(23 March 1946 – 10 February 2025)
In loving togetherness he passed away peacefully.
‘Love Buddha’
by Srajan and friends
Prembuddha Kroonbergs passed away today, “very peacefully and with a room full of people around him.” Suffering from Parkinson’s it had become unbearable, and he bravely chose his own end.
He was a true ‘Love Buddha’: Prem Buddha.
One last audio message on Prembuddha’s Friends Group App:
Hi everyone, it’s Prem.
Thank you, and it’s wonderful to have you with me.
Love, lots and lots of love, that’s what it’s all about: love, living together.
Well, my beloveds, lots and lots of love.
And also, yes, have a wonderful day. Make the most of it.
Prem
Prembuddha was a real pioneer, editor of the first New Age magazine in the Netherlands, De Waterman (Aquarius). With his friend Otto he started De Hobbitstee (The Hobbit Stay), a hippie commune in rural Drente.
Prembuddha was one of the first Dutch sannyasins; Otto and another friend from the commune later also took sannyas, and became Yogiraj and Akul.
Prembuddha was a great organizer, he helped set up beautiful sannyasin communes in Soest and Opende. In Amsterdam he organised Nataraj barefoot dance events, set up an information site for satsangs and concerts for sannyasin musicians. Miten and Deva Premal were regular guests in a large theatre in Almere.
Over the last few years Prembuddha spent his winter months in the south of India, studying Vedanta and Ayurvedic healing.
Amidst his friends Prem said goodbye to life this morning. In loving togetherness he passed away peacefully.
The funeral will take place on Friday, 14 February (Valentine’s Day) at 14:30 in the auditorium of Zorgvlied, Amsteldijk 273, Amsterdam.
At 16:00 there will be a gathering at the Amstel Boathouse, Amsteldijk 223, Amsterdam, with music by the Sannyas Celebration Band.
You can participate in the livestream of the ceremony at 14:30: mandalauitvaartbegeleiding.nl
A warm and loving send-off
by Yogiraj
My good friend Prembuddha passed away on Monday, 10 February. It was a beautiful event. Prembuddha was euthanized in his own living room, surrounded by 14 dear friends and housemates, and was able to pass away peacefully.
I was by his side and able to be with him for the last 24 hours of his time on earth. We had beautiful and profound conversations about our lives. We had known each other for 52 years and had lived through a lot together.
Prembuddha suffered from Parkinson’s disease, incipient dementia and, above all, from fears that were incomprehensible and unbearable to him. That is why he was so happy to receive so many visits from his large circle of friends during the final period of his days on earth. And that he was given such a warm and loving send-off on his final journey.
During the days following his death, Prembuddha lay on his deathbed in his room while his friends read from the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Otto Munters (Yogiraj)
Thanks for images and texts to Srajan and Yogiraj, and for one photo to Tonke Kuyt via Devabodhi
A condensed formula
Sannyas darshan with Osho
Prem means love and buddha means consciousness, intelligence; loving intelligence, loving consciousness, or love awareness. Love is the first thing to be done and the second thing will be awareness. So the name is just a condensed formula for your whole work: first warming up through love, and when you are floating, flowing, you have melted, and you are no more frozen and cold, no more indifferent, compassion has arisen — then the next step is to become aware.
Feel more loving, affectionate, caring. Mix with people, hold hands, hug people – people are beautiful. Don’t miss any opportunities in which you can be loving – never miss any opportunity of love. Then you have created the right jumping board for awareness, and then your awareness will not make you cold. Your awareness will be like a flame – alive; it will not be dead.
Osho, The Shadow of the Whip, Ch 19 – 28 November 1976
Prembuddha, the spiritual path, living together, sharing, living Osho’s vision
by Devabodhi
Being friends since 1979, I met Prembuddha again about four years ago when he told me he was suffering from Parkinson.
We met more often, went out for a walk or bicycle ride, always ending on a terrace for a coffee, a cake or a bite. We sat silently together, or talked about life, about Osho, about the world situation and about his disease that restricted his life more and more.
Having chosen the date of his own death, he experienced more and more love from his friends and he himself felt he had a lot of love (and wisdom) to give to the people around him.
It was beautiful to be with Prembuddha in his last moments, when he surrendered to death in a soft and peaceful way.
On Valentine’s Day we sent him off with a beautiful celebration. He brought many lovers and friends together.
Thank you Prembuddha for your sweet company in the last months, your wisdom and love.
You are at your destination.
Ma Devabodhi
A video from the Great Celebration Day of Prembuddha’s send-off.
‘Love is in the Air’ – it was like that for all of us.
Mahapatra
no moon no water
by Chris
no moon no water
no clouds either
just sitting in this garden
the bamboo grows by itself
Meeting Prembuddha at that wonderful community in the south of Drenthe during that summer. We all were dreaming, isn’t it, Yogiraj?
After six weeks I cycled to my hometown. But these meetings never vanished in meaning of intensities.
life as a celebration
life as the wind
how to catch?
how to express in an unseen dance?
In this present house still two examples of that famous Waterman, with the first article about Osho. Thanks.
Tonight I will take a walk, and drink some tea with a friend. Nothing will change, nothing is nothing. You gave me nothing. Bowing to you.
Chris
More Tributes
You can leave a message / tribute / anecdote, and send a photo, by writing to web@oshonews.com (pls add ‘Prembuddha’ in the subject field). Your contribution will be added manually, typically within 24 hours.
Comments are closed.