Eberhard

Prem Eberhard, ex-samurai, dentist, father-of-three, Aikido & Kinomichi master, left his body on Friday night, 8th April after a long illness. He used to run a dental practice in Berlin and the Café am Ufer (Paul Lincke Ufer).

Sathayam (aka Saten) told us that they both were samurais in Pune 1 and “The samurais who trained in Buddha Hall on that day when Vimalkirti collapsed will remember that it was Eberhard who recognized first that there was something terribly wrong and did CPR on him.”

He said that some time in the nineties Eberhard discovered that he had signs of a neck injury common to dentists because of the way they have to hold their neck while giving treatments: “One of his young colleagues had died of it, and so he decided to give up his dentistry and run the ‘Cafe am Ufer’. He also sponsored the small Osho Meditation Center Mauz and always tried to be of help to everybody he could help, in whatever way possible.

“After his Aikido career he switched to Kinomichi, and became a master. He taught in Berlin and also in Mexico. Later, when the Kinomichi organization tried to force him into a corset of regulations he founded his own style ‘Ki-motion’.

“Diagnosed with cancer, Eberhard thought that after an operation he was healed but it had spread further into his body. I found him to be very accepting of the situation when it appeared that physical healing would not happen and he eventually died of kidney failure. In one of our conversations just a few weeks ago he told me that it was the years in Pune 1 he considered the best time in his life.

“In my view he was as close to a bodhisattva an ordinary human being could get, and from all the conversations I had with him, I’m sure he’ll rather come back to this plane to continue to help instead of disappearing into the void. I’m glad that his agony is over, but I’m mourning for one of the finest human beings I had the pleasure to meet. I shall always remember him for his gentle composure that was based in true humanity and not in conditioned etiquette.”

You can leave a message / tribute / anecdote here…

Tributes

I had the honor to meet him in Mexico when he came to give Kinomichi classes and can still remember his warm loving smile and his generosity. Thank you for this beautiful message,
Atmo Majido

I remember Eberhard from Berlin in the 1980s, when one early morning – on the day my boyfriend and me wanted to fly to the Festival in Rajneeshpuram – I suddenly had a strong tooth pain. We asked Eberhard if he could help and he told us to meet him in his practice very early that morning. My boyfriend played dental assistant and Eberhard did a root canal on me so that we could fly off to the Ranch. So helpful, so kind.
Khabira

How much I would have loved to have just one more cup of coffee with you… I enjoyed your friendship, the way you lived your life to your own terms… Big hara +++, big heart +++
Michael Vedam

Remember Eberhard from the Samurai days in Pune 1. Thankful I did meet him. It comes to me how powerful it is when someone is simply ordinary and kind. He was easy to be with. That was a blessing for me. That was his teaching to me.
Valli (Vallabha)

I am late to the table but nontheless want to add my tribute. I worked as a dental assistant with him in Pune 1 and then for a short time in his dental office in Berlin. Just thinking of him fills my heart with so much love – I am glad our path crossed. Frewell Prem Eberhard,
Amido

I became friends with Eberhard in 1978 when I was a dental student in Mumbai and on weekends used to visit the Pune commune dental department to observe Devageet working on patients. Then I visited Berlin twice and stayed with Eberhard and saw his big clinic and laboratory at am Ufer 14 Kreuzberg-Berlin. It was a wonderful experience. He also took me to his martial arts meditation center. It was serene and he explained me how the movements in Aikido can be harnessed for meditation. When he was in Pune I had invited him for lunch at my house and he enjoyed the Maharashtrian meal! We discussed treatment plans for many patients as I was doing my post-graduate course in Dentistry. It was very interesting to exchange views on dentistry and this helped me in my exams too. He had a lot of influence on my life as a dentist. May his soul rest in eternal peace!
Dr. Dilip Dhamankar

How to forget the Teak open house next to the swimming well at Pingli farm?
Satyen