Ma Anand Sheela, or Sheela Birnstiel, managed the Rajneesh commune and the city of Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon, USA. She was the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh from 1980 to 1985. More recently, she regained her spot in the limelight because of the Netflix series
Wild Wild Country. Ma Anand Sheela has founded beautiful care homes for underprivileged young and old persons. Her care is based on love, respect and dignity. She manages two care homes in Switzerland and Mauritius.
'Everyone in the world has an opinion of me! I do not expect them to change. I accept life as it comes!'
There are few who can claim to have lived life on their own terms like the irrepressible, honest, bold and charming Ma Anand Sheela. Yet, controversy continues to follow her even today. Whether it be her portrayal in Wild Wild Country, or the Osho International Foundation's take on the Netflix series, a wide spectrum of opinions has cloaked the real Sheela for too long. In the 1980s, she was the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the manager of the Rajneesh commune in Wasco County, Oregon, USA. She was eventually sentenced to prison, where she served her time and walked out after three years. Adored and vilified at the same time by the world, she has seen it all-from rebuilding her life from scratch to being interviewed by Karan Johar on her grand return to India in 2019. More than three decades later, she is still in love with Bhagwan and his teachings. In By My Own Rules, Ma Anand Sheela bares it all-her lessons, her beliefs, her inspiration and the eighteen rules that define her life.
