Yesterday morning at 10 o’clock Master Kumar came to see the remaining group members. We sat around him in an easy mood, and he started speaking about Obama and good will work, until our taxi came to take us to the airport, together with our two Belgian group members.

Since our flight was delayed for 1.5 hours, the airline offered us coffee and a snack. So we had enough time to sit together in the airport restaurant and gather our memories of the morning talk. I started writing, the others added their souvenirs into the text. Here is the result of our little group work:

“Obama is planning to do very good work, but it is very difficult to bring good ideas down. It depends on humanity how much good work it can accept. He is a very good man, with good intentions, but now in the Aquarian age, always a team is needed to manifest the good work. If one person stands at the centre, the rest of the team also has to be integrated. With any good work it is important that not much is spoken about it, that it is done in silence. The evil forces are always stronger than the forces of light because they don’t respect borders, and they can come from any direction. There are forces waiting to kill Obama. Also with group activities, there are also always energies trying to block good work, when much is spoken about it. So it is also with the good work we are doing. Better act in silence, not creating envy. When someone is praised because of good work, others always find some bad sides about it.
Some energies on the planet are trying to create irritations. The forces of trouble on the planet are much in the Middle East. In Africa there is also unrest, but people are not yet conscious of it. Now the West says Pakistan is causing problems. But is it really so? Terrorism has not been here some 50 years ago. Why has it started? Why are people ready to sacrifice their lives?
There must be some cause behind, some injustice committed against them, which is difficult to understand. When someone in the group is complaining, we should listen to the problem behind the complaint and try to find a solution. He complains, because he suffers.
It is important to find out why for example terrorists feel so uncomfortable and emotional that they are ready to sacrifice their lives and blow other people up with them. There is always a reason; they must feel their freedom limited. What is the Muslim world lacking of? Islam is a very peace-loving religion.
If there is a conflict, I might have limited somebody else’s freedom. Then I have to overview my behaviour. Or he is projecting his expectations on me; then it is not my turn to respond on them. For example, if I don’t come in the morning and there are people expecting me, I am not responsible of their suffering due to expectation. But if I come at 3 o’clock in the morning and wake everybody up, it is different.
There are conservative forces who want to keep the structures of the past and don’t want to change. When you come to a pilgrimage centre, it is often very rigid and narrow there. A place which was suitable before for a few people, when hundreds and thousands are coming, it is getting narrow. Some change in the structures have to be made. When a new road is being constructed because of more traffic, some gardens might have to be removed, but it is for the common good. The people there are not content about it. It is a very difficult question to see how much sacrifice has to be made by whom for the sake of progress. The one living in a little hut is not necessarily unhappy there. You think he is suffering, but this is from your viewpoint. When you offer him a bigger hut, he might not want it. It is up to the people to decide.
Changes happen, the way people lived 10000 years ago, or 3000 or 2000 years is no longer the way to live today. In older times they did not allow women to work, they should stay at home. They should not be in government. Now they often also need to work, but many traditional people don’t like it.
The coming 3-5 years will be very turbulent, so be prepared for rainy times.”

I asked Sri Kumar, what about speaking / writing about good work. He said, from time to time it is o.k. to do so, but talking too much about it will be causing problems.

Group members leaving the retreat centre to go to the airport

Friday morning we had our last lecture by Master Kumar. Afterwards there was the valedictory function, where presents of thanks were given to the members of the Indian brotherhood and the Master. Some group members expressed their thanks for this deep time and all the inspiration and guidance given by the Master. In my humorous words I said that the Retreat-Centre is in reality a treat centre, where we are given an intense and multi-dimensional treatment, with sound, colour, group-dynamical washing-treatments…. And since one treatment isn’t enough, you have to undergo several treatments, so it is a re-treat centre.

Then the Master addressed the group with some words (extract):
“The groups get a taste of group life. It was very harmonious. I was expecting complaints, but no one came this time – I am “disappointed”…
A group member mentioned the great naturalness of the master. To this he said: “If you don’t have a role, you can take on to any role. The moment I go to the dais, I am very conscious, and then I come back to be. That is how I retain that kind of natural, normal interaction people know, when I am at the dining table or speak to them. Keep it empty it is filled with the blue space, the diamond space. This is how all this has become possible. If you take to a stand, you can’t do much. No position, no stand, just be and be in tune with time, in tune with the situation and in tune with the people. Only then we can smile. Otherwise it is not possible to smile always. Keep the head above and go on, to receive according to time and space. To allow the conscious and the unconscious flow and express itself.

