In autumn 2014, I was asked if I could do a German translation of the biography “Sripada Srivallabha Charitamrutam“, and I mentioned it to Robert, a good friend from Spain. He spontaneously said: “Do you think that a Spanish version would also be needed?” I replied, “Yes, if you think so, do it.”

This was the start for a long and intense path and a lot of collaboration. Now, a week ago, a parcel arrived from Spain – Robert sent me the newly published Spanish version.

It was a great joy to unpack the new book which had been released during the Spanish May Call celebration in Denia / Alicante. It felt like a block of sublime energy. Now, the volume has joined the other language versions.

Here is a short description in Spanish, from the cover of the book:
“El Srīpāda Srīvallabha Charitāmrutam es un libro extraordinario que trata de la primera encarnación de Dattatreya el Señor en la era actual. Presentado de forma emocionante y entretenida, da una visión de la fascinante biografía de Srīpāda Srīvallabha (1320-1350), de sus divinas bromas, enseñanzas, profecías y milagros. Se tiene la sensación de estar en su misma presencia, participando en los acontecimientos.”

You can read more about it here in Spanish or in English – and other languages. The Spanish book is also available for free download as PDF. But it is better to read it in paper version (you get it at Amazon) – there is a special auspicious energy related to this extraordinary biography.

On 29 May 2016, during the May Call Day celebration in Bengaluru, Master Kumar said:

“Today, we are releasing the “Declaration of Independence” as is given by Master CVV on 1st July 1910. On 29th May, he introduced the energies into the surrounding. That’s how 1st July becomes very important. 1st July is the date on which he declared independence as it shall happen on this planet for the humans who have otherwise been prisoners of this planet.”
So, we commemorate on 1 July this declaration of independence from physical conditioning and that we will remain conscious when the physical body drops off.

Please find here the PDF of the “Independence Declaration”.

In a text from the Yoga School Friends Society, Kumbakonam, about “Bhrukta Rahita Taraka Rajayoga – New Yoga”, it says (F. Society: Friends Society):

“Master CVV started this Yoga to Conquer Death. Those who joined in the F Society, the F. Society members should live happily without disease, old age and death. Not only the mediums, but also who are closely associated with the F. Society members.
It is mentioned in the Independence Declaration 01.07.1910 at 5.20 p.m. The Creator gave instructions to Master how to conquer the death. The instructions were received by the Master. We are giving hereunder the instructions for the guidance for those who practice this yoga with devotion and diligent faith. Master succeeded to raise the death in four occasions”

And further it says:
“The Independence Declaration was widely published in Hindu paper dated 4.7.1910.
In that it is said ‘ways are being paved to give all wisdom during family life itself without discarding it, to be without disease, old age and death.
Not only we but also those who are closely associated with us will enjoy these fruits’.”

May we all proceed well to gain independence.

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.

The Anima Channel has just published an interview with me about “The Mystery of Dattatreya” on YouTube.

I gave this talk in the form of a personal story, not to spread my personal story (I don’t just speak about my private life in public and only share details publicly in a very specific way).

I chose this story form to convey the complex content, in order to make the experiences and underlying wisdom teachings more vivid in this way than speaking in a more impersonal lecture style. And the course of events was partly also dramatic.

Since I came into contact with the theme of Lord Dattatreya beginning of the 1980s, I experienced a deep, mysterious fascination that I could not understand exactly. Several times I spoke to Sri Kumar about this and also once asked him why he had not written anything about the avatars of Lord Dattatreya in his book on Dattatreya. He replied, “Dattatreya is the sum and essence of the cosmic principle of the Teacher. It is too mystical for the West, and therefore we tread the path of Maitreya.” And this made me curious.

I have often experienced that seekers became confused when they encountered the subject of Dattatreya and his avatars, and even got into crises – like me. Through my experiences, together with the teachings and the help of Master Kumar, I have come to a deeper realization.

And sharing such understanding might be helpful to others. For a deeper understanding gives joy and a great expansion of consciousness.

In the interview with the Anima channel, I spoke about how I came in contact with the theme of Dattatreya when meeting Sathya Sai Baba in India in the early 80s. A few facets were told in this blog on the occasion of the passing of Sathya Sai.

I mentioned details about Dattatreya in my blogposts since 2008, how I came into contact with the biography of Sripada Srivallabha and translated the book into German. Later, the adventures went on when publishing an edited version of the book in English (published by Master Kumar at Mount Shasta in 2919) and creating a website about Lord Dattatreya and Sripada.

