An Oakland landmark has sold for $9.2 million to an entity linked to the Art of Living Foundation, a spiritual nonprofit founded by Indian guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, nearly a century after Freemasons built the ornate temple.
The Oakland Scottish Rite Center at 1547 Lakeside Drive in Oakland recently sold for $9.2 million, as the SF Business Times reports. The four-story building spans 85,000 square feet and overlooks Lake Merritt, where its elaborate facade and Egyptian-inspired engravings have made it a distinctive feature of the waterfront.
The buyer is reportedly an entity linked to the Art of Living Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981, with meditation centers throughout the Bay Area and internationally, promoting meditation, breathing techniques, and stress management, along with humanitarian and environmental initiatives.
Jasbir Singh, a foundation board member named in the sale documents, could not immediately be reached for comment about the group's plans for the property, per the Times.
According to Bay Area News Group, the sale includes a neighboring surface parking lot that was identified as a potential site for future commercial or mixed-use development.
The building was reportedly constructed for the Freemasons in 1927, with a Beaux-Arts neoclassical facade, granite walls, steel beams, and Italian Renaissance-style architecture incorporating Egyptian imagery. Deterioration from the salty air around Lake Merritt reportedly prompted a redesign and remodel between 1936 and 1939, adding a Greek-influenced Art Deco appearance to the structure. A $1.2 million renovation was completed in 2014.
The secular Freemasons organization is known for its rituals, symbols, and private gatherings, which have long fueled public fascination with its practices. Now, the building may be passing from one organization known for its private spiritual practices to another, though the Art of Living Foundation has faced a different kind of scrutiny.
Former members have alleged abusive practices and cult-like behavior over the years, with former members sharing their experiences in the “Ex-Art of Living” subreddit, which boasts nearly 50 posts per week and over 1,000 weekly visitors.
Cult Encyclopedia reports the organization has faced allegations of cult-like behavior from former teachers and followers, who have described alleged sleep deprivation, public humiliation, pressure to disclose personal secrets, and efforts to discourage members from seeking professional psychological help. Some former members have also alleged that the foundation encouraged isolation from outsiders and portrayed Shankar as uniquely capable of protecting the world from calamity.
The foundation sued two anonymous former followers in 2010 over critical blog posts and the publication of teaching manuals it claimed contained trade secrets. A federal judge ruled for the bloggers on the copyright claim, and the case ended in a 2012 settlement that kept their identities secret but froze their existing blogs.
The foundation also faced criticism over its 2016 World Culture Festival on India’s Yamuna floodplains, where organizers were accused of causing ecological damage. India’s National Green Tribunal initially imposed a penalty, but the Supreme Court later found no proven ecological harm and ordered the deposited funds returned, according to The Hindu.
Related: Leaders of Cult-y 'Orgasmic Meditation' Group OneTaste Convicted In Forced Labor Trial
