Santo

Santo grew up in Holland, in a family of Tulip growers. In 1978 he went to Pune and received his new name: Swami Deva Santo. For many years he lived in Dutch communes. He visited Rajneeshpuram, and every year spent a few months in Pune.

Six months ago, Santo’s health weakened due to heart problems and last week his body gave up. He died peacefully in his own home. During the last period of his life he was looked after and cared for by a small group of sannyasin friends.

Gyanam says, “Santo had a very big ‘Osho Heart’. He loved to hear Osho Songs, and every week he watched the Osho lectures that were broadcast on local television here in Amsterdam.”

A resting point

by Devabodhi

Santo, my dear friend of more than 40 years left his body. These last few years Santo had become more fragile. He had always lived a sober and simple life, now it had become even more “zen”.

It had always been a blessing to share with each other our insights and our love for Osho. We drank a lot of coffees, had many slow walks in nature around his house and laughed a lot – he had a lovely kind of humour.

He often shed tears of gratitude, for Osho, for his friends and for the sweet care he was receiving from the nurses and doctors. His caretakers fell in love with this quiet and sensitive man, who always remembered their names and thanked them for their work. He was being his authentic self.

He was curious about death. Three brothers had left their bodies before him, including his brother Advaita, with whom he used to visit Pune for a few months every winter.

In Pune I often sat with Santo, having breakfast in a quiet spot in the ashram. He was my resting point, so refreshing.

When my relationship with his best friend, Gyanam, started, the three of us used to hang out a lot together. As Osho says, “Where (two of) my sannyasins meet, I will be there.” So it was.

Thank you, Santo, for your love, wisdom, intimacy, trust and care.

Fly high, my friend, dancing your way to God.

Devabodhi

Thanks to Gyanam for organizing, and for some of the photos

More Tributes

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