Master Kumar had supported me very much in these efforts and revealed that since his early childhood he had been initiated into the path of Dattatreya. He even agreed to publish the biography on Sripada in Dhanishta Editions, which are bringing out his teachings.

All this has become the deepest impact in my life, except and on par with the encounter with Master CVV and the path of the World Teacher Trust. In a way, you cannot separate these two, Dattatreya being the cosmic teacher principle and the World Teacher, Lord Maitreya, the embodiment of the teacher principle for our planet – in essence it is but One.

On YouTube, there is a German talk I gave for friends from the German speaking community of the WTT about “The Avatars of Lord Dattatreya – A Small Approach to a Mystery“.

Benjamin Schiller, a good friend of mine from Munich, has developed astroCloud, a powerful astrological tool. He is offering it now for free. See below his announcement. By the way, the Anima-Channel recently published a video interview with Benjamin on YouTube. I posted here a short presentation.

astroCloud is a free, multilingual astrology platform for calculating and printing horoscopes. Suitable for beginners, professionals and spiritual astrologers. Natal charts, transits, progressions and directions are supported as well as the Seven Rays or Esoteric Triangles, Nakshatras and Padas, Sabian Symbols. Tropical astrology is supported as well as sidereal astrology.

Methods recommended by Master EK, such as birth correction according to the Hermetic Law or Bigger Day progressions, are available. Horoscopes can be shared in groups.

Supported languages: English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Português, Русский, 中国人.

astroCloud is an attempt to make spiritual astrology usable worldwide.

About the creation of the Salon and of our triangle of Ludger (Switzerland), Alexis & Risa (Oklahoma/USA).

I have known Risa D’Angeles from a long time ago. Our interest in the wisdom teachings brought us together and we became friends in the context of the World Teacher Trust. I once even met her; it was in 2019 during a meeting with Master Kumar at Mount Shasta, California. Risa is a writer and teacher, and she is the founder and director of the Esoteric & Astrological Studies & Research Institute & College / Night Light News.

Over 18 years, we mainly had contact through written exchanges in various projects, and during nearly 9 years she silently participated, without camera, in the bi-weekly online study groups on wisdom teachings. At the beginning of February 2023, we met for an exchange via Zoom. I had invited her with the idea to see how our collaboration could further develop. Her partner, Alexis, participated sitting in the background. During the start of our conversation, Risa asked if I was interested in an explanation of my astrology chart which I gratefully accepted.

Listening to Risa and Alexis explore my chart was like a dam breaking within and the start of a totally unexpected level of development. They both commented “in stereo” on various dimensions of my chart. They told me how they had been observing me over years giving profound answers to questions concerning the wisdom teachings. They said there are strong aspects in my chart relating to being a teacher. They proposed that I begin to share, offer and present the knowledge I had gathered over decades and that my “Images of Synthesis” paintings, full of profound symbolism, should be the means.

I hesitated and said that I don’t see myself talking and people just listening. That there are already many other things going on in my life and that, in case, I would prefer a more interactive form. They suggested that we can cooperate as a triangle. They intensely encouraged me to start teaching on a larger scale than I am doing up to now and they would strongly support me. I was touched by their inner presence; they both have a profound astrological and psychological background and experience in working with people. Our discussion went into many depths and the ideas were thrilling. But there were many questions and I needed time to digest the idea.

We began our discussions with weekly exchanges. When Risa proposed to start a salon, I replied that it reminded me of the salons in France about art and culture in the pre-revolutionary times and of the auto-mobile salon of Geneva – but that the term salon sounds a bit old-fashioned. She replied, “No – an Aquarian Salon“. I was thrilled. She said, about “Art, Astrology and Wisdom Teachings” and added “A conversation“.

That’s it. The fire was on. We agreed to open a public virtual salon four times a year on a Saturday during the signs of the fixed cross – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, but to start at 0 degree Gemini, on Sunday, 21 May 2023. It will be presented by the “Circle of Good Will” and by “Night Light News“. Details will be shared later.

The idea was warmly welcomed by friends. Some friends are also willing to help, with music and other forms of art. The project started sprouting.

For more information see the PDF about the Aquarian Salon.

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”.

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.”

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.

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.

Beauty is an expression from the subtle planes. What artists express through their work is coming from their inner – via thoughts or intuitional impulses. Many times modern artists seek new expressions for their intentions going beyond traditional forms of perceiving beauty.

