I today received a French powerpoint from a Canadian friend, the story of which impressed me so much that I translated it into English; you can download it here. I looked up the story in Wikipedia, and it seems to be a true one. At some places, however, the truth of the story is doubted, telling he was not doing surgery on humans but agreeing that “Mr Naki assisted with the experimental work that preceded…the historic first heart transplant.” Nevertheless, here it is:

“Hamilton Naki, a black South African of  78 years, died in May 2005. The news did not appear in the newspapers, but his history is one of the most extraordinary ones of the 20th century. Naki was a great surgeon!

It was he who took from the donor’s body the heart which was then transplanted into Louis Washkanky in 1967, at Cape Town, during the first surgery of human cardiac transplantation with positive exit. It was a very delicate  work: the heart had to be removed and had to be kept with the biggest care.

Naki was the second most important man of the team which made the first transplantation of history. But he could not appear in public in the country of apartheid because he was black.

The chief surgeon of the team, the white Christian Barnard, became immediately a celebrity.

But Hamilton Naki could not appear on the team photos. In case he was on one by mistake the hospital said that it was a member of the housekeeping service.

Naki carried the surgeon’s hat and the mask but had never studied neither medicine nor surgery: he had left the school at the age of 14… He was a gardener of the school of Medicine at Cape Town.

He started cleaning the classes. But he was curious and learned quickly. He learned the surgical technique while seeing the white physicians practicing the transplantation techniques on dogs and pigs.

He started cleaning the classes. But he was curious and learned quickly. He learned the surgical technique while seeing the white physicians practicing the transplantation techniques on dogs and pigs.

He became such an exceptional surgeon that Dr Barnard wanted him as a team member.

It was a problem from the viewpoint of the laws of South Africa. Naki, a Negro, was not allowed to operate the patients nor could he touch the blood of the whites.

But the hospital considered him so valid that it made an exception for him. They made him a surgeon… but in secret.

But this didn’t interest him. He continued to study and to give the best of himself, regardless of the discrimination.

He was the best. He gave lessons to the white students but had the salary of a laboratory technician: the maximum that a hospital could pay to a Negro.

He lived in a shack without light nor flowing water, in a ghetto at the periphery as it suited to a Negro.

Hamilton Naki taught surgery during 40 years and left to retirement as a gardener, with 275 dollars per month.

When the apartheid ended they offered him a decoration and the title of physician honoris causa.
No one had noticed the injustices that he had to endure during all his life.

Dr Naki, thank you for everything that you made for humanity beyond your own interests.

May it become known that Hamilton Naki was a magnificent physician and an exceptional man.”

May this story be a rose in memory of Hamilton Naki

“The surprising truth about what motivates us” – a fascinating video on purpose, working for free and giving things away. This is really about good will. You’ll like it, also the illustrations.

Last week I came to know about a very innovative and inspiring initiative, “Fairtrade Language School”, Glovico.org, developed by some Germans. On their site it says:

“During a research trip to Eritrea focussing on social entrepreneurship the founder of Glovico – Tobias Lorenz – realized that after decades of traditional development cooperation we should look for more technology-based and innovative ways to allow developing countries to prosper. Looking for entrepreneurial solutions to tackle worldwide poverty the idea was born to initiate intercultural dialogue and generate income at the same time. Tobias started to wonder: Who could teach languages better than native speakers? In this way Glovico tries to realize a vision that combines entrepreneurship with social change.”

Glovico offers “Study with native speakers from Latin America and Africa via Skype and do good at the same time. You get affordable, convenient language lessons and provide additional income for some, who really need it: that’s Fairtrade 2.0!”

On Glovico you can learn Spanish or French or become a language teacher. If you are not satisfied with a lesson, your money will be reimbursed…

Glovico is a Social Business, i.e. the main mission is to offer entrepreneurs from Latin America and Africa the opportunity to earn additional income through teaching their mother tongues. At the same time Glovico promotes inter-cultural dialogue. It is important for them to remain independent from governmental money and to finance themselves. Learn more about it through the following video or on their site.

6 weeks ago my mother-in-law passed over. For the letter of thanks to the people who expressed their sympathies I did a card with a photo-collage illustrating the passing over into the realms of light. I took the photo last summer, it shows a bridge in Berne near the zoo.

An American friend sent the link to a very inspiring and encouraging story of a 16 years old boy from West Bengal, India, teaching in his spare-time about 800 children for free who otherwise wouldn’t have any school – a BBC news from their series about “Hunger to learn across the world”. It is a beautiful example of selfless help and of growth through a dedicated activity, even at a young age.

