Last weekend my wife and I went to see the new German film “Krabat“, after a novel by Otfried Preußler. In English the book was published under the name of The Satanic Mill. There is a movie trailer with English subtitles, and you find an interesting interview with the producer, Marco Kreuzpaintner.

We read the book in our youth and my wife again some years ago.  A fascinating story of a young orphan boy who becomes an apprentice of a miller-sorcerer who teaches his group of assistants black magic, but also subjugates them under his will – and each year one of them has to die.

The movie is esthetically well done, also the more subtle aspects are presented without getting into cheap tricks. So you see a presentation of an out-of-body experience of the main characters, traveling in their subtle bodies to a village. Though this experience was connected with black arts, it was presented in a very natural way.

The plot of the story – the miller-sorcerer imprisoning a group of students through black magic and forcing them to work – provoked thoughts about experiences we had in a group setting where someone was holding the group over a longer time in his sway. It wasn’t easy to see through the mechanisms and find a way out – just like in the film. It took us years to digest the experiences. The story in the movie didn’t discuss the traumatic dimension of the apprentices, it nevertheless reflected in their behaviour and outlook.

Keeping others’ free will under your control and manipulating them is impeding the inner connection to the soul. See the Lunar Messenger on Free Will and Freedom.

Old millstone in Sweden, photo of a friend

Yesterday evening we had a visit from a woman of our village. She had seen the announcement of our public evening theme in April, but didn’t have time to come. Later she contacted me via e-mail, subscribed to the newsletter and we invited her to come once for a visit.

She is a very intuitive person who has been working for years with Feng shui and space cleaning, counseling people. She feels especially attracted to working with the symbolism of water, inside and outside, and water has a great purifying quality.

However, my wife and I noted afterwards that it took us a while in the talk to find “the common ground”. Her approach to spirituality and the one we are used to seemed to be quite different, though the topics near. When my wife and I reflected about what was the reason, we saw that somehow in the course of the years we have become in a way “sober” and down-to-earth as per dealing with subtle energies. They don’t have anymore the quality of a “magic wand” of sudden transformation (or at least normally). We have experienced that a lot of reflection on knowledge and understanding helps in deepening the knowledge. It is somehow no more of the child-like spontaneity and immediacy. It was fascinating to see that immediacy in the way this woman was dealing with the subtle world, in a sincere way, not like man esotericists do, though moving in the same field.

My wife and I also have a deep conviction coming out of our experience that to delve into deeper realms a guide and teacher is of utmost importance. This woman was wandering through the spheres on her own, and she didn’t even seem to feel any need for a guide, at least an outer one. She feels everything is coming to her just like this, and this gave her a fascinating simple-heartedness and naiveté. I thought, it’s not easy to come back to this “childhood paradise”, though she wasn’t young. After a long way back, you also might come to this home of simplicity, oneness and unity, behind the many conceptions of thought. It is a feeling like being at home.

Stairs in Spain, with flowerpots. July 08

Of course enjoying the sun, the beach and the free time also got their due…

The beach, reflected in the glasses of our son.

Reading at the beach – Artemis Fowl’s adventures …

… and on the camping site

Beautiful small beaches at the Costa Brava

Boats on the beach …

… and tourists …

… tourists also in the shops, with all kinds of inflatable animals and mattresses

Early morning sunrise on the highway on the way back home

Last Tuesday I was in the management body of my office presenting the detailled conception of the new intranet cum document management, together with the head of the agency realising it. Finalizing the conception had been a bit turbulent, since some security questions arose the week before.

In the meeting, however, other questions came up. The discussion was at full swing before I was half-way through my introduction.

Though I had informed the management before about the effects the new system would have for all personnel, it seemed that some members of the board only realized now the impact of the new collaboration system: There was some irritation around.

I observed that irritation is a fertile ground for further irritation, for arguments motivated by different goals came in. It became clear that in some areas there was an information gap. So the director decided that I’ll have an individual talk with the different heads of departments in the next days to clear the questions. Fortunately he didn’t stop the project, but gave the green light, so that we can go ahead as soon as the extra-round is done.