What we perceive as beauty in Nature is also coming from the subtle planes of Nature. Many people think the forms of Nature are accidental and produced by mere physical or biological processes. The wisdom teachings, however, understand that there are also other forces at work – a cosmic mind (called Mahat) and what you might call cosmic intuitional impulses. You do not physically see them but they are expressions of beauty beyond physical form. Artists using for their work inspiration or elements of beauty from Nature are in subtle interaction with these cosmic and not human expressions. There are many artists who tune up in their work to these realities. The Japanese art of Ikebana might be seen as an example of such subtle interaction.

Mid-December 2022, I had a Zoom exchange with a friend from Berlin – Barbara Hübner, better called Basia, since she is of Polish origin. I wanted to write some words in a blogpost but it took several weeks before finding time for these lines and giving some hints to her work.

Among other skills, she is an accomplished artist profoundly inspired by Japanese traditions (if you don’t know German, you can read the texts on her websites with an automatic translation). She sent me some pictures of her recent artwork. She mainly works with floral elements and materials such as bamboo, twigs, paper, metal and other compositions.

The images touched me by their clearly structured arrangements and beauty. They radiate a ritualistic concentration on the essential but at the same time the joy of manifesting something sublime and uplifting.

I discovered more about her work on the web (here: Facebook). She calls one of her websites “Joy of Creating“. Using elements of nature, the artistic work magnifies the natural beauty and lifts the viewer up to subtle planes.

She had intensely studied and worked with Ikebana or Kakejiki, colourful paper reliefs partly of huge sizes. You find a beautiful overview on Flickr.

You can see in such works of art the interaction between the thoughts and intentions of the artist and of those of Nature.

Part 3/5 Murthy, the caretaker of the WTT retreat center, was already waiting for us at the airport when we arrived 30 December evening. He had organised a small bus, and soon we were driving through the night.

Looking out of the window and seeing the traffic and the colourful lights along the roads, I tried to discover any changes: It was 3 years since my last visit, after a continuous annual series of regular visits since 2000 and then interrupted by corona. I was curious to discover what the visit would be like this time.

Due to the transition of Master Kumar on 1st of November, this was not a group life in Visakhapatnam but a gathering of members who wanted to stay together at the retreat center before the beginning of the Guru Pooja celebration from 10 January onward. Other members went on tours through South or North India or decided to come to the Guru Poojas only.

For those members from the West who wanted to stay in Visakhapatnam, the Indian brotherhood of Visakhapatnam had warmly invited us to come. They had prepared a 9-days program and we would join ongoing regular prayers and rituals at the WTT temple “Radhamadhavam”. I was very grateful for their offer and commitment, since this meant also quite some organisational effort from their side. It was a very profound time with many interactions and exchanges besides the regular daily rhythm.

1 January early morning there was the usual prayer meeting at “Master EK Sundaravanam”, a site with a statue of the Master maintained by members of the WTT at the beach road. It is impressive to see such a statue at such a prominent place, and to have there such an open-air prayer gathering with about 175 members – this would cause big eyes in the West, but not in India. It was the 28th Anniversary celebration of this site. Brother Sri Ch. Satyadev conducted the prayer and the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Pooja with Rudra Namakam mantrams, and after the prayer breakfast was served to the members who participated. Welcome greetings were exchanged, and then we strolled back to the retreat center.

In the evening, there was a small celebration after prayer for the inauguration of the Telugu calendar, together with the presentation of the star registration in the name of “Master KPK” on 7 November 2022.

2 January morning after prayer, we had an interaction with Sri Guru Prasad. Sabine M. and me had prepared a number of questions which we submitted to him, esp. about how we can contribute to maintain and develop the East-West relation, how we can keep the door open for the next generation and what we can do, how can we strengthen cohesion, globalize service activities and what could be next steps. I appreciated the way he answered the questions. (I have no record of his answers.)

In the afternoon we went with a small group to the Planetary Healing Center. The center had been created in 1996 on the basis of plans given by Master KPK. In the last years there had not been an interest from the side of the owner in maintaining contact with the WTT and during my last visits the site seemed to have suffered somewhat and did not make a very well-kept impression. This time, however, it was in a better shape and there were people active to maintain the garden. Nature had recovered very well. We enjoyed very much being there, sitting in the center and singing OM for a while. Then we sat around the Maitreya statue and chanted the song of Lord Maitreya.

