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Journey to Group Livings of WTT in India, Part 8: The Essence

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024

It is now a week ago that I started the journey back home from India and nearly five weeks since the start. Through the fog of inner and outer impressions, the contours of what I experienced slowly become clearer. In this mist, there is a light shining through which becomes stronger when I contemplate on it, and I might call it the essence. It is inside but it is shining into the outer as well. It has been impregnating me and keeps doing so.

The journey itself is like a multi-dimensional cinema experience – I go in and I go out again. And the intensity fades when the cinema show ends. With a cinema show, there is mostly no lasting impact. And it is the same with many things I encounter in India – they are not of relevance for my life in the West and face away again. But each journey is like a “reset” of my life which is not possible when I stay comfortably at home. It is a transformation experience. Such a pilgrimage journey helps me to better align to the purpose of my life. And gain fresh vigour and determination.

Abu Dhabi airport

There were many exchanges, I saw saw many forms of community/communities and coherence/being together. With the group members and other people I encountered, I perceived an intense striving for divinity, expressing spirituality in daily life. It was much stronger perceivable than in the surroundings of my Western life. And this was very inspiring. Although I cannot and do not want to live and work and express myself in a way I saw in India – and I also saw forms which kept me at a distance and were disgusting – it gave me fresh resolve to express divinity and spirituality in my life and through the ways and forms which are possible in my surroundings. It is a matter of inner attitude. This fresh impulse is most essential for me.

The Triangular Book of Count Saint Germain

At the beginning of the journey, on the very first day, Sri Joshi showed Mark and me photos from a manuscript which he and Shreya had taken at the Getty Research Institute in LA, the Triangular Book of Count Saint Germain (Master CSG). I was very thrilled to see the beautiful drawings and writings in perfect handwriting mostly in cipher language. It was a touch of the great Master who had built a bridge of the wisdom of Hierarchy from the East to the West – although it still remains a mystery. I didn’t know about this book but we are reading in a German study group the “Most Holy Trinosophia” of Master CSG, which Master EK had mentioned, and Sri Joshi wanted to send the photos. I didn’t receive it but the information came in other ways, by sharing with group members and some further search: the entire book is scanned and online; it is translated into English here. There are two manuscripts of the Triangular Book, one dated 1775, the other 1750. There is a very interesting website about it, “The Triangular Book“, by an anonymous author, giving an aura of mystery. He hinted at a book and he might be the author himself, since he writes about “my publication of Triangular Book of St. Germain (Ouroboros Press, 2014). So, it is probably Nick Koss, who produced an exquisite limited edition reproduction published in Seattle, from where my friend Mark Ray came and where he passed over at return of our journey, completing his cycle on earth.

I do not know which is the relevance of all these impressions and all information about the “Triangular Book” of Master CSG for me. But I mention here this story because it shows well how mysteries reveal themselves when the time is ripe, even if it takes centuries. I learn not to rush but let things develop themselves.

And this is, where the end of my blog-posts about the “Journey to Group Livings of WTT in India” touches the beginning. The mystery of the extremely intense experiences of this journey.

Drawing of Master CSG, from the Manly Palmer Hall heritage collection, manuscript 209, at Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (c)

Journey to Group Livings of WTT in India, Part 5: The Passing of Mark Ray

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024

Over the last months, Mark Ray and I had developed the plans for our journey to India. Mark was a third generation theosophist from Seattle, USA, in link with the Wisdom teachings since his youth. He studied psychology but preferred to work with his hands, so he specialised on renovating houses. For years, he was very active in the Theosophical Society Seattle, be it as president, be it in development of Indralaya, a theosophical center on Orcas Island committed to community and spiritual development.

Ever since he came into contact with the WTT he increasingly committed himself to build a bridge between theosophy and the World Teacher Trust teachings of Master KPK and Master EK. He met Master KPK at a group living in San Jose, California, in 2018 and again at the May Call 2019 at Mount Shasta, California. There, we shared a room together and very quickly became friends. For me, it was like meeting a brother in a deeper sense of the word.