In the evening we saw a movie in the retreat centre about the great Mogul emperor Akbar and his wife Joodha, so the name of the film is Joodha-Akbar. It was a heart-thrilling movie made at historic sites in Rajasthan – Rajput-Palaces, fantastic costumes, dances, players, great emotions and noble content – a really deeply inspiring movie and a good end of this extremely enriching group life in India.

Kumari Garu, the wife of Sri Kumar, was caring for the group like a mother.

Thursday evening we went to the Krishnashram in Visakhapatnam. It is a beautiful place with a 100 years old villa which was given some years ago to the WTT for service activities. The old couple who lived there already called it Krishnashram. After evening prayer Master Kumar explained to us the impressive range of volunteer service activities, run by a large team of doctors, specialist and retired professionals, giving free homoeo treatments, cardiac prevention counselling, eye treatment, professional training, wisdom books, feeding the poor and worship of the cow: The milk of the cows, which were gifted by people supporting the cow worship, is being distributed to the children of Mithila school. In the centre there is also food prepared and daily distributed to the different Mithila schools with three-wheelers. There are also daily ritualistic activities going on conducted by Brother Siva Sankar. He is in charge of communication between the different service centres of the WTT and is a very good networker and communicator, keeping the contact with the general society as well.

Master Kumar presented the different volunteer workers, some of them in high positions such as hospital director or government officials. All do their service in silence and simplicity – and the vibration of the spiritual energy is very much present throughout the place.

Siva Sankar, the brother of Master Kumar, at the display of books

Last Thursday morning after fire ritual the group went to the Bala Bhanu School, where we first visited the classes and then sat in a round with the Master. He asked: “Anyone willing to work in the school as a teacher? … We are travellers of love. Travellers for love and travellers of love. I am very happy.”
Coffee and bananas were distributed to the group. The bananas were from the school garden.
Showing to the Ficus Religiosa tree with three stems spreading its shade over the statue of Master CVV in the school court, the Master said: “This is the tree relating to the energy of the teacher, Dattatreya. Normally in every centre we have a tree like this.”

Master Kumar under the Ficus Religiosa tree in front of the Shrine of Master CVV

A warm welcome at the Mithila school at Kapila ashram, away from civilization in plein nature.

Afterwards the group moved to the Kapila-Ashram in Tadi. Together with the Master we received a warm welcome by the children, the teachers and people from the surrounding. Some children conducted a traditional dance, before we went up the stairs to the school building, a very simple hall, where the children had assembled in front of the pictures of the Great Masters. Children recited some hymns and some welcome words were expressed in Telugu. The Master then spoke to us:

“We are in a chosen place where a man lived in silence for many years. He followed the path of the seers to live in nature, to conduct penance and to move around in silence. Hi did not speeches, he was meditating and moving in silence. There were some servers with him who believed in giving food to the passers-by, since the place is not well-connected with the world. It is a place of the rishis, and the path he followed was that of the ancient-most seer, Kapila. He became finally known as a seer. His son, who is linked to us, Rama Rao, was very young, when he came to Visakhapatnam and joined the printing press Master EK set up. The son is attracted to the Master. As his father passed away, he decided to stay here serving the people to the best of his abilities. He came to Guru Pujas. There are so many children here, who have no access to free school. Not all could be educated because of economics. We believe in giving free education and fee homeopathy. Health and food were never seen as an activity linked to money. But as time moved by these things also became commercial. So people nearby are taken care to give food, bath and rest through the well-meaning people. Food was given free to strangers, education was given free and health too. We wish to follow that path, so we give free health and through the WTT and free food to people who need it.
We are here in a humble way to educate the people in a right direction and health through homoeopathy, Ayurveda and right living and giving free food to people who don’t have enough. These are the tree basics.
This school was started 6 years ago. These children ere found outstanding in their behaviour and examples. They are giving examples to other villages. We give books, clothes, happiness and right orientation, prayer, some rituals. The speciality of this ashram is that people who pass by that hill, which was started by the father is continued, and also the activity of worship of the cow. There are 12 such schools by now. They develop their inner ability and they move forward into life. Yesterday you also saw the children in Ramadri, they are so shining, the get the cow-milk from there, which is of a much higher quality than in the cities like Visakhapatnam and Bangalore. You can strengthen the work. The whole work is an activity to the Divine. All good work is offered at the feet of the Master, not with a personality gesture. It is a drop in the ocean, but it is as rejoicing as the ocean….”

