Sunday, 24 June. A part of the group from the WTT seminar at Iguazú joined the flight with Master Kumar to Rio de Janeiro. At the airport in Rio some members of the group of Rio gave us a warm welcome, and soon we were in the bus which took us to the hotel in Niteroi, a quarter of Rio on the opposite side of the bay.

While we were crossing the bay via a long bridge, black birds flying over the water caught my eye. I never had seen them before but they later also appeared flying along the beaches near the hotel or at the places we visited – frigadebirds, elegant wind gliders.

The hotel had 20 storeys, and from its top there was a breath-taking view over the bay. The evening started with a grand sunset symphony full of intense colours. We had a short look into the seminar room – a great canvas with the statue of the Christ and pictures of Master CVV and Lord Maitreya at the dais and a poster of Master CSG at the backside – beautifully realised by Gustavo, a group member and designer from the Posadas group in Argentina.

The next morning after some welcome greetings, Sri Kumar started the seminar on “An Approach to Synthesis”. He gave a brilliant introduction into the foundation of the hierarchical work and the mission of Master CVV:

“I have been travelling since 1981, sharing wisdom at various parts of our planet and many times on my way to Argentina I have first landed in Rio and then to Buenos Aires. I was always fascinated by the city of Rio, it has its special beauty and depth and it promises much for the future. Brazil is very much connected to India, if we understand the combinality of the rays. ‘I hide the light’ is the message coming from India. The keynote of Brazil is ‘I hide the seed’ One hides light, another hides the seed of light, meaning, the hold the light for the future. That means, in future, Brazil and India; they tend to be leaders in matters of light and wisdom. That is what is said by Master Djwhal Khul in his book on Destiny of Nations. Master Djwhal Khul says many things about the future of Brazil. Brazil has been going through many changes. There is also a plan for manifestation of light. It is in tune with the Plan of the Hierarchy the manifestation of the teachings and the related service in tune with the plan as conceived by the Hierarchy the events keep happening for manifestation of light…
The major teaching that the Hierarchy intends informing the humanity is that there is one light that manifests through many forms. At different times through different forms the light manifests. But always the teaching is the same. The teaching is always in relation to the knowledge and in relation to the light. The teaching is always in relation to light and the related knowledge. The knowledge and the related light is more important than the forms. We may study under this light or that light. To relate more to light than to form is the work of the Hierarchy. When our emphasis shifts to the light and life, then we come out of the various differences we have in the name of religion. There are so many religions, there are so many sects, so many belief systems and people only see how different they are. They don’t see what is common between us. Among all humans there are many things that are common. Every human has two eyes and every human has one nose and one mouth. We have an upper jaw and a lower jaw, two shoulders, five fingers at every hand. From head to feet we have so many things in common. There are a few things that are different, for example what you eat can be different from what you eat, what dress I wear can be different from the dress you wear, but these are all peripheral. We are all common because we wake up and we keep on thinking like every human does, we have the same activity of senses. The energy and the Masters of Wisdom, they want us that we unite in what is common with us. … . Essentially we are all humans. Other identities, they cause differences. That is why when a Master of Wisdom speaks, he speaks to the entire humanity. He does not speak the to the French, the Germans – wisdom is to humans. Once wisdom is gained, we realise that we are humans. We realise that we are global citizens.”

The seminar concluded already in the afternoon with a question-answer session. Next morning, the group went to Mount Corcovado. A mountain railway took us up to the famous statue of the Christ. There was a deep blue sky and a grand view over Rio and the bay area. The Master explained earlier that at the Christ statue there is the presence of the second ray of love-wisdom and at the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain there is the presence of the first ray of will – it is a huge lingam-shaped rock. Together with the Master we stood at the feet of the Christ and intonated 21 times the sacred OM. Later, the group went to the Sugarloaf. We took the ropeway in small groups. On the top of the “lingam” I did a little “water ritual” spreading some water onto the rock and together with some friends a visualisation of the energies present there. Later we assembled in a larger group singing mantrams from the water ritual.

