… left his body today, 20th October 2013.
We hear the news from Deva Premal and Miten, for whom Prem Rajen (Peter Campbell) had been a manager for over ten years and a personal friend for many many more years. He had been working out of Freiburg, Germany and Corfu, Greece. For the past few years he has been struggling with cancer.
Our thoughts go to his daughters Amelia, Laura and Rachel, who have always been very close to him.
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Update 22.10.13: There have been farewell celebrations in Freiburg, Corfu and many other places already. And as we hear from Naveen there will be a Rajen’s Farewell / Death Celebration on Sunday, 27th October 2013, 14:30 in Freiburg. An hour’s celebration with silent sitting, some of Rajen’s favourite music, Osho quotes and recital of some Haikus written by Rajen in his last days. Location: Horizonte Bestattungen und Trauerbegleitung in Freiburg, Germany. There is also the possibility, during the week, to visit or sit silently with his body. For details see PDF file.
Update 1.11.13:
For Our Beloved Dad, Prem Rajen,
you are all invited to the UK ceremony in Lapford, Devon
on Thursday the 21st of November at 12pm noon
at the Lapford Church – St Thomas of Canterbury.
The gathering after the ceremony will take place at the Malt Scoop Inn pub in Lapford, Devon.
We hope you can join us.
Love and Blessings,
Amelia, Laura and Rachel
Recently we received a poem/scientific enquiry by Rajen: Ice Puddle Puzzle – and more Haikus, apart from the one below, are to come.
Cloudless fresh morning
Window wide open
Coffee sipped
Rested after my morphine jab
In the night
Grumpy nurse can’t find vein for my blood
Olimel nutrition drip drips into left arm
Urine bags need emptying
I am over-‘tubed’ or am I?
But comfy for sure
Contracts, deals and cashflow forecasts on a distant horizon…
Life…in this very moment
End of September 2013
Here is his story in his own words (part of the interview he gave Osho News in 2011: What makes a good entrepreneur?)
I studied physics and electronic engineering at University and started my working career in the computer industry. After two years I invented a product which I patented and founded a business which was pretty successful: we grew to 120 people in 10 years. We had four factories and developed into being a major supplier of this particular product. This is how I learned to be a business man! But after these 10 years I got burned out. I achieved material success and a lot of personal satisfaction (and learned an awful lot about business) but reached a point where I knew that there was something missing in my life.
When I discovered Osho in 1982 I realised what was missing. I understood that I needed to add that dimension to my life. After sannyas I went to live in the commune where I immediately felt a lot freer and more in balance. My jobs at Medina and on the Ranch were that of an electrician and also that of an accountant. An interesting mixture!
After the Ranch closed I realised that I wanted to bring my skills back into the ‘marketplace’. I founded Bells Associates in 1986. Soon after I was asked by Purvodaya to restructure his publishing company, Labyrinth, and I accepted the post of managing director. We moved from Italy to London where it became a highly successful business with books and videos in the mid-nineties.
During this time I met Tanmaya. I saw this beautiful woman with such a big heart and a great care to share her work held back just because she did not know how to write an advert or did not want to do her book keeping. All things which I love doing! Like finding venues, preparing adverts for magazines and generating interest in her work. And because I knew the book business inside-out – and I spoke the jargon – I could help her find contacts to publish her books. Her business grew and flourished. She has become the best published author on Reiki Healing worldwide.
This was the beginning of Bells Associates which helped manage businesses in the holistic field, like Deva Premal and Miten, WildQuest, and more.
Tributes
I met Rajen for the first time on the Ranch in Oregon (1985), where we planted trees together. Then seven years later we met again in Poona and fell in love. I moved to England in 1992 and we lived together with his three girls near Ko Shuan School in Chulmleigh. Now it is about 21 years that we have been partners, friends and companions.
Rajen had a big heart and he loved to help people, giving inspiration and advice for their businesses. He has helped me to set up my healing work in the UK and worldwide.
The day before he left his body, a few friends and family members sat around his bed for four hours in meditation. He was sleeping and breathing equally. Niranjana and I stayed with him over night. We had spent the last days with him in the clinic in Freiburg, Germany, and helped him in his passing.
I told him the day before he left his body, that he will not get better any longer – because he was still hoping – and that he was going to leave his body. It took him a short while to digest this. Then he relaxed and within 21 hours he had gone. He left in the early morning hours, peacefully, in sleep while I was sitting next to him, still holding his left hand. I could feel so much love coming from him. The room was filled with his love and with a deep silence.
His name ‘Prem Rajen’ means ‘kingly love’. I could see this expression on his face after he had left. I kept on saying to him: “Rajen, we love you so much.”
Tanmaya
Farewell, Rajen. I remember our few encounters in the early nineties when you helped me with a small investment venture. Always greatly admired your steady-handed approach. Fly joyously!
Savita
My friend, I LOVE you! What else to say…. Have a smooth journey.
Your Firefly
Thank you for coming to our little gathering on the beach in Arillas. We will miss you all! Fligh high with all our love.
Punya and Amiten
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My Beloved Dad, you have helped me to grow in ways I did not think were possible, you gave me the courage to follow my heart and to understand that I could make a difference. You taught me to take responsibility, you taught me acceptance and you showed me that creativity brings all new beginnings. These last few weeks with you have been incredible, a magical experience. I felt so helpless when I first saw you in hospital, but I realised all I needed to be was with you in that space of peace, so I meditated with you and gave you Reiki, held your hands and let you know everything was alright. I lit candles for you yesterday in the cathedral in Freiburg and I was given the great responsibility of organising things after your passing. I don’t know how but I did it! Your strength, courage, determination and love are with me! You were so brave! Love, gratitude and blessings eternally,
Your daughter Amelia
Rajen, you just told me a lesson about postponing: visits were announced, to Ibiza, to Freiburg, agreed on – and life had other plans. You will be incredibly missed, you were a big part of many projects – of Ko Hsuan, where I met you first. So many years, chilly Devon evenings. Fly high, no more pain – just free spirit! Love is everywhere. Thank you for have been around!
