A Hungarian friend sent me today the following touching story about friendship and our impact on the live of others.

“We all know or knew someone like this!!
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, ‘Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.’ I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him… He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’ They really should get lives. ‘ He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’ There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, ‘Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!’ He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’ He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. ‘Thanks,’ he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. ‘Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.’

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. ‘Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.’

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each others’ lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

‘Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.’

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why they call it THE PRESENT!”

A bee visiting a flower. Photo of a friend

Yesterday and today I got some beautiful links from friends.

Here is a very good video from Greenpeace, called “Breathe” – it shows the pulsating nature of Nature, what we call in spirituality the sound of SOHAM, of existence. (You might also like to read the Lunar Messenger on Pulsation or the one on The Art of Breathing.)

This is a beautiful website: Poetry Chaikhana – Sacred Poetry from Around the World.

The “Dirty Car Art Gallery” shows how you can create art on dirty car windows.

And here is a beautiful inspirational video called “Buddha Verse“.

Birds – photo of a friend

When you are seriously walking the spiritual path you sometimes come across dark depths and dangerous situations, where courage and right decision are very much needed. You might have to decide very quickly about what to do, what to say and which direction to take. So the path is compared with a narrow trail.

There are such trails in the outer, too, where you are reminded of these inner trails. I got a powerpoint containing pictures of the “Deadly Huashan Hiking Trail“, and on the site there were links to other dangerous paths, like the Bolivian Highway of Death, the Guoliang Tunnel or the Russian Highway from Hell (driving on a marshy road). Enjoy the pictures.

Even a seemingly straight road might contain sudden surprises. Path in the surroundings of Berne

Two days ago I got the following story from an Indian friend. It quotes a sentence which my spiritual teacher often mentions:

A King in Distress

“Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, ” Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions? Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me? Tell me is there any mantra?”

All the wise men were puzzled by the King’s question. They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper, with a condition that the king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, if the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he can see it. The King put the small piece of paper under his diamond ring.

Some time later, the neighbours attacked the Kingdom. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee on his horse. The enemies were following him, getting closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road – that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished… and he could not return because it was a small road… The sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. The King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He removed the paper and read the message. The message was – ” THIS TOO SHALL PASS”

The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! This too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. Like those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm came on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fanfare. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being showered on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself,” I am one of the bravest and greatest Kings. It is not easy to defeat me. With all the reception and celebration he saw ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”. He became silent. His face went through a total change – from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by. We are witnesses of all this. We are the perceivers. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent ? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setback , all defeats and all Sorrows. All have passed away.The problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away.

You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it, and enjoy the present moment – this too shall pass!

A duck in the nearby river

I today got twice the information about this petition, from friends in Germany and in Hungaria. It is an important one, please consider it carefully:
Sat Feb 7, 2009 1:04 pm (PST)

The Obama Administration has asked the “Evolutionary Leaders” to communicate about what is transpiring on the planet, and how we can change the course of the unprecedented events that are challenging this planet. This is a window of opportunity that must be taken! A deadline was given for this information to be conveyed to the Obama Administration.

The Evolutionary Leaders like Deepak Chopra, Gregg Braden, Michael Beckwith and many, many others, gathered together to write up the information to present to the Obama Administration. They are also asking us to sign a petition to show the Administration how many people are in favor for these changes to occur. They need 10,000 signatures. We need your help to reach that number and beyond!

Below is the information presented to the New Administration. The petition link will follow with the next post:

By the Evolutionary Leaders

The human family is in the midst of the most significant transformation of consciousness since its emergence in Africa over one hundred thousand years ago. Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years from the first cell to us. We are becoming aware that through our own consciousness the universe can know itself. This awareness reveals incredible new potential for our individual and collective humanity.

Simultaneously, we are the first species on this Earth aware that we can destroy ourselves by our own action. This may be the greatest wake-up call to the evolution of consciousness since the origin of Homo sapiens.