Cancer (Lunar calendar: Gemini) full moon over Rio. I slept outside on the balcony, a great experience.

Next morning after the prayer, there was a small good-bye celebration, where the Master spoke about the seeding of impulses through this meeting which would eventually sprout in the future. The Brazilian group members presented to Sri Kumar a box with a beautiful amethyst and all participants got a manually decorated little violet box with a crystal.

Later we went for a boat ride through the bay to a landing near the old town of Rio and later returned to the hotel.

The end of our stay was already approaching, while a small group walked to the nearby seat of the “Fundação Cultural Avatar” (Cultural Foundation Avatar). It was founded in 1973 by Jayme Treiger, a disciple who had done the tremendous work of translating the books of Agni Yoga (Helena Roerich) and of Master Djwhal Khul (A. Bailey) into Portuguese. I remembered having met him at conclave meetings 20 years ago in Europe. The institute was in a little villa, and there were paintings by Boregar, a Russian painter and disciple of Nicholas Roerich. In the hall at the front side you could also see pictures of the Masters. Sri Kumar emphatically spoke about the need to focus on the oneness of the Light and not to fall again into divisions in the name of the various Masters of Wisdom.

Jayme Treiger

Painting of the bay of Rio de Janeiro with view of Corcovado, by Boregar

I had to rush back to the hotel, quickly pack the suitcase and then say good-bye to the members. Some moments later, the bus took our small group to the airport.

In the night, while the plane was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, I saw a science fantasy film, “The Wrinkle in Time“. It reminded me of what the Master had said – the wisdom teachings are given out in many forms as per the demands of time and place; and the exuberant fancy of the movie also carried some wisdom messages. At the end of the journey I felt tired but filled with many seeds of light.

An intense week of the WTT group life in Iguazu, Brazil, just came to to a close. It was a fascinating time in a hotel near the famous waterfalls with group members from different parts of the world.

The seminar on “The Temple” started Sunday morning with a fire ritual and later the seminar started. Here is a extract from the beginning words of Sri Kumar:

“At the very outset I should thank Sister Alicia for the sweet words about the relentless work that is happening through me. Normally I don’t count what is happening. It is not that I chose to work. I am not choosing to do the work, the work has chosen me, and it is using me in every possible way. It looks for you that I am doing so much but the truth is, the truth keeps happening and happening. We are all used for the work. The nature puts all of us into work. The moment you wake up till you fall into sleep, we are used by nature to carry out work according to the quality of the personality to do work. The nature uses the personality to fulfil the work on the planet as per the Plan. All are busy, including the birds. Even before the dawn they keep moving in groups and share things with the various places with the group until the sunset. Be it plants animals, humans, planets, solar system, all are used by one nature which is cosmic, solar and planetary work. To see that we are doing the work is childish. The nature does the work through us. The quality of the work done through us is not depending on the soul but the personality, and therefore work happens. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, I am not the one who propels beings into work, it is my nature. It is the nature which propels the beings into work. It puts all beings into a kind of glamour. She puts them to work so that they transform themselves into mobile temples. The mother would like that every one of her children that they perform best. And then carry out the work. Even very early in the morning the roads are filled with cars. It is the nature within every being that propels the beings. The one who knows that he lets the nature do the work through him and he is witnessing what is happening through him and around him. He is an observer. He witnesses all that is happening through him and around them. We being the sons of the one father, we too should learn the characteristics and learn to be a witness.

We should first get out of the feeling that it is our doing, it is a happening. The seasons are happenings, all is a happening. We are grateful to nature. Alicia is thankful to me, I am thankful to nature. The work is happening for the well-being of so many persons. There are so many persons who are engaged with the work over three decades. They related to the work and the related transformations happen…”

During the week, we had 10 lectures on various aspects of the work of building the inner temple (If you are interested in my notes of the seminar please contact me). Besides, I participated in three organisational meetings of WTT-Global. It is always fascinating to witness the Master dealing with organisational matters.

