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Archive for the ‘Nature and Man’ Category

Do Pets have an Inner Dimension?

Saturday, October 21st, 2023

A friend sent me the following question:

“I wanted to ask you if you know that when pets die they also have a space where they have a dimension? My little pet died, my cat was 12 years with me and was born here at home. It was very sad for me, that’s why I ask you this question, I still feel its presence, it’s hard for me because it wasn’t like an animal, it was like a person. I would be grateful if you could clear up any doubts.”

This interesting question leads us to the relation between the animal and the human kingdom. Many people have animals in their household or, like on a farm, they live with domestic animals. There are wisdom teachings saying that an animal can individualize only through association with man.

Humans have the gift of self-consciousness or the soul. Animals and plants have consciousness, a subjective side, but no self-consciousness, a soul. Cats and dogs can distinguish themselves from other cats and dogs. They have a little self-consciousness, and thus, they are on the way of developing individuality. This is what my friend observed when she said, her cat it wasn’t like an animal, it was like a person. This impregnation through individualisation is kept for the future stages of development. Therefore, it says that pet souls don’t merge into the group soul of their animal group but keep their individuality for further steps of development.

Through living together, a rapport is being established between humanity and the domesticated animals. This way, a bridge is developed between the higher animals and pets and the human kingdom. To tame, train and keep pets helps in building this bridge.

In the wisdom teachings, this bridge is compared with the bridge between the human kingdom, the fourth kingdom of nature, and the fifth kingdom, the spiritual hierarchy. The linking bridge between these two kingdoms is formed by the spiritually advanced humans who selflessly work for the benefit of the greater good. This group is also called in some teachings the “New Group of World Servers”.

A Glacier Canyon and Alpine Intensity of Nature

Thursday, October 5th, 2023

Before humans coming, nature is there. Before and independent of our experiencing, the creative power of nature expresses itself and shapes the forms. Last Sunday, my wife and I were at a valley near the Eiger North Face. There is a small road going uphill from Meiringen through the Reichenbach (Rychenbach) valley in the Bernese Alps towards Grindelwald.

The valley was illumined by soft, golden autumn light shining through the trees. We had a look at some places and then stopped at the parking near the Rosenlaui glacier canyon.

Over eons of time, water from the Rosenlaui Glacier had dug a deep gorge into the stones, pressing through the rocks with great intensity. Humans had cut an uphill pathway into the sidewall of the canyon and through tunnels at medium height between the riverbed and the upper end of the gorge.

We experienced awe-inspiring moments when we approached the canyon and then stood inside, surrounded by rock faces. When we went through the gorge, the Sun just lit up the chasm and illuminated the drops of water falling from above. Rapids, roaring waterfalls, darkness, then spashing sunlight – intense impressions.

As the path became tight, I had to keep my hand at the handrail when looking downward or upward. It is an experience like going through a time of crisis, where you have to look for each next step only and go forward slowly. Along a path others have prepared before but which you have to walk yourself.

On this pathway through the rocks, you can only climb uphill, the path being too small for two directions. It comes again out of the abyss at the upper end. In a crisis, you will also come out again at the upper end when you have walked through into a new phase of life.

Outside, there was a small rock garden with many little towers of pebbles, “stone people”. Seen from the here, the chasm looks quite small.

A little brook soon joining the bigger river

The Engelhörner (horns of angels)

We went down again and then through the valley to the Schwarzwaldalp (“Black Forest Alp”) on the pass road from the Haslital over the Grosse Scheidegg pass to Grindelwald; the small hamlet now consists just of a hotel, a simple tourist hostel with a restaurant, and an old sawmill.

The millwheel

The sawmill in its present size dates from 1896. It was constructed for building a spa house which burned down in 1943. An old man together with his grandson was operating the saw slowly cutting the trunk to wooden planks.

Selfie in the river water

During lunch on the terrace of the hostel, we were surrounded by hikers, bikers and tourists which the post buses had brought uphill. Later, we we went a bit further along the road towards Grindelwald, which is blocked for non-public motor vehicles, and down to the Reichenbach river. When driving back from the mountains, we were still under the spell of the intense beauty and wildness of the Alpine mountain nature.