I felt relaxed: the progress wasn’t arrested, the next phase, the implementation of the new system can start.

The situation reminded me of turbulences in a river with cataracts. When you are going through the rapids, you have to be extremely alert not to get drowned in some vortexes.

The Cataracts of Iguazú, Brasil.

Last Monday after the visit to Microsoft we returned to Berne, where the city was sprinkled all over with orange – the Dutch football fans had invaded the town, a peaceful, though not silent invasion. It was quite a contrast – the cool, focused ambiance at the Microsoft center and the emotionally charged atmosphere of the fans. The tickets for the game already promised: “Expect emotions” and indeed, you could feel it.

I’m not at all a football fan and was a bit sceptical about mass hysteria, especially in the stadium. The media had fuelled it over the last weeks until overkill. But already in the corporate hospitality center, where we had our dinner, there was a hilarious, cordial mood, mainly of middle-aged people mainly in orange, with orange hats and other orange decorations – a carnival. I said to myself: “Get ready to plunge into a collective solar plexus center in upheaval.”

In the stadium the colour orange was prevalent, the blue of the Italian Azurros was mainly in one block, but obviously a minority. And normally dressed people, too.

Music and announcements heated up the public. The players came in like gladiators into a Roman Coliseum. The game began. It soon became visible that the Dutch team had an excellent group cooperation in the way they were exchanging the ball between the different players. The Italians, however, seemed to be more a collection of strong individualities. In a newspaper they later spoke about the Italian world champions as the “divas”.

The point of focus – the football – changed from one side to the other in rapid moves, but all were focused on this one point, not only the camera men all around the field, ready to catch a good shot.

The football is like the “I AM”, the point of focus of our awareness. When you are not linked to the higher self, your point of focus gets tossed around all over the field of activities. The teams – your interests – push it into ever-changing directions.

It soon became clear that the good group cooperation of the Oranjes was stronger than the individualistic strength of the world champions. The game ended 3 : 0 for the Dutch. A huge emotional outburt of joy went through nearly the whole stadium – except the Italian corners.

I also was taken by the waves of joy, but I was astonished that the Dutch fans were very civilized. When the masses left the stadium, it went quickly and in a totally ordered way. I had to review some of my prejudices.

Of course the whole was also a big marketing activity, and the sponsors claimed their rights of attention. The mascots moved over the field wishing all a good-bye.

Today at noon, when I crossed the city, it was orange all over: The fans were moving with bands through the streets, in the fan-zone the music played and warmed up the emotions for tonight’s play against France. Will the emotions of the party-mood still be there tomorrow? The Swiss were mourning the two lost games scattering all their football hopes.

Screen in the fan-zone in front of the government building

Dutch fans in the street

Orange all over

At a seminar celebration Sri Kumar told the story of the man, who made him come to Argentina and prepared the groups, which are active today: Don Pedro Nahum. I found it very inspiring, so here are some lines are arranged from his talk.

Pedro Nahum worked day and night for 30 years to manifest the teachings of the Theosophical Society and those of Alice Bailey in Argentina. He was a very fiery man, to whom money never was a conditioning factor nor did he live for earning money. He was moving between three cities, Buenos Aires, Posadas in the north and Mendoza at the feet of the Andes, which are distant to each other by 1200 to 1500 km. He was moving from place to place by trucks speaking to the truck drivers who were his students and reaching places and teaching books. His teachings were always during the midnight hours until the early morning, because during the day the people had to work for the living. He respected it and travelled by day.

He was reading books and explaining the spiritual teachings to his followers. He never allowed anyone to record the teachings nor even allowed to make notes. He said, listen and register. That is the oldest method. In ancient times the teacher taught and the students listened, and it is to the student to register and to remember.