We had been in regular monthly contact via Zoom. These were intense exchanges about many spiritual topics. And nearly at every exchange, Mark gave me profound astrological insights, be it from the perspective of Western or of Vedic astrology – in both, he was very well versed.

On 22 December early morning, we met at Bengaluru airport, he coming from Seattle via Frankfurt, me from Zurich via Abu Dhabi, arriving by chance at the same moment at the immigration counters.

Together with Mark and Sri Joshi, the head of Sadguru Tapovana, Bengaluru,before departure to the Nilagiris

Next day, we went to the Master Mountain Retreat Center in the Niligiris, the Blue Mountains of South India, the place of the ashram of the great Rishi Agastya, where we spent 4 days. Then we returned to Sadguru Tapovana, the WTT center in Bengaluru, where we participated at the December Call celebrations.

Mark, on arrival at Master Mountain Resort in the Nilagiris

Afterwards we flew to Visakhapatnam and participated in the group living there.

We shared the room together over the entire journey and had intense exchanges. These were very harmonious days and Mark was continuously active speaking with members about their astrological charts. He had a GoPro camera with him and we did a number of video interviews about WTT activities at different places – we planned to do a report. And he recorded a gorgeous sunrise in the Nilagiris and we planned to do a video with an Indian bamboo flute player, Kaliprasad, whom we met in Bengaluru and in Vizag.

On Tuesday, 9 January, he started his return journey. From Vizag airport, he wrote to me at noon time:
“I didn’t get to say goodbye but we will see each other again soon on Zoom. I am at the airport and went through check in a security without problems. Then I found my hat upstairs and something western to eat. No more rice for a while. 🙂
There is now a blizzard warning over the mountains to my home so I may have to stay overnight at my sisters again. India has been very kind to me on this trip. I never felt afraid to walk on the streets and had no problems except for the bronchitis. It is hard to leave so many kind and spiritual people.(…) Now I have to formulate my thoughts on the trip and how to make the World Teacher Trust more universal. Meanwhile I will rest and reconnect with family. Thank you again for this great opportunity!”

About 3 hours later, he wrote: “I am in Bangalore now and at Terminal 2. The plane was about 30 minutes late but that is not a problem for me. My Lufthansa flight leaves at 3:30 am so I have a long wait.”
Then he wrote from Frankfurt: “I caught my last flight and am about to take off. Seattle in nine hours.”

This was the last e-mail. On arrival in Seattle, on the way through the customs, Mark (26 April 1954 – 10 Jan 2024) left the body and took the flight to the subtle planes of Light. It was the time of the new moon of Capricorn -Capricorn being the time of the beginning of the solar ascent symbolizing the ascent of the Soul out of the conditioning of matter. And the time of new moon symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle of further development – a very auspicious time for passing over to continue the path on the subtle planes.

Mark had been absorbing the impressions in India like a dry sponge, also with his video cam – I asked him, “will you find time for viewing all this?” But it was a profound soul experience he had – which also made him a bit careless about his health – not only me had warned him to protect his body better and that the warmth here is rough, carrying the energies of winter and affecting the bodies, esp. those from the West.
He got a bronchitis the last days and a doctor at the seminar and healing practitioners gave him medicine. His body was somehow weakened before the return flight but he seemed to be OK. There must be a deeper reason for his sudden passing. There were signs that his soul knew about the passing already: He told several friends from the group about dreams he had during the last nights where he saw faces, esp. of his mother, staring at him, and he asked a friend of mine, “What do they want to say to me, I do not understand.” She told him, “Ask them to tell you.”

These premonitions show that the veil between the spheres was becoming thinner already and that, though a great surprise on the outer, there was a knowledge in the inner of the coming departure.

Before his departure, he gave me all his video recordings, and we had planned to do some report about the journey He had recorded a most splendorous sunrise in the Nilagiris and I had contacted a very well-known bamboo flute player here who wants to play a morning raga for the sunrise video – in a way, this is for me an expression of the gift of Mark’s inner radiance as an inspiration to others, and as his life had been for many.

Mark on arrival at the Master Mountain resort on 23 December 2023 afternoon

Mark, farewell and have a good continuation of your journey!