Wednesday the group went to the Argentinian side of the waterfalls – the other buses were faster; our bus with the European members had to wait 1.5 hs at the frontier before the necessary custom procedures were through. In the afternoon again about an hour “enjoying the frontier”.

The national park of the Iguazu Falls is a splendorous area with gorgeous waterfalls. In the midst of the long falls there is the St. Martin’s Island – a place where you normally cannot go; there were no boat transfers. The Master explained that in the subtle dimensions there is the centre of an ashram of a great Rishi called Brahmanaspati. We aligned with the energies of this sacred area surrounded by thundering waters and varying rainbows. Eagles were circulating over the place and the sky was filled with brilliant blue. Other birds and butterflies were also flying around. It is most impressive to see the calm waters suddenly gushing downwards with millions of jumping drops.

We stood for a while at the “Devil’s Throat” – a roaring abyss of descending waters and ascending spray. After the pick-nick in a small amphitheatre we returned to the Brazilian side.

There were two more fire rituals, one Thursday morning at the moment of Cancer equinox – here in the southern hemisphere the winter equinox, in the northern hemisphere the start of summer; for the planet the beginning of the seeming southward march of the sun till 21 December. And another fire ritual at the close of the seminar Sunday morning. There was also a blessing of babies and introduction into first writing of a group of children.

Saturday the group went with the Master to the Brazilian side of the waterfalls – again breath-taking views to the sublime cascades on the Argentinian side, as symphony of water movements, majestic rainbow bridges and luxurious vegetation. I felt grateful to be able to witness.

Saturday evening there was a thanksgiving by the organising members to the Master and certain persons. All members received a thoughtful gift by the Argentinian group. And there was a special poster for thanking the staff of the hotel, which had been extremely attentive and caring. It was nice to see the team of nannies taking care of the group of children. When the expression of thanks were given to the manager of the hotel, there were tears in her eyes – she said they never had such a beautiful experience with a group.

It was later night when the plane took off from Zurich. And it was still night, when it landed about 11 hrs. later – on the watch just 6 hrs. – in Sao Paulo. Inside the plane it felt like being in some abstract space; only once when I could glance through the window there was the coastline of Portugal as a sign that the outer world was there below.

I was traveling with a friend of mine to a seminar with Sri Kumar at Iguazu, a beautiful place with its famous huge waterfalls at the border between Argentina and Brazil.

At Sao Paulo airport we met Sri Kumar with his son and three accompanying friends – and the group of friends who were coming via Frankfurt. Outside, it was fresh, 15° C, and later, at Iguazu, it was even a bit colder.

Approaching Iguazu – above the triangle between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay

At the airport, members from the Argentinian group gave us a warm welcome and then a bus brought us to the nearby hotel. I had been there already at a seminar with Sri Kumar in 2001, during my first visit to South America, but the hotel had been renovated and enlarged since then. There is a beautiful park going down to a little river in a jungle-like surrounding.

It is always very touching to meet the many friends from different parts of the world uniting at these group lives with the Master. Hearty exchanges, many faces who remember, partly vaguely, and many names washed away in my brain to be slowly retrieved.

In the evening we had our first meditation in the beautifully decorated hall – dipped into magical blue light.

The night was fresh, also inside the hotel – I had not discovered that the air condition could also work as a heater. After morning meditation nature greeted us with a gorgeous sunrise shining into the fog over the brook.

After breakfast our small German speaking group set out for a first visit to the Argentinian side of the waterfalls. All clouds had been pushed away from the sky and a brilliant blue vault was filled with light. I had to get accustomed that in the southern hemisphere the movement of the sun is different from what we are used to in the northern hemisphere – its highest point is in the north, not in the south.