Summer Solstice Celebration at the Paracelsus Center, Einsiedeln

Tuesday, June 27th, 2023

On 21 June, a group of 7 members came together at the Paracelsus Center of World Teacher Trust near Einsiedeln, Switzerland to celebrate the summer solstice. Summer solstice is a spiritually important time where time offers an opportunity to align to the energies of nature and to access to subtle planes of consciousness more easily.

We first met at the Etzel Pass for a walk along a mountain ridge. It took a little longer until we could start our hike along the mountain ridge; the road was blocked at the top of the pass due to repair work. So there were less hikers and bikers on the way.

At the fireplace, some curious cows came to visit, and when we started chanting the mantras, more cows joined us. At the end, during the Maitreya song, they listened devoutly, standing head to head. Then they spread out again over the large meadow.

At the Paracelsus Centre we decorated the room, did a little candle ritual and then aligned ourselves to the energies of the summer solstice.

In the afternoon we took a walk along the Siehl River to below the Devil’s Bridge. From there, a narrow path leads up to the house where the Paracelsus Centre is located.


After the evening meditation, we participated in the online Cancer Solstice Celebration, where a talk by Sri Kumar on the spiritual significance of the solstice season was translated into several languages. There was a magical spell over the whole day. In three months we will meet there again, for the autumn equinox.

At the Foot of Shasta – a Video Interview with Chuck Smith

Sunday, May 7th, 2023

The team of Anima Channel has just published on YouTube a video talk with Chuck Smith, a good friend of mine living at Mount Shasta, California. Chuck is a retired psychologist and professor, who could combine his academic knowledge with spirituality during his career. We met first in India in 2004, and our paths have crossed several times since, for the last time last January in India. It’s always interesting to exchange with him.

Picture from the video interview (c) Anima

Chuck is living at the foot of Mount Shasta, a beautiful and spiritually highly important volcano in northern California.

Master Kumar published his May Call 2019 talks as “Shasta, Sambala and Sanat Kumara” (e-book versions: AZW3 | EPUB | Kindle), Chuck having worked on the edition.

In 2019, Chuck had invited three friends and me for a tour through Northern California and especially to Mount Shasta – there are a number of blog-posts here.

Chuck is also a co-founder of the “Yoga Friends School” (“Bridging Shambala and Shasta. Synthesis of East and West at all levels”).

Have a look at the video interview:

Days of Death and Days of Birth

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

Yesterday, an Indian friend sent me a WhatsApp message remembering the passing of Master EK. In India, many people usually go by lunar dates. Yesterday was the full moon of Pisces, and the Master passed over on the full moon of Pisces 1984 – 17 March.

Over years, I had sent out a short remembrance of Master EK’s passing (and also of the passing of other great ones) to the WTT group mailing list and posted a blog article for 17 March. However, when I had shared the remembrance on Facebook, an Indian member remarked over two years that “We prefer relating to birthday, not death day”.

Master EK

We submitted this to Master KPK (Sri Kumar) last August, and he replied: “Death days need not be recollected as birthdays.” We agreed to discontinue messages regarding pass-over memorial days and that they would be no more listed in the Astro calendar. However, our decision was not further communicated. When an Indian member wrote concerning remembering Master CVV’s pass-over date, I prepared a communication and Sri Kumar answered: “Let it be so. We celebrate birthdays only”.

A friend reacted to the communication: “Interesting conversation and final choice. The Tibetan writes the new birthdays are the days of death, when the Soul begins a new adventure.”

Master EK’s bed

The places where great ones lived, and also the objects they used have been magnetized by their presence. Therefore, they are respected by those who know about this energetic impregnation.

Initiates often chose the month of Pisces, or another date in a watery sign like Scorpio or Cancer for their passing – watery signs mark the end of a cycle, and Pisces marks the end of the annual cycle, leading to the beginning of the new year with Aries. Master MN, Paramahamsa Yogananda and also his teacher, Sri Yukteswar passed over in Pisces. A friend remarked that yesterday was Yogananda’s day of passing.