Capricornian sunrise at Christmas morning 2023 in the Nilagiris

Early this morning Indian time, I came to know that another dear friend from Germany had passed over exactly the same day as Mark, Renate Vincent from Germany. She was one of the early German translators of the books of Master EK. About 2 years, Master Kumar asked me to keep actively contact with her, so we had a few talks and she joined my English online study group for a short while, but then other tasks made her resign. Renate, also to you a much blessed journey to the subtle spheres of Light!


Journey to Group Livings of WTT in India, Part 2 – December Call at Sadguru Tapovana

Thursday, January 4th, 2024

In 1910, when Master CVV had received the Energy of Synthesis, he anchored it on the planet and started distributing it for group initiation at 29 May and at 29 December. Since 20 years, these days of group initiation have been held by the World Teacher Trust at Sadguru Tapovana in Bengaluru. And I participated in a number of these meetings.

When we returned from the Nilagiris, the preparations for the December Call celebrations were already in full swing.

Women were preparing flower arrangements, group members were busy in decorating the hall and the altar stage. And 28 Dec. evening, the celebration started, inaugurated by Sri Joshi and Guru Prasad.

Some hundred people had come from different groups – and also a small number from the West. We started early in the morning with meditation, prayer, hymns, followed later by a fire ritual and a ritual to Lord Dattatreya.

During the day, there were talks, book presentations, cultural presentations by youth groups, blessings of children. And Guru Prasad gave an inspiring talk about the meaning and importance of the December Call.

Book presentation: Sri K. Parvathi Kumar: 108 Names of Sanat Kumara
Introduction of children into first writing
Mantric chanting by children groups
Guru Prasad, the son of Sri Kumar, speaking about the importance of December Call celebration

We spent the nights in the home of group members, where we received a warm welcome. The time quickly ran by, and 30 December at noon time, we were already going again to the airport for catching the afternoon flight to Visakhapatnam.

Why do I go to India?

Wednesday, December 13th, 2023

In about a week, I will fly again to India. Why do I do this? Why do I do nearly the same tour like in previous years? Why do I do so, although my spiritual teacher, Master KPK (Sri Parvathi Kumar), has departed from the physical plane and thus, there are no more occasions for listening to his live teachings and being in his physical presence? – The photos here are from a group living in Visakhapatnam 20 years ago, January 2003, the first year of travelling with a digicam.

I heard from a number of friends, why they don’t go this year, why they don’t go anymore and why they don’t like to go anymore to India, to the group livings there.

I listened to them and asked myself deeper, “Why do I go to India, to the group livings of the World Teacher Trust over there, also this year? Is it by habit? By something extraordinary which I would find there?” Seen from an outer side, I had decided to go and accompany Mark, a good friend of mine from Seattle. And to do the journey in the traces of the previous year. And I cancelled my other ideas.

When thinking of the deeper reason for the present journey, my thoughts go back to my first journey to the WTT in India in Dec.-Jan 2000/01. There were some decisive statements of Master KPK which impregnated me. He said, “There are many reasons not to come to these group livings (he enumerated some such reasons) but they are all not valid for the soul.”

He explained the spiritual importance of coming to India in the month of Capricorn where the Sun starts his northern journey, from out of dense matter towards the light, the spirit. These statements deeply impressed me and made me say inwardly, ‘I will try to come to India every year to be there for the wisdom teachings of the Master’. And, with the exception of Corona time, it was always possible, in spite of many difficulties by profession, health and money.

These Aquarian wisdom teachings did not finish with the passing of the Master. They go on, also with the help of videos and with the members coming together for aligning to the wisdom in the group living at the place, where the Master was teaching. We are carrying on the work.

The place has been highly magnetised by Master KPK’s presence and the presence of Master EK, who lived there as well. It is very important to keep the rhythm alive, and the place is well suited to continue with the teachings. Although this year, the group coming from the West will be smaller than in other years, the ones who are coming are profound friends and fiery seekers. Therefore, I am very much looking forward to go again to the next group living.

