A friend from Sweden sent me the following lines as a comment to the blogpost “Finding our Common Origin – Sanskrit and Kikongo Wisdom Teachings“:

“Also here in the North we have strong links with the ancient mythology and language. Madame Blavatsky writes in the Secret Doctrine that the Norse mythology is older than the Vedas, and that Egypt was colonised by emigrants from India. The Nile (“the Blue”) got its name from a river in India, just as today we find York in England and New York in the USA.

Some few examples: Not far from there I live here in Sweden there are some mountains with a unique geology, not found anywhere else, with intriguing names like “Omberg” (OM), “Hunneberg” (Dogmountain), “Halleberg” (Halla is an abode of a god as in Shambhala/Shamballa), and “Kinnekulle” there “Ki” is pronunced as Chi or Qi (life force). There is also “the quiet (or serene) mountain” – LugnÃ¥s. Berg/Ã¥s/kulle all mean mountain. We also have a holy cow named “Audhumbla”, which is the Vedic “Vach” and the Egyptian “Hathor”.

Karl means man, or great man. The Great Bear is called Karlavagnen, or the wagon of Karl. The worldtree is Ask which in English is Ash, and may have been Ash in ancient Swedish. Maybe to farfetched, but Kailash may be related.

In the end of time, the world will disappear and with that evil creatures, and a new more beautiful world will appear. The highest god Odin, who is one-eyed, will then also disappear and his son Balder will be the new highest god, just as Sanat Kumara, “the old man”, will stay with us until the end of time. The two Ravens which inform Odin about the world are called Hugin and Munin.

But also the new world will disappear, and yet another is to follow, and so on.

A legend here says that you can be teleported between Kinnekulle and Omberg. Monks at a monastery located at Omberg watched an area at Kinnekulle for centuries, and did not let in visitors. They were said to go forth and back by teleportation (some twenty or thirty kilometers, I think). This area was closed until recently. I visited it with a friend, but no teleportation occurred 🙂

The Nordic mythology has a preference over the mythologies of the rest of Europe as it is not mixed up with a lot of different influences, as e.g. Hellenistic and Egyptian mythologies.

The symbols and the legends move with us. There is an old temple for Isis worship in England, and the vikings frequently went to the English islands. May there have been a movement from the North to the East to the West, and the circle symbolically closed there, in that English Isis temple? And from Egypt other circles have appeared, towards the American continents and deep down into Africa. Today we can unwind our own past footsteps through easy global communication over the internet.”

Omberg and the lake Vättern, Sweden

A view from the Omberg

Our friend, a healing practitioner, whom we visited last weekend, has been involved with Qi-Gong since 1990 with Master Zhi Chang-Li. He had come to Europe in 1988 in order to spread here the teaching of Qi-Gong. Our friend told us that in the beginning of his teachings the Master still was hesitating a lot what to give out to the people seeking instructions and what not. For in the traditional teaching a teacher formed just one student, who had to undergo a very severe and long training. It is not possible to impart the teachings through mere teaching, but through intense integration into life. Master Li had been in a process of learning since his early youth, also during the times of the cultural revolution, when all spiritual tradition were violently suppressed in China.

One little story our friend told from Master Li was about how students were tested that they were mastering the life-giving energy Chi: They were brought to the snowy mountains and clad in wet towels to stay out there over night. Next morning the teacher was looking, not only if the student was having warm, but also how much snow around him he could get melted through the heat he had created in his inner…

I don’t want to retell here the stories about the life of Master Li our friend reported to us. What impressed me most was that through incredible hardships and strict training a process of deep transformation took place. Thus the wisdom slowly shone forth and found a living expression. It is like with carbon dusk being transformed under extreme pressure to a diamond. Chemically carbon and diamond have the same substance, but only through transmutation the brilliance is gained.

Over two decades ago my friend had invited Master EK to his house in Munich to give lectures to interested persons. He was deeply touched by the freshness and naturalness with which the master was expressing spirituality in all aspects of life.

Once they were walking through some shoppings streets in the centre of Munich, when a derelict person came along, obviously being under the influence of alcool. Someone of the people accompanying the master expressed his disgust about the dosser, but the master simply replied: “He is God, too.”

* * * * * * *

My friend had a beautiful old Art Nouveau villa in Munich, where the seminars with Master EK were going on. A lady remarked to the master: “Such a big house, just for one person.” The master only replied: “He is sharing it with others.”

* * * * * * *

In the assembly hall where the lectures were taking place everybody was chitchatting or preparing something, so that nobody noticed the master entering the room. He went to his place and starting intonating the mantram with which he used to begin his lectures. Everybody rushed to their places. The master started his lesson speaking about discipline.

