The Humaniversity

Throughout the past few months, as I have been writing down my ramblings and jumbled thoughts I've been aware that in the background supporting me are many, many friends. Some read these writings, some don't and many know me well enough to know the 'me' that scribbles -  my self-doubts,my passions and my delights.

When I look at my life and try to identify the meaningful places and people I have known the place that comes to mind is the Humaniversity in Holland. Many of my friends will know this place, but I would like to explore for a while what the Humaniversity means in my life.

The Humaniversity is a community of people in Egmond aan Zee, Holland who have identified themselves as "working with people for a better world".  Quite a tall order.  As an institute it has existed for over 30 years and has provided shelter, therapy and friendship to thousands of people. My connection to the place and the people who live there goes back further than that.  It goes way back to when I first met my friend and teacher, Veeresh.

Veeresh is the director and founder of the Humaniversity and the Rajneesh Therapy Institute that preceeded it. I have written about him before and his importance in my life as a teacher, mentor and most importantly, friend.  He started his life in New York and sadly became addicted to drugs very early in his adolescence. Through his commitment to himself and the help and huge support of many people he overcame his heroin addiction and eventually came to England at the request of the Maudsley Hospital London, to set up Phoenix House, a drug-free therapeutic community. Eventually Veeresh started working with ordinary, everyday neurotics like myself with a view to helping people to fulfill their lives and help create worlds where friendship and care for each other is paramount.

Friendship and love have always been the foundation stones of the Humaniversity.  I believe it is the most successful 'friendship university' in the world, if not the only one. In the early years of the Humaniversity the regime was based pretty tightly on the therapeutic community model and 'residents' lived in quite a hierarchical structure, confronting themselves, their behaviour, feelings and attitudes, always with the support and reflection of fellow residents. Now the Humaniversity has moved on to a softer, more meditative approach, though there is still a hardcore commitment to looking at yourself and discovering who you really are and who you really can be.

Many years ago, Osho told Veeresh to train the best therapists in the world and the Humaniversity has a therapists' training programme that is run in a number of European countries.  The graduates of these programmes are some of my closest friends.  Going through thetherapeutic process of encountering each other and ourselves in such a supportive way has meant that there are few secrets amongst us and an honesty and directness that makes our friendships so much deeper. It is very reassuring to know with certainty that my Humaniversity friendships are so strong that if I were to shout for help, these people would stand up and be there.

Over the last few years we have also been there to share our celebrations.  It is one of the great advantages of living in Europe that within and hour or two we can turn up at a significant birthday or anniversary celebration. This makes the celebrations all the more sweet. I don't want people in my life who are only good to me in an emergency. I also want friends who share in the joyous moments and rejoice with me.  My Humaniversity group of friends is just that.

Veeresh once said that he wanted to create a world of misfits - people who didn't fit into our impersonal society because they wanted to relate through friendships from the heart.  He has been incredibly successful in this.  We are misfits scattered throughout the world bringing the idea that 'love is the answer' everywhere.

Veeresh also helped teach me how to be in a relationship. In the early years of my marriage he acted as the glue that helped bond my relationship to Ralph.  That glue turned out to be some sort of permanent, superglue and I am thankful I met him when I did. It wasn't just my marriage that he helped cement. It was the lessons in friendship that came as such a surprise.  It was the understanding that the more I can share of the inner me,the deeper and more important my friendships become.  Quite a gift!

Over the past 30+ years the staff at the Humaniversity has changed many times.  People have moved on to all corners of the planet.  I still maintain connections with those distant, much loved friends.  The people who have stayed at the Humaniversity have transcended my idea of friendship and have become family - cherished, beloved members of my clan. No, they are not perfect, but this makes me love them all the more.  I'm not perfect either (!) and we can accept this about ourselves and each other and love each other even more.

The Humaniversity itself is sited in what used to be an old children's home on the North Sea coast of Holland.  The staff and residents have spent years beautifying an austere and functional environment and largely succeeded in creating a peaceful oasis in the dunes.  It's always such a delight to visit the strange little seaside town in Holland that the Humaniversity has invaded.  The sea and the dunes are wild and windy and the welcome I get, regardless of who is there, is always open and warm.  I am so pleased this place is in my life. If I had to invent a fairy tale about friendship I could not have written it any better.