I give you here a translation / extracts from the notes of the seminar January 2001 on ‘White Magic’, explaining why our coming to wisdom teaching group lives in India is so important:

“The land of India has been energized because the Great Beings have often passed over it with their light. That is why Master Djwhal Khul says: ‘India stands out as an outstanding spiritual energy…’
When we come to a place like this (in Radhamadhavam, the place where Sri Kumar lived), we don’t need to make much effort to calm the mind because the preparation here has taken some years, but we can all feel the difference here. This kind of atmosphere needs to be prepared so that you can get in touch with the spiritual energy through the mind.

This is one reason why India is a proper school of aspiration and endeavour. There, the knowledge of occultism goes back thousands of years and time has left its mark on the psyche of the people and has provided them with bodies that do not have the resistance that western bodies often have.

The environment has been permeated for a long time by the strong vibrations of the Great Ones who dwell within the borders of this land and who continually magnetize the surrounding ether as they travel and through their proximity. The ether is filled with the energy of the Great Ones because they frequently move within the boundaries of the land and the land has the advantage of having been prepared for occult practices for 10,000 of years. That is why about a dozen Sons of God are born in India every century.

Without our knowing it, people from all over the world visit India today to search for the spirit. The places where they look for it, they don’t find the spiritual because they are mostly looking for material things. That is why I often say to many of my brothers and sisters: Coming to India will help you in spiritual practice. Not because I am an Indian, but because the ether in India is so well prepared. Not because of the huge population of Indians. They only try to destroy and confuse this ether, but because the great beings enjoy moving in the ether within the boundaries of this country.

So we have the duty to prepare such places in the West as well and this is a work that takes 1000s of years and we already have this advantage in this country. Please pay attention, he (Master DK) does not mention any other nation in the Asian region. Basically, the prejudice of the West does not recognize this fact. But recognition would be helpful. If someone carries more light than others, then we should have the ability to recognize that. We should have the inclination to accept that. The refusal to accept it comes from pride. If we accept another person’s enlightenment, then we are included in the enlightenment. The beauty of India is that people who understand less of the truth are also accepted. Therein lies the occult power.

The result of your visit to India will enable you to establish a better rhythm within you and will open up a large field for ceremonial and ritual practice. Mantric and ceremonial undertaking. It will firstly provide a rhythm for man to gain, and secondly it will soothe him that his mind will become a tribune to receive the activity of mantras and rituals. Such preparation takes place in a subtle way.

These conditions are not found in the West. There, we find constant change in every branch of life, and the rapid and frequent change of life there causes such disturbances as they are opposed to any magical work. Further obstacles can be found in the strong development of the concrete mind. Now we are too weak to meet the concrete mind.

Slowly we will understand the obstacles mentioned here and also in Patanjali (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali). And we will see what we can do then, as poor souls, to meet our strong personalities. It looks like the rat (the mind) wants to fight with the lion (the strong personality), but slowly when the rat meets the Ganesha (the wisdom) and belongs to the Ganesha, then the lion is no more. So we have to be connected to the divine.”

An Aquarian Rehearsal for the Aquarian Salon I-4

Sunday, December 10th, 2023

Yesterday, we met with the team of supporters for preparing the fourth Aquarian Salon, Saturday, 20 January 2024. We were 7 persons and it was 7 weeks in advance, because I will be in India until 3 days before the Salon I-4. And it was an extraordinary meeting:

Risa opened our meeting saying that we have been collaborating now since some time and most of us know each other just virtually, seeing heads on screen but not knowing much about the background of the individuals. And she invited us – living in different parts of the USA and of Europe – to share with the others how we came to the spiritual path leading us together now. We are forming a very Aquarian way of collaboration for the Aquarian Salon, inspiring and innovative, but it would deepen our relation if we know more about our personal background.

It was a tremendous experience to hear how all had been striving in different socio-cultural and geographical contexts to get into contact with the wisdom teachings of Spiritual Hierarchy and of Master KPK. I knew a few of the group since long but many new dimensions revealed. And it was astonishing to see how similar certain experiences were. This is not the place to go into detail but it was a very sacred opening of hearts giving insight to the spiritual fire burning in all. It was bringing us much closer to each other, feeling the presence.

