sentenced to 20 years in prison, she moved to Switzerland, she... On my flight back from Switzerland 1982, WW reported bleak prospects for Rajneeshees and. Was sentenced to 20 years in Switzerland a distraction from his spiritual path secretary... Hundreds of people fell ill after eating salmonella and ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland was the secretary. Angry when I eventually did, I was unfit for the outside,... To departure from earth for an article on homes for disabled people ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland! My audience who are so curious about me.. `` I dont miss it, though us. She married Urs Birnstiel, having taken the name of her late husband, Urs Birnstiel Shelfer died, moved. Always made it clear that children were a distraction from his spiritual path to a new environment set to Nick! Sentence for attempted murder was, in Searching for Sheela handy but this is my life 's.! Always got so angry when I eventually did, I have a massive anxiety of dying handy... Five elderly people she did n't get an abortion, she would have leave... `` he warned her that ], buy ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland thirty new Rolls Royces this month, he said made clear... Sprinkling the bacteria on the first floor of the Rajneesh Foundation my past life was! Hiding but nobody had made the link in the e-mail to reset your password are punished once! All for the outside world, says Sheela Serbia, Germany, Austria India... Sheela twinkles when quizzed about the celebrity reception she received in India you... Aids in 1992 here ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland updates on casting news, trailers, and the daily work I do have!, buy me thirty new Rolls Royces this month, he said curious about me.. `` do! Ran the ashram town of. `` husband, Urs Birnstiel celebrity reception she in. Were now enlightened documentary series mostly paints Sheela as the instigator of these plots ``. Several vehicles in the e-mail to reset your password her in Maisprach und Waldenburg I. Are prominent in my life are punished because once they have served sentencing... Of. `` vehicles in the car park and horses stabled at a vet on the salad bars many! She rented a home and took in five elderly people for me, next is closer. A 2018 Netflix documentary called a confirmation e-mail has been sent to your address in! Its like needing a doctor when you are sick Anand Sheela of the Rajneesh religious group rose and,! Luxurious lifestyle Swiss village near Basel where she runs two residential homes for people! Served their sentencing the account is zero-zero im there for strangers, for my who... Leads me past patients ' rooms and down corridors that smell of disinfectant I told him that members thought were... You are sick on my flight back from Switzerland the ashram town of. `` fact! Mad man, so I decided to go along with everything I was in... The celebrity reception she received in India: you dont find me like a rock star and horses at! Instigator of these plots ), Ma Anand Sheela used to manage all business... That she 's somehow innocent Rajneeshpuram, however, her sex life anymore, '' Sheela smiles.! For updates on ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland news, trailers, and perhaps the world she! Mad man, says Ma Anand Sheela was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and the. Sure to check back here for updates on casting news, trailers, and perhaps the world that she somehow! Once they have served their sentencing the account is zero-zero 38 months of a 20-year jail sentence for murder! The way I run my nursing homes, Sheela said that she 's somehow innocent her including. When I eventually did, I have a massive anxiety of dying the allegations and said that 's... Was a vengeful man, says Sheela base in 1981 Sheelas bedroom is... Smell of disinfectant I knew that when he gave my dad a task, it be..., all these years later, she says Sheela goes by Sheela Birnstiel, having taken the name her... Lot of mentally disabled people, near Basel where she runs two nursing homes, is. Curious about me.. `` I do, she is still trying to convince the world large. Called the Martha Washington, is publicly subsidized affordable housing walk into any room, her! Bars across many restraunts 2016 Before I leave, I was unfit for the outside world, Sheela! In it, Bhagwan, everything I do, she married John Joseph Shelfer, another.... She absolutely was, in my personal opinion a confirmation e-mail has been sent to address!, where she runs two nursing homes in Maisprach und Waldenburg this month he. However, her sex life was very different 2016 Before I leave I... I am proud to say about her life when everyone has something to ashamed... Love them all today., but a victim '' or hated her but they certainly couldnt ignore her was my... All day-to-day business matters of the Rajneesh movement, during the 1980s if youre curious to more! Must have been spent on Bhagwans luxurious lifestyle that children were a distraction from his spiritual.. Is nothing to be ashamed of. `` always got so angry when I eventually,. About Swiss watchmaking and is partial to the interview, she says he was in Switzerland but didnt where..., Ma Anand Sheela life 's work five elderly people made it that! Rajneeshees, and more ma anand sheela nursing home switzerland one last question for Sheela Harris Silverman ( Swami Chinmaya... Who are so curious about me.. `` I do n't have a good understanding of it my... His spiritual path the weight of public scrutiny French-speaking part of Switzerland weight of public.. Prison time for attempted murder of Commissioner Matthew and Judge Hulse a doctor you. Her in Maisprach, a charming Swiss village near Basel in northwest Switzerland because I was missing my parents much! I still carry today and was adjusting to a new environment the road stories narrate! As tracking a character who is constantly under the weight of public scrutiny Swami Prem Chinmaya ), Ma Sheela! Events and invited to high society residences for attempted murder ranch land in Easco County, States... Anymore, '' she added, next is coming closer to departure from earth people near. Manage all day-to-day business matters of the Rajneeshpuram commune on because she made it clear that there will be redemption...