Salila

A perfect polyglot

by Michael Pradip

Ma Anand Salila Kweksilber grew up in Amsterdam and that is where she discovered Osho; she met Ma Arup at the A’dam center in the late 70’s.

Arup inspired her to go to Poona. There, Arup asked her to become her assistant, as they were friends, and because Salila spoke not just Dutch, but also French, English and German and had a bit of an understanding of spoken Italian. Perfect for someone at the main office at the ashram.

She visited the First World Celebration at the Ranch, where I met her. She returned to Holland to make some money, then visited me in Seattle where I had been living after 5 months at the Ranch, and that’s where we got married. Before going to India, in the Netherlands she had owned goats and spun wool, so she bought a spinning wheel and wool and spun colorful yarn that she created sweaters and hats with.

After a year she was finally able to go to the Ranch. She was given some nice jobs until Arup had a falling out with Sheila and, taking revenge, Salila was assigned the worst jobs. She raked hot blacktop on the road being built to the lake and was on late night pot cleaning duty for a while… But she stayed positive and eventually got a better job helping to manage the carpool garage. Salila was at the Ranch to the very end, then came back to Seattle and started house cleaning to earn money. Once back in Amsterdam, she stayed active with the local sannyas community.

Salila spent her final years in a rehabilitation center because of the effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Her son said that after five years in a wheelchair, she was looking forward to going, “so she could dance again…” Knowing the end was near, many friends and family gathered on the back patio of her room and played music and sang goodbye to her.

She left her body on 13 September 2022, at the age of 75. She died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.

She leaves behind two sons and grandchildren, and many friends and family.

A short recap of Salila’s life

by her son, Tameesh

We took sannyas on 13 December 1979. Here is a picture from that time:

After commune life Salila spent years building up her coaching and education business in Amsterdam. It became a success and she loved the work she did for people, helping them to get them into jobs and back into the system.

Around 2000 she started experiencing physical complaints and spent years in and out of hospitals until she received the diagnosis: Multiple Sclerosis. She sold her business and built a wellness center in the south of Crete, in the hope the climate would cure her.

It was her happy place until she became too weak to stay there and was forced to return to Amsterdam. She spent her last years in Amsterdam and Zandvoort where she enjoyed the company of family and friends. However, it was the MS that got the best of her in the end. She left her body on 15 September in the company of her family.

Post updated 11.10.2022: added Tameesh’s tribute and corrected date of death.

More Tributes

It was a strange affair I had with Salila! She became my co-ordinator (boss) spring 1982 in Stad Rajneesh Heerde. As she wanted me to do all kinds of stupid things, on command, not asking me, I refused, and was the first thrown out of the commune. Later in Oregon, I thought it was better there: wrong! even worse! Out of love for Osho (Bhagwan) people started following blindly orders from above: the ultimate test!

My test, thanks to Salila, failed already early in my sannyas life and I had 7 gorgeous mystical years of wandering with only a little bag with clothing. Everything else I left behind in the commune. The best 7 years of my life thanks to Salila!

Namaste Salila, happy journey into the beyond!

Deva Satranga alias Deev, Dirk Plantinga devasatranga@gmail.com

Halleluja!

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