Risa spoke about how, in their group in the US, they work with astrology and the wisdom teachings, on the basis of each the horoscopes of each member. And she invited us to share ours so that we see the energetic background of all of us and get a deeper understanding.

We then also spoke about our forming a new group now and how this is giving a good foundation for the collaboration in the future meetings of the Aquarian Salon.

If you are interested, please save the date: “Aquarian Salon I-4. Theme: Intuition and the Rain Cloud of Knowable Things”, Saturday, 20 January 2024. The meeting will start 7pm CET (UTC +1) / / 12pm CST (UTC -6), 10 am, PST (UTC -8).
Opening 6:45pm with guitar music, Zoom Meeting-ID: 839 0016 8325, Password: gam.
:: More information / Dates (PDF)

The Invitation
The Program

Meinrad Bettschart – Passing of a Dear Friend

Sunday, November 19th, 2023

My dear friend and spiritual brother Meinrad Bettschart (11 May 1934 – 18 November 2023) has passed from the physical plane yesterday, 18 November 2023, to continue his journey on the subtle planes of Light.

He has been associated with the World Teacher Trust for about 25 years. Together with his wife Anna Beutler, they joined the Executive group of WTT-Global (then: WTT-Europe) at May Call 2003 (I joined the board one year earlier). When WTT-Global moved its headquarters to Einsiedeln, they moved there, too. – Meinrad had already passed his youth in Einsiedeln.
Later, from 2017 until his passing, he has been the Treasurer / Custodian of WTT-Global. Thus, when Meinrad became Treasurer and they moved from Barcelona to Brunnen at Lake Lucerne, their home became the seat of WTT-Global.

Though outward in professional life, he was a successful businessman and organizer, inside, he was a spiritual seeker since his childhood. He had a large heart and a helping hand – and he helped many with giving astrological consultations. He was courageous and enduring – travelling, skiing, mountaineering – he even had a helicopter pilot licence. And he very much liked playing chess, with a friend or with the computer. Together with Anna, they also did pilgrimages, like a pilgrimage walking a longer distance on the Way of St James.
And together with Anna, he accompanied the Master on a number of tours and participated in many group livings in East and West. Many of us have come to know him during these gatherings.
Meinrad and me had travelled together in India to the Nilagiris, Tirumala, Puri, and to various group livings…

As a Treasurer, he was very diligent and careful. In good time before passing, he handed over his responsibilities to Sabine Anliker, who will now become the new Treasurer/Custodian from January 2024 on.
So, the seat of WTT-Global will shift again to her place in Hergiswil near Lucerne on 1 December 2023 -where it already had been for some years.

A feat little known: In 2019, at the age of 85 and after the May Call Celebration at Mount Shasta, he stayed there alone for some time and did an intense training. And then, he climbed alone to the top of Mount Shasta, spent the night with a sleeping bag outside in the snow and reached the top of the mountain next morning. From there, he sent one photo with his mobile, showing the valley – then, the battery was empty. He had carried up short skies with which he then shot down again into the valley.

Mount Shasta, California

Now, he has started another adventure on his path to the Light.
Meinrad, farewell !

Meinrad Bettschart (11 May 1934 – 18 November 2023)

18 November 1971: 52nd Anniversary of the World Teacher Trust

Friday, November 17th, 2023

This year we celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the foundation of the World Teacher Trust on Saturday, 18 November 1971. As per Indian counting, it is the 53th anniversary since the seed of the Trust started sprouting. 🪷
However, there was a pregnancy of 18 years before the birth of the WTT. In 1953, a close associate of the World Teacher approached Master EK and came into his room through the wall (see the story in the book “Master EK – The New Age Teacher” PDF).
Master EK was very astonished and asked: “What for are you gracing and blessing me so much Sir?”
The Grand Master said: “You are chosen for a work.” He warned him that it will be a thorny path – and “If only you wish, you can get in”.
Master E.K. said: “I am ready”. The Grand Master replied: “Don’t be in a hurry.” He came back in a week and asked him again. Master E.K. replied: “I am ready as I was a week ago”.