He had as many as 1000 followers; relentlessly he was teaching them. They were living in the forests of Argentina and learning. They stayed there day and night for a few weeks, learned and then went back – a very hard work, but he was a man of iron will. He created enough fire in all those who followed him.
He was saying to his students that another teacher would come and teach meditation, give the technique of yoga and also the rhythm and the technique of discipleship. When he came to know of Sri Kumar he suggested his followers to listen to him. In 1992 Dr. Kumar came for the first time for about 3 weeks. Pedro Nahum was planning to leave his physical body, not because of old age but because of the intensity of the work he did.

He attended Sri Kumar’s teachings in Buenos Aires and Posadas, and there he symbolically handed over to him a silver cup of mate, the traditional tea they drink there. He said: “I have done what is to be done, you please continue. I wish to leave. Teach them meditation, I did no teach them meditation. Give them the discipline of discipleship which I did not give. I have ignited fire in them, and they all carry the fire of aspiration. They are all very wild people. I know that you can handle fire. I am glad that you have come, I symbolically hand over the work to you and I will leave by the time you come next time. I know that you will come many times to Argentina.”

Sri Kumar listened carefully, accepted the silver cup, and next year when he was starting for Argentina, the day he left India, the same day Pedro Nahum left his body. As Sri Kumar landed in Switzerland, he had the news that Pedro Nahum had departed. Don Pedro had good extrasensory perceptions. He now lives in the heart of all his followers and continues to inspire.

The WTT-Group from Misiones edited some of his sayings in Spanish and in English, which you find here. Since for him the waterfall is very important and he explained everything about the falls to his followers, the group arranged his photo above the falls.

At the meeting in Iguazú for the May Call celebrations from May 26th to June 1st, there were about 300 persons from different countries from East and West: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Honduras, India, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, United States, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland as well as from Venezuela attending the seminar. Most faces were new, but many I knew from previous group livings.

Besides the seminar lectures on “Coexistence” by our teacher, Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar. There were very interesting encounters with many different members – but this isn’t much for the blog. In case you are interested, I have typed the seminar notes…

One exchange was quite particular: I was sitting next to a lady from Honduras. When I asked her, what she was doing in her home country, she answered in a short, precise way, in perfect English: “What do you mean? I don’t speak English very well, but first I am a mother with two children, then I am a lawyer, and a politician. I am member of a Latin American international assembly, similar to the EU. I am in the commission working with the European Union, o.k.?”

I replied: “Oh, so you have a lot of responsibilities. How do you integrate all this with spiritual life?” She hesitated a moment, and I was wasn’t sure if she understood me well, but then she answered in a clear, decisive way: “First in my life there is God, since always, then come other things. I am a politician because I think it is right that I am at the place where I am. If I weren’t there, there would be someone else who might not do it as well as I do. o.k.?” Then she turned over to the other side, leaving me back a bit baffled.

Passion Flower in the Argentinean national park of the Iguazú Falls

A long blogging pause of two weeks. The reason why:

We had already packed everything for the journey to Iguazu, Brazil. I just wanted to do a backup of my laptop before leaving. For some reason the software I had installed didn’t recognize the external harddisk. Oh, I thought, that’s time to install the new version which I had bought some weeks before.

When strying to re-boot the laptop after installation, nothing happened, the screen remained black. My son said: “You have taken out the installation CD too early”, he inserted it and got the laptop running again. Fine, I thought, finished some mails, shut down the computer and put it into the rucksack.

At Zurich airport I wanted to check something on the laptop, but the screen remained black. The CD with the software was at home and we were ready to take off, and me with my black laptop.
I wanted to take notes from the seminar with our spiritual teacher. O.K., I said to myself, it seems this time your laptop wants holidays from you. A bit sad I put it back into the rucksack.

We had a beautiful, smooth flight, where everything went like in a big flow. It was a big jump through the night, via Frankfurt, Sao Paulo further on to Iguazú Falls near the Argentinean border. At the hotel there were already several friends, from Germany, Venezuela, Argentina, Spain, a cordial welcome like in a family meeting.

