The Westin Resort Costa Navarino is a beautiful remote resort and is the only local accommodation option for retreat attendees. Retreat participants should stay onsite at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino as registration with the hotel is required to enter the secure, private grounds. Staying onsite also allows you to participate with the community and immerse yourself in the retreat experience.

A special lodging package including three delicious daily meals will be offered starting at the following discounted rates:

We strongly encourage you to book your rooms as soon as possible. The rooms at The Westin in our room block will sell out. Registering for the retreat does not guarantee that a room will be held for you. We have reserved a large block of rooms in order to accommodate retreat attendees, but the rooms will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once the rooms in our special retreat block sell out, your only option will be to book a standard room through The Westin Resort Costa Navarino website at the available room rate and will only include breakfast.

For those who would like to find a roommate, please visit the Meetup forum.

Lodging costs are paid separately to The Westin and are not included in yourretreat tuition. Our special group lodging rate will only be available until July 22, 2018 pending the availability of rooms and will require a two-nightdeposit. After that date, rooms can be booked at the current hotel rates based on availability. Please be sure to reviewthe room cancellation penalties at the time of booking.

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Eckhart Tolle Greece

Alan Watts was a British philosopher, speaker and author;

Watts passed away in 1973, but his legacy lives on through his many inspirational speeches, some of which have millions of views on YouTube.

Here are 48 of the best Alan Watts quotes thatll blow your mind:

1.We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain. Alan Watts

2.Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal, for the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it exists forever. Alan Watts

3.There will always be suffering. But we must not suffer over the suffering. Alan Watts

4.Every individual is a unique manifestation of the Whole, as every branch is a particular outreaching of the tree. Alan Watts

5.The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. Alan Watts

6.But Ill tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, youll come to understand that youre connected with everything. Alan Watts

7.When you get free from certain fixed concepts of the way the world is, you find it is far more subtle, and far more miraculous, than you thought it was. Alan Watts

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you dont grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float. Alan Watts

9.There is always something taboo, something repressed, un-admitted, or just glimpsed quickly out of the corner of ones eye because a direct look is too unsettling. Taboos lie within taboos, like the skin of an onion. Alan Watts

10.No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now. I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is. Alan Watts

11.This is the real secret of life to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play. Alan Watts

12.If you really understand Zen you can use any book. You could use the Bible. You could use Alice in Wonderland. You could use the dictionary, because the sound of the rain needs no translation. Alan Watts

13.Try to imagine what it will be like to go to sleep and never wake up now try to imagine what it was like to wake up having never gone to sleep. Alan Watts

14.Only words and conventions can isolate us from the entirely undefinable something which is everything. Alan Watts

15.Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. Alan Watts

16.The sense of wrong is simply failure to see where something fits into a pattern, to be confused as to the hierarchical level upon which an event belongs. Alan Watts

The only Zen youll find on mountain tops is the Zen you bring up there with you. Alan Watts

18.You didnt come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here. Alan Watts

19.To be free from convention is not to spurn it but not to be deceived by it. Alan Watts

20.The more we struggle for life (as pleasure), the more we are actually killing what we love. Alan Watts

21.Everyone has love, but it can only come out when he is convinced of the impossibility and the frustration of trying to love himself. Alan Watts

22.Life and love generate effort, but effort will not generate them. Faith in life, in other people, and in oneself, is the attitude of allowing the spontaneous to be spontaneous, in its own way and in its own time. Alan Watts

23.Parts exist only for purposes of figuring and describing, and as we figure the world out we become confused if we do not remember this all the time. Alan Watts

24.Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. Alan Watts

25.What you are basically, deep, deep down, far, far in, is simply the fabric and structure of existence itself. Alan Watts

26.Your body does not eliminate poisons by knowing their names. To try to control fear or depression or boredom by calling them names is to resort to superstition of trust in curses and invocations. It is so easy to see why this does not work. Obviously, we try to know, name, and define fear in order to make it objective, that is, separate from I. Alan Watts

There is no formula for generating the authentic warmth of love. It cannot be copied. Alan Watts

28.The problem comes up because we ask the question in the wrong way. We supposed that solids were one thing and space quite another, or just nothing whatever. Then it appeared that space was no mere nothing, because solids couldnt do without it. But the mistake in the beginning was to think of solids and space as two different things, instead of as two aspects of the same thing. The point is that they are different but inseparable, like the front end and the rear end of a cat. Cut them apart, and the cat dies. Alan Watts

29.Total situations are, therefore, patterns in time as much as patterns in space. Alan Watts

30.There was never a time when the world began, because it goes round and round like a circle, and there is no place on a circle where it begins. Look at my watch, which tells the time; it goes round, and so the world repeats itself again and again. Alan Watts

31.We do not come into this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean waves, the universe peoples. Alan Watts

32.The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves. Alan Watts

33.Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way. Alan Watts

34.To put is still more plainly: the desire for security and the feeling of insecurity are the same thing. To hold your breath is to lose your breath. Alan Watts

35.If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, youll spend your life completely wasting your time. Youll be doing things you dont like doing in order to go on living, that is to go on doing things you dont like doing, which is stupid. Alan Watts

36.But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be. Alan Watts

37.You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing. Alan Watts

What the devil is the point of surviving, going on living, when its a drag? But you see, thats what people do. Alan Watts

39.The menu is not the meal. Alan Watts

40.We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society. Alan Watts

41.What I am really saying is that you dont need to do anything, because if you see yourself in the correct way, you are all as much extraordinary phenomenon of nature as trees, clouds, the patterns in running water, the flickering of fire, the arrangement of the stars, and the form of a galaxy. You are all just like that, and there is nothing wrong with you at all. Alan Watts

42.You are the big bang, the original force of the universe, coming on as whoever you are. A society based on the quest for security is nothing but a breath-retention contest in which everyone is as taut as a drum and as purple as a beet. Alan Watts

43.The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing. Alan Watts

44.You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean. Alan Watts

45.Things are as they are. Looking out into it the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations. Alan Watts

46.Philosophy is mans expression of curiosity about everything and his attempt to make sense of the world primarily through his intellect. Alan Watts

47.Parts exist only for purposes of figuring and describing, and as we figure the world out we become confused if we do not remember this all the time. Alan Watts

48.How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself anything less than a god. Alan Watts

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48 Alan Watts Quotes That'll Blow Your Mind | Wealthy Gorilla

Friedrich Nietzsche introduced several ideas into Western philosophy that have had a huge influence on the culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Existentialism, postmodernism, and poststructuralism have all been touched by Nietzsches work.