Photo of Indian children, January 2009.

For over 6 months I was in a coaching group for project managers. It was a small group of 3 persons with a very experienced process consultant with whom I’m in contact since about 16 years. We had 6 sessions together and today was the last one. It was very fascinating for me to have here a space for reflecting the dynamics of complex processes in our projects. The general experience is that situations who seem to be clear tend to do into some kind of diffusivity. Quickly the landscapes change, and situations or agreements which seem to have been clear are getting uncertain or silently enormities happen which you tend not to note at first hand: The commitment of team members changes, the external partners have another understanding than oneself, and though it seems that it has been clarified on paper and in contracts, the clarities tend to diffuse. The process consultant today gave us a paper with the sentence: “With the time every project starts living lies”. You must be very truthful, careful and attentive to see the subtle changes and, if necessary, to do the needed interventions.

The last weeks I had been writing poems (condensed thoughts) – in German – in the early morning hours about observations and experiences. One of them reminds me of this morning’s topic of the coaching group, so I translated it into English:

Where the path might lead me today?
Questioning I stand at the threshold
of a new morning.
Every day opens, related to
the previous one
and embedded in old tracks,
but there are always
new wanderers waiting
and even the seemingly old companions
enter every day
into a new landscape,
where the sceneries keep on changing.
Often a friend seems to hurry ahead
or fall behind
or take to another way
and slips away, mostly unnoticed,
but frequently also only a cloud
or a bend hides the view
and the closeness remains nevertheless.
The community of
those striving to the common goal
gives protection and strength
in dangerous times.
For suddenly the way might lead
through rough areas
and besides it open abysses
of incertitude, irritation or
poisonous clouds of fear,
or there is
a fight against fatigue and
weaknesses and
threads to the body.
It is good to have
a skilful guide,
whose leading hand
gives strength and shows the direction
and sees that the
group of wanderers
stays together and always
keeps the eye on the
star of the goal.

Marzili bridge, today at noon time in Berne, on the way home.

I today got twice the information about this petition, from friends in Germany and in Hungaria. It is an important one, please consider it carefully:
Sat Feb 7, 2009 1:04 pm (PST)

The Obama Administration has asked the “Evolutionary Leaders” to communicate about what is transpiring on the planet, and how we can change the course of the unprecedented events that are challenging this planet. This is a window of opportunity that must be taken! A deadline was given for this information to be conveyed to the Obama Administration.

The Evolutionary Leaders like Deepak Chopra, Gregg Braden, Michael Beckwith and many, many others, gathered together to write up the information to present to the Obama Administration. They are also asking us to sign a petition to show the Administration how many people are in favor for these changes to occur. They need 10,000 signatures. We need your help to reach that number and beyond!

Below is the information presented to the New Administration. The petition link will follow with the next post:

By the Evolutionary Leaders

The human family is in the midst of the most significant transformation of consciousness since its emergence in Africa over one hundred thousand years ago. Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years from the first cell to us. We are becoming aware that through our own consciousness the universe can know itself. This awareness reveals incredible new potential for our individual and collective humanity.

Simultaneously, we are the first species on this Earth aware that we can destroy ourselves by our own action. This may be the greatest wake-up call to the evolution of consciousness since the origin of Homo sapiens.

We now realize that we are affecting our own evolution by everything we do. This knowledge awakens in us the aspiration to become more conscious through subjective pract ices including meditation, reflection, prayer, intuition, creativity, and conscious choice making that accelerate our evolution in the direction of unity consciousness and inspire us to deeply align our collective vision.

THE CHALLENGE

At this juncture in human history, urgent global crises challenge us to learn to live sustainably, in harmony and gratitude with one another and with the living universe. The changes required of humanity are broad, deep, and far reaching. Only by acting swiftly and creatively can we birth a planetary culture that will bring well-being to every form of life in the Earth community.

The good news is that a compelling new story of our potential as a whole human species is emerging-a story of collaboration, citizen action, dialogue and new understandings propelled by unprecedented levels of democratic freedom, multicultural exchange, and access to
communication technologies. It is nothing less than the story of our collective evolution.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

We recognize that the inner and outer aspects of life evolve together. A dramatic awakening in consciousness will involve an equally dramatic shift in outward aspects of our lives. In particular, we see the following as vital opportunit ies for our conscious evolution, both personally and collectively:

Cultivating a Paradigm of Aliveness: We regard the universe as deeply alive and conscious by nature. In a living universe, our sense of subtle connection and participation with life around us is the basis for a compassionate and cooperative approach to living.

