A Marriage of Silence and Sensuality
I came into this world as Marlies Cocheret de la Moriniere. To friends, I am Marlies Myoku.
I was born in the vibrant paradox of Amsterdam, a city pulsating with both freedom and friction. From the very start, I was in search of an undefined truth I called “it.” I didn’t know what “it” was, but I was certain I would recognize it when I found it. Despite not growing up religious, I spent my early years in and out of various churches and temples, chasing that elusive truth—but “it” was nowhere to be found.
Around nineteen years of age, I faced a shattering set of losses: within a few months, I lost my mother and grandmother, and my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Eventually, the weight of it all became too much to bear, and I collapsed, finding myself confined to bed for two months with a slipped disc rendering me immobile. It was such a relief to be forced to stop.
In the midst of this dark period, a beacon of light emerged in the form of a friend's loaned book: Osho’s The Way of the White Clouds. Its words spoke directly to the depths of my soul, ringing with hints of the elusive truth I had long sought. A year later, I left my life in Amsterdam to embark on a transformative journey to the heart of India to be with Osho., formerly named Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Stepping foot into the sacred enclave of the ashram, I found my being enveloped in profound silence.
Here, in the presence of Osho, I encountered "it"—the truth I had fervently pursued. I was broken open and experienced home for the first time. My purpose crystallized before me: to dwell in the vast expanse of silence, to revel in the boundless freedom it offered. From that moment forward, my life became a testament to this pursuit.
In the sanctuary of Poona, amidst the embrace of a nurturing community, I confronted the ghosts of my past. The scars, long buried beneath layers of denial and pain, rose to the surface—bearing witness to a childhood marred by the coldness of a distant mother, and the harrowing experiences of sexual assault in my youth.
The ashram became a crucible of healing—a space where I shed the shackles of my past, integrating the fragments of my shattered self. As I came back to my original human innocence and deepened in silence, I began to explore the wells of sensuality that had lain untapped within me.
Back in the Netherlands, I was still hungry for wisdom and eager to explore the teachings of Osho. I basked in the vibrant energy of Amsterdam’s Osho commune while pursuing my studies in psychology. I delved into the realms of psychodrama and tantra, and became an integral part of the therapeutic Osho Humaniversity community.
Alongside my journey with Osho, I crossed paths with Barry Long. His teachings on awakened lovemaking opened doors to a depth of healing I had not thought possible.
Over time, the union of sensuality and silence grew more profound, intertwining completely. These experiences sculpted me, honing my capacity for awakening, intimacy, and boundless openness.
After completing my studies, I ventured across the Atlantic to Santa Cruz, California. It was there that a friend encouraged me to go see a new spiritual luminary making waves in the community. Curiosity piqued, I went to see him. As I stepped into the meditation room, before even laying eyes on him, I knew he was my teacher. Of this, I had no doubt.
In the year 2000, amidst the hushed serenity of a silent retreat, I found myself seated across from Adya in a private meeting. Words were unnecessary as we sat in shared silence until, suddenly, Adya extended an unexpected invitation—to teach. Stunned and deeply moved, I accepted. In a poignant moment during the closing satsang of the retreat, Adya, surrounded by our spiritual community, bestowed upon me the sacred initiation into the lineage, marked by the resonant melody of the heart sutra.
In that instant, I was pierced beyond anything I had ever experienced, forever touched and transformed.
Just as in the trials of my youth, my adulthood has also been etched with both agony and ecstasy. In November 2017, I underwent a life-altering surgery, surrendering to the removal of both my kidneys and the gift of a kidney transplant. In the depths of physical, mental and emotional turmoil, I realized more acutely a potent truth: authentic awakening encompasses the raw spectrum of human emotion, unfiltered by spiritual dogma. I embraced the entirety of the experience, allowing pain to birth a radiant compassion for all beings, regardless of their journey.
In the vibrant tapestry of my existence in human form, every thread—from my traumas to my moments of awakening, and exploration in psychology, psychodrama, tantra, and dance—has woven together to lead me to a profound understanding of being and living this life. Through this intricate journey, my unique approach to guiding others emerged.