Master Kumar at the place where the founder of the ashram meditated. The last 6 months of his life he just lived from prana energy without any food. He dies some years ago.

Afterward we were guided through the ashram and went to the little shrine with a Siva-lingam, where all of us poured water over it, singing Om Nama Sivaya. After lunch we slowly returned back to the retreat centre.

Last Wednesday, during the 11th moon phase, which is known to be a favourable moon phase for healing, our group went to the Planetary Healing Centre near Visakhapatnam. It is a place where there is generally a lot of healing vibrations. It is surrounded by trees, plants and is the beautiful conical pyramid of the healing centre. It is an annual ritual at the group lives in India to go there praying by invoking OM.

Maitreya statue

In the garden around the Maitreya Statue under old trees the group arranged a little altar, and Master Kumar gave us a lecture. Some extracts:

“We get into the occult practices to overcome the patterns that we have, the patterns that bind us, but not he other patterns which do not bind. Transforming the binding patterns into non-binding patterns and concepts is part of discipleship. In this world all are born free. We are all self-born and we are also self-bound. This is our making. By not knowing how to do we have bound ourselves to the body. As I said yesterday, we are knowledge, we are consciousness. Each one of us is a column of consciousness, and we develop our body according to our pattern. Some patterns are natural, some patterns are not natural. What is not natural binds us. What is natural gives us experience, desirable experience. Teaching is firstly to recognize that each one of us has which need to be transformed to have optimum experience as a human. So we take to knowledge and we try to bring it into our lives. The major area where we need to review is our thought patterns, the speech and the actions. We also recognize one more thing that our patterns are stronger than us, much stronger than what we think they are. Therefore we cannot transform the patterns ourselves. We need someone of greater strength than us. Someone who is not bound by patterns. Only such one can help the one who is bound by patterns. For that reason from ancient times man found two ways to worship god who is unbound, or to worship a knower of God, who also demonstrates his unbound nature. That is how following the divinity and following the teacher has become a tradition. God is safe, until you find a teacher with whom you feel completely at comfort, to follow and to transform, to get such a one is again the blessing of the divine. It is the divine only who sends his men to those who sincerely seek. Therefore worshipping the teacher, worshipping the divine has come to be, and the main purpose of it is transformation of the binding patterns.”
It was a heart-thrilling lecture. When afterwards we walked over to the healing centre, the master mentioned to me: “I am giving here the teachings in the most simple form.”

In the Healing Centre we chanted 21 times OM and enjoyed the vibrating silence.

The Planetary Healing Centre

The group singing OM inside the Healing Centre

After lunch (and a swim in the ocean for some, like me) we went to the temple site of Ramadri. Before the entrance to the compound there is now a place where cows are kept by the members of the WTT entertaining the site.

In a little ritual several stone boxes with Sri Ram booklets (writing the name of the vibration of the sound of cosmic Will many thousand times) were installed around a tree, while the air was filled with a sublime melody of the mantram of Sri Ram.