When we got out from the bus which brought us into the national park there were some coatis running around, waiting for some food falling down from the bags of visitors – or they tried to catch it directly from the bags or hands…

And then, like a curtain opening, the view fell on the vast panorama of the falls – breathtaking scenery. All tourists, including me, were standing, fascinated, and taking pictures. Plants were growing along the way which at home are just found in small pots. We walked along the slope where the foliage opened changing views over to the Argentinian side of the falls. And then the climax approached – the “Devil’s Throat”, Gargantua del Diablo (it should be called “Angel’s Throat”) with the thundering roars of water decorated with resplendent rainbow bridges. The rising sun slowly increased the intensity of the colours.

Early afternoon we returned to the hotel. After lunch, a short nap, and then saying “hello” to more members arriving. About 230 persons mainly from Argentina but also from other South American countries, different parts the US, the Caribbean, of Europe and even of India.

Some intense exchanges, evening meditation and dinner, then I dropped into bed – the jet-lag was still in my system.

On the way back from the CVV Sharing meeting I visited several friends. First I travelled with Wolfgang to the place where he is living now, the community living project in Dahlem-Harmstorf, a small village south of Hamburg. Already during the two hours drive we had an intense exchange, also about his commitment in another project in South Germany – project peace, a fascinating one-year training and orientation for young people between 18 and 25. Wolfgang is now also active in creating a North German equivalent of project peace.

Wolfgang and his wife Karina are also the initiators of the community project in Dahlem-Harmstorf, “Gemeinschaft Mittendrin Leben” (Community Right in the Middle). It is a living community that develops without a hierarchy and where each one is and remains autonomous and responsible for themselves, also in financial terms: the community is the owner of the land and buildings by way of shares for constructing the houses.

Upto now they have a total of 12,000 square meters of land available, with houses of a former farm with  a former main house and residential house, stable building and a barn. The main house of 1889, with about 300 square meters of living space, is a listed building and was renovated by April 2017. Two new buildings (straw bale houses) have been created in 2017, and they are currently expanding their group house (the “Backhaus” – baking house). In the project, 15 to 20 residential units are supposed to emerge, as well as common areas (shop, office, workshop). There is more space around with a forest and meadow area; the group will decide what happens to the areas and buildings, how and where they will be developed.

When we entered the residential building, where Wolfgang is living, lots of children boots were lying in the entrance corridor – a children’s festival as well as a marriage had just taken place the previous days. Several young families with were around, partly community members.

Wolfgang took me on a tour through the site – first we visited the “Backhaus”, where renovation work is taking place; at the same time, it serves for organisational meetings.

Then we visited the two new “straw bale” buildings which had a very nice ambience. The first residents just had moved into one of the houses; everywhere signs of ongoing work were still to be seen.

The barn will be transformed into a big assembly hall for meetings, concerts etc. Wolfgang explained: “In this area there are many innovative people who have come in the wake of the Gorleben protests – against the construction of a nuclear repository. The university of nearby Lüneburg has developed to a centre for environmental and ecological development research.”

“Here we will have gardens and a parking”, Wolfgang explained.

In the evening I met several members of the project – they regularly meet on Sunday evenings for an open silent meditation in the living room of Wolfgang and Karina’s apartment. There was a 84 years old lady who is still living in the direct neighbourhood – she now has given her manor house to the community and plans to move into one of the new apartments: “I’m thrilled to start something new at my age.”

Next morning before leaving, Wolfgang and I made a little promenade along the countryside. He explained that the whole area belongs to two big farmers; the extensive use of the soil in great parts of the larger area has destroyed the foundations of life and big masses of slurry from mass pig farming is sometimes creating a pungent smell. “The economic pressure and the expectation of the customers for cheap meat has devastating results. Up to now the ecological awareness is still dormant or has not reached yet awakened an awareness of the consequences. It is private farming, and the state does not intervene.” They hope for a change in the attitudes by working for a change in consciousness.