Anasha
Beautiful Rajen, fly high – loved knowing you, meeting and working with you from time to time over the years. Much love to you wherever you are….
Yatro
About 20 years ago on my first day at work at a publisher in London you walked into the office and ever since we have lived in the same country, the same town or neigbouring village, never further away from each other than a couple of km. Our lives were forever intertwined. At times we worked together, we shared a wicked sense of humor, we had a lot of laughs, we had conflicts – sometimes we didn’t even like each other very much, sometimes we hung out days on end. Underlying all was a deep unexplicable bond – I always felt we knew each other for such a long time – it seemed just natural to share my life with you. Today you left and I can’t quite imagine how it is going to be without having you around one way or another. Until we meet again I want to thank you for being such a friend…
Ajara
Rajen Rajen, I will miss you, our little chats and laughs, your lovely humor and sparkling eyes, your good advice. Thank you for your help with the Path of Love. Into the mystery, dear friend,
Rafia
Beloved, beloved, beautiful friend. I will miss you. So grateful to have had the many-colored / sparkled / rainbow gift of you in my life. Send me a message! So much love.
Sarito
Beloved Rajen, I have been missing you so many times this year – actually a whole summer long while I was in Corfu – without you living next door to me, my beloved perfect neighbour. Tropicana without you is just not the same, you made it my summer home! I wanted to do so many things with you and instead of this I even missed to say fairwell to you! I enjoyed our connection so much. I will never forget, how you cared for me in such sweet ways: Like I will not forget, how I had to laugh one noon time, when I found a note from you on Tropicana pool board asking everybody to be quiet and not disturb my sleep because we had chitshatted through the night and you knew how I loved to have a long sleep. I am happy I can cherish the sweet memory of my last birthday, enjoying the David Hockney exhibition and a great lunch together. I will always remember your slyness, your tender respect towards me and your humbleness. I am happy I will always remember you in the faces of your beautiful daughters. May you enjoy the peacefulness on the other side, beloved friend,
Nitya
Rajen, I did not know you were unwell and it came as a shock when I found out. We had lost contact since you moved to Germany and the last time we met was at Premal and Miten’s concert in Brighton about seven years ago. As always, it was fantastic seeing you and spending time with you. I regret not seeing you these last years and I miss you a lot. But you are always in my heart and the wonderful memories, love and friendship I share with you is as strong as ever. Love you always, Rajen,
Lena
I am wanting to write a letter for two months now. I sit down couple of times and started it but it was always a blurry mess. I did not know how to start and now I know I procrastinated it for too long. Now I don’t have a chance to send it any more but I still wanted to write it. Now not for you. Now is for me and for all the ones who procrastinate that letter, that call, that meeting…
Dear Rajen,
I love you. I wanted to let you know that wherever you are I think about you daily. Here are many who talk and care about you.
Couple of weeks ago we met and I did not want to talk about anything which was obviously in the air. I wanted you to feel good, but I saw you didn’t. I wanted you to come back next year but I knew you probably won’t. I just sat there and we talked about small nothings and I tried not to cry.
I remember when I started to work for you. I actually felt I was working with you. No, to be more precise, I felt I was visiting a friend when I went to work. Never a second you were my boss. The sense for people and the care what I felt around you was so comforting and so free.
We talked a lot about life in the last two years. I loved how you told stories about Pune, the Ranch and how you lit up when you talked about your daughters and the women in your life. I love and cherish these stories and your energy in them. I wanted to tell you it meant so much for me, and I am thankful for this friendship. I felt you trusted me, and I never knew why and how this happened so easily, but I am happy we became friends.
I remember once you told me about your projects and the story of working for yourself and not having a boss since you were 24. You tought me how to value my creations and how to relate to money, which for me wasn’t even a teaching, it was a natural flow and somehow in a way which just happened, sentence by sentence, step by step, action to action. You listened when I was complaining about my relationship and when I was overwhelmingly happy about my relationship.
Whichever way I was you accepted it. I never felt judged by you or felt unequal, which is interesting if I think of how far apart we are in age, experience and pretty much in every aspect of our lives.
You made me feel like I belong.
When I first went to your place I saw the many medicines in the bathroom and the kitchen and I asked from someone else what was happening. She told me and I could not believe it. For a short while I was watching you and I thought what if we need to count the days… but quickly I changed my mind, because you had so much energy and you hushed away all my worries and questions. This is how it went for 2 years. I just thought it was a gossip and I let myself believe I had mistaken all these signs. I never believed you can go so quickly. I never believed there would come a day when I would regret not having written this letter.
Today it is, it is to late, you will not read my thoughts any longer.
But I will cherish our friendship and I will love you. Now I have all the ideas, thoughts and changes which were inspired by you and your presence.
Thank you for letting me close.
Thank you for being funny, corky, lighthearted and so so so inspiring.
Thank you for all the help and support.
Thank you for the long talks and the short coffees.
Thank you for the music, books and movies that I know because of you.
Thank you for the friends who you introduced to me.
Thank you for trusting me.
Have a wonderful journey beloved Mr Campbell!
Eva
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