Afterwards the Master addressed some words to the group:
“Ramadri is a place entrusted to us to enable work and to manifest the Divinity. It is more than manifesting expression of the evident divinity. Divinity is hidden in the place like divinity is hidden in al of us and by proper though and action the divinity can be made to express itself out. When it expresses itself out, it is manifested. Divinity is all around. It is within and outside. When we know, further manifestation happens. It gets veiled through matter. India is known to hide its divinity. It is true that within the nature there is the spirit. Spirit is the basis for the form and the spirit can express the form according to the subtlety of the form. As much as the form is gross, so much the divinity is hidden. Therefore the soul which is the other name for the divinity can express itself out, when the veils of matter around the soul are made transparent, are made subtle. That is our experience in this land which has hidden the divinity. Today you came to the healing centre, where the hidden divinity is expressed out through a process of thought, and to be able to express out when you are attuned to divinity.
Many things happen through Ramadri, and the divinity is generally expressed through Sri Rama. Ramadri means the hill of Rama. The hill is dedicated to Rama. Rama means the spirit in matter. The sound Ram stands for cosmic fire, the sound ma stands for mother, nature, Maria. It is the place where there is the fire and the fire is concealed by the matter. And when it intends to express out, it finds its own team of workers, and all those who work tot unfold, to enable enfoldment of divinity, get blessed. That is the work. In any sacred work. As much as you contribute to its expression, so much the divinity gets expressed in us also. As much as we enable it to happen.
Thereafter we shall have to ensure that it is expressed. That is the second step. For manifesting, and then gradually the work of the second logos starts, to ensure that the divinity is not once again hidden. As much as an activity happens it continues to express, otherwise it closes down again. Those who express get blessed. And when the persons who are in charged maintain don’t maintain the expression, it gets closed. That is how many sacred places which expressed have closed down, and now it is the time they are expressed, and it is a global phenomena. The place expresses or closes the divinity according to the human expression. Fulfilling the thoughts the hidden divinity gradually expresses in a form. With every teacher there is an associated work. Work is the means to keep the expression of divinity happen. And hence the work should go on. As much as it goes on, the flame goes on. As much as the work is maintained in a good level of vibration,, the flame is kept growing. There is a very dedicated team of workers to enable the expression to happen.”

While we were sitting in the small open-air amphitheatre overlooking the Gulf of Bengal the school children from the small Mithila school on the Ramadri compound came up to the dais to Master Kumar and Kumari-Garu to receive new clothes and some sweets.

Children of the Mithila School Ramadri waiting for the distribution of clothes

A beautiful meditation in the evening dusk uplifted our souls, and while the stars were coming out, the lights of the ships were moving over the vastness of the ocean. An incredible vibration generated through all the ritualistic activities and the installations of the vibration of Sri Ram enchanted the whole scenery, where a decade ago there had been nothing but an empty hill-slope.

Last monday evening we went to the World Teacher Temple at Radhamadhavam for evening prayer followed by a water ritual in the new rooms of the house.  Ravishankar conducted the ritual, accompanied by the Master K. Parvathi Kumar and Kumari-Garu singing the melodious mantrams.

Together with the Indian group members present we were invited to pour water over the lingam, which then was washed and beautifully decorated. Fire was lighted and waved over the lingam and to the group, radiating the energy all over. After the ceremony Prasad (food) was distributed to all members present.

Saturday afternoon, the group went with the bus to Rajahmundry, to the newly built WTT-Centre. The 6-storeyed house is near the banks of the holy river Godhavari. The group members of Rajahmundry gave us a warm welcome and offered us a dinner, before we went to sleep.

The new pilgrimage centre of the World Teacher Trust in Rajahmundry, which we already had visited a year before.

The next morning we left the house already at a quarter to 5 to get to the banks of the river to embark on a little boat for a boat ride. We were nearly the whole day on the boat.

While we were singing mantrams and suktams and doing our morning prayer, the dawn rised over the river with an incredible display of colours, from dark indigo to all kinds of violet, to the warm golden hue of the morning sun. It was a soul-stirring energy over the river, while we were gliding along fishermen, sand-banks, boats and temples.

Sunrise over the Godhavari River

Other boats crossing our way

Lunch is being prepared inside the boat

On the river. The group is enjoying the serene scenery sitting on the roof of the boat

At about 1 o’clock we arrived at the place of a little ashram, the Ramakrishna Hermitage. It is a beautiful, very simple ashram located in the wilderness. There was a number of pilgrims arriving with boats, who also wanted to be in the presence of the divine vibrations of this holy place. Besides the ashram there runs a little river, where we washed our feet before entering the compound.

Ascending from the river to the Ramakrishna Hermitage, there was a huge Tamarind tree in the roots of which children were playing.

