Osha Reader

My first meeting with Yogeshwar, then Charles Berner, was at the 5-day Intensive at the Bridge Mountain Foundation in Ben Lomond, CA, over the July 4th weekend of 1969. I had a direct experience on the 5th day that changed my life. It was a moment of union with my dyad partner in which I momentarily vanished as a personal self. I realized that everything I need is inside me, has always been. I learned to trust myself. A month later I moved to the Institute of Ability property in Lucerne Valley for a short visit that turned into a full time commitment spanning a couple of years. During that time Charles taught his students to lead Enlightenment Intensives through apprenticeship to him, courses, lectures and ongoing student Intensives, which he supervised and critiqued.

There were courses on the body, the mind, relationships and life. He gave evening lectures, answered our questions. He led frequent Enlightenmnent Intensives. Ava cooked and dispensed nutritional advice. Kon, Cheryl and Theo were there and Charlie Brown the dog. In those days, we were a family. We had no idea how fortunate we were.

Charles and Jane Faber came to spend the summer of 1971 at Origin. They lived in one of the guest cabins. Susan, now Saraswati, and her husband David lived in the other. We made a garden, had psychedelic experiences and went to rock concerts. We traveled to Esalen and got rolfed. Charles was fairly laid back in those days. Our relationship was platonic, respectful. He was my teacher and friend.

I remember him saying, maybe in the 80’s, that the trend in spiritual work would be towards informality. When I moved to Berkeley for the winter of 1977 I went to see him at the ashram there. He told me there were three important things in life: one’s family, one’s work and God. He said if we didn’t do the work we came to do, we would express that energy in promiscuous sexuality. I told him I could never shave my head and wear robes. He told me not to worry about it, that wasn’t my path.

Charles gave me what has turned out to be the central spiritual focus of my life, the Enlightenment Intensive, and the independence and confidence to lead them in my own way. I feel tremendous gratitude for his many gifts and wish him every possible blessing for the continuation of his journey.