A Letter of Condolence to the Community of Andrew Cohen

To Andrew’s students, friends, and the wider community,

I am writing to offer my sincere condolences for the passing of Andrew Cohen, who died on March 25, 2025, in Tiruvannamalai, India. Even with time, a teacher’s absence can arrive in waves: grief, disorientation, gratitude, anger, longing, and the stark question, “What now?” If you are feeling any of this, you are not alone.

Many of you were shaped—sometimes profoundly—by Andrew’s insistence on sincerity, on waking up beyond self-deception, and on living what one claims to realize. Whatever your personal experience of him and his work, it is clear that his life catalyzed intense spiritual engagement for many.

I also want to speak carefully and respectfully: communities are rarely of one mind after a founder’s death, and a teacher’s legacy is often held in different ways by different people. This post is not an attempt to define that legacy, settle accounts, or recruit anyone away from what they hold dear. It is simply an offer of support—especially for those who now feel more stuck than ever, as if the “map” is still meaningful but the “next step” is harder to find.

A Brief Personal Note

I am not writing as a complete outsider. Over the years I visited the London centre, attended workshops in London, and engaged deeply with Andrew’s published work and recorded teachings. I’ve collected many talks on CD and cassette, and one book in particular has stayed close: Enlightenment Is a Secret—a favourite of mine and a text I still return to for its uncompromising call toward inner freedom.

A Practical Offer: The Light and Sound Meditation  (free, non-hierarchical, practice-based)

For those who want an experiential method oriented toward awakening—I want to make you aware of the Light and Sound Meditation Path.

What it is (in plain terms):

A technique that refines attention until Inner Light (a delicate, non-physical radiance within awareness) and Inner Sound (a subtle, non-physical resonance) become direct anchors for meditation.

It is a path of inner verification: you are not asked to believe in anything. You are invited to observe and deepen perception through consistent practice on these subtle spiritual energies.

What it is Not:

• Not a sales pitch, not a paid program requirement, and not a guru-centric hierarchy.

• Not a claim that Enlightenment can be purchased, forced, or guaranteed on a timetable, although many have achieved this state. It is more in line with Andrew’s ‘Personal Enlightenment’ rather than his ‘Evolutionary Enlightenment’, although in its fullest sense, the personal is dissolved into something much bigger and impersonal.

• Not a demand to abandon your existing commitments. Many people explore it as a complementary practice that restores traction when the psyche is tired, grieving, or overwhelmed.

How I Can Help ?

No one is asked to “join” anything in a conventional sense. The emphasis is practice, self-verification, and mutual respect.

If you loved Andrew, I am sorry for your loss. If you are simply trying to find your feet again—trying to recover the thread of practice and the possibility of  Enlightenment—please consider this a sincere hand extended.

If this feels relevant, you are welcome to contact me directly:

Email: [email protected]. 

Andrew Cohen (1955–2025). With respect and condolences to all who were touched by his life and work.