Sannyas Initiation – a letter of intent :)

Dec 11th happens to be a special day for many reasons – it is Osho’s birthday and it is also the day my father breathed his last ten years back. This year on Dec 11th, Krishnan and I took Sannyas at OshoDham, Najafgarh. It has been in the works for many years, the journey towards Sannyas started in 1990 when we fell in love, got married and our dear friend SriHari gave us Osho’s book – “The beginning of the beginning” and we were hooked for life. Then Mani spoke of Osho and how he had attended his discourses (lucky him !!) in Pune. Hareesh introduced us to Osho’s music with “Here” and “Now” and the love affair continued. The first 12 years of my life were spent in Dehu Road, near Pune and we must have crossed the Osho Ashram at Koregaon Park hundreds of times but Appa never went in and I was too young to know but am sure Osho’s energy certainly touched me….

Swami Chaitanya Keerti blessed us and gave us the Mala and new names, thus initiating us into Sannyas. Our new names are Ma Anand Chetna and Swami Anand Chaitanya. Now to have fun (Anand) and become aware (Chetana and Chaitanya) through meditation and live upto our names !!

As I shared the news with many friends, Adeeti asked me what it really means to me – I said “its like signing a letter of intent – that I will make meditation a part of my life going forward”. That’s just what initiation into Sannyas is according to me. Osho explains it even better in this excerpt – (obviously !!)

What has changed in these few days since Dec 11th? Well, for starters, with the Mala around my neck with Osho’s picture as the locket, getting angry seems absurd. I have the Mala with me in the bag when am not wearing it and its a great reminder to myself that if I get angry I am being stupid. Hopefully as we meditate regularly, the anger can be worked out of my system.

On our way back home from OshoDham on the 11th, we took 3 hours as several people were getting married and the traffic was just unbearable. I also had a flight to catch early in the morning next day but we had enough energy to manage all of it…. the Master’s grace ? Maybe !!

Thank you Swami Chaitanya Keerti, for bringing us closer to Osho. May HIS grace shower on us and lead us on this inner journey. Happy to have signed the letter of intent, and now the “love affair” begins.