I noticed with some of my friends of Indian origin / with a Hindu background that they use(d) to follow a rhythm of remembrance days for their deceased fathers. So I asked a friend, and he explained: Each lunar month, they conduct a ritual – or let it be conducted by a priest at the same moon phase the father passed, and this they do for a year. It is considered that one month on earth corresponds to one day in the subtle world, and one year on earth to one month. With the prayers, they help the soul of the departed one to ascend to the higher world, of Devachan. Then, no more prayers and rituals are needed. However, for all the beings who passed over and for whom no prayers / rituals are done, there is a day of collective remembrance with rituals some days before the festival of Dusserah / Vijayadashami (if I remember correctly. It reminds me of the All Souls’ Day for the remembrance of departed ones observed in various Christian churches on 2 November, in Scorpio.

William Blake (1757-1827)

Anyhow, with the development of the golden etheric body, the illusion of death is slowly overcome in the Aquarian age. We don’t die but just depart from the physical body. Once the continuity of consciousness is not broken while departing, we experience deathlessness. And we can consciously continue our journey to another incarnation.

“Master KPK Star” registration

Saturday, January 28th, 2023

A group member from California registered a star in the name of “Master KPK” on 7 November 2022. You can find the star in the sky with the “Star Finder” of Star-Registration:

  • Step 1 Download the App “Star Registration” from App Store or Play Store.
  • Step 2 Enter the registration number 2483149027388054
  • Step 3 Move the phone towards the sky and the app will help you find the star in the sky. The circle with arrow will help you find the star.
  • Step 4 Follow the arrow and you will spot the star in the centre of the circle.

Religion of the Ball

Monday, December 5th, 2022

Blogpost about sport, art and religion

At the moment, the attention of media and of millions of people is focused on Qatar and the FIFA World Cup. Without a particular interest in football, I therefore have also followed this global phenomenon a little. In meditation this morning I remembered that I had read an article a week ago:

In “Das Magazin“, a weekend supplement of our regional Swiss newspaper, a writer made fun of an installation by the Berlin-based world-class Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Elisasson, who had realised circular mirrors in the Qatar desert. The writer found it “completely ballaballa”, meaning crazy. It somehow caught my attention: In a video presentation about my paintings (Creativity and Originality), I mentioned Elíasson and his work.

I found it interesting: In the past, art and religion have been closely associated. Religion and art have much changed their roles and both have become much more mundane in most of their expressions. For millions of people sport has taken over the role of religion:

Quasi-religious fervour of ascetic aspiration in a hatha-yogic style drives athletes’ and sportsmen’s /sportswomen’s devotion to extreme efforts in their training to strive for their very highest. And huge crowds of people gather in the cathedrals and temples of sport for their quasi-religious devotional celebrations – at the moment, in Qatar’s soccer arenas. There are also very many sects and beliefs among the followers. A gigantic effort was made to hold the big celebrations in a desert state. Many discuss the sense and nonsense of such events. Some avoid them, others travel there to participate.

When Eliásson now says in his artistic and context statements that “There is no artistic connection between my sculpture and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022”, this might be his intention and understanding but the exhibition is financed and organized by the state of Qatar and the opening of the exhibition coincides with the FIFA World Cup – “honni soit qui mal y pense“.

Here are the photos of the circular mirror installations in the desert, reminiscent of the ball religion celebrated nearby in football stadiums. The ball, the sphere, the circle are deeply occult symbols of the world, of creation. May the world’s attention go beyond the mundane levels to understand and practise the deeper spiritual aspiration to the highest and thus gain the experience of bliss, mundanely aspired by sport.

All photos are press material giving installation views of the Northern Heritage sites, Doha, Qatar, 2022. Photos by Iwan Baan, courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles © 2022 Olafur Eliasson.

Transition of Master Kumar – and Beyond

Monday, November 7th, 2022

Last Tuesday afternoon, 1 November 2022, I surprisingly got a call from a friend living in California. He told me that there is a message in the WhatsApp group of WTT India called Radhamadhavam (this being also the name of the assembly hall for teaching and spiritual activities in Master Kumar’s house).
Guru Prasad, the son of Master K. Parvathi Kumar, had just posted, “Our beloved Master KPK has sailed to higher realms. Master KPK Namaskaram.”

