Letters / Opinions
A letter from Ma Divyam Ashna to Keerti who ran the retreat at Osho Nisarga; “While conflict raged in the outside world, we turned inward. We sat in silence. We meditated. We watched. And we healed.”
The latest Neo Vipassana retreat, which I facilitated from 11 May evening (J. Krishnamurti’s birthday) and concluded on 18 May 2025, started under quite some dangerous circumstances. Two days before the group, nothing was clear – whether the war would end soon or not.
In Chandigarh, Amritsar, Pathankot and Dharamshala, all airports were closed to civilian traffic. All flight bookings for Dharamshala were cancelled. I had to hire a taxi, and more than half of the participants did not manage to reach Dharamshala for the group.
During the war I had this feeling that no harm would come to Dharamshala, because HH Dalai Lama was based there, and because of the many Buddhist monasteries in the valley. That Pakistani missiles wouldn’t come in that direction, and that Pakistan would not dare to offend America, Richard Gere, and so many people who love the Dalai Lama.
On 10 May, exactly two days before Buddha Purnima, a ceasefire was announced.
Despite this disruption, we still had about 21 participants; two from Belgium, one from Germany, one from Israel, and later on a French person managed to join. The rest of the participants were from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Guwahati, Indore and Pune.
This is what Ma Divyam Ashna wrote:
Living in Pune, caught in the unending rhythm of urban life, I often felt disconnected from myself. The noise of the outside world drowned the quiet voice within. When I signed up for the Osho Neo Vipassana camp at Osho Nisarga with Swami Chaitanya Keerti, it felt like life was offering me a rare pause – a space to breathe and just be.
But the journey was far from smooth. As I reached Delhi airport, tensions between India and Pakistan had escalated. Flights were cancelled, and I was stranded overnight – tired, uncertain, and disheartened. By morning, the airline offered to send me back to Pune. Yet something in me resisted. I wasn’t ready to return – not to the rush, not to the same routine.
That’s when I spoke to my dear friend Priya. Her words became an anchor: “You cannot go back. You must come. We must shift the energy – not just for us, but for something greater.” Trusting her, and something deeper within myself, I boarded a train to Dharamshala.
When I arrived at Osho Nisarga, the air was still tense. Many participants had cancelled. But Priya and Keerti held the space with unwavering clarity. “Now, more than ever, this meditation must happen. The world needs it. Existence needs it.”
And so, while conflict raged in the outside world, we turned inward. We sat in silence. We meditated. We watched. And we healed.
In that silence, something powerful began to unfold. I cried – tears I didn’t know I had. I released pain I had carried unknowingly for years. I laughed – fully, freely, like a child. I danced until my feet hurt and my mind softened. My soul felt light, open, and alive.
Listening to Osho during the discourses was pure magic. His words nourished my mind, soothed my heart, and stirred my spirit. Each day became a gentle unfolding – a return to myself.
Osho Nisarga itself is a sanctuary. The air is alive with presence. The food is nourishing, the people kind and full of warmth. There are genuine smiles, healing hugs, and a sense of connection that’s hard to put into words.
I am deeply, deeply grateful that I came. That I stayed. That I allowed myself this one week of transformation. This Osho Neo Vipassana retreat will remain one of the most unforgettable and soul-nourishing experiences of my life.
Ma Divyam Ashna