During my last stay in January 2018 at the WTT Retreat Centre in Visakhapatnam, India I participated in a one hour video discussion moderated by Anuraag Saxena, an Indian from Singapore, originally from Visakhapatnam. See here my previous post.

Five other group members from the West also took part in the lively discussion. It was about our spiritual path in search of the eternal wisdom, in India called Sanatana Dharma.

With his videos, Anuraag is trying to inform Indians abroad about the rich heritage of India and make Indians aware of their treasures of Sanatana Dharma, the essence of Hinduism. None of us Westerners would coin ourselves as “Hindus” (the title of the video says “Why I became a Hindu?”) but we deeply agreed with the core values, esp. also “Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka” (see in one of the video links), meaning “all the world is one family”.

Here are the links to the video discussion as well as to the 10 4-5 min. snippets. These are his accounts on Facebook and on Twitter.

1.       Sanatana Dharma. What’s so cool about it?
2.       Singularity & Vasudeva Kutumbakam
3.       Katy Perry Vs. Spirituality
4.       Science Vs Spirituality: Opposing forces?
5.       Wealthy but lonely. The curse of Western Capitalism
6.       Digestion & Appropriation of Indic knowledge
7.       Is God a woman?
8.       Why is Catholicism against Diversity & Inclusion?
9.       Purushattva & the resurgence of Yoddhas
10.     In the end: Be Liberal

As a prelude to the Guru Pujas celebration the group went to Simhachalam to visit the temple of Lord Narasimha, the incarnation of the Man-Lion. Like in the previous years, the bus brought us uphill to the temple compound. From a sideway we came to the main entrance and then entered the inner Sanctum Sanctorum where an idol of Narasimha is covered with sandalwood powder forming a lingam. The priest performed a short ritual by chanting some suktams and lighting camphor flames. Then we received scented water and tulsi (holy basil) leaves as a blessings. Afterward we surrounded the temple through the inner court and at the end got a laddu (sweet) as Prasad (blessing). Then most of us took the stairway downhill the beautiful slope, along little temples and statues. There is a magical ambiance of sacred aspiration you perceive when pilgrims ascending the long stairway leading from the plane to the hilltop.

When we arrived in the valley the stream of trucks and tuck-tucks winding through the village brought us back into the “mundane” sphere. We went to our little “dining hall” in the backyard of a house in a side-lane. The cooks from the retreat centre had prepared a good meal for us. Afterwards we went with a bigger group of Western members to the nearby palm forest where we wanted to make “siesta” like in previous years. To our surprise the compound was surrounded by a fence and a farmer chased us away. He showed us a way to a barren field where the full sun was glaring. Most of the group returned. With two friends I went on and after 2-300 meters we found a field with some palm trees – an excellent place to rest.

In the meanwhile the Indian group members had set up the Guru Puja hall and the altar with the pictures of the Masters. It is always astonishing to see how quickly the hall manifests as the beautiful meeting place for the Guru Puja celebrations. It was set up in the forecourt of a pilgrim centre – the chairs and carpets surrounded bushes and trees which became decorations in the hall. On the stage there were the pictures of the great saints and Masters of Spiritual Hierarchy – a very inspiring sight.

Around 5 pm Sri Kumar and his wife opened the yoga conference with a ritual dedicated to Lord Ganesha, an embodiment of the cosmic principle of wisdom. Over the following 3.5 days, there was a series of discourses for about two hours after the morning and evening prayers/meditations. The discourses were held in Telugu and translated into English and from there to German and Spanish, with a live transmission to YouTube. This was the 57^th celebration – it was started in 1962 by Master EK; since 1978 they were held at Simhachalam. About 3-4000 persons take place. It is difficult to imagine how much work it needs to set up the whole structure and to maintain the purity of the place.

Each evening the group of Westerners returned to the retreat centre in Visakhapatnam, where we used to arrive around 10 pm; and each morning we left for Simhachalam around 4.50. Each morning there was a grand ritual: Thursday a fire ritual in honour of the Second Logos; Friday a ritual of the women in honour of the divine mother; Saturday a water ritual in honour of Rudra/Shiva. Afterwards, there were book presentations, blessings of children or other activities.