I mentioned the story of the broken laptop to a friend from Berlin, and she said: Oh, I have mine with me, but I don’t really need it during the seminar, you can use it.

So I could write my notes, but didn’t blog. We came back last Monday night. I got the laptop running again on Tuesday, but the week left no time for posting anything, though there were so many impressions. So here it goes again.

Approaching Iguazu – over the city

A treetop full of orange flowers in front of our hotel window.

Two days ago I participated in the team attending to the stand of the Swiss Red Cross at the BEA-Expo, a big public fair in Berne, Switzerland. 9 hours standing in the midst of the passing crowds. For me it was the first experience of this kind, and I had volunteered to do so.

My job was to hand out leaflets and pencils for a competition with 5 questions about the Red Cross – the answers of which could be found on different posters of the stand. At the end they could get an instant price and qualify to participate in a drawing to win some prices. It was a means to get people into contact with different Red Cross activities and starting an interaction – and for the marketing a means of collecting addresses.
There were also other activities going on: At one part of the stand you could get your blood pressure measured for free, at another corner children faces were painted and they could also get a balloon. Films, puzzles, info leaflets …

Thousands of people passed by, and in the evening there were over 1000 leaflets of the competition handed in.

For me it was fascinating to observe the crowd – families with small children in buggies, teenager groups, lovers, old couples, handicapped, people from different national backgrounds and colours. The hope for a chance to win a price attracted most and kept them busy for about 5 minutes searching the answers for the questions. It mostly went on in a sequence of 4 stages:

Discovering the competition – some showed curious faces, rushing on in search of the answers, others rejected and passed on. Some felt irritated for a moment and then decided to give it a try. With a number of couples the woman started with the competition, while the man stayed behind, observing.

Then running around, searching, filling out the questions, followed by depositing the leaflets and getting one of the instant prices. Finally leaving again and passing on into the crowd, the short kick of curiosity attraction fulfilled. Only a few showed a further interest and asked questions. Some of them wanted to go deeper or asked for a way to give donations.

At so many occasions our commitment follows the same pattern. The point of attraction works as a funnel focusing the attention into a certain direction, but it is quickly spinning of to another goal, and then another, and another – an endless search for points of attraction to give a short satisfaction. In this craze you cannot find any longer lasting satisfaction, you only find it looking within.

At the stand. In the background the logo of the World Red Cross Day of 8th May, this year the 180th birthday of Henry Dunant, the founding father of the Red Cross. It is also the 140th anniversary of Swiss Red Cross.

This afternoon when walking along a straightened brook, my wife and I observed that in our society you often think you also can straighten all kinds of processes, like it is done with the optimisation of workflows in an enterprise.

In life, however, things often don’t develop in a straightened way, but meandering. For example, if you have a serious disease – and we were speaking about a friend’s situation – the doctor might propose a surgery, as a “direct solution” to remove a tumor. Normally the milieu in which this disease has developed is not questioned – removing the effect is seen as removing the cause.

Searching a solution without having a ready-made shortcut is much more like a meandering river – you go in one direction, then find other aspects and turn to another direction.

My wife is just reading a new book by David Servan-Schreiber, professor of Psychiatry, on “Anticancer – A new way of life“, where he describes his search in dealing with cancer, also his own (here is a site of him).

In one passage he writes that when dealing with inner inflammations in the body you can reduce them with natural methods by reducing influences and poisons which promote inflammations, such as dietetics, establishing an inner balance and body exercises.

He ends saying: “A doctor probably won’t give you these counsels. Changes in the way of life cannot be patented, so you cannot make medicine out of them and prescribe recipes. Therefore many doctors don’t see themselves responsible for it, and it is up to each individual to inform himself.”

This means, you have to search your way, and this is a meandering path – there is no magic shortcut. And the way you chose depends on the information you get and also how you judge the quality of the information.

A straightened brook at the beginning of the Emmental, canton Berne, Switzerland

Meandering water