A Date with Ma Destiny at The Mystic Rose
Just on The Edge of Divinity
01. Enter - A Fresh Beginning
The New Year Retreat 2020 Live. Love. Laugh left me a last copy of Osho’s 2021 Diary ‘Fresh Beginnings’ “Existence is ever fresh. You be here & now, and you are suddenly fresh, bathed in eternity"
With absent thought yet faith in one – I arrived for The Mystic Rose unsure of what was to be. The basement-studio-with-a fireplace of Maitreya ‘the friend’ amidst a gushing stream was cute, cozy. In the neighboring plot two overloaded donkeys walk by dropping bricks - Body & Mind perhaps?
We turned out as a pack of fifty-two swinging singing syncing Sanyasis of a diverse incredible India.
Any pack of cards has Kings & Queens, couples, diamonds …and even a few jokers around!
And then the Indianized foreigners …from a sensitive Italian-Greek ‘gourmet master’, a laughing all the way Malaysian-Indian to an Ozzie-Korean Yogi who flowed like Ganges acc. to Ma ‘sometimes here and sometimes there.’ As for me - I guess SW. ‘Johnny Walker’…Alone. Forever walking around & about!
02. Three Six Shoonya Mandir
My usual leisurely stroll down a winding stony flowery path past Sidhartha takes me to Shoonya, home to meditations - Dynamic to Kundalini and the elegant White Robe brotherhood.
I circle around a few times soaking in a 360 kaleidoscopic view - from black gates at reception to the dining hall, meandering stream and sun kissed icy peaks, flora & fauna, cottages and pathways that diverge.
From my little space in a corner - I look up to The Master, Ma & Mountains listening to discourses. From his concept of ‘Zorba The Buddha’… Love & Awareness for the world to Here (in space) and Now (moment in time) seemed simple yet voluminous to absorb.
And on Day 3 ‘Let go. Enter total chaos as a Sanyasi.’ I did just that.
03. Ma & The Mystic Rose
Ma Yoga Neelam, in-spite of all, guided her mystic herd (plus a few bulls) with eagle eyes and a sense of firm softness love and pride. She danced with pure grace and often she seemed far away…
Her simple message to us was to celebrate be grateful for and live up TODAY. ‘And then an occasional whip with “Awake wake up please – it’s taken you four years of preparation to get here.’
I was a little shy of Ma but did make it a point to say her Laughing Buddha’s naval was easier to find tickle & laugh at… than my own! We wept for and with her when she took her leave for Chemo. This precious time somehow reminded me of a Beatles lyric ‘Let it Be’- ‘And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me…Speaking words of wisdom, let it be…’
04. Laughter. Tears & Gratitude. Silence
A halo like cloud descends on the mountain peaks as the lunatics in us come alive. We play the fool with childlike laughter that turns wildly crazy and infectious…
Then on Day 8 Teardrops flow as we unbottled. I grieved my grandparents wishing I had more time.
But most of all an overwhelming sense of gratitude to ancestors, parents, family friends for a privileged beautiful blessed life. And In that moment... everything else paled into insignificance even put-downs and let-downs… And on Day 14 a sense of liberation on Ma’s feet as she chuckled and hugged me.
On Day 15 this roller coaster ride of emotions gave way to the sounds of silent sittings even as my bones creaked and muscles cramped with pain. As the world passed by - we simply sat. And sat.
“Live watchfully...whatever you are doing – walking, sitting, eating, resting, just breathing or even not doing anything. You simply watch; you stand by the side unconcerned.” Osho
05. Coming Home - The Osho Brotherhood
Time moves slowly yet surely at Nisarga. An unseen clockwork precision like routine is in perpetual motion. It’s in the spaces of that routine, I reflect whilst sitting alone like a watcher on a hill behind Buddha observing…and absorbing life, herbal honey tea along with multi-cuisine Ghar Ka Khana Khazana (The treasure of home food).
On March 21, 2021 a date with Ma on the Masters Enlightenment day was one meant to be.
Six Sanyasis life changed forever as Ma’s love energy flowed into us with a chuckle kiss and warm hug. And then we all celebrated the initiation into brotherhood with tears, smiles, hugs and dancing.
The intensive advanced 8-session 14-hour 21-day of the Mystic Rose retreat tested me like nothing else as I hung on to every hook just to hang in there. By day 17 fatigue set in and a Zen stick pulled me out oblivion. Finally, at dawn of Day 21 with a Rose exchange ceremony - the last mile was done.
Having unloaded some monkeys off my back mind & heart – this is, will be a paradigm shift in my life. I came in as a man and I leave a boy… A fresh beginning. Chapter Zero.
Epilogue - Pyaar & Gratitude
To Ma Neelam for her divine presence and giving a part of herself to Swami Yog Prashant.
To Swami Naman for zapping me with the Zen stick & his gentle guidance and Team Nisarga - Prakash, Sakshi, Angie, Tatini & Manali.
To the energetic trio of Dmitri, Sandhya & Ganga who stood and sat by me & my fellow Sanyasis.
To Ma Priya for her pull and pushing me into the infinite abyss of my own ocean.
And to Sunil who brought me to the Master’s golden feet years ago...
Prashant Chandra
(Swami Yoga Prashant)
Marketing & Communication
Bombay, Maharashtra, INDIA