Friday morning there is always a session on “Spiritual Fusion of East and West”. Together with three other group members from Germany and Spain, I was asked to come onto the podium. Sri Kumar presented the latest WTT publications from Europe and spoke about his tours of last year. Then I was asked to start. I spoke about a Windows (creator) update of my laptop which happened during the December Call in Bangalore and drew parallels to the inner updates we receive by gathering for group lives.

A kitchen was set up for the Western members in the court of a house where we took our meals or partly passed “siesta” time. Besides the meetings I had exchanges with Indian group members and received a number of books.

The time quickly flew by. Yesterday evening there was a closing ceremony of “Guru Padukam” – worship of the feet of the teacher, a profound spiritual symbolism of linking to the divine. The Western members were told not to participate – we would have a meeting with Sri Kumar next morning – and so we returned early in the evening.

Sunday was Pongal/Sankranti, the lunar winter solstice, which is celebrated here as beginning of the year. In the early morning fires were burning in the streets while we went to meditation. The members from Bangalore joined us at Radhamadhavam. After morning prayer Sri Kumar distributed new publications to some of the group members.

Later after breakfast I went with a few members with a taxi to the Planetary Healing Centre outside Visakhapatnam. I love the place very much; however there was a certain decline over the last years. I better understood it after some observations during a talk with the owner of the site who invited us to tea and cookies. Later we went into the beautiful Healing Centre, sang 21 times OM and then did a small ritual in the garden. Afterwards we went to the beach an enjoyed the waves and the sand – a beautiful end of a very beautiful group life. Many group members have already left. Tomorrow at noon time my return journey to cold Switzerland will start.

Last Sunday afternoon Sri Kumar had invited the group to coffee, tea and cakes on the roof platform of his house. There you have a beautiful view over the city and part of the ocean. We took some group photos and enjoyed the sublime array of evening colours of the setting sun.

Next day after Morning Prayer I went with two friends to the nearby beach where some youngsters were already playing cricket. The rising sun was transforming the ocean into a field of golden light from where the waves were running towards the beach. For a while we walked through the wet sand leaving our imprints for some short moments on the beach before the next wave washed them away again. There was a little temple with a statue of Krishna and Radha. The sun reflecting from the waves looked like a radiant halo around the couple.

Afterwards we looked for the flower show where we wanted to buy a plant for as a gift to the Master and his wife. It turned out to be a flower nursery. A man who was watering the flowers told us that it would open a little later. We returned after breakfast. One flower captivated our eyes and we knew that this was the right one. The lady owner came over to put it into a pot and soon we left with the little messenger of the plant kingdom.

Tuesday morning there was the final lecture of the group life. It was full of profound wisdom, rounding up the whole serious of talks:

“If we relate to the great Masters and the Avatars, we relate to their virtues. Relating to the teachings and lives of them is of great virtue. If we do not relate it is a great loss. We relate every morning and afternoon for 1.5 hours. There is a subtle upliftment. That is why we meet again and again to the group livings. The personalities may not seek the meetings but the souls bring you here. When you come to India there are problems to the personality – change of ambience, of food, of place – why does the soul wants it? The soul is related to the will, knowledge and action – Iccha, Gnana and Kriya. Gradually you are relating to the virtues of the incarnations or the teachings. Thus, a transformation happens. Speeches would manifest a magnetic impact. If people do not manifest virtues in their lives their speeches would not manifest a magnetic impact. When some speakers speak we do not feel like listening again and again even if they are speaking with great knowledge. The related magnetic impact would not be there. Unless you practice and utter there is no magnetic impact on others. That is how the seers say, those who live wisdom and follow the laws of Manu and of Jupiter and experience the energies of Neptune and relate to the 16 grades of the Moon, when they have realised themselves they have a magnetic impact. The teachings of Jesus, of Pythagoras, of any great initiate, they inspire through cycles of time. Such speeches enable an upliftment.”