Thus, the work with the team of the World Teacher started. Master EK was intensely trained and slowly started teaching, where demanded.
Later, there were people asking him to form an organisation for the furtherance of the teachings. And Master EK responded to this demand by proposing to found the World Teacher Trust – an organisation for those who trust in the World Teacher.

It was founded on 18 November 1971. It was founded in the month of Scorpio, spiritually the darkest time of the year, but the moment to prepare the ascent.
On 17 November 1875, there was the foundation of the Theosophical Society.
And the period of WTT starts nearly a century later, to continue the work to a higher turn of the spiral.
So, the birthdays of both organisations show the relation to hidden, occult work with the energies of Scorpio.


For the birth of the WTT, a young public accountant came into play to constitute the World Teacher Trust and frame the by-laws relating to it – Master KPK. A month before, Sri Parvathi Kumar had come into contact with Master E.K. Thus, Master KPK’s association with the WTT was “born” together with the WTT. And he stayed linked with the Trust, since 1984, after the passing of Master EK, as its President, until his passing in November 2022.

Master KPK always said, “Don’t give too much importance to the outer organisation.” Focus on building the inner organisation, the inner temple in the human heart. The WTT grows through the people who associate with the teachings through inner practice and self-transformation. And then, it gets expressed to the outer through service to the surrounding life.

This way, the trust in the World Teacher grew and developed globally.
The symbol of the World Teacher Trust is the Winged Globe with the motto: “The Globe Rotates”. Occult Meditations 65 and 50 give the keys to this motto:
“The wheel rotates. The serpent creeps on.” “Rotation is time, revolution is period. Time is in rotation. matter is in periodicity.”


With the foundation of the WTT, a new period started, a period of larger externalisation of the Wisdom Teachings. The work and the organisation is for the upliftment of humanity and the beings on the planet – to lift up the earth to the Kings of Beauty.
Thus, the Winged Globe symbolises the work of the Avatar of Synthesis through this organisation as a physical body for the externalisation.

In the centre of the symbol, it says “Vaisakha Valley” – the seat of the World Teacher and his team in the Himalayas. And Visakhapatnam – the seeding place and the seat of the organisation, in the city of Vaisakha.

The Globe Rotates and the manifestation of the organisation of WTT expands on the physical plane as per the greater Plan and the demand of the seekers who might join the work and take over responsibilities. Like the Masters EK and KPK have done. As Master MM said, “Through human hands” the work grows.
May we join our hands in this sublime work and continue working for its growth to lift up the Earth to become a better place for all.

Master EK and Master KPK

November 7th: 78th Anniversary of Master KPK – Day of Goodwill

Sunday, November 5th, 2023

November 7th, we celebrate the Day of Goodwill and the 78th anniversary of our dear Master, Sri K. Parvathi Kumar (it is the 79th anniversary in Indian counting). He was born on 7th of November 1945 in Vijayawada, a Wednesday at 07:20 AM in the month of Scorpio.

For over 25 years, he had deeply impregnated my life and he is continuing to do so even though he left the physical plane a year ago. For me and others, he is now immortal. When I was at the last May Call celebration the Master conducted himself in Bangalore, 29 May 2022, he explained:

“The work of the soul remains because the soul is eternal. The personality is not eternal. Only in association with the soul it can become eternal. So, the works done by seers, for example the temples built by the seers from thousands of years ago, they remain till date and give us good vibrations. If you build a temple in some road, it will not stay. It will suffer mortality. When you gain immortality, your deeds also gain immortality. When you do not gain immortality, your deeds do not gain immortality. The work of a seer is immortal because he gained immortality by aligning with the soul and the Super Soul. Therefore, the work that he does also remains.”

Master KPK gave a great treasure of Wisdom Teachings, of spiritual practices, and of practical guidance in innumerable dimensions of life. During the last few years of his physical presence, he speeded up his work tremendously in order to anchor it in the consciousness of those who follow the path he has shown – for us who are living now and for seekers in the future.
In the last years especially, he gave several profound books, he initiated different projects and he stabilized group structures and thus, he ignited a great Guiding Light for centuries to come.

