Marlon Vickerman, Features Writer

BOOK LOVERS with an expensive taste can draw up their chairs to their computer screens and click on down to the popular online shopping website, www.Ebay.com. This for a possible once in a lifetime opportunity to sink their teeth, and probably credits cards, into a chance at bidding for the world's largest Osho rare book collection.

Indian Philosopher and orator Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho), renowned and notorious for his liberal views on sex and discourses that often ridiculed key figures of established religions such as Christianity, Hinduism and Jainism, penned the collection of some 640 books being sold for US$70,000 (approximately $5 million) on the website.

The collection's seller, Abbazero, is of Jamaican and Nigerian parentage. He has been a devote Osho follower since 1977.

Material return

"The main purpose I'm selling the books is that I've absorbed the teachings and I now want to share them with the rest of the world," said Abbezero, speaking with The Gleaner from his California, United States home on Friday. When asked if selling the collection is the only way for him to share the teachings of Osho with the world, he replied: "Selling the collection is not the only way for me to do so, but I have invested so much in it that I would want some form of material return."

Abbazero, who is a metaphysician, said the proceeds from the sale will be directed towards building a Buddhafield (a retreat camp) in Jamaica.

"It will continue in the healing work of the world," he said. "A place that anyone of any race or spiritual orientation, beyond dogma, can utilise for prayer, meditation and seminars. I would love to establish this in Jamaica, this is 100 per cent higher consciousness."

Interested persons can contact Abbazero, via www.Ebay.com, by typing in 'world's largest Osho rare book collection', in the website's search bar.

marlon.vickerman@gleanerjm.com