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I have always considered India to be my “home” — not in a physical sense, but on a deeper, inner level. This sentiment has compelled me time and again to embark on journeys from afar, returning home, so to speak. 

This year in January, I set out once again on such a pilgrimage. I packed a large suitcase filled with warm clothes (Dharamsala can be quite cold in February), a smaller suitcase filled with music cables and microphones (for the upcoming East/West March event), and not one, but two guitars. When at last I arrived to the gates of Osho Nisarga Meditation Center, what a relief it was to set down my heavy travel load.

After a few days of settling in, I turned off my cell phone, closed my computer, slipped into maroon clothes, and fully committed myself to the Silent Retreat for the next three weeks. There would be no talking, no eye contact, no reading, no listening to music, and no Osho — nothing at all to pull me outward. 

My daily schedule was intense, beginning with Dynamic Meditation at 7 AM and concluding with a Zen Walk at 8:15 PM. In between were three ninety-minute Zazen sessions, an hour-long nature walk, Kundalini Meditation, meals, and some tea breaks — everything meticulously timed to help quiet the mind’s tendency to engage with the external world.

I would not describe the Silent Retreat as easy; far from it. However, the support of twenty-four committed individuals journeying inward together fostered a tangible sense of oneness within the group as the days progressed. 

During challenging moments, when my mind rebelled, panicked, and wanted to escape to somewhere, anywhere, I would look to the eternal, snow-clad Himalayas in the distance that seemed to whisper, “Go on, go on, keep going.” Charaiveti, Charaiveti.

My seventy-second birthday passed much like any other day, except that the Nisarga staff had decorated the altar in my room during the morning sit in Buddha Hall. What a delightful surprise it was when I opened the door and saw how beautifully and lovingly things had been arranged.

When Day 21 arrived and the group came out of silence, I was filled with overflowing gratitude and joy. An unbearable lightness of being bubbled up from within, while externally existence showered me with blessings. The concept of “Here and Now,” once merely a New Age cliché I had read or heard about, became my reality. I cannot imagine a better birthday gift for myself.

Many of the lovely photos shared here were taken by Rahi (https://www.rahiadventure.com). I extend my heartfelt thanks to him, to Priya and her entire Nisarga team (https://www.oshonisarga.com), and to all the participants who supported my journey — my Journey Home.