Educating for an Evolving Consciousness: Awakening consciousness is the foundation for all the change we seek to see in the world. We can work to elevate our capacity for conscious reflection and creative action in our personal lives as well as our collective lives as communities. We must support research and educational strategies that optimize human capacities and explore the nature of consciousness.

Restoring Ecological Balance: The balance of planetary ecosystems is fundamental to our survival. We must reverse the pollution of our global commons-the water, air and soil that nourish all life. We must encourage the proliferation of clean, renewable energy sources and expend all necessary re sources toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

Encouraging Conscious Media: We must find innovative ways to use the new electronic media as the mirror of our positive evolutionary story, investing in their capacity to reach across differences of generation, culture, religion, wealth, and gender to build a working consensus about our collective future.

Engaging in Social and Political Transformation: More sustainable ways of living will require the support of a more conscious democracy and vibrant civil society from which more enlightened leaders will emerge. All individuals should be encouraged to use their gifts to create participatory, responsible and compassionate models of governance.

Working for Integrity in Commerce: Conscious businesses that are aware of the scope, depth, and long-range impacts of their actions are key to achieving sustainability. Business must become an ethical steward of the Earth’s ecology and consciously establish an economic basis for a future of equitably shared abundance..

Promoting Health and Healing: The science of mind-body-spirit health has demonstrated the profound connection between the health of a whole person and the health of the system in which he or she lives. Whole systems healing, respecting both traditional knowledge and modern  sciences, must be supported in physical, social, and spiritual domains.

Building Global Community: The new story is about all of us who share this planet. Together, we can create a culture of peace that eliminates the need for armed conflict, respecting and appreciating the glorious diversity of our human family.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL

Our group has done its best to articulate possibilities for the evolution of consciousness at this crucial moment in time. Please reflect on this document, feel what resonates in your being and calls forth a response on your part. We invite you to discuss it with others, continuing this global conversation by adding to it the wisdom that is uniquely your own.

Together, let us co-create a new narrative of conscious evolution that is a call to individual and collective action, birthing the most significant transformation of consciousness in history. Join in the Call to Conscious Evolution by signing the pledge now.
The Petition Site

FOUNDING SIGNATORIES

Chopra Center, Carlsbad, California, July 26, 2008
Michael Beckwith, Joan Borysenko, Gregg Braden, Rinaldo Brutoco,
Thomas Callanan, Deepak Chopra, Mallika Chopra, Dale Colton, Gordon
Dveirin, Duane Elgin, Leslie Elkus, Barbara Fields, Debbie Ford, Ashok
Gangadean, Kathleen Gardarian, Tom Gegax, Charles Gibbs, Kathy Hearn,
Jean Houston, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Bruce Lipton, Judy Martin, Rod
McGrew, Steve McIntosh, Lynne McTaggart, Deborah Moldow, James O’Dea,
Carter Phipps, Wendy Craig-Purcell, Carolyn Rangel, Rustum Roy, Peter
Russell, Gerard Senehi, Emily Squires, Brian Swimme, Diane Williams,
Marianne Williamson, Tom Zender.

A globe in the Elfenau-Park, Berne

Two weeks ago we had been visiting friends in Germany, north of the Lake of Constance. The couple had moved there some years ago. He, profiting from an early retirement, has focused since his attention on networking – on the one hand for building up with other qualified senior professionals a consultancy support cluster with reasonable prices for small and medium businesses, on the other – partly overlapping with this network – an open spiritual network on the basis of the principles of our common spiritual background, the World Teacher Trust. His wife is a strong support in this work, which has beautifully developed.

For the second time my wife and I had been able to participate in a group meeting with about 20 persons. Since our last visit 15 months ago the group has made great progress in terms of interrelatedness, expressing in the quality of exchange and cordiality. The topic of the meeting was – besides an introduction / recapitulation on meditational work, and a group meditation – “spiritual healing”. They were reading and vividly discussing a chapter from “On Healing” by Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar.

From out of this larger group other initiatives have sprung, devoted to healing or other voluntary activities. My friend was not “directing” the group, but working as a “focalizer”, keeping the group dynamics in a field of attention.

