Chandradeva

His friend, Sw Prem Prageet, writes:

Chandradeva was born in Woolwich, a part of London, and grew up known as Marshall Ambrose Crowley, in Hampshire, England.

He took sannyas in Wales sometime around 1983.

He leaves behind a son, Jan, and a grandson, Jimmy.

He died due to complications with his heart caused by Covid, whilst in an Intensive Care Unit in Winchester hospital. (He had decided not to get vaccinated.)

His celebration will take place on the deck of his little House on Wheels on Sunday evening, 19 September, at 7.00 pm. There will be a Zoom transmission from 7.00 UK time till 8.00 (-ish ): zoom.us – Meeting ID: 966 7553 1107 – Passcode: 085839

He asked that his celebration be a couple of minutes of “making a big racket“, i.e. a lot of noise, around twenty minutes of silence, some time for sharing (he said that he wasn’t yet ready for sainthood, so people can feel free to share what a plonker he could be, as well as how fantastic… (my interpretation…).

Finally he wanted to be danced out. So, after the sharing, from about 8.00 pm (-ish), “dance yer socks off!”

His cremation will be on Monday morning with close friends and family, between 9 and 10 am. His ashes will be scattered in various places that he loved around the planet.

The personal bit…

We are all unique, but some of us are exceptionally, totally, absolutely RIDICULOUSLY UNIQUE TO THE MAX!

His life was an example of Zorba the Buddha, livin’ it LARGE, on four continents (as far as I know, he was never in Africa or Antarctica…).

He was courageous, intense, funny, outrageous, generous, caring, annoying, loving, selfish, sensitive, strong, delicate, dependable, real, loud, quiet, silly, impetuous, non-serious, available, daft, curious, a brilliant gardener and grower of rare herbs. He played the flute, made a really good spaghetti bolognese and was very good at dahl too. ABOVE ALL: he was a seeker and Osho was his master and he loved life.

His last words to me, before he went into an induced coma and on to a respirator, were “All is well,” and said with authority and authenticity, that he owned his life and he owned his leaving… he did it his way…

He will be deeply, deeply missed. I am not the only person who has lost their BEST FRIEND.

In deep sadness, in quiet joy and somewhat overwhelmed…

Prageet

Photos thanks to Prageet, Anugyan, Rupda, Sadhanali and friends on FB

Chandradeva at home in the mountains:

Beloved Chandradeva,
Friend of many experiences and loving spaces.
Full of Fun and Playfulness.
At Home wherever you went.

You who are able to engage and ‘face leaving the body’.
You who encouraged several of us (including Desh to write a Living Will after joining the Samasati commune near Byron Bay in Australia.
You who willingly engaged death on so many occasions.

Chandradeva told me many times that he loved doing extreme things,
like motorbike riding and kayaking with the dolphins.
We capsized once coming back in through rough surf off of waterloos beach in Australia after he took me out in his kayak.

You would say –
“I’m often scared,
sometimes scared shitless,
but I just love that space
of being there, so alive,
right in the moment.”

Much Love
ash

I’m walking innocently along the Zen walk in Pune Two when Prasado and Chandradeva come up to me menacingly, (egged on by Tanmaya, I might add). I look at them and go “Oh, No. No!” And start to run. Too late though, they grab me and throw me feet first into the newly-built swan pond outside Lao Tzu gate. A few days later Mukta put up a sign “For Swans Only.”

Chandradeva was part of a group of my friends in Pune Two (the first in my life of my own age) and we have stayed in touch for the past 35 years. His nutso side helped keep me sane during my mother’s stroke rehab back in ’92. He visited me and we went river floating culminating with a 100-foot jump off Devils Bridge in Kirkby Lonsdale (him, not me!) More recently he helped my sister and me get my mother out of hospital where she had been incarcerated under a Deprivation of Liberty order. When visiting, my mum looked at him and said, “Get me out of here!” We were paralysed and Chandradeva helped galvanize us into action. The last thing he would have wanted for himself was to be kept on medical intervention or to live a life disabled.

So many fun times in India (British Stick Dancing, Jesus is coming in India – if only we’d had video of all the brilliant skits he and Prageet came up with) and deep loving times in England, where he was happy to show off his house on the cliff and his beloved grandson Jimmy and mum Emma. When the edge of the sea cliff became eroded and moved too close, he moved into a tiny house close to his family area near Winchester. I can only imagine how devastated his family must be and send all my love to them. He lived his life on that cliff edge and it did finally get him, but that was the risk he took. His effect on us is profound and I will miss him a lot.

Last time I was in Kirkby Lonsdale, there was a sign on Devils Bridge saying “No Jumping.” Ha!

Nityamo

From Ash:

There was a celebration of Chandradeva’s life and passing on Sunday night, the 19th of September, at his little house on wheels parked on a little Ranch near Southampton.

There was also a Zoom something for people who could not attend in person but who wanted to participate .

On the next morning Chandradeva’s body was taken to the crematorium.

Chandradeva had written a Living Will and his amazing Family and friends managed to make most of his wishes happen.

It went a bit like this:

More Tributes

Chadradeva rides again! One more time, Yahoo! His very last road trip in an orange cardboard coffin. With him is myself and his nephew Olly.

And we had a great send off for him on Sunday night, zoomed around the world. A good time was had by all 🤪😉😇🙏🏻

Love,
Prageet

Yes Chanradeva! What a beautiful Brother from a different Mother! One of the super fragrant flowers in Osho’s Garden. For me (and Anasha), it was always a delight to be in Chandradeva Ji’s company. Beautiful tribute from Prageet. It is always an inspiration to hear of the friends leaving the Body consciously, without fear. The night he passed, I had a very colorful dream of swimming and playing with Dolphins – a theme I discussed with CD a lot! Feeling a new upsurge of love inside… Thank you CD for all the good vibrations!
Loving you always,

Anubuddha & Anasha

You can leave a message / tribute / anecdote by writing to web@oshonews.com (pls add ‘Chandradeva’ in the subject field).