His impact isnt just seen in academic philosophies, though, but also in the way many modern Westerners approach their lives. The love of struggle, the quest for autonomy and personal greatness, the clarion call of following your passion and making your life a work of art these are all cultural currents Nietzsche helped shape and set in motion. Thus to really understand modern life in all its wonder, and weirdness, one must understand Nietzsche.

Below I highlight just a few of Nietzsches biggest and most intriguing ideas; even if you decide you vehemently disagree with them, they are excellent fodder for examining how you live and exist in the world. Do you, as Nietzsche exhorts, say yes to life? Or do you deny its powers and possibilities and simply loaf through your existence?

Keep in mind that this article isnt an exhaustive look at Nietzsches work; its designed to be an accessible primer for those who wish to dip their toes into his philosophy. As such, I tried to simplify and condense the explanations as much as possible. For a more exhaustive and in-depth treatment, youll have to read the myriad books that have been written by Nietzsche and about his work; Ill suggest some of the best to check out at the end.

In Nietzsches first published work, The Birth of Tragedy, he describes two divergent outlooks embodied by the ancient Greeks: the Apollonian and the Dionysian. Together, Nietzsche argues, these two ethoses birthed one of the worlds most famous art forms the Athenian tragedy.

Apollo was the sun god who brought light and rational clarity to the world. For Nietzsche, those who view things through an Apollonian lens see the world as orderly, rational, and bounded by definite borders. The Apollonian views humanity not as an amorphous whole, but as discrete and separate individuals. Sculpture and poetry were the arts best represented by the Apollonian ethos because they have clear structuresand definedlines.

Dionysus was the god of wine, celebration, ritual madness, and festivity. Viewed through the Dionysian prism, the world is seen as chaotic, passionate, and free from boundaries. Instead of seeing humanity as being made up of atomized individuals, the Dionysian views humanity as a united, passionate, amorphous whole into which the self is absorbed. Music and dance, with their free-flowing forms, were the arts best represented by the Dionysian ethos.

For Nietzsche, the pre-Socratic Greek tragedies fused these two outlooks together perfectly. The works of Sophocles and Aeschylus forced the audience to answer one of lifes most burning questions: How can human life be meaningful if human beings are subject to undeserving suffering and death? The Apollonian answers this query by arguing that suffering brings forth a transformation chaos can be turned into beauty and order. The Dionysian, on the other hand, contends that dynamism and chaos are not necessarily bad things. Simply being part of the chaotic flow of life and joyfully riding its waves was a beautiful and worthy pursuit in and of itself; any suffering that came along with the ride was simply the price of admission.

Nietzsche argued that after Socrates, tragedies began to emphasize the Apollonian ethos at the expense of the Dionysian. Instead of seeing tragedy as the natural result of living in a world of chaos and passion, the post-Socratic dramatists saw it as the consequence of some tragic flaw in a persons character. Nietzsche believed this more rationalized view of tragedy extinguished some of lifes mystery and romanticism.

While this theory may seem very specific to a certain time, place, and art form, it has far wider implications. Its important to have a basic understanding of the two concepts because theyre woven throughout the rest of Nietzsches work. For Nietzsche, the Dionysian perspective was the more life-affirming and vitality-spurring approach to life; consequently, he emphasizes it over the Apollonian.

Besides the Dionysian and Apollonian archetypes, Nietzsche looked to other Ancient Greek ideas to inform his worldview. He was particularly fond of the pre-Socratic Greeks and their Homeric warrior ethics. Strength, courage, boldness, and pride were virtues that Nietzsche championed throughout his life.

There are no facts, only interpretations, Nietzsche famously wrote. From this, he is often accused of being a relativist, but a closer look at his work shows that this isnt quite the case. Nietzsche doesnt deny that there could be some big T Truth out there, but if there were, we would never be in a position to confirm its veracity because our observations are biased and conceived within a language, within a culture, within a perspective, within the constraints and expectations of a theory.

Instead of relativism, Nietzsche advocates for something that has been called perspectivism. Perspectivism in a nutshell means that every claim, belief, idea, or philosophy is tied to some perspective and that its impossible for humans to detach themselves from these lenses in order to suss out the objective Truth. Now, this may sound like relativism, but according to Nietzsche, its not the same thing. Unlike strict relativism, which says all views are equally valid because theyre relevant to each person, perspectivism doesnt claim that all perspectives have equal value some are in fact better than others. The job of the philosopher, according to Nietzsche, is to learn, adopt, and test as many different perspectives as possible to get a better picture of the Truth. This process may even require looking at the world with what appears to be opposing perspectives. While Nietzsche doesnt think taking on different viewpoints can ultimately reveal the big T Truth (remember, it can never fully be unveiled because of our biases), he does feel it can get you pretty close to it.

As I read about Nietzsches perspectivism, I was struck by how similar it was to John Boyds OODA Loop. If youll remember, the OODA Loop is a methodology for making strategic decisions in the face of opposition at least thats how its often viewed in todays business and military culture. For Boyd, though, the OODA Loop is more than just a decision cycle for military tacticians. It is a meta-paradigm for intellectual growth and evolution in an ever-shifting and uncertain landscape. The most important step in the OODA Loop is the Orient step, in which you constantly re-direct and re-frame your mind based on your observations of the world around you. Because our environment is always changing, we must always be orienting. A vital part of that is building a robust toolbox of mental models and testing out those mental models in the real world. According to Boyd, the more mental models one had at their disposal (even competing ones!), the more likely they were to understand the world and make good decisions. Sounds pretty much like Nietzsches perspectivism.

Nietzsche is perhaps most famous for his critiques and deconstruction of modern morality and religion. It is in Beyond Good and Evil and On the Genealogy of Morals that Nietzsche fleshes out this critique. An important element in Nietzsches criticism is the concept of master morality and slave morality. While Nietzsche presents the development of master-slave morality as a historical and anthropological reality, its better viewed as Nietzsches big picture psychological explanation for why we (we, as in all of humanity) have the morality that we do.