In the afternoon there was the valedictory function – giving thanks to the various helpers and, above all, to Sri Kumar and his wife Smt. Kumari garu. Group members from 9 different countries expressed their gratitude through word, poem and song; then Sri Kumar and his wife presented gifts to every member. After the evening prayer they invited us to a grand dinner served in the ground floor – a beautiful end of this 31^st January group living for members from the West.

Last Sunday after the morning lecture, Sri Kumar presented an Indian from Singapore, originally from Visakhapatnam, Anuraag Saxena. He came to hear about the WTT and Sri Kumar the day before only and was fascinated to see so many Westerners at the seminar. He is committed to inform Indians abroad about the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of India and make Indians aware of their treasures of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal Law. For him, Sri Kumar’s activities are along similar lines and he wanted to make a video talk with some of us Westerners to be published in YouTube. So the Master proposed some members for the talk.

We later assembled in the hall at the retreat centre: Anuraag explained to us that he is committed to bring back to India its pride and returning stolen art to India.

By profession he is a teacher in Singapore; he experiences with his children the difficulties of growing up in a society which is not always tolerant against differing religious attitudes. He himself had grown up in the 80s with heavy metal music from Europe and only later set out for a search for his spiritual roots.

His target public are mainly young Indians abroad of the age group 20-30 years. We were six Westerners of various age groups, from Germany, Spain and me from Switzerland. The talk should be like a conversation between friends in a bar – and it turned out to be a very lively discussion about how we came on our spiritual path, how our surroundings react upon it, challenges of bridging professional and social life in the West with spiritual aspiration.

Anuraag moderated the discussion and you could feel that he was experienced in doing so. He kept the discussion close to “burning points” like going to parties and trying to follow a spiritual discipline, family issues, value conflicts… He wanted to know why we were coming to India and what it gives to us. It became very clear that all of us were searching for deeper experiences and trying to put spirituality into everyday lives. In this, religious or spiritual concepts play a secondary role – “Truth is higher than religion.”

Anuraag had planned to hold a 40 minutes’ discussion but it ended after 60 minutes – we were so intensely talking with each other that time flew by. He told us that he will upload the talk within a week and that he won’t edit it. So as soon as I will get the link to the YouTube video, I will share it here.

P.S.: I now have written a new blogpost about the video – Anuraag has subdivided the total recording into 10 small snippets of 4-6 min each.

Anuraag Saxena

Saturday after the morning lecture the group went to the Balabhanu school of WTT. It is located on the western side of Visakhapatnam directly in front of a hill, so that it is close to nature unobstructed by buildings. To arrive there it took about 40 minutes for our two buses. About 200 metres before the school the road was congested and so the buses just stopped there and we walked over to the school.

Two rows of pupils were standing there already to greet us. We went around the three floors of the school buildings, looked into the classrooms were curious children were looking at us – and in some classes they were reciting texts or singing songs. I remember well how, 14 years ago, my two sons were totally astonished about the discipline of the pupils there… There are classes from 1st to 10th standard plus pre-school. The school is run by the WTT and recognised by the government. It is offering the normal school curriculum besides spiritual education. The classes contain also a number of pupils from poor families where the costs are sponsored by contributions of WTT members.

Sri Kumar, the founder chairman of the Balabhanu school

Statue of Master CVV inthe courtyard of the school

Later, we received tea and sweets while the team of teachers was presented. Then Sri Kumar spoke some words about the activities conducted there. It is always very inspiring to see these youngsters growing up in a conducive environment. Many of the previous pupils have now gained good professions and posts in responsible positions and are supporting the school as well.

On the way back, we stopped at a slum area and went to a place with a very simple construction of a hall. There, for many years a Mithila school for the poor had been conducted and is now continued elsewhere. The hall will soon be replaced by a bigger building with activities for adults – job training and also support for destitute elderly people. A great amount of energies is being conducted. Some of the co-workers presented works of the tailoring program and Sri Sati Babu explained to us the different activities conducted there.