It was a shock. Although I knew that Sri Kumar was seriously sick, he had speeded up giving inspiration and guidance in many directions over the last months. His weekly “Merry Life” talks every second Saturday were brimming with inspiration and wisdom. Although his body was handicapped increasingly by the progressing stages of blood cancer and he was having pain, he kept on a high pace of interacting with members via writing, speaking, teaching.

I found it breath-taking, also what I came to witness from people who visited him or were in contact with him directly. He kept on reacting quickly when I asked questions concerning activities of WTT-Global in a chat group with him. In the last 2 months, he initiated several far-reaching new projects, which he first submitted to us in the “Triangle”, the internal organisational steering team of WTT-Global. We discussed details in a Zoom meeting, and then he presented them to larger circles of members. He contacted members to take over the responsibility for these new projects and gave guidance. As late as September/October, he even conducted the several days’ long Durga Festival and the Festival of Light, Divali, in Radhamadhavam with many participants.

When hearing of his passing, I started functioning in a kind of “auto-mode” for the following days – preparing and sharing communications, speaking with close persons and trying to keep up with other ongoing work and situations. Slowly, more information came in about the situation of Master Kumar in the last time, especially the last day. Guru Prasad, his son, gave a detailed report last Friday night about the disease and the moments of passing. And there were short videos and photos of the final rites, the cremation of the physical sheath of the Master last Thursday, and now about the 10 days of traditional rituals done after a passing. At the moment, Guru Prasad is on a journey bringing the ashes of Master KPK to sacred rivers in India.

Cremation, 3 November 2022
Cropped photo of a member
Guru Prasad pouring flowers and a part of the ashes of cremation into the Ganges,
5 November, cropped photo of a member

After the first shock, there were intense experiences of the sublime presence of the Master and joy. And the feeling of a new cycle starting. Gratitude filled my heart. Last Wednesday and Saturday evening in my German and English online study groups, we exchanged about the situation, and the members expressed their experiences. It was a very profound moment of sharing and meditation. Some had been in e-mail contact with the Master until the last days before his passing. The members of the group had similar experiences and we all felt a profound bond of connectedness. Yesterday, a friend who participated in the group exchange wrote: “It feels so good to go on all together this way. A big hug for all, Namaskaram.”

Today is Sri Kumar’s anniversary. He was born on 7th of November 1945 in Vijayawada, a Wednesday at 07:20 AM in the month of Scorpio. Through him manifested a great amount of global goodwill work; therefore, we celebrate the 7th of November in his honour as “Day of Goodwill”. He now concluded his journey on earth after 77 years. Our acts of goodwill, together with the regular prayer/meditation and self-study, are the best ways to pay homage to him and to keep him present among us.

A small group of WTT members from ANIMA Channel visited Visakhahaptnam in August and recorded a face-to-face personal interview with Master KPK which was just published in the ANIMA channel under the title “Man behind Master”. They shared it today, on Master KPK’s birthday, to honour His life and forever radiant presence, and as a token to the groups.

You find here the video with original sound in English (subtitled in German, French and Spanish) and here with Spanish voice-over.

Master KPK, extract from the Anima video


Celebrating Libra Equinox at the Paracelsus Center

Tuesday, September 27th, 2022

Last Friday, there was autumn equinox. We also call it Libra equinox, because the September equinox is the moment when, seen from Earth, the Sun on his southward movement crosses the equator marking the entrance of the Sun into Libra. In the Southern hemisphere, it marks the beginning of spring. It is one of the 4 cardinal points of the year. Such points have been celebrated from ancient-most times. The Masters of Wisdom are renewing and encouraging such orientation to the cycles of time with meditations, rituals and using the changes of energy for spiritual upliftment.

Thus like in previous years, we met again with a small group at the Paracelsus Center near Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The weather was fine, and so we met on the mountain ridge near the Etzel pass for a little fire ritual and meditation.