According to Nietzsche, morality began as master morality. He sees the aristocratic warrior values of the Homeric Greeks and other pre-Judeo-Christian cultures as the origin of true virtue. For them, the world wasnt divided into good and evil, but rather noble and ignoble. To be noble meant successfully asserting your will on the world and getting what you wanted through your strength, courage, and excellence. Being noble meant being the best at whatever you did. This worldview required a hierarchical vision of humanity some people were more excellent and noble than others. Whats more, there was no room for humility in this conception of nobility. As Nietzsche put it, Egoism is the very essence of a noble soul. If you did great things, you took responsibility for them and basked in the glory you received from your peers. The noble, or masters, were the ones who determined what was moral.

The ignoble, or slaves as Nietzsche called them, were the complete opposite of the noble. They were weak, timid, and pathetic. The ignoble couldnt get what they wanted because they lacked the virtues of excellence and the ability to assert their will on the world. In fact, the ignoble avoided expressing their wants and desires because that could get them in trouble with the noble. They got along to get along. The noble did not esteem the slaves; they were at best pitied, at worst disdained.

Living a code based on the noble/ignoble dichotomy is what Nietzsche calls master morality. But, the philosopher argues, master morality only bred resentment in the slaves or lower classes. And it is this resentment that gave birth to slave morality. Slave morality, according to Nietzsche, was a spiritual revenge against the ruling class which sought to turn master morality on its head. Beginning with the Ancient Hebrews and continuing with Christianity, the ignoble or lower classes began to declare that the values of the master class were not only offensive to God, but that it was actually more righteous and excellent to be weak, humble, and submissive. Instead of splitting the world between the noble or ignoble, slave morality divided the world into good and evil. Under the rubric of slave morality, the noble man was seen as the evil man, and the ignoble man was seen as the good man. For Nietzsche, slave morality was a way to not just protect the weak, but to also exalt them.

Whats more, unlike master morality, which was created by the self-assertion of the noble individual himself and thus unique to him, slave morality was external and applied to everyone. Think the Ten Commandments.

While Nietzsche certainly praises master morality and casts slave morality in a bad light, he does see slave morality as serving an important psychological purpose in that it gave those without power a sense of self-esteem. The problem for Nietzsche is that, its dignity-bestowing properties aside, slave morality always puts its adherents in a secondary, dependent position. The slave can never have a sense of self-worth without thinking of someone else as evil; its reactive instead of proactive.

Nietzsche notes that its possible for an individual to be guided by both master and slave morality. Take the Pope for example. At one time in history, the Pope had actual political and military power. He governed nations and directed armies. He could, in a sense, be guided by master morality. But as a Christian, he followed a morality that emphasized humility and restraint. So there was a struggle between the two types of morality within a single man.

Its not just popes who have to deal with this internal struggle; according to Nietzsche, we all do. What we call a bad or a guilty conscience is the result of our desire to live by a code of master morality butting against the pull of slave morality. We want to be rich and powerful, but we feel guilty for wanting those things because weve been told that the desire for wealth and power is evil. The battle between master and slave morality within ourselves also manifests itself when we feel bad about our successes or when we downplay them by providing self-deprecating excuses like, Oh, it was just luck. Slave morality for Nietzsche then becomes a sort of self-hatred.

Nietzsche argues that with the passage of time, slave morality overtook master morality and what we call morality today is almost entirely composed of the formers values. Instead of seeking personal excellence, slave morality encourages us to judge and find fault in others so that we can say, Well, at least Im not as bad/evil/sinful as that guy. It encourages us to paint our enemies in the worst possible light in order to feel justified in going after them; in the world of slave morality, theres no room for the idea of the noble adversary. Slave morality also manifests itself in societys overweening emphasis on humility; to even mention ones accomplishments is seen as bragging. We balk at anyone who claims to be better than us. All in all, Nietzsche thought that living by the code of slave morality was a weak and pathetic way to go about life.

So if slave morality is so bad, whats Nietzsches alternative? Interestingly, he doesnt encourage us to go back to master morality because he feels were past the point of no return and it would be psychologically impossible to do so. Instead, Nietzsche argues that we must move beyond good and evil, and towards a morality that doesnt depend on calling certain things bad in order for goodness to exist a morality thats proactive and not reactive, and focused on attaining personal excellence. According to Nietzsche scholar Robert Solomon, a type of Aristotelian virtue ethics would be a good candidate for this new (old) morality.

Of all the bold claims Nietzsche put forth in his life, none is more (in)famous than the idea that God is dead. Some have mistakenly interpreted this statement as Nietzsche celebrating the death of Deity. But a closer reading reveals a different story. Nietzsche was simply making explicit what had silently been happening in the West since the beginning of modernity. He was describing, not exulting. Instead of placing their faith in God and basing their worldview on a divine, universal law, most modern Westerners even those who claimed to be devoted to their faith conducted their lives and viewed the world through the Enlightenment-born prism of scientific materialism.

Rather than feeling that this evolution was something to celebrate, Nietzsche saw the death of God as tragic and traumatic. To get a sense of the travesty Nietzsche believed had happened in replacing God with science, read the following passage from The Gay Science in which Nietzsche has a madman announce that God is dead:

Whither is God? he cried; I will tell you. We have killed him you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all sun? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent?

Nietzsche predicts that the death of God will bring with it the rejection of the belief in a universal moral law, which in turn will cause existential nihilism a philosophy hedetested. While Nietzsche didnt think highly of slave morality, as we just discussed, he did think it was good for the psyche, and that religion played an important role in creating meaning a center of gravity in the world. Nietzsche predicted that once a universal basis of morality eroded away, there will be wars the like of which have never been seen on earth before a prediction which came true not long after he died in 1900.

What often gets overlooked about Nietzsches pronouncement of Gods death is that he also points out that no one really noticed the Almightys passing. And why is that? First, even while Westerners put more and more of their faith in science and reason, they continued to profess a belief in God and kept up their religious practices. Its not that people actively sought to prove the non-existence of God at the time, like todays New Atheists. They simply started to ignore Him, even if they didnt realize they were.