In the evening, we had an interaction with Sri Navaneetam. He told us about the developments in the Indian brotherhood.

Next morning and on other days, we saw the videos of last year’s seminar of Master KPK on “Simple Steps to Synthesis”. In the afternoon we visited Ramadri, the beautiful temple site “Hamsavanam” with a huge Hanuman statue, a number of little temples, a training center for enhancing professional skills of women and a “Goshala”, a cow care project with 37 cows. The site and its activities are maintained by a team of volunteers, organised by the Circle of Good Will, India.

On 4 January we made a longer excursion to Borra Caves and Anantagiri resort in a mountainous area.

6 January, we visited the Balabhanu Vidyalayam School and the new Master EK Samskruthi Sadan service center. Some speeches were given, and then certificates for vocational trained women were distributed by WTT heads on this occasion. Also some flowers were planted and lunch was served to us as “prasad” (food gift after a ritual).

7 January we visited the Sripada Srivallabha temple in Pithapuram, about 150 km from Visakhapatnam. We could not start in time in the morning but arrived only 10 minutes before the temple closed at noon. I nevertheless enjoyed being again at this important and energetic place, where I had been already 5 times before. Read more aboutthe mystery of Sripada and the avatars of Lord Dattatreya here. Afterwards, we went to the Kukkuteswara temple and later to the temple of Annavaram – I had reported about this temple several times before.

9 January the group made a visit to the Simhachalam temple which we visited each time before the Guru Pujas conducted over many years in Simhachalam. Since it was no more possible to organise the Guru Pujas there, this year’s celebration was directly in Visakhapatnam, very close to Radhamadhavam and the retreat center.

The group meeting ended in the evening of the 9th with the prayer, a little celebration and dinner at Radhamadhavam. The ambiance over these days was good, the group experience intense, although the group cohesion was somewhat more challenging than in other years since it was not a normal group life, and therefore there were more fluctuations. But I enjoyed very much having more time for deeper exchanges. The program was very well organised by the Indian brotherhood and with much care. And being together again with other members from the West was like a big “family meeting”.

Guru Prasad had been very involved in making the group meeting run well and in supporting members with problems. I also had several conversations with him about issues concerning the development of the WTT.

During the celebration, Guru Prasad pointed out that such longer meetings are very precious. It needs time for profound exchanges which you cannot do with people not sharing the same focus and inner orientation. Especially the time of Capricorn and the energies of the Sun at the start of the ascending arc of the year are very supportive for deeper spiritual alignment.

Therefore, the January seminars and the Guru Pujas will be continued in the coming years, together with the May Call and December Call meetings in Bangalore, solstice and equinox meetings at Master Mountain and, from 2023 on, meditation meetings around Aquarius full moon at the Yoga Friends Society place in Kumbhakonam.

Go to part 1 part 2 part 4 part 5 of the series.

The suitcase is packed, the travel preparations largely finished. Tomorrow morning, I will set out for another trip to India. It is a very special journey this time. It was planned before the passing of Master KPK, Sri Kumar. For quite some time, it was not sure if the journey could take place. But finally the doors are about to open. The first stop is Sadguru Tapovana, the centre of WTT in Bengaluru. Here are some impressions from the trip 2019/20. On Friday, we will go for some days to Kotagiri, the retreat center of WTT “Master Mountain” – a very sublime place related to Rishi Agastya, also called Master Jupiter, who has one of his ashrams in the subtle planes of this point.

Long before I came there the first time in January 2013, I felt already the call. There is a long story behind, about Master EK and Albert Sassi meeting in the Nilagiris in the mid-60s of the last century. I did some research about this meeting and Albert Sassi. And for the present journey, I went again through the traces of this story.

Another story came in form of a book. When preparing the present journey, a friend from the US of Indian origin, who will join the travel group sent some information about a book said to be of Helena P. Blavatsky and recently discovered: “The Land of the Gods. The Long Hidden Story of Visiting the Masters in Shambala”.

I was surprised that such book did not come to our notice up to now – but having read the publisher’s note which my friend sent, I suppose that it might be a gem revealed only now. Other friends who read the book were enthusiastic. See the book on Amazon. And here an extract from the Publisher’s note of the book (c: Radiant Books).

I haven’t yet read much myself but the first 2 chapters and kept it as a travel reading. I just saw that there were some interesting hints at the end of the book. But maybe later more about it….