Afterwards he told me that also – besides these 3-weekly group meetings – he is focussing a lot on the development of this network. The loving attention enables a growth of an Aquarian network: de-centralized, but connected with the inner centre. This way the different individuals – and there were very (head-) strong ones – can be integrated into a group work, where they can unfold, not for themselves, but for a work dedicated to the well-being of the surrounding.

At the meeting the group expressed plans for their future activities. They agreed on an extra-topic for the next meeting: How to inwardly and outwardly deal wil the global crisis, so as to stand through it and be of help for others? The group does its work in an unpretentious way, no fuss about publicizing nor money making. A very inspiring initiative.

Buddha’s Thoughts Dancing… Picture of a statue in the house of our friends

A friend sent me information “about the “World March for Peace and Non-Violence” and the establishment of the Universal Human Nation to set off in New Zeland on October 2nd 2009 and to finish at “Punta de Vacas” Valley, Argentina, at the feet of the ‘Aconcagua’ (the highest mountain in The Americas) on January 2nd, 2010.” The March will last 90 days, three long months of travel. It will pass through all climates and seasons, from the hot summer of the tropics and the deserts, to the winter of Siberia.

Here are three promo-videos in English language: first, second, third.

You find more information about the why, when, what is going to happen and who is participating on the site of the World March.

The route of the march

The second day was dedicated to the spiritual fusion of east and west. In the early morning our group of westerners was asked to come up to the platform for morning prayer. We gathered close around Master Kumar in front of the pictures of the great Masters, in the focal point of the energy, a very uplifting experience.

During the Water Ritual

At 9 o’clock the Water Ritual in honour of the 1st logos, symbolized by a Siva-lingam, started. The melodious recitations vibrated through the air, while the lingam was washed and decorated with flowers, generating a strong vibration in the surroundings.

Afterwards a table was put on the dais with the publications done in the West during the last year and representatives from Switzerland, Belgium and Spain were asked to take seat on the platform besides Sri Kumar, who gave a discourse on the Spiritual Fusion of East and West.

Some extracts:
“Most religions based on emotions are falling off. Emotions are being replaced by clear understanding, leading to pure understanding. That is the plan, of fusion of east and west. In that spiritual fusion the first bell was struck in the 19th century when through HP Blavatsky the grand symbol of the universe called man was given. The knowledge was always there, but it had gone into oblivion. HP Blavatsky came out with the knowledge of the 7 root races, how it was and how it shall be tomorrow. In this huge story every man has a little role to play. This knowledge was further detailed through Mme Alice Bailey. HPB finished her work in 1891, and then there were Vivekananda and otherscoming to the west.

Baileys work has largely helped the western community to understand God to be other than a person. All those who did not believe in Jesus Christ were considered as sinners. This concept was first broken by Blavatsky and then Bailey. Master EK’s effort is in the same direction. His approach is vedantic, upanishadic, meaning he started sharing these keys which are not generally known.

The knowledge was there all the time, with the related numbers and sounds, it was also known in the west during the Mayan and Incan civilisation. All this knowledge disappeared due to fanatic following of persons. When Christ came, he showed the way. People made him a god and forgot his teachings. So after Christ Christianity was formed, after Buddha Buddhism was formed. In India there is no ism, because the teacher did not allow the students to follow him, but to follow the path. That is what is the effort of spiritual fusion of east and west. Therefore I always say, you have to speak of the cosmic, solar and planetary principles, the laws relating to it and show how these teachings were earlier given by the seers. The fusion of east and west means bringing back the most ancient wisdom to humanity, which is called manushya, the mind-dominated beings. Blind following is not allows. Understanding is allowed. In understanding one grows. The substance of spiritual fusion is not a general propaganda; the material is for those who seek it. In all our organisation there is no marketing, it is for people to find out, not for us to make advertisements. Valuable things are always to be found. Precious stones are not found in the bazaar. Wisdom is not generally being made available in the market. The diluted versions of wisdom are available on the market. Diluted versions of astrology are sold by millions. Spiritual Astrology, Spiritual Psychology are sold in small numbers.
What is already together, fusion, is realised in us. We are not fusing anything. It is already there, and it is for us, by our ideation, contemplation to realise it, to contemplate well. For this you have to keep your instrument pure. Don’t get stuck in the mental plane. Spiritual fusion of east and west is a way to relate man to the light and life in him and to the universal light, love. That is attempted in all the books. Let it be so in the huge endeavour.
Let the east and west meet in the heart, it is the best playground.”

“Photo, Photo please!!!”

The lectures (in Telugu) were projected with beamers on screens