By Mary Beth Marino

She was dressed in a rose colored sarong. Beads adorned her neck, and a picture of a bearded man dangled close to her heart. She was an attractive blonde, thirtyish in age. She’s married, has three children and holds a masters’ degree in psychology, so she says. Her name is Ma Veet Shella.

American born and raised, she took a trip to India in a search for truth and now proclaims to street people that they, too, can find truth by joining this commune.

The conversation took place outside the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where street people gathered for the re-opening of the St. Francis Table soup kitchen located in the basement of the church.

It was a cloudy, brisk day, a hint that fall was preparing to lay barren the leaves from the trees.

The street people were being approached by eight people belonging to the Rajneesh Humanity Trust commune.

One lone man was already in the chartered bus, waiting to be swept off to Antelope, Oregon, “in search for himself.” He had been searching for the past eight years with no apparent success.

The commune, from all indications, promised yet another flight from reality to a world where there is no crime or violence, drugs or processed food.

The brochure reads, “Doors open to the homeless.” It was too simple. There were questions that needed some answers. Ma Veet Shella offered an interview only if promised that the “truth would be printed.”

“Some reporters haven’t printed an accurate picture of our commune,” she retorted defensively.

Once assured of printing only the facts as she stated them, she agreed to talk about this commune that was soliciting street people.

“Our leader, (the pictured bearded man) is Bhag-Wan, Shree Rajneesh. He is from India,” she began.

As Ma Veet Shella spoke of her leader, her eyes illuminated to a soft adoring-like gleam. She quickly explained away any suggestion of a cult existence.

“Bhag-Win shares no dogma; there are no bars on the grounds, just 64,000 acres where people live in a non-violent atmosphere, reclaiming and restoring the land. We farm and cultivate the land…we work together as a community,” she explained.

Ma referred to the brochure that gave all the pertinent facts. It read: “no violence in this community. City, state and federal laws must be obeyed. Non-vegetarian food of any kind should not be brought. No facilities for pregnant women. Facilities are limited,” the brochure read.

The brochure also invited the homeless over 18 years of age to join the drug-free community that is also free of violence and crime. The brochure also states that medical facilities are available.

Then, while reading the brochure, the contradiction jumps right out at you… “Those with regular incomes pay up to $225.00 monthly for room and board. Those who have current or incomplete legal problems must finish them up before coming.”

The questions really began then! Do street people have regular incomes? Are most of the street people free of alcohol and drug problems? How do these street people get back from Oregon?

As these questions were fired at Ms Veet Shella, she stumbled through some quick answers like, “we do a screening (a two-minute form) and then decide whether the commune fits their (street people’s) needs. But we have been used before, and we can no longer provide a way home for them if it doesn’t work out,” she said.

“You mean you just ask these street people if they are alcoholics or criminals and they just answer “no” and that’s your screening?” she was asked.

“Well, we have to trust that they are being honest with us,” she replied.

It was never disclosed exactly what the commune, (who claim many with graduate degrees and other educated people reside there) has to offer the street people. Obviously, the homeless do not have $225 a month to pay room and board. Do they only accept the ones who have a regular income, say, for instance, Social Security recipients? If no dogma is being taught, and Rajneesh claims he has found the truth, what “truth” is being taught to these people?

When asked these questions, Ma only made vague statements about the peace and tranquility of the commune.

So, the lone man on the bus got a free trip to Oregon. Three others eventually boarded the bus also.

They aren’t concerned about being rejected once they get to Oregon. They don’t know if there are shelters or soup kitchens or help centers in the deserted mountainous regions of Oregon. They are desperate. They are clinging to a promise. If they have lied about problems with alcohol or drugs, there is no place for them to be treated. According to Ma Veet Shella, there have been some problems with the state of Oregon accepting this commune.

Obviously, the street people need to be alerted and informed. Shelters, soup kitchens and social service agencies need to discourage these street people from getting on that chartered bus.