It was windy, and so we chose a place surrounded by bushes and trees. It was a little difficult to start the fire ritual but the Devas cooperated…

We afterwards went to the Paracelsus Center and aligned to the equinox energies with mantrams, meditation and study.

In the afternoon, we went uphill to the Etzel mountain house from where you have a grand panorama.

A friend of a friend joined us for the evening meditation. We strongly felt the sanctity of this moment and place and were filled with silent joy and gratitude.

15 August: 150th Birthday Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, 75 Years of Indian Independence

Monday, August 15th, 2022

Today, 15 August, we commemorate the 150th birthday anniversary of Sri Aurobindo (15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950).

15 August 2022 is also the 75th commemoration day when India gained independence in 1947 but West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) gained independence as well. The British Indian Empire was partitioned into two dominions, a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of an independent India based on religious pluralism was much challenged and he finally became a victim during an interfaith prayer meeting in Delhi, 1948.

On 15 August 1947, Sri Aurobindo strongly opposed the partition of India, stating that he hoped “the Nation will not accept the settled fact as for ever settled, or as anything more than a temporary expedient.”
Striving towards expressing the underlying unity, and overcoming separation is of utmost importance, also in present day situations. It starts from within.

Statue of Gandhi at the beach of Pondicherry, Jan. 2006

At Leo full moon 1997, Master Kumar spoke about Aurobindo and his joining the independence fight. And during our visit with the Master in Pondicherry, January 2006, he again spoke to the group about Aurobindo, after our morning meditation at the Mahasamadhi (tomb shrine) of Sri Aurobindo.
From my notes January 2006 and from a German transcription of the 1997 seminar:

Entrance of Aurobindo Ashram, January 2006

“Aurobindo felt that it was the mission of India to bring the Light to the world and therefore should be free. So he joined the freedom movement. They were planning a bomb assassination attempt on a high rang British official. Before the attempt he had a dream about a tall man which we suppose to be Master Koot Hoomi, who told him that this political fighting is not the way for him, but he did not listen to the dream.

Aurobindo and his group continued with the preparations, but the whole conspiracy was discovered and he was thrown into prison. He was praying there a lot and was reproaching the divine that he worked for a noble cause, but nevertheless was thrown into prison. Master Koot Hoomi again appeared to him telling that he was put into prison, because he did not listen to the dream. He should work for the spiritual liberation of the soul of man, not for the political liberation of India, which would come in due course of time.

Master Kumar in front of the Aurobindo Ashram, January 2006

On Nov. 22nd /23rd, 1926 Aurobindo felt that the super-consciousness descended onto earth and he received His enlightenment. Coincidentally, it is also the birthday of Sri Satya Sai Baba.

On that day Aurobindo had the vision and heard the voice that India will get its independence on August 15, that was in 1926. 20 years later, in 1947, on August 15, India raised its flag, and so the prophecy was fulfilled.

The great light that had appeared to Sri Aurobindo also informed him that this political independence is not independence. The true independence for India would come 50 years after the political independence (1997). And therefore, it is yet another good reason that from today, India will achieve another dimension of independence.”

You might also want to read a blogpost of Sri Kumar speaking about Sri Aurobindo’s chief work, the beautiful story of Savitri, summarising the content of the book.

P.S.: A friend just sent me the following lines:
“15 August 1947 freedom speech from Radio broadcast from Tiruchurapalli. Sri Aurobindo noted in a speech broadcast on the eve of India’s independence:

‘August 15th is my own birthday and it is naturally gratifying to me that it should have assumed this vast significance. I take this coincidence, not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the Divine Force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition. Indeed, on this day I can watch almost all the world movements which I hoped to see fulfilled in my lifetime, though then they looked like impracticable dreams, arriving at fruition or on their way to achievement.’

The Divine’s seal has thus been firmly placed on India’s destiny, for she has been freed not for achieving any selfish aims of becoming a world power who dominates and exploits others politically, economically or militarily; rather India has been freed for doing the spiritual work of uniting and uplifting the whole world, towards an era of peace, freedom and truth, towards a descent of Satyuga.”