Second, Nietzsche argues that modern Westerners failed to notice the death of God because they continued to practice faith just that now it was one centered on science and reason rather than the divine; if people were honest with themselves, Nietzsche would say, they would admit that they planned their days, made decisions, and picked careers based not on scripture and prayer, but on economic, sociological, and technological factors. While Nietzsche was an atheist and a fan of the scientific process, he believed this new faith in science wasnt any better than the old faith in God. In fact, it was worse, for it made no room for a passionate, Dionysian spirituality that lent life vitality and meaning. Whats more, the reductivist explanations of scientific materialism promoted an empty, nihilistic outlook on the world.

Nietzsche believed that joy required a man to love this mortal life right at this moment with all of its ups and downs. My formula for greatness in a human being, Nietzsche argued, is amor fati [literally, love of fate, the embracing of ones fate]: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it but love it.

For Nietzsche, life itself, with all of its pleasures and pains, is what gives human existence meaning. Because struggles provide us a chance to test ourselves, we should not just welcome them, but love them, and love them dearly. The same goes for our enemies. We should respect and love our enemies, not out of piety, but because they challenge and push us. Nietzsche wants us to say yes to life. Rather than hide from it embrace it head on. His idea of eternal recurrence (see below) really drives home this idea.

Life-denying philosophies are philosophies that attempt to downplay or even eliminate both the pains and pleasures of this life. For Nietzsche, the most pernicious type of life-denying philosophies are those that cause an individual to hold out for some pie in the sky future that will free them from all pain and sorrow. Instead of seeing mortalitys trials as something to struggle with and overcome, and in the process become stronger, life-denying philosophies encourage individuals to hate this life and look forward to another.

According to Nietzsche, Christianity and even scientific materialism promoted this sort of life-denying thinking. Christianity, Nietzsche argued, was from the beginning, essentially and fundamentally, lifes nausea and disgust with life, merely concealed behind, masked by, dressed up as, faith in another or better life. Hatred of the world, condemnations of the passions, fear of beauty and sensuality, a beyond invented the better to slander this life.

Nietzsche saw scientific materialism as fomenting a similar dissatisfaction with life, by holding out hope not for heaven, but for a better future just over the horizon. Those who put their faith in science believe that through reason and innovation well be able to overcome our physical limitations and become free from all suffering.

Nietzsche detested both of these views because both take a persons focus off the vital present and direct it towards a distant future. Life, Nietzsche argued, had to be lived now.

The other type of life-denying philosophy Nietzsche criticized was asceticism. As a lover of the passionate Dionysus, Nietzsche believed that asceticism devalued the human passions by encouraging individuals to mortify and deny lifes vital energies. He felt that asceticism prevented people from enjoying all that mortality had to offer. Nietzsches critique of this philosophy as life-denying isnt just directed towards religious practices like fasting, celibacy, or intense meditation. He also argued that the dogged pursuit of scientific knowledge was a form of asceticism as well, in that it caused a person to evade life its hard to experience the fullness of mortality when youre holed up in a laboratory or have your nose in a book all the time. Nietzsche also saw type-A workaholics who never have the time to enjoy the fruits of their labor as yet another category of life-denying ascetics.

An important doctrine (if you can call it that) buttressing Nietzsches life-affirming philosophy is that of eternal recurrence or eternal return. The idea is that time repeats itself over and over again with the same events. Its not a new idea. Several ancient cultures had some conception of eternal recurrence, including the Persians, the Vedics of India, and the Ancient Greeks. Nietzsche simply expanded on the idea and used it as an existential test for modern man.

Nietzsche best captures his idea of eternal recurrence near the end of The Gay Science:

What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust! Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine?

If this thought gained possession of you, it would change you as you are, or perhaps crush you. The question in each and everything, Do you desire this once more and innumerable times more? would lie upon your actions as the greatest weight. Or how well disposed would you have to become to yourself and to life to crave nothing more fervently than this ultimate confirmation and seal?

Eternal recurrence is a thought experiment that serves as an existential gut check: Do you really love life?

People say they love their life all the time, but when they say that, they usually mean they love all the good things in life that happen to them. For Nietzsche, love of life requires loving all of life, even its pains and sorrows. For many, thats a tough pill to swallow. If the thought of living your life over and over again fills you with dread, well, then according to Nietzsche, you dont really love life.

So how does one come to love life? Nietzsche prescribes his philosophy of amor fati the love of fate. Love and embrace all that life throws at you both the good and the bad. Instead of resenting lifes trials, see them as opportunities to test yourself and grow.

Nietzsche had doubts about the human capacity for personal improvement (he was somewhat of a determinist; you were born the way you were, and pretty much stayed that way), but he does suggest that we can take action to create the kind of life we would gladly put on an infinite loop.

Does contemplating replaying your life fill you with feelings of anxiety and regret? Nietzsche would advise you to change course: Ask that girl out; write that novel; learn that new skill youve always wanted to learn; make amends with your estranged friend; head out on a long-dreamed of adventure. And at the same time, dont despair over lifes hardships and uncertainties; ride them like a wave that takes you to a different, and even higher place.

Eternal recurrence would have a tremendous influence on the Existential philosophers of the 20th century. You can see it especially in Albert Camus essay The Myth of Sisyphus. The Existential psychologist Viktor Frankl echoed the idea of eternal recurrence in his book Mans Search for Meaning when he writes: So live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now! In other words, live with no regrets!

To be clear, Nietzsche likely didnt believe that wed actually repeat our life over and over again. He did have some notes in which he tried to create a scientific proof of eternal recurrence, but it was deeply flawed, and he never published it. Nevertheless, for Nietzsche it doesnt matter if eternal recurrence is an actual phenomenon what matters is the motivating effect which comes from meditating on the idea.

Nietzsche first coined the phrase the will to power in his early aphoristic works as a response to Schopenhauers will to life philosophy. For Schopenhauer, all living creatures had a motivation for self-preservation and would do anything just to survive. Nietzsche thought this outlook was overly pessimistic and reactive. He felt there was more to life than merely avoiding death, and believed that living beings are motivated by the drive for power.