The Ramakrishna Hermitage – an ashram of soul-stirring beauty and simplicity

In the very simple temple hall there was a Siva lingam over which a copper pot filled with water was hung up with three chains. From below the pot there was a continuous flow of water drops – a permanent water ritual. The lingam is a symbol of the first manifestation of creation, the Divine will. Together with the other pilgrims we expressed our homage to the Divine which is depicted in a material form. On the compound there were huge old trees and a few buildings overlooking the river.

We went back to the boat to start the return journey. After an hour we stopped at a beach, were we got out of the boat to take a bath in the river Godhavari.

Taking a bath in the holy waters of the Godhavari Rivers – the ladies in panjabies, the men in shorts.

The day before Master Kumar had explained  to us the importance of this river:
Jupiter entered into Aquarius from the time of Guru Puja on. The transit of Jupiter in Aquarius very much relates to us to experience the Aquarian energy. This is also the year the energy flows through the river Ganges, which is called Kumbha Mela. But according to the tradition Kumbha Mela is when Jupiter enters into Aquarius as per the lunar calendar. Normally it happens the year later, but in solar calendar it is this year. In India this year is recognized the energies of Ganges as the energies of Aquarius, and the energies of Godhavari are the energies of Leo. Therefore Ganges-Godhavari are seen as the most sacred rivers in India. It is also a good coincidence that the group is moving today towards Godhavari River. So in that river find a good place to take bath – where the waters are enough profound, and also move on the river, chanting Hamsa Siva Soham, because when we are on the river, the energy of the river is so embracing, encompassing like a mother, the Most High came.

After a dinner in the WTT-centre we started our return journey around 9 pm and arrived back home around 2  in the morning.

Tuesday morning the ladies assembled in front of the dais for the Lalitha Puja: Pictures of the Divine Mother were distributed along the rows, together with flowers and red kum-kum powder. While the melodious hymns to Lalitha were intonated, the women poured flowers and kum-kum over the pictures, in worship of the Mother of the World. The soft vibration of the female energy permeated the air filled with devotion.

The next day (14th January) Sri Kumar answered a question concerning the meaning of the Lalitha Puja as follows (my notes, might contain mistakes):

“The ritual of the Lalitha Puja relates to the ritual of universal consciousness. The Mother is seen as universal consciousness, the Father is seen as the background behind. The father is pure existence, and the mother is the emergence of that existence and awareness. This awareness manifests the whole creations. How she conducts it, 1008 functions of the Mother have 1008 names. We chant those names and worship the Mother. Every name is a profound aspect of the mother, meaning universal awareness. It is male-female god. We also exist and have awareness. Only in awareness we work in the day and in the night we are with existence. The Mother emerges as the light from the Father, how she conducts, meaning the various aspects of cosmic, solar, planetary planes. We sing the names and try to see the light. We do similar thing when we sing the 1008 names of Vishnu, the primary aspect is the Mother, the secondary aspect is Vishnu, the Lord of Love and Wisdom. The first logos is Will, the third logos is Intelligent Action. We have 1008 names as a tradition to the Mother and the second logos. … When you chant you relate to the pure light and people do this kurkuma, which is symbolic of the Mother. The also put kumkum, a yellow powder mixed with saffron, which is red. The yellow is the wisdom aspect, the red is the will aspect. After the ritual they put the point here (on the front), There is will and love put here. Likewise in the heart there is will apart from love. It is related to love and will. Normally they regularly chant and remember all the names. They close the eyes and chant the names, remember them and see the light.”

The ladies during the Lalitha Puja. This year the assembly hall was at the site where in previous years there was the dining hall, as the old assembly place wasn’t available this time.

The second day was dedicated to the spiritual fusion of east and west. In the early morning our group of westerners was asked to come up to the platform for morning prayer. We gathered close around Master Kumar in front of the pictures of the great Masters, in the focal point of the energy, a very uplifting experience.

During the Water Ritual

At 9 o’clock the Water Ritual in honour of the 1st logos, symbolized by a Siva-lingam, started. The melodious recitations vibrated through the air, while the lingam was washed and decorated with flowers, generating a strong vibration in the surroundings.

Afterwards a table was put on the dais with the publications done in the West during the last year and representatives from Switzerland, Belgium and Spain were asked to take seat on the platform besides Sri Kumar, who gave a discourse on the Spiritual Fusion of East and West.

