…left his body on 1st April 2016.
Upgeya (aka Leonardo Mazzotta, Zorba the Buddha) was born in Nocera Inferiore near Naples, Italy. He was a musician and composer and in his younger years was part of the I Killers band. He had worked as a clerk in a school and as a businessman. He was married twice. From the first marriage he had two children, Max and Gigliola and Leandro from his partner Nicoletta with whom he has also visited Pune. Max, who died last year and was deeply mourned by his father, was also a musician; they very often played together, including in a concert in Milan. Upgeya’s second wife was from Russia and was with him until he left his body.
Upgeya came to Pune together with Raso in December 1978 and took sannyas in January 1979 from Osho. He visited Chidvilas in New Jersey and then was also part of the Rajneeshpuram commune. Together with Geetam he used to play for music group at Sagar Osho meditation centre in Florence. In 1986 they participated in a poetry and music event at Chiara di Puniano where Anado (aka Nicoletta Machiavelli) read Veet Asmi’s poems.
He died at age 69, from a heart attack.
Text and photos thanks to Raso and Veet Asmi
[Upgeya means to be celebrated.]
Life is a gift to be celebrated, a gift which we go on taking for granted, for which we don’t feel any thankfulness. And that is the only sin: not to feel grateful to the whole for giving such a precious, immensely valuable gift. We cannot pay for it, and because we cannot pay for it — there is no way to pay — we can only be in a tremendous thankfulness. Because we cannot pay for it, religion is born.
Religion is nothing but gratefulness, and this gratefulness can be expressed only through celebration. It should not be just verbal, it should be in your dance, it should be in your very being. It can’t be just a thank you to god; that will be too poor. Words cannot convey anything, you have to become the thank you.
That is the meaning of upgeya: when one feels so grateful that one dances in gratefulness; and that’s my whole teaching here.
Osho, Zorba the Buddha, Ch 10
Veet Asmi writes:
Upgeya, this is the name Osho gave you: Live in celebration and gratitude for the life which has been given to you.
Your journey on this planet has been an intense search through the senses… To reach exciting heights your body was both, a limitation and a land to explore. You were unable to walk in everyday life; you always wanted to dance like a Zorba the Buddha.
Too impatient, you were looking for allies to help you fly away towards heaven. In happy moments together, you said to me, “You too have seen the light…” I lost myself in your greed of living and your powerful body ravished me towards the apex of pleasure.
Osho was your tantric master, you hungry for ecstasy. Osho showed us the way of meditation, the way of the heart, the way of the present and, above all, he showed us the way to freedom: we are all free to create our own path.
Your heart, both strong and fragile, had already failed once. Saved by a miracle, you started to run again towards the heights; you wanted everything immediately, as if you did not have enough time, often fighting alone.
My home was a shelter for a warrior and you thanked me for having saved you from cruel ghosts or real pursuers, I don’t know. I accepted the mystery of your being.
After many years you reappeared, as a traveller back from India. In your eyes I saw a darkness that frightened me… you had gone too far for me…
I also remenber your talent and love for music but there was a destructive force… Recently you told me about a book you wanted to write on the secrets of exchange…
It was a great gift to have met you because through you I discovered the ‘woman’ in me. We loved each other and this is written forever deep in my heart.
Tributes
Upgheya era, fa sempre effetto dire, o scrivere era di un amico, o di chi si è conosciuto, un omone grande, grande, grande e alto ed era nomade. Quando vivevo a Firenze giravano leggende metropolitane su di lui, potevo capire che un “personaggio” così dava adito a ciò. Non ho tanti ricordi di lui perché non l’ho frequentato molto. Uno degli ultimi ricordi che ho è di Poona, fuori dell’ashram, quando lo incontravo alla (fu) German bakery, o nel ristorante vicino, o al Prem e pranzavamo insieme, o scambiavamo quattro chiacchere, lui “gossippava” su qualcuna, alla sannyasin, alla leggera cioè e si rideva, era bello ridere con Upgeya, perché, come molte persone del sud, quando era di buon uomore era divertente, allegro ed espansivo, mentre quando “gli girava storto” era meglio stargli molto alla larga. Si potrebbe pensare che è così per quanto riguarda tutti, ma non lo è, ho visto persone che si possono accostare anche quando non sono dell’umore migliore, ma persone estreme no, con loro non funziona così. Ho visto altri sannyasin così, persone molto forti, che quando non erano di buon umore era meglio non avvicinarli; sono lati del carattere molto estremizzati, e va bene così. Upgeya era unico, come lo sono tutti quelli che trovano la propria vera natura, o “natural face” (per dirla alla sayasin!)
Asupta Gabriella Greco
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