But what does Nietzsche mean by power? Its hard to say. While Nietzsche used the phrase will to power throughout his published works, he never systematically explained what he meant by it. He just gives hints here and there. Many have interpreted it as the drive for control over others. While it could mean that, if we look at the original German phrase (Der Wille zur Macht), we discover that Nietzsche likely had something bigger and more spiritual in mind.

Macht means power, but its a power thats more akin to personal strength, discipline, and assertiveness. With this in mind, many scholars believe that Nietzsches conception of the will to power is that of a psychological drive to assert oneself in the world to be effective, leave a mark, become something better than you are right now, and express yourself. Exercising ones will to power requires self-mastery and the development of personal strength by embracing struggle and challenge.

According to Nietzsche, this notion of will to power is much more proactive and even noble than Schopenhauers will to live. Humans are driven not just to survive, Nietzsche proclaims, but to dare mighty deeds.

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche introduced two archetypes of humanity: the bermensch and the Last Man.

The bermensch or Overman is an oft-misunderstood Nietzschean concept. Some have interpreted it as a biological, evolutionary goal that through our mastery of technology and nature, humanity will be able to become a race of Supermen.

But thats not what Nietzsche had in mind. He doesnt think a person can actually become an bermensch. Rather, the bermensch is more of a spiritual goal or way of approaching life. The way of the bermensch is filled with vitality, energy, risk-taking, and struggle. The bermensch represents the drive to strive and live for something beyond oneself while simultaneously remaining true and grounded in earthly life (no other-worldly longings in Nietzsches world). Its a challenge to be creators and not mere consumers. In short, the bermensch is the full manifestation of the will to power.

Nietzsche never states what exactly we should be striving for thats beyond ourselves or what we should be creating. Thats for each man to figure out for themselves. It could be a work of art, a book, a business, a piece of legislation, or a strong family culture. Through the act of creation, we can forge a legacy that lives beyond our mortal life. By seeking to live as the bermensch, we can attain immortality in a this-worldly sense.

Contrast the bermensch with the Last Man. The Last Man is the very antithesis of a Superman:

Lo! I show you THE LAST MAN.

What is love? What is creation? What is longing? What is a star? so asketh the last man and blinketh. The earth hath then become small, and on it there hoppeth the last man who maketh everything small. His species is ineradicable like that of the ground-flea; the last man liveth longest. We have discovered happiness say the last men, and blink thereby. They have left the regions where it is hard to live; for they need warmth. One still loveth ones neighbor and rubbeth against him; for one needeth warmth.

Turning ill and being distrustful, they consider sinful: they walk warily. He is a fool who still stumbleth over stones or men! A little poison now and then: that maketh pleasant dreams. And much poison at last for a pleasant death. One still worketh, for work is a pastime. But one is careful lest the pastime should hurt one. One no longer becometh poor or rich; both are too burdensome. Who still wanteth to rule? Who still wanteth to obey? Both are too burdensome. No shepherd, and one herd! Everyone wanteth the same; every one is equal: he who hath other sentiments goeth voluntarily into the madhouse.

They have their little pleasures for the day, and their little pleasures for the night, but they have a regard for health. We have discovered happiness, say the last men, and blink thereby.

The Last Man plays it small and safe. He blinks and misses lifes energies. There is no ambition, no risk-taking, and no vitality in the Last Man. He avoids challenges because challenges result in discomfort. The Last Man doesnt want to create or be a leader because creation and leadership are burdensome. There is no desire to live for something beyond himself. The Last Man has discovered happiness in his little pleasures and just wants to be left alone so that he can live a long, unremarkable life. The Last Man is simply surviving, and not truly living. In the words of Robert Solomon, the Last Man is the ultimate couch potato.

While Nietzsche didnt think it possible to transform oneself into a full-on bermensch, the Last Man represented a decidedly attainable state. Look around you and even at yourself. Youve likely seen glimpses of the Last Man within yourself; he serves as a warning of what youll become if you cease striving for things beyond yourself if you dont nurture the flashes you sometimes also get of your superhuman potential.

A favorite directive of Nietzsches to his readers is one he borrowed from the ancient Greek poet Pindar: Become who you are. But what exactly does this exhortation mean?

For Nietzsche, becoming who you are doesnt mean becoming who you want to be. That can only lead to frustration.

For example, I would love to be an NFL player, but Im 32 years old, havent played football in 17 years, and wasnt blessed with natural athleticism. Professional football isnt and never was in the picture for me.

Rather, the mandate to become who you are requires us to acknowledge the limitations that biology, culture, and even blind luck have placed on us. Within these limitations, we must strive to live our natural talents and abilities to the fullest extent possible. In fact, we should embrace our limitations because they provide us the opportunity to exercise more creative power than if we had complete freedom. In a way, Nietzsches notion of becoming who you are is akin to a haiku. The constraints of haiku poetry force the poet to think deeply about which words to use and how to structure his prose. The constraints counterintuitively encourage creativity.

Thus, become who you are requires you to love fate, to relish the cards life has dealt you even if its a terrible hand and do the best you can with them. Become who you are is a mandate to exercise creative power and become the author your life. This notion of self-realization helps you avoid the feelings of resentment and angst that come when you wish for a life that simply doesnt and cant exist. Instead, Nietzsche argues, we should channel our energies into focusing on the here and now and find joy in the journey.

I hope this two-part series has given you a clearer understanding of the basics of Nietzsches famous philosophy. Regardless of your beliefs and background, grappling with Nietzsches ideas can give you insight about how you want to live your life, as well as the why behind how many others live in the modern West.

If youre a theist, Nietzsches diagnosis of the death of God serves as a spiritual gut check, forcing you to ask yourself, Do I really live my life as if there is a God? If I really believed without a doubt that the claims of my faith are true, how would my daily behavior, how I spend my time, and my life goals change? He also causes you to reflect on whether youre enjoying this earthly existence, in all its wonder, or simply pining for the next world; do you see life as something to be enjoyed, or simply endured?

If youre an atheist, Nietzsche challenges you to not simply replace your faith with science, which can ultimately lead to nihilism, but to actively seek a vital spiritual life filled with meaning.

For Nietzsche, the challenge for all modern men is to create and live by their own life-affirming values to become autonomous and to find meaning in a world that has become void of any such thing. In the present age we often feel like we are straying as through an infinite nothing; Nietzsches exhortation to all is to fight against this empty drift, to become who you are, to love suffering and challenge as much as ease and comfort, and to always, always say yes to life.

