My Time With Mooji In Portugal

My journey began in Finland and took me through Portugal, guided by a trust in life’s mysterious guidance. I didn’t know it at the time, but following my intuition would lead me to meet my first living, enlightened teacher.

In 2020, I had planned to drive from Finland to Italy to stay at an Osho center. But before I left, I felt a quiet but firm guidance: cancel the trip and head to Portugal instead. Trusting that, I packed my car and drove south through Europe, landing in Portugal.

When I arrived, I didn’t have a clear plan or direction. I spent months wandering, feeling lost, but looking back, I can see how life was guiding me in ways I couldn’t yet understand. One evening, at a singing circle, I met someone who seemed to have the answers I was looking for.

She spoke of a campground near Mooji’s ashram, where she was staying. Though I wasn’t interested in Mooji at the time, something about her story drew me in. When her birthday came, I drove to her place, just a stone’s throw from the ashram. The energy of the place was undeniable, and I knew I needed to stay. After a couple of weeks, I was living there.

Osho still felt like my teacher, and I had resistance to explore Mooji’s teachings. Yet one day, I said yes to an online retreat with him. That simple yes changed everything. During the retreat, I experienced a depth of peace and clarity that words cannot describe. My heart opened, and I felt a strong calling to visit his ashram.

From then on, I found myself deeply immersed in the warmth of love, music, and a community of seekers. I visited the ashram two times a week, and often managed to sit close to the master in the front row. The energy of love in the ashram, as well as in the surrounding village, was profound—like a pair of welcoming arms, supporting and lifting me every day.

We went to the beach, had singing circles (bhajans), and meals with friends at Mooji’s restaurant. Sometimes, I would bump into Mooji in the village, and we’d share a hug. He also attended the local market once a month, and I’d go early just to see him. Life was beautiful.

At some point, I sensed a shift within me. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what had changed, but everything felt different. My mind became quieter, and a deep sense of bliss settled in. I would smile for hours, and at times, laughter would rise up uncontrollably, for no reason at all. It felt like I had tapped into an endless fountain of joy that was always there.

I often felt that others didn’t quite understand what I was experiencing, but one day, that changed. I met a new friend called Jamie at the ashram, and from the moment we crossed paths, I felt the same energy in him. We didn’t need introductions—it felt as though we had known each other forever. We hugged, exchanged a look, and laughed. He left soon after, saying he’d return one day. When he did, we shared some of the most incredible adventures together.

But then things turned around. After a trip back to Finland, I returned to Portugal, but the bliss I had experienced began to fade. I realised this was a turning point—I had tasted the ecstasy, and now it was time to do the laundry. That bliss had been a call to face the darkness within me that I had been avoiding. Without doing the inner work, I would continue to contract over life’s challenges, and the peace I had found would slip away each time.

My gratefulness for Mooji and the local Sangha is beyond words. Although I no longer live in the area, I’m blessed with a family of friends who still send me a powerful shot of love over the phone when I need it most. The love I got to experience there is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known. In that love, everything is perfect. I’m already home—there’s nothing to do, and nowhere to go.