Later, we returned to the Retreat Centre.

Since one week we are now in Visakhapatnam for the seminar on „Pruthu – The First King of the Planet“. The story which Sri Kumar is commenting is from the Bhagavatam Purana. Often his talks contain interesting hints to situations people here were just experiencing. Tuesday morning there was the Capricorn full moon fire ritual; Thursday morning the weekly fire ritual – these are always very uplifting ceremonies.

Here are some lines from the beginning of yesterday morning’s lecture:

“I hope that now that you can comfortably enjoy here. There were changes of food, of residence. By the time you feel well you are back to Europe. The seers don’t stay more than three days in a place. In three days the mind, the senses and the body settle down at a place and finds comfort and then the senses also find comfort and then they get accustomed to it. And then the body looks for a bedroom and gets stuck to the bed. First, second, third day not, and then it is comfortable. Not that it is comfortable but it has adapted. After three days you get localised, put roots. The seers therefore say, we don’t stay anywhere more than three days because they know they get stuck very easily at a place. They understood the quality of the earth with its attraction. If you stay longer you form a habit. Therefore they do not stay more than three days so that they do not get localised.
When we feel very uncomfortable – there are many people who feel very uncomfortable when they have to move. But they get stuck. Discipleship is a practice of delocalising yourself. If at Barcelona you may not feel like moving out of Barcelona, in Münster, it is so comfortable to stay there. This kind of localisation has its own limitation. Brother Navaneetham can explain it better. Brother Navaneetham is the best example of localisation; he never got out of India. He should be able to see what exactly caused the localisation. He has not much travelled. Saturn itself is a localising planet. He causes the localisation. Now you are already here from three0th December night – four nights you have attended, so you get localised. Better you dematerialise the place so that you don’t develop roots around. There is a saying in Sanskrit: Man is better off by movement. If he does not move he gets stuck and then he loses the globalness….
Where you see many ways of variation you know that there are thousand ways of living. For an Indian to be outside of India he is totally upset when there is no Indian food. Likewise you stay in Germany or Spain. The material part of the being always looks out for rest. If you are daily sit in a personal chair, one day when someone else sit there you get upset. You are accustomed to it. In a matter of four days such a settlement get sedimented. The muddy water in a glass keeps on settling itself. Likewise we encounter localisation. This one has to overcome. We have to settle in Brahman and not in anything else. Our abode is Brahman, then there is no further place, no further localisation.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Ramadri, a beautiful place overlooking the Bay of Bengal. There the WTT has developed a stony hillslope over the years into a beautiful garden with many little temples, a free Mithila school for children of the fishermen colonies and a “Gosala”, a place where cows are maintained with a sacred attitude. The milk is used for the calves, the children and temple rituals. Ramadri is a place of vibrating spirituality.

After going through the different places of the site we gathered in the little amphitheatre, where the children of the school presented to us recitations of mantrams, hymns and things they have learnt. Furthermore, some children presented traditional dances.

Sri Kumar with his daughter Shanti and children of the Mithila school of Ramadri

Afterward the Master spoke about the service activities done at Ramadri, which is also called “Hamsavanam”, the Swan of the pulsation of life.

“Ramadri is a fivefold service centre – serving the earth, the plants, the animals, the humans and the Devas. Service in health and education, uplifting the poor to better conditions, transforming the hill-slope. A small but effective team of workers took charge of this work under the chairmanship of Mr. and Mrs Murthy with the help of children. Every Thursday bananas are offered, from the banana trees around. Where there is offering without expectation it is an act of goodwill. There is transformation through meditation, sharing of wisdom and charity activities. Here we have a very clean view of the ocean. The sound of the waves brings the sound of OM…”

After the evening prayer the group returned to Visakhapatnam.