Did you enjoy this series and would like to see other philosophers given the same treatment? Let us know in the comments, as well as who youd like us to hit next!

Sources and Further Reading

What Nietzsche Really Said by Robert Solomon and Kathleen Higgins. The best Intro to Nietzsche book that I came across. They do a great job explaining Nietzsches big ideas as well as dispelling many of the myths that exist about Nietzsche.

The Will to Power: The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Audio lectures by Solomon and Higgins. Very accessible. The lectures follow their book, What Nietzsche Really Said, so Id recommend going with their book or their audio lectures.

Nietzsches Noble Aims: Affirming Life, Contesting Modernity by Paul Kirkland. This book is dense and academic, but if you can will yourself through it, youll discover all sorts of great insights about Nietzsches love of contest and his idealization of the noble adversary.

Introducing Nietzsche: A Graphic Guide by Laurence Gane. A graphic novel introduction to Nietzsche and his philosophy. Its a bit disjointed, so if you dont have any knowledge about Nietzsches philosophy, youll likely be lost while reading it.

Life Lessons From Nietzsche by John Armstrong. A really short book that highlights a few of Nietzsches ideas. At the end of each chapter, the author includes actionable steps on how you can apply that principle in your own life.

Where to Start Reading Nietzsche?

A few readers asked what order they should read Nietzsches works in if they were to do their own personal course.

Heres myrecommendation based on my own self-study experience:

Read an Intro to Nietzsche-type book first. I tried reading Nietzsches works first without any background information, and it was rough going. I had a hard time following him. After I read a few of the above books, things started to click once I went back to the direct sources. So, my recommendation would be start off with reading something like What Nietzsche Really Said.

Read The Birth of Tragedy. After youve read an intro book, read Nietzsches first work, The Birth of Tragedy. While its not as exciting as his later works, youll get a good understanding of Nietzsches concept of the Apollonian and Dionysian that is woven throughout all of his work.

Read in chronological order or just read what interests you. Reading in chronological order will allow you to see how Nietzsches ideas develop, but it can be a slog when you get to works that dont really interest you for whatever reason. If you think youll get bored trying to barrel through Nietzsche, a better approach would be to read what interests you. If the idea of the Ubermensch and The Last Man intrigues you, read Thus Spoke Zarathustra; if you want to tackle Nietzsches critique against modern morality, read On the Genealogy of Morals and Beyond Good and Evil. Eternal recurrence? The Gay Science.

Read anthologies. Another approach is to simply read the curated anthologies of Nietzsches work produced by scholars. You wont find all of Nietzsches works in these anthologies, just the ones the authors thought were important for a reader to be exposed to. The Portable Nietzsche by Walter Kaufman is a classic. Basic Writings of Nietzsche is a great one as well.

Last updated: November 30, 2017

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Over four years and going strong! With over 500,000 downloads from over 9 countries and 5 continents. this is the Warrior Mind Podcast.

In this episode of the Warrior Mind Podcast Im going to go over your personal success path for peak performance.

In Stu McLarens TRIBE he has a concept of a Success Path. This is the process a member will go through a learn/training site.

I was so inspired by this I want to equate this to your life.

Stages These are the BIG steps or phases that your audience needs to take to get from where they are now to where they want to be. Typically, there will be from 3 (minimum) to 7 stages (maximum). Having more than 7 stages creates more overwhelm for your audience.

Characteristics These are the descriptions of somebody at that particular stage. What does someone at this stage think, feel, or do? These are the characteristics of a person who is at this stage. When describing these, start with the extremes, worst case scenario first (far left), then best case scenario (far right). This makes it a little easier to fill in the ones in between.

Enjoy this podcast on your personal success path

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Elements of a Success Path Continued:

Milestones These are indicators for people to be able to measure their progress. These will be yes or no responses to questions you may ask someone to indicate whether they are ready for the next stage.

Action Item These are the things that people need to do in order to progress along the Success Path.

Request an Introductory Consultation right now if you wish to learn additional information on expectations, confidence and acceptance.

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Please raise your hand if you have ever created a personal strategic plan.

Dont feel badly if your response is No. The reality is that few people begin their career with a personal strategic plan. And many do not have a career management plan either. In fact, William S. Burroughs once said, Only one in a million know what they want to do. Still fewer do it. It's doubtful that the quote is based on any research, but it is a powerful one anyway. The most successful companies have a strategic plan that they follow to guide their success in the industry in which they operate. They also have top strategic imperatives that are critical for smooth and continued operation. Likewise, it is important for individuals to have a personal strategic plan that will guide personal and career success.

Theres good news! Creating a personal strategic plan doesnt have to be a daunting task. With the right process, anyone can create a plan that includes all the drivers that are critical to your success. Outlined below is a four-step process to help you create your personal strategic plan.

The key to having a happy, satisfied and fulfilled life is to accomplish the things that are most important to you, and this is much easier to do if you have a personal strategic plan to guide your career and life success.

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Success is what everyone college student dreams of. My Philosophy of Success, I believe that success is being able to wake up each morning, look in the mirror and be satisfied with your life. I believe successful people have learned to appreciate all the good things in their lives. If they have food, clothing and chance to learn, they are grateful to have these things because they are fortunate compared to about 80 percent of the rest of the world. Success does not mean being extremely wealthy. It means being able to enjoy the life you have now. It means having the love and support of your family and friends. I believe that learning is one road that leads to a successful life not because having an education means earning a bigger income, but having education provides us with knowledge and critically thinking skills and a chance to meet different people and communities, which help us to know the importance of taking personal responsibility for our lives.

The first success strategy I plan on using all the time is accepting personal responsibility. There will be time when I need to focus on school and worry less about my free time. For example, I have a test to do on Monday and I have to study in order to get an A and pass the course. The weekend comes around and all I do is procrastinating my studying. The smart thing to do about this situation would be to think wise and use my self-management strategy. Free time will always be available but a test that determines your grade will not. This helps me to be a creator about things and keeping up with the self-management strategy.

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My mom began meditating decades ago, long before the mind-calming practice had entered the wider public consciousness. Today, at age 81, she still goes to a weekly meditation group and quotes Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk known for his practice of mindful meditation, or present-focused awareness.