We now realize that we are affecting our own evolution by everything we do. This knowledge awakens in us the aspiration to become more conscious through subjective pract ices including meditation, reflection, prayer, intuition, creativity, and conscious choice making that accelerate our evolution in the direction of unity consciousness and inspire us to deeply align our collective vision.

THE CHALLENGE

At this juncture in human history, urgent global crises challenge us to learn to live sustainably, in harmony and gratitude with one another and with the living universe. The changes required of humanity are broad, deep, and far reaching. Only by acting swiftly and creatively can we birth a planetary culture that will bring well-being to every form of life in the Earth community.

The good news is that a compelling new story of our potential as a whole human species is emerging-a story of collaboration, citizen action, dialogue and new understandings propelled by unprecedented levels of democratic freedom, multicultural exchange, and access to
communication technologies. It is nothing less than the story of our collective evolution.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

We recognize that the inner and outer aspects of life evolve together. A dramatic awakening in consciousness will involve an equally dramatic shift in outward aspects of our lives. In particular, we see the following as vital opportunit ies for our conscious evolution, both personally and collectively:

Cultivating a Paradigm of Aliveness: We regard the universe as deeply alive and conscious by nature. In a living universe, our sense of subtle connection and participation with life around us is the basis for a compassionate and cooperative approach to living.

Educating for an Evolving Consciousness: Awakening consciousness is the foundation for all the change we seek to see in the world. We can work to elevate our capacity for conscious reflection and creative action in our personal lives as well as our collective lives as communities. We must support research and educational strategies that optimize human capacities and explore the nature of consciousness.

Restoring Ecological Balance: The balance of planetary ecosystems is fundamental to our survival. We must reverse the pollution of our global commons-the water, air and soil that nourish all life. We must encourage the proliferation of clean, renewable energy sources and expend all necessary re sources toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

Encouraging Conscious Media: We must find innovative ways to use the new electronic media as the mirror of our positive evolutionary story, investing in their capacity to reach across differences of generation, culture, religion, wealth, and gender to build a working consensus about our collective future.

Engaging in Social and Political Transformation: More sustainable ways of living will require the support of a more conscious democracy and vibrant civil society from which more enlightened leaders will emerge. All individuals should be encouraged to use their gifts to create participatory, responsible and compassionate models of governance.

Working for Integrity in Commerce: Conscious businesses that are aware of the scope, depth, and long-range impacts of their actions are key to achieving sustainability. Business must become an ethical steward of the Earth’s ecology and consciously establish an economic basis for a future of equitably shared abundance..

Promoting Health and Healing: The science of mind-body-spirit health has demonstrated the profound connection between the health of a whole person and the health of the system in which he or she lives. Whole systems healing, respecting both traditional knowledge and modern  sciences, must be supported in physical, social, and spiritual domains.

Building Global Community: The new story is about all of us who share this planet. Together, we can create a culture of peace that eliminates the need for armed conflict, respecting and appreciating the glorious diversity of our human family.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL

Our group has done its best to articulate possibilities for the evolution of consciousness at this crucial moment in time. Please reflect on this document, feel what resonates in your being and calls forth a response on your part. We invite you to discuss it with others, continuing this global conversation by adding to it the wisdom that is uniquely your own.

Together, let us co-create a new narrative of conscious evolution that is a call to individual and collective action, birthing the most significant transformation of consciousness in history. Join in the Call to Conscious Evolution by signing the pledge now.
The Petition Site

FOUNDING SIGNATORIES

Chopra Center, Carlsbad, California, July 26, 2008
Michael Beckwith, Joan Borysenko, Gregg Braden, Rinaldo Brutoco,
Thomas Callanan, Deepak Chopra, Mallika Chopra, Dale Colton, Gordon
Dveirin, Duane Elgin, Leslie Elkus, Barbara Fields, Debbie Ford, Ashok
Gangadean, Kathleen Gardarian, Tom Gegax, Charles Gibbs, Kathy Hearn,
Jean Houston, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Bruce Lipton, Judy Martin, Rod
McGrew, Steve McIntosh, Lynne McTaggart, Deborah Moldow, James O’Dea,
Carter Phipps, Wendy Craig-Purcell, Carolyn Rangel, Rustum Roy, Peter
Russell, Gerard Senehi, Emily Squires, Brian Swimme, Diane Williams,
Marianne Williamson, Tom Zender.