For Masters like Master KPK, who are immortal and work forever, there is nothing like birth and death. We celebrate the birthdays of Masters because we are used to birthdays. The truth is that the Great Ones descent and give their presence whenever they are recollected. So, by recollecting the Master on the occasion of his birthday we deepen the inspiration he has given. In this spirit, we continue to celebrate November 7th as the ‘Day of Goodwill’, doing activities for the upliftment of the surrounding life.

By the way, a friend recently asked me why there was no communication done on 1 November about the anniversary of the day of the transition of Master KPK, 1 November 2022. I told her that the Master had explained, death days need not be recollected as birthdays. Thus, we have discontinued in the Astro-diary of WTT to give information about death days of Great Ones, except the White Lotus Day commemorating the work of HPB. We will continue commemorating the birthdays of Master KPK and of the other Masters related to WTT.

Franz Hartmann – A Stronghold of the Wisdom Teachings

Friday, November 3rd, 2023

A new book of Blavatsky or a wrong claim? I was several times asked about this. Here are some explanations why Franz Hartmann should be considered the real author, not H.P.B. You also find fascinating information about Hartmann and the letters he received from Master Morya and Master Koot Hoomi.

A year ago, a friend informed me about a newly published book said to be of H.P. Blavatsky: “The Land of the Gods. The Long-Hidden Story of Visiting the Masters of Wisdom in Shambala” (Radiant Books 2022). Then, other friends also told me enthusiastically about the book.

I thought it would be a good travel reading for my journey to India in December 22 / January 23 and mentioned the book in the blog-post “On the Verge to India“. So, I bought it plus three additional copies as gifts for friends in India. However, too many other things kept me busy during the journey and afterwards that I didn’t read more of the book than the first 39 pages, the glossary at the end and scrolled through the book.

I saw that it is about journeys into inner dimensions with encounters of masters / adepts but I didn’t find any mention about Shambala inside the original text, only in the Publisher’s Note, the glossary at the end and the presentation of the editors. Although the story seemed to be interesting, I didn’t feel “drawn into the book” . Looking back, something didn’t make sense, and it didn’t really feel that this should be from Blavatsky.

For a group, I had translated to German (unpublished manuscript) two thirds of HPB’s book “From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan” containing stories which were of a different energy than the text of this Shambala book. Moreover, the two original versions of this latter book also weren’t published in HPB’s name but by Franz Hartmann:

In the ‘Publisher’s Note’ of the Shambala book it says: “This book was originally published anonymously by a mysterious ‘Student of Occultism’ in 1887 under the title An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians, yet with copyright in the name of Franz Hartmann. Helena Blavatsky reviewed it, describing it as: ‘A strange and original little story, charmingly fantastic, but full of poetic feeling and, what is more, of deep philosophical and occult truths, for those who can perceive the groundwork it is built upon.’
Those notes were originally written by H. P. Blavatsky because only she could gain access to the Holy of Holies on the Earth — the secret Abode of the Masters of Wisdom, known as Shambhala. In 1939, Helena Roerich, who continued Blavatsky’s mission in the 20th century, also confirmed her authorship: ‘This reporting about the inner life of the Brotherhood was recorded by Franz Hartmann, undoubtedly from the words of H. P. Blavatsky, conveyed with some changes in literary form.’
The Chief Stronghold of Shambhala is located in the heart of the Himalayas. However, the network of its Abodes is also spread within other mountainous and remote locations around the world, in the most inaccessible places. The notes that Madame Blavatsky prepared were, in fact, different stories that occurred both in the Himalayas and the Alps at various times, yet were later tied into one single story narrating the secret order of the Rosicrucians.”

Why should HPB not give her name for these stories or publish them with a pen name, like she had also done before? She never hesitated to give out occult stories. However, it definitely sells better when the new book is published in her name and as a rare new discovery.