Some extracts:
“Most religions based on emotions are falling off. Emotions are being replaced by clear understanding, leading to pure understanding. That is the plan, of fusion of east and west. In that spiritual fusion the first bell was struck in the 19th century when through HP Blavatsky the grand symbol of the universe called man was given. The knowledge was always there, but it had gone into oblivion. HP Blavatsky came out with the knowledge of the 7 root races, how it was and how it shall be tomorrow. In this huge story every man has a little role to play. This knowledge was further detailed through Mme Alice Bailey. HPB finished her work in 1891, and then there were Vivekananda and otherscoming to the west.

Baileys work has largely helped the western community to understand God to be other than a person. All those who did not believe in Jesus Christ were considered as sinners. This concept was first broken by Blavatsky and then Bailey. Master EK’s effort is in the same direction. His approach is vedantic, upanishadic, meaning he started sharing these keys which are not generally known.

The knowledge was there all the time, with the related numbers and sounds, it was also known in the west during the Mayan and Incan civilisation. All this knowledge disappeared due to fanatic following of persons. When Christ came, he showed the way. People made him a god and forgot his teachings. So after Christ Christianity was formed, after Buddha Buddhism was formed. In India there is no ism, because the teacher did not allow the students to follow him, but to follow the path. That is what is the effort of spiritual fusion of east and west. Therefore I always say, you have to speak of the cosmic, solar and planetary principles, the laws relating to it and show how these teachings were earlier given by the seers. The fusion of east and west means bringing back the most ancient wisdom to humanity, which is called manushya, the mind-dominated beings. Blind following is not allows. Understanding is allowed. In understanding one grows. The substance of spiritual fusion is not a general propaganda; the material is for those who seek it. In all our organisation there is no marketing, it is for people to find out, not for us to make advertisements. Valuable things are always to be found. Precious stones are not found in the bazaar. Wisdom is not generally being made available in the market. The diluted versions of wisdom are available on the market. Diluted versions of astrology are sold by millions. Spiritual Astrology, Spiritual Psychology are sold in small numbers.
What is already together, fusion, is realised in us. We are not fusing anything. It is already there, and it is for us, by our ideation, contemplation to realise it, to contemplate well. For this you have to keep your instrument pure. Don’t get stuck in the mental plane. Spiritual fusion of east and west is a way to relate man to the light and life in him and to the universal light, love. That is attempted in all the books. Let it be so in the huge endeavour.
Let the east and west meet in the heart, it is the best playground.”

“Photo, Photo please!!!”

The lectures (in Telugu) were projected with beamers on screens

Very early in the morning the bus brought us to the site where the Guru Puja celebrations were going on.

Kumari-Garu during a ritual in honour of Lord Ganesha

Sunday morning after meditation and breakfast Sri Kumar initiated the small children into education by introducing them to the mantram “OM Namah Sivaya”:When he intonated the mantram and the audience repeated it, the whole atmosphere resounded by the vibrations of the mantram.

Afterwards verses of an invocation to Lord Vishnu were intonated, as the opening of the Fire Ritual in honour of the Second Logos. When the flames were mounting higher and higher, the presence of the purifying fire of Agni spread its radiating energies throughout the atmosphere.

Master Kumar and Smt. Kumari Garu during the fire ritual

After the ritual some people of a regional TV-station approached Günter, Doris and me. They asked us to say some words about the importance of the Guru Puja celebration and our relation to Indian spirituality. I mentioned the deep inspiration of the eternal wisdom which India maintained through the centuries, helping humanity to find their way to the soul.

At the end of the fire ritual

A view of the assembly “hall” covered by colourful palaquins. This year there was much less space available than in the previous years, since one site less was available to accomodate the several thousand participants.

At the bookstalls.

In the afternoon after some recitations Master Sivananda Murthi Garu arrived and gave a lecture in Telugu in his modest, inspiring way.He spoke, among others, about terrorism and the conflict between India and Pakistan. In this context he said, that the rulers should be active, not passive like they are now. The people should pray for good will to prevail over the governments.

The first day of the Guru Puja ended with a flute concert.

Sri Kumar and Sri Sivananda Murthi Garu