Leonard Cohen Meets Bombay
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There is no denying that India has always appealed to Western musicians. Whether it was for a spiritual awakening or fresh inspiration, India has played a vital role in their careers. And so, Leonard Cohen too made his way to the City of Dreams.

Leonard Cohen with his Guru Ramesh Balsekar
What was meant to be a short excursion, turned into a life-changing experience when Leonard Cohen met Ramesh Balsekar. Leonard Cohen was intrigued by Ramesh Balsekar’s ideology way before he came to Bombay.
After meeting his newfound spiritual guru, Cohen would spend hours discussing everything under the sun. It is said that Cohen found a sense of peace after his visit to India, something he had been in search of for a very long time.

Leonard Colen at Colaba Causeway
Every year he would return to Bombay to attend the satsangs of Advaita guru Ramesh Balsekar at Warden Road. Ramesh’s philosophy did not dictate living your life by scripture and prayer. It simply said that you should live in the way that makes you happy, live a normal life doing normal things, but enjoy them.

Cohen's daily attire, a cotton shirt tucked into linen pants
It was a few years after becoming a monk at a Buddhist monastery in California that Cohen decided to come to India.He was battling acute depression and lived a simple life at a budget hotel in Kemps Corner.
His only joy was attending the discussions at Ramesh Balsekar Satsangs. Multiple foreigners came to attend these enlightening discussions and then return to their normal lives, including Meg Ryan.

He fell into a simplistic routine in Bombay consisting of reading, writing, music, and the basic pleasures of human life. His biographer said that his visits to India had lifted his depression and he was enjoying a new lease on life.
The city of dreams had worked wonders for this musical and lyrical genius. He kept in touch with his friends in Mumbai long after he stopped visiting. The fond memories of his life here stayed with him till the very end
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