From Shakura we heard on Saturday: “My dear friend Chandra left the body a few hours ago. She discovered just three months ago to have cancer.”
Chandra was born in Brescia, Italy, 64 years ago. She studied literature at Uni and came to Osho in 1980. In Pune she worked in the commune until Osho left for USA, later she joined the Osho communes in Milan (Vivek), Cologne, back to Poona 2, followed by Miasto in Tuscany. Whenever she was not part of a commune she worked as a teacher.
Upadhi writes:
“The time after the diagnosis was difficult. The cancer was found all over the body, including the brain. The diagnosis was a shock, not only for her but also for her friends. Everything went very fast. She was determined to get better and see if she could live a little longer in this body.
“Many friends were around her and looked afer her needs and, when it became necessary, we took turns 24 hours a day. Because the food served in the hospital was not satisfactory, we brought it to her (the Miasto centre helped a lot with this task). Chandra had many moments where she was open to receive all this with gratitude. She listened to Osho every day and, during the last period, she listened to the bardo in the evening.
“When it became clear that death was coming nearer she asked me: ‘How can I let go?’”
“The moment of her death was glorious: we were seven of us meditating around her from 10:30 in the morning while she was already in a coma. I perceived her as being outside her body, in the astral layer, looking from above – relaxed. Then at 15:30 the exhalation started to become longer and longer and at a certain point it stopped. This was the moment we all felt she had now left her body but then, unexpectedly, she took another breath and we all burst out in laughter. That was her last breath. A beautiful white light filled the room and hovered around her body, each one of us present perceived an expansion and an inner joy.
“It has been a beautiful gift for me to allow myself to be with her in these three months, seeing and welcoming the fears of the body dying, the necessity of the mind to remove the idea of death coming, the need to negotiate for more time and then moments of emptiness, of space and surrender, of gratitude in the moment. All of this fluctuating in a space bigger than us, and in the meantime being us. Experimenting with what is beyond the duality of life and death: simple, light, fresh, endless…. Coming back home. Ah This!”
Tributes
Dear Chandra, you have been a great friend, I could always count on you. We had such beautiful moments together. You came to Mexico to support me, you brought me to Ibiza, you helped me settle down… A real friend. You will always be in my heart. Even though I am crying right now and I will miss you dearly, I wish you a journey in the light and peace. You always will be in my heart.
Shakura
With tears rolling down my cheeks I am preparing the slideshow of the photos Shakura sent to me this morning. What I remember most of you is your smile, your voice and the warmth of your beautiful hugs. It just shows that I am not the only one who loved them, because in all the photos you are surrounded by intimate friends. Have a wonderful journey, beloved, it was such a gift to have met you in all the different places Osho has brought us together. And thanks for those hugs, con affetto cara,
Punya
Chandra, sweet memories of the time we spent together in Poona 1, we met Osho in the same period, 1980.
It was always nice to meet you once in a while…such a beautiful heart in your smile. Lot of love to you….<3 <3 <3
Shunyam