To be cheerful is an essential quality for any person to progress in their path of life, and much more so in the path of discipleship.

On 26th July 2021, Master K. Parvathi Kumar gave an inspiring and insightful talk on the Merry Life Day and the energy of Master CVV. As a part of the talk, he laid out aspects relating to Plenty of Prana and how Master CVV has ushered in the Aquarian speed into the process of spiritual evolution of humanity. There is a booklet based on this lecture of Sri Kumar about “Merry Life Day”. Its message is to be cheerful in life.

And there is now a YouTube video lecture by Master Kumar on “The Significance of Merry Life Day” given on July 26, 2020.

On 30th March 1910, Master CVV received the influx of the cosmic Energy Of Synthesis, which the Master distributed to the disciples on 29th May 1910, naming it “The May Call Day”.

On the 26th of July, the Master was able to utilize the energy to link up the pranic principle in all three planes of existence, the cosmic, solar, and planetary energy with the kundalini of the individual aspirants. It is the first of its kind on this planet to speed up the spiritual evolution of the humanity on this planet. It was a grand achievement in relation to the energy that descended.

Master CVV has declared this day, the 26th of July, as the Day of Merry Life. It is considered an important day that should be recollected and remembered to pay homage to the grand Master CVV.

In Barcelona, Spain, there is “Merrylife”, a non-profit association created with the purpose of providing Knowledge, Wisdom and Love to apply in everyday life. (See the website with automatic translation).

Through courses, workshops, activities, conferences and therapeutic medical care, the group contributes to an inner transformation, through a synthesis that integrates Science, Art and Spirituality, and promotes a Culture of Peace.

Merrylife is the fruit of the commitment of a group of people from different cultural and social backgrounds who build the project, who believe in a better humanity and who work together so that human beings can achieve their full potential. Merrylife is funded through courses and activities, membership fees and donations, as well as contributions from the medical and therapeutic areas.

There is also a “Merry Life Society” based in California with volunteers performing service activities and organizing seminars.

We are currently in Pisces, where the old annual cycle is slowly coming to an end. And today, Mercury enters Aries – it’s time to start thinking about our plan for the new annual cycle.

In the last two days, I read two articles in two different magazines that were not directly related in terms of subject matter, but were similar in one important respect – visions of a good life are needed to make it possible.

One article in the newspaper “Der Bund” from March 8, 2024 by Nora Zukker was about a new book by German philosopher Carolin Emcke, who used to write as a reporter about people in conflict zones who are disenfranchised, persecuted, tortured and killed. In her new book (“Was wahr ist. Über Gewalt und Klima” – What is true. About Violence and Climate), Emcke says that we need to counter the dystopian narratives with something worth hoping for. We need a narrative that is committed to what should be socially valid – and resists violence. Among other things, the predictions of a climate apocalypse that many are making are worrying, but we need utopias that are recognizable on the horizon, because they convey hope. If no one tells the story of the utopia, then it cannot be true. Only the telling makes something true. It needs a narrative that justifies what it wants to create: humaneness, a more humane life.

The other article by journalist and Middle East correspondent Detlef Gürtler in the Swiss magazine “Das Magazin” No. 10/2024 (for subscribers) describes how no one knows when and how the war between Israel and Hamas will end, but that it is certain that a new beginning is needed afterwards, which could be a new beginning for the entire Middle East. And he shows a vision for the Middle East region in the 21st century and which processes could lead there. Assessments of dangers are described, but viable solutions are also outlined.

With the background knowledge of the wisdom teachings, we know that we are going through severe crises in the current transition period. We can prepare ourselves for the events that unfold through time. The times are prone to unrest, struggle and conflict unless much is done to counteract this on a global, group and individual level.

We can align ourselves with the Masters and invoke their energies so that the higher Will may rule the governments of the countries of the world. We can invoke the energy of synthesis with group prayers so that this energy brings about the necessary synthesis among us. And we can tune into the light of the soul and continue to work with ourselves to transform ourselves. May the new cycle give us the determination and strength we need to move forward on the path!

It was 1st of January 2020 in Visakhapatnam, India. In a talk with Master KPK, I spoke to him about the need of creating a digital archive to collect all video and audio material, publications and transcriptions and relevant photo material related to the World Teacher Trust, meaning mainly the work of Master EK and Master KPK. At that time, the material was dispersed on various personal computers and hard-disks. He agreed and found it an important idea.

9 months later, the archive project was started with a team of 7 members – highly qualified, living in different corners of the globe. In the meanwhile, it was Corona time. The need for digital collaboration had highly increased – and there was time for these members to come together – their jobs were on “home office”. For about 2 years, we followed an intense rhythm of meetings, of concept-discussions and of building up a cloud-based archive structure. And then we collected many terabytes of material, mainly saving video recordings from seminars and teachings in various languages.

I asked Master KPK to give a name to this archive. He said “Kombo Cave”. I didn’t understand what it means; and I didn’t find anything on the web. So, I asked again. He answered: “Kombo Cave is the name of the cave where the scrolls of wisdom of Pythagoras were stored – but don’t ask me more.” I understood. We named the cloud archives Kombo Cave. And: “Inspired by the lives and teachings of the great Teachers of Eternal Wisdom”.

It is non-public, just for those who work with the material. Later, an area is planned to be made accessible to interested seekers – but we are not yet there. The cloud space, however, gives possibilities for certain group collaborations.