A globe in the Elfenau-Park, Berne

I just got the link to the nice YouTube-video “A Fish with a Smile” (1’31”), by C. Jay Shih, Alan I. Tuan and Poliang Lin, and music by Chien-Ci Chen. It is a Taiwanese short based on a children’s book about a smiling fish and a lonely man, written by Jimmy Liao. The video got the “Golden Bear” at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. Enjoy.

Picture from the video (c)

I just got a link to a beautiful online presentation called “The Interview with God“. The text is simple and deep:

The Interview With God Poem

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered…
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money…
and then lose their money to restore their health.”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”

“That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked…
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”

“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

“Thank you for your time,” I said humbly.

“Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?”

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here… always.”

-author unknown

Spring awakening

The last weeks I encountered several situations, where I observed the importance of giving and getting confirmation – about feelings, about observations, about what I had been doing. My wife explained to me a situation from her youth, where she had experienced a difficult situation without getting the confirmation of her feelings. It was only 25 years later that the confirmation was given, releasing her from an inner pressure. I experienced similar situations in the last weeks, which first irritated me for lack of confirmation. To come out of this uncertainty I directly asked for clarification, and as soon as it was given, the feeling of irritation ceased. When talking about it my wife commented that not getting a confirmation or  getting an erroneous one can cause crises, despair and even deep wounds.

Many people are not aware about the importance of giving confirmation or feedback. It not only helps the other one to whom you respond, it also clarifies your feelings.  When you give someone a confirmation, you help establishing a good flow of interrelatedness. When you don’t do it, out of lack of thought, you create a subtle tension. This is also the case with e-mail exchange: When somebody doesn’t respond to thoughts you expressed to him or her, it can be blocking the energy exchange. On the other hand, obtaining a confirmation gives you a feeling of reliability in the relation, thus strengthening the bonds of friendship.

A similar effect is interest. In the last two months I experienced situations where the interest shown by some friends to certain situations in my life opened an inner flow. It gave me the occasion to get into touch with deep sources submerged for a long time. The interest and attention created in me such a joy that I could pass on certain things valuable to me. When no interest is there, the hidden treasures cannot unfold.

I just read a text (unpublished) of a conference by Dr. E. Krishnamacharya about preparation for death and the importance of elder people to give orientation for the younger ones. He said, it is a catastrophe for the industrialized countries that the link of continuity between the elder generation and the younger one is broken. The grand-parents often don’t have the occasion to educate the grand-children and pass on their experiences and spiritual guidance to them. Passing on is only possible, when contact and interest are there. Only then the co-existence of life through different generations can express as a living flow.

Flow and blockages: River in the Alps / Kiental near Berne

I just got an e-mail with a beautiful powerpoint and the following text (link added by me):

“As an artist  myself, I am sending you the attachment to one of the world’s most  unique and deeply inspiring experiences for art and garden lovers of  all ages created by Bruno Torfs.  On Saturday the raging fires  in Victoria completely destroyed his unique forest creation taking  over 300 paintings and scuptures.  As you take a walk through  the forest on the attachment herein, please take a  moment to reflect on the beauty gone and the many people  who have lost their homes, their loved ones, their livelihoods, the  severely injured, the animal life and the dedicated firefighters,  police, civilians, and those involved in caring for the traumatized  and injured. Peccato! Schade.”

Interestingly enough, the name of this garden artist is “Torf”, a German name for peat, which is used to nourish plants…

May the powerpoint and the website keep this bygone beauty in a good memory.

Photo from the powerpoint presentation.

I just got this beautiful powerpoint presentation “Where the Gods lived” from a friend in Argentina – it’s about Greece. Enjoy.

Temple in Athens, May 2005