My friend said the master was absolutely right reminding the people of getting into attention, but he might have felt that he was strict in his words. For in the evening, in a small round, the master was joking and playing magical tricks, as if he wanted to express: Look, everything has its time, there is not just only discipline, and I’m not a rigid fellow.

* * * * * * *

The master was fond of cooking, and he loved preparing delicious meals for the whole group. He was doing it full of joy. In this he was throwing away some vegetables which weren’t totally fresh any longer. Someone mentioned that he is wasting the materials. He remarked it, continued his work, but the joyful expression was away. He didn’t say anything, but it was as if he wanted to express that criticising is like tossing away joy.

* * * * * * *

My friend had planned to organise more seminars with Master EK near Munich on specific topics, but the master surprisingly passed over in March 84, so that all further plans had to be cancelled. The work, however, went on a few years later with Master KPK, whom Master EK had prepared for continuing his impulse.

Lingam stone with a picture of Master EK

A friend from Argentina translated this blog-post into Spanish (PDF).

Last weekend my wife and I were visiting friends who live in a small village in Alsace, France, at the feet of the Vosges Mountains. She is a healing practitioner, he is a psychologist, and both are since long years on the spiritual path. He is dealing with crystals as a hobby.

Entering the courtyard of the old, but beautifully renovated farmhouse you see a big quartz crystal standing in the centre, and another, huge amethyst is lying a bit aside and radiating its violet light in the sun. A haven of peace, where in the garden a Buddha statue is meditating under an old tree.

We had some inspiring talks, and both were telling a few stories of encounters with their spiritual teachers. I’d like to give some of these in the following 2 blog-posts.

I wondered how my friend gets these beautiful crystals – and there were quite many more inside. He told me that in the course of the years he has created contacts with different mines and crystal dealers world-wide. They have visited several mines in North and South America and have travelled through India, from where they have exquisite statues and lingams (oval-shaped stones used for rituals worshipping the creative force of the universe).

When somebody wants to buy a special crystal of a certain size, he rings up his contact persons and they send him photographs of crystals at disposal. Then they get shipped over to Europe.

Each crystal radiates a special quality. These transparent stones represent the advanced states of man’s consciousness: When he has gone through processes of inner purification, he starts reflecting the light of the inner sun. Maybe that’s the reason why we are so much fascinated by these gifts of nature.

We had contacts with situations with persons exhibiting an outer facade of nice guys. Behind there were inner abysses, aggravated through the use of drugs. Here is not the place to go into details, but these situations showed once again: If your “pursuit of happiness” goes against laws of nature, the “ropes of life” are inevitably tightening you down. On the “downward slope” your understanding gets obscured and your discrimination twisted. Restlessness keeps you busy and obstacles after obstacles heap up on the path, holding you away from your inner self. No way to escape.

Nature isn’t gingerly in its teaching methods. It is “bent or break”. Either you learn or the suffering increases. Fear, pain, ill health, conflicts in the surrounding life are just some of the methods used.

The experiene is, the will to right action has to awaken, and before that the readiness to learn what is right. When this good will is still in an infant stage and vacillating, the help of a friend, a guide is inevitable. On the upward path, this guide giving guide-lines is necessary. He is somehow an outer “substitute” of your own self and will. However, he should never infringe upon your own will, but only help to strengthen it. This way the path to one’s own “inner fountain” can slowly be regained.

Finding one’s inner fountain

The Globe. A sculpture in the building of the United Nations in Geneva.

The teachings of timeless wisdom tell us, that there are traces of the teachings found everywhere on the globe, expressing through the Scriptures and spiritual teachings of many nations (see our booklet on H. P. Blavatsky).

Two days ago I got an e-mail from a friend living in Brazzaville, Congo, who wrote to me about fascinating parallels between the Eastern wisdom teachings and Kikongo, his mother tongue:

“All the material I receive from you helps me establish a link with the traditional religion of our ancestors akin to ancient Egyptian spiritual practices. Focus being made on positive aspects of course.

It is called “Kinzambi kia Kongo” meaning “Solar Religion”. Kikongo being my mother tongue it is also an ethnic group living in Central Africa: DRC, Congo, Gabon, Angola… and members can found in other areas of the globe: Southern part of African, Americas, Asia…

I also suspect some kinship between Sanskrit and Kikongo in terms of vocabulary and vibration. By way of examples the most sacred sound in kikongo is OMAKONGO (OM AKONGO think of the pranava OM). Again kundalini is to be found in kikongo too. Kunda is like the base or springboard from which the spine (kilini or lini in kikongo) can be activated.

In the same connection, KONGO is a sacred sound in kikongo meaning the Sun, Universe, God, Power , Love, Wisdom… is the highest title in Japanese Buddhism. Its equivalent in Sanskrit is Vajra.

As for Shamballa, traces of its origin can also be found in kikongo. Sha = city in old kikongo; mbala = name of a tribe with relations to