When Corona started to recede, the personal job work load of the team members increased again. It became more difficult to continue with the pace of the free goodwill work for the archives. We did some re-structuring. Video editing – in a team work – takes a lot of time; qualified members capable of doing such work are very rare (video consumers are plenty….).

We searched for other ways. We wanted high quality, not quick “social media friendly video spots” but videos with wisdom teachings for seekers. It is a different level.

It took quite some time to create the intro and outro templates for the videos, with the motive “sunrise and sunset at the Master Mountain in the Nilagiris“, for the titles, with the right music. We finally found a very experienced Indian bamboo flute player to give some sequences from the “Maitreya song”.

For bringing out these videos, we just prepared a YouTube video channel for the WTT-Global and have taken over another channel, where several videos about Master KPK’s teachings etc. had been published already previously. We did a re-branding to give it a new outlook. The address of the new channel is https://www.youtube.com/@WTT-Global.

Now, in time for Libra Equinox, the video “Autumn Equinox Discourse” by Master KPK, September 21 2020, (59 min.) has just been published on YouTube. It is the first video publication with the new design. Other videos are soon ready to be published.

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.

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.

This morning, Master Kumar wrote in a chat:
India’s Proud Moment!
Rushi Sanak becoming UK’s Prime Minister!
He is just 42 yrs. We pray for his success.

India has all reasons to be proud that Rishi Sunak, a son of Mother India, is getting Prime Minister of Great Britain, after a long and painful history, where people of colour and of colonies were not seen as full humans while seeing oneself as superior.

May right human relations and inclusion be the basis of growth, also internationally.

My mother once told me that when I was a child she asked me to pick up something on the floor which I had thrown there. I didn’t want and replied: “I cannot, my arms are too short.”

This became an iconic example for self-excuses. It comes to my mind in cases of my own self-excuses and when coming across others’ expressing their inability to do something. Often it is a self-fooling and trying to hide one’s unwillingness. In such cases, my wife and I use to say, “Yes, the arms are too short.”

Such twisting is not as negligible as it might appear at first sight. It causes inner twists leading to distortions in our perception and to character flaws. And these again, are boulders on the spiritual path.

I recently came across a person having problems with a neighbour for years. The problem was, of course, seen as being with the neighbour, and there was no chance of changing the situation. So she said: “They say it’s all part of the Divine Plan. My view is that the Plan must have flaws.”

We usually project the sources of problems to the outside, to other people or outer situations, neglecting to start with ourselves. So I replied, “Sorry to say so, but it is your view of the Plan where the flaws are.”

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.

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:

“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.

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.”

Since 1.5 years, I am collaborating with the ANIMA project. ANIMA is a non-profit communication channel aiming to share contents that may uplift our consciousness and raise our vibration. You find here a blogpost about the Spanish launch in August 2020. And this blogpost is now about the launch of the new English branch of activities.

Once a month, I meet with the core team of Anima for discussing strategic questions and the development of the project. It is a small but extremely dedicated team doing all activities as volunteer activities in a highly professional way, and with a tremendous output of communication activities, mainly via YouTube videos. And they are doing a great networking including many different helpers (in case, you would like to help them, you can contact them via the link). I like very much the lively exchanges bringing in plenty of good ideas allowing also me to reflect on the work I am doing in the context of WTT and Circle of Good Will.

Some months ago, the team decided to step up their activities and produce also material in English. So, they adapted their website and created the ANIMA Channel. Recently, they opened an English-Only channel on YouTube.

They have already produced quite a number of English short videos about different topics related to living spirituality in daily life and right living. Have a look and subscribe to their channel or one of their playlists.

Not directly related to ANIMA, but going into the same direction of uplifting consciousness: This morning, I received a mailing about the launch of “Children in the light”, a new activity organised by Latin American sisters and brothers, through Zoom, in Spanish, starting today, Saturday 5 February, at 19:00 (Europe) via Zoom. Join : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85617974333. Zoom ID: 856 1797 4333, Code: om.

Friends sent me this morning the information that today a great one has passed over: Thích Nhất Hạnh. The Buddhist monk left his body at the age of 95 (1926 – 2022) in Vietnam. In the 60s, he had been a leading voice in the opposition to the Vietnam war. and later had impacted the lives of millions of people. Here you can read about his life story.

I heard about Thich already many years ago, and consciously in the 90s through Buddhists among the Vietnamese refugees for whom I worked for 11 years. They had fled from Vietnam during the second wave exodus, and Switzerland had taken particularly vulnerable people from East Asian refugee camps. I met a lot of Vietnamese refugees, first in the integration centre for recognised refugees where I was teaching German language and first integration, and later as a head of “An Lac”, in the 90s a psycho-social meeting and counselling centre for South-East Asian refugees. Some of them deeply venerated Thich and spoke to me about his importance and a bit about their Buddhist life.

I never felt drawn to Buddhism but I was deeply impressed about the life and message of Thich, which largely is of a universal nature. He has taught mindfulness and right attitude towards life in a profound way. There are centres around the world, a central one, Plum Village in France.

My friend Robert from Spain sent me the following beautiful lines of Thich:

Oneness

The moment I die
I will try to come back to you
as quickly as possible.
I promise it will not take long.
Isn’t it true I am already with you,
as I die each moment?
I come back to you in every moment.
Just look, feel my presence.
If you want to cry, please cry.
And know that I will cry with you.
The tears you shed will heal us both.
Your tears are mine.