What makes me more suspicious is the claim of the sub-title: “The Long-Hidden Story of Visiting the Masters of Wisdom in Shambala”. In esoteric folklore, there are quite a number of stories about a secret valley in the Eastern or Western mountains, be it Himalaya, Alps, or somewhere else, like Shangri-La or Lost Horizon, where adventurers have mystic experiences and meet sages like the figure of the Imperator in the said Shambala book, a mysterious world.

However, these stories have nothing to do with Shambala as described in the wisdom teachings. They are in a way distorted reflections of the reality of Sravasti, also called Shigatse or Tashi Lhunpo. The Roerichs, who had indeed come into contact with Shambala, through tremendous service, sacrifice, and self-offering, kept, as far as possible, silent about their visit.

Nicholas Roerich, however, did a number of paintings, like the last paintings of his life on “Order of Rigden Jyepo” a name of Sanat Kumara, the ruler of Shambala, or his painting ‘King of Shambhala‘ in the Zanabazar Art Museum in Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia. Shambala is a very different reality than what has been given now in ‘The Land of the Gods’. See here.

I put the book aside. During a talk in August 23, a friend from Berlin mentioned the book and said that he had read the text of Hartmann (see here the PDF of “An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians” by Franz Hartmann, 1887) and that he is sure that this text is from Hartmann and not from Blavatsky. The editors of the ‘Land of the Gods’ had done various omissions and adaptations one of the omissions he found of particular interest in the original text:

On page 175f of ‘An Adventure…’, the author speaks about the sexual encounter with the Queen of the Nymphs: “A voluptuous sensation pervades my whole being…” and then he falls out of the subtle dimension and finds himself back on the physical plane, asking himself if all he experienced had merely been an illusion of his brain. Did the publishers omit this scene because they found it objectionable for giving the story in the name of HPB and as book about visiting the Masters of Wisdom in Shambala?

Last September, a friend from Miami asked me if I think that this book is from Blavatsky. I answered, I don’t know but I am sceptical. However, I didn’t know much about Franz Hartmann and wanted to know more about him. I searched the web and found information which fascinated me very much.

There is an article “Franz Hartmann: A Pioneer of the Theosophical Movement” by Susanne Hoepfl-Wellenhofer published in the Quest magazine in winter 2022 (you can download it here as a PDF). You get very interesting information about the life of Hartmann, who grew up in Bavaria. He spend the last years of his life in contact with an esoteric group of Rosicrucians in the pre-Alps, where you meet scenes as described in the said Shambala book.

Another article from a blog touched me even more: Franz Hartmann, ‘Correspondence with the Masters’ (see PDF here), a compilation of information about letters Hartmann received from Master Morya and Master Koot Hoomi. They give very interesting insights in why the Masters chose to work with Hartmann and what difficulties he faced. I don’t want to go more into this here but the texts are worth reading.

To close this article, I would like to give you here an extract from the biography “HPB. The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement” (PDF) mentioning Hartmann at various places. Although HPB was sceptical towards Hartmann at the beginning, until Master Morya told her to trust him, they quickly became very good friends. And Hartmann stayed true and loyal towards her and the wisdom teachings of the Masters she had given out. He stood as a stronghold of defence against all attacks brought forward by the ignorants.

Read the last passage and think of how the book ‘An Adventure Among the Rosicrucians’, published by Franz Hartmann and now re-edited in a re-worked form as ‘The Land of the Gods’ under the name of H.P. Blavatsky might have come into existence.

Video of Anima Team about Nicholas Roerich in New York

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023

Yesterday, 9 October 2023, was the 149th birthday of Nicholas Roerich (9 October 1874 – 13 December 1947). On this occasion, the Anima team shared a video they recorded last August in the Roerich Museum in Manhattan about Roerich’s years in New York (“Who was Nicholas Roerich and what did he do in NY?”).

Even if it is in Spanish, you can activate the automatic subtitles or just enjoy the visual tour of the museum that is offered in the video.

See here the Anima YouTube channel with English videos.

Inside the museum – about 150 paintings of Nicholas Roerich

The Roerich Museum with the flag of the Banner of Peace