Although meditation still isnt exactly mainstream, many people practice it, hoping to stave off stress and stress-related health problems. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, has become more popular in recent years. The practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your minds attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. (Or, as my mom would say, Dont rehearse tragedies. Dont borrow trouble.)

But, as is true for a number of other alternative therapies, much of the evidence to support meditations effectiveness in promoting mental or physical health isnt quite up to snuff. Why? First, many studies dont include a good control treatment to compare with mindful meditation. Second, the people most likely to volunteer for a meditation study are often already sold on meditations benefits and so are more likely to report positive effects.

But when researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly 19,000 meditation studies, they found 47 trials that addressed those issues and met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published inJAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that mindful meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain.

Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that mindfulness meditation makes perfect sense for treating anxiety. People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power, she explains. They cant distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.

If you have unproductive worries, says Dr. Hoge, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. You might think Im late, I might lose my job if I dont get there on time, and it will be a disaster! Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, Oh, theres that thought again. Ive been here before. But its just thata thought, and not a part of my core self,' says Dr. Hoge.

One of her recent studies (which was included in the JAMA Internal Medicine review) found that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program helped quell anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition marked by hard-to-control worries, poor sleep, and irritability. People in the control groupwho also improved, but not as much as those in the meditation groupwere taught general stress management techniques. All the participants received similar amounts of time, attention, and group interaction.

To get a sense of mindfulness meditation, you can try one of the guided recordings by Dr. Ronald Siegel, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. They are available for free at http://www.mindfulness-solution.com.

Some people find that learning mindfulness techniques and practicing them with a group is especially helpful, says Dr. Hoge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, is now widely available in cities throughout the United States.

My mom would point you to Thich Nhat Hahn, who offers this short mindful meditation in his book Being Peace: Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.

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Online education is a type of educational instruction that is delivered via the internet to students using their home computers. During the last decade, online degrees and courses have become popular alternative for a wide range of nontraditional students, include those who want to continue working full-time or raising families. Most of the time, online degree programs and courses are offered via the host school's online learning platform, although some are delivered using alternative technologies. Although there are subtle dissimilarities, the main difference between online and traditional learning is the fact that online education liberates the student from the usual trappings of on-campus degree programs including driving to school, planning their schedule around classes, and being physically present for each sequence of their coursework.

If this sounds drastic, it really isn't. The truth is, the education methods and materials provided in online degree programs are often the same as those provided for on-campus programs. According to Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, the best online education programs actually mirror their on-campus equivalent.

Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.

"A high quality degree earned in an online format should not fundamentally differ from a campus-based degree," explained Monroe in an email interview. "The only significant difference should be the way that the classes are delivered."

A high quality degree earned in an online format should not fundamentally differ from a campus-based degree ... The only significant difference should be the way that the classes are delivered.

- Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA, Tepper School of Business

Although online education is often similar to on-campus instruction, it can be delivered in a number of ways. Distance learning is usually offered using one of these methods, or a combination of them:

No matter which type or types of online education one chooses to pursue, the options are typically plentiful. Where online education put down roots in just a handful of college majors, it has since expanded to nearly every field and discipline in academia, with very few exceptions. With that being said, certain fields lend themselves to online learning for various reasons. Across the nation, the most popular degree programs offered online include:

The benefits that come with online learning depend a lot on the individual. While some students simply enjoy the convenience of studying in their pajamas, others must choose online education in order to stay home with their children. Still, the biggest perk that comes with online degree programs has to do with location. Simply put, when you pursue online education, you don't have to uproot your life to do it; you can just stay home.

"The primary benefit of an online program is flexibility," notes Monroe. "In a well-designed online program, students are not limited to programs physically located near their home."

Staying home to pursue a degree can not only make earning a degree possible, but also less time-consuming. For example, students who pursue online degrees may not have to:

At the same time, it allows them to study and take tests at a time and place that works best for them, learn at their own pace, and transition through their courses faster.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and while there are many benefits, online education does have one drawback the lack of a personal connection.

"The primary benefit of a campus-based program, compared to an online program, is the opportunity it provides for personal interactions with your professors and your fellow students," says Monroe. "For many, learning is fundamentally a social activity and these person-to-person interactions are a very important component of their education."

To lessen the impact, many online schools have begun offering a wide range of services that connect students with their peers and instructors. Commonly, those features include online message boards and chat rooms, video conferences, and web-based forums.

To learn more about online programs from an educator's perspective, we reached out to Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.

For students who do not have an ideal program located very near to their home, an online (or online-hybrid) degree may make a lot of sense. But it's important to remember that not all online degrees are created equally. Students should consider asking the following questions before pursuing a degree in an online format:

"Is the online program equivalent or better than comparable campus-based programs?" "Does the technology improve or replace student and faculty interactions?" "How much face time and access will students have with professors?" "What degree do students graduate with?" "Do students have access to the same career services and networking opportunities?

If both formats offer the same degree, there can be a several benefits to the online program depending on an individual student's needs. In addition to experiencing more flexibility, students in online programs may also have a substantial competitive advantage in the global workforce due to the exposure and practice working with and through online technologies.

Make sure that you have the time and self-discipline to complete your program. The most successful students in Tepper School's Online Hybrid MBA program become masters at time management. Most students enrolled in online programs are balancing full-time jobs, family or other personal obligations and need to appropriately allocate and budget their time to keep everything in balance.

Part of the problem with online degree programs is that there are just so many to choose from. In addition to fully-online schools that offer programs across the nation, most of our country's largest universities and colleges as well as many small schools have their own online degrees or distance learning programs.

Once you decide which school you want to attend, however, you should take the following steps to enroll:

Sources:1. Interview with Robert Monroe, Director of the Online Hybrid MBA at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, July 6, 20152. The Differences Between Online and Traditional Classroom Educations, Study.com, http://study.com/articles/The_Differences_Between_Online_and_Traditional_Classroom_Educations.html3. Tepper School Online MBA Options, http://tepper.cmu.edu/prospective-students/masters/mba/program-options

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Are you facing deals that end in a no decision? Are deals stalling on account of stakeholder groups resisting change? Building Consensus is the framework for creating value propositions for winning more and larger deals. Arm your sales force with techniques to understand the clients structure and develop a plan to work within that structure. Create new opportunities or move existing ones successfully through the pipeline.

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ThinkSales offers Implementation and Refresher Coaching Sessions as an optional companion service to selected ThinkSales training programmes. These sessions are focused on improving implementation of sales process and/or sales methodology learning within live sales opportunities. Besides feedback and coaching of the individual, outcomes and action points are reported back to sales management for further internal coaching.

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There are few aspects of the story of the Indian guruBhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his Oregon commune that dont sound too strange to be true.

A bombing, a murder plot and a mass poisoning all of it revolving around a group of thousands of people who followed theirRolls-Royce-driving leader.

Wild Wild Country, a six-part documentary series released last month on Netflix, traces the strange story from past to present, featuring interviews with several formerRajneesh devotees.

The show has put a spotlight on a case that made national headlines throughout the 80s before fading somewhat from collective memory.

Heres what you need to know about what happened, according to reports through the years from PEOPLE, theNew York Times, the Oregonian and others.

Matthew NAYTHONS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Rajneesh born in India around 1932 came to America in 1981 already the leader of an eponymous religious group that he had founded in 1974, in Poona, India.

A former journalist and philosophy professor, Rajneesh was a prolific author and speaker whose teachings were distributed via books, cassettes and videos; that, along with member donations, provided a significant operating income.

Also in 1981, Rajneeshs group purchased the approximately 64,000-acre Big Muddy Ranch in Oregons Jefferson and Wasco counties, whereJohn Wayne and Katharine Hepburn had once filmed a movie. The space, which covered about 100 square miles a few hours east of Portland, soon became home to thousands of Rajneeshssannyasins, or followers, many of whom came from upper- and middle-class families in America and Europe.

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TheBhagwan preached a peculiar mix of teachings that crossed traditions from both East and West, including a focus on mysticism, sexual freedom, the abolition of family and encounter therapy (which encouraged authentic face-to-face dialogues between two people or within a group).

His followers, also calledRajneeshees, wore only clothes in the sun-like colors of red, orange and purple. Meanwhile the Bhagwan was known for most of his years in Oregon for his daily appearances in one of his many Rolls-Royces, reportedly owning between a few dozen and as many as 91.

Beyond that, though, Rajneesh stayed silent except for communicating with his deputy and longtime secretary,Ma Anand Sheela.

It is impossible that Bhagwan would ever ask people to kill anyone. But if he asked me to do it, I dont know. I love and trust him very much, group member Shannon Jo Ryan, then known as Ma Amrita Pritam, told PEOPLE in 1981. To me he is God. He sees more clearly than I do. But if I want to say no to Bhagwan, Ill say no.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (right) with some of his followers at their ranch in Oregon in September 1984

JACK SMITH/AP/REX/Shutterstock

The Rajneeshee ranch in Oregon in August 1983

Keystone Press Agency/Zuma

According to theNew York Times,Rajneesh came to America after conflicts with government officials in Poona over his groups tax-exempt status. In the U.S. he settled first in Montclair, New Jersey, where the group had purchased a castle and operated one of its centers out of a storefront.

We are very concerned about our property values, our children and about this becoming an international headquarters for a free-sex cult,one local told the Timesin 1981.

Not long after, Rajneesh relocated to the ranch in Oregon, beginning years of escalating tensions between his followers and the dozens of locals already in the area, particularly those residents of the town of Antelope, not far from the groups property.

We thought they were a friendly bunch, Mayor Margaret Hill told PEOPLE in 1982. Lots of food, lots of free booze it was a great party.

Such seeming friendliness faded as the Rajneeshes pushed first to incorporate their ranch as its own city,Rajneeshpuram, and then through quirks in the states election laws used their numbers to take control of Antelopes city council, at one point officially renaming it after their leader. (This came despite an unsuccessful attempt by locals to abolish Antelope rather than see newcomers elected to lead it.)

The group was also able to purchase a sizable amount of real estate in the tiny town, including its general store.

With time, the ranch itself developed to include300-seat cafeteria, barns, greenhouses, a mall, dozens of homes and a160-room hotel.

Such expansion efforts were met in turn by pushes from local and state officials charging that the group was involved in voter fraud and other unscrupulous tactics. The Rajneeshes argued that this resistance was thinly disguised religious discrimination.

At various points the commune was described as housing approximately 1,400, 3,500 and 5,000 people; with Rajneesh representatives maintaining to media that there were some 200,000 followers worldwide.

The site of the former Rajneeshee ranch in Oregon

JACK SMITH/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Against this social and political conflict came more serious altercations: In 1983, a Portland hotel owned by the group was bombed by an Islamic militant (though no one was killed) while in 1984, hundreds of residents of the Wasco County seat where the Rajneesh ranch was located became ill from salmonella infections.

Later investigation discovered that 10 restaurants in The Dalles had had their salad bars infected by followers of Rajneesh in an attempt to suppress voter turnout and ensure the group could gain seats on the county commission.

Sheela, long the groups public face during Rajneeshs years of silence, abruptly left the ranch in 1985 and later pleaded guilty in connection with the large-scale poisoning, among other charges, for which she served about two years in prison.

In the 90s, two British followers of Rajneesh were convicted for conspiring to murder a U.S. attorney general in retaliation for his investigation of the group. By that point, however, Rajneesh himself had already died in India, where he relocated after being deported from America after a criminal guilty plea.

His crime, according to federal prosecutors? Arranging a series of fake marriages between Indian nationals and his followers to gain them resident status.

Rajneeshees in Oregon in an undated photo

Francois LE DIASCORN/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

The Oregon commune dissolved in the months after Rajneesh left the country and remained abandoned for years afterward, falling into foreclosure. (Strangely, some of the groups barns and mobile homes were sold to another religious group, this one in Montana.)

Rajneesh died in 1990 at 58 from heart disease after returning to Poona, according to theTimes. Before his death, he had told his followers to refer to him simply as Osho.

After her prison sentence, Sheela moved to Europe and more recently has lived and worked in Switzerland, running care homes for those with mental disabilities.

My own personal conflict with Bhagwan was a bigger issue, she told the Oregonianin 2011. My love for Bhagwan had a priority over all problems.

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