Beloved Deeksha

Ragini recalls relating with Deeksha during the time she worked in Vrindavan kitchen during Pune 1 times.

Yes, I would call her beloved Deeksha! She tried ever so hard to push my buttons – and only made me laugh over and over again… because her eyes were so loving while she was trying to find something to say to me!

Once she had me clean the kitchen windows. And seeing that they were only worse afterwards, she made me a cook, hoping for better results. Working in the kitchen was a tough job and besides, through the open windows came moaning and shouting noises from the encounter groups that were going on in the basement below…

I thought at the time that this job Osho gave to her wasn’t an easy one either, because Deeksha‘s buttons were also pushed by a lot of people. She had to make this kitchen work to ensure the food was good and everything there was clean. For me it was a job in exchange for meals and tea; I did not see it as therapy.

One day in the changing room where the ashram workers kept their clothes and bags, I found Deeksha going through my bag.

“What are you looking for?” I asked her. She replied: “Just curious!”

”That’s okay then,“ I replied, and then we both exchanged our most heartfelt smiles…

Some other time she told me: “You picked a lousy boyfriend!”

”I know…,“ I mused. ”He’s got crabs and lice – caught them in a group!” This bearded dandy from Munich had them all over his hairy body, including on the eyebrows!

Deeksha: “I know how to deal with that!“

Me: ”I wish I knew!“

Deeksha: ”Simple. Just pour kerosene over him and put a match to it!“

My time with her came to a sudden end one day when she presented me with an apron that had my name embroidered on it.

That was too much for me: I felt trapped!

I will always remember Deeksha as a dear friend.

Prem Ragini was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Although enjoying painting and drawing she wanted to be a dancer and joined The Ballet Company there; later she studied fine art at UCL in London. Doing stage design for John Cranko was followed by joining the musical ‘Hair’ for a year. She took sannyas in 1976 and stayed for 4 years in Pune. Back in Germany she continued with stage design, lived in Italy for 4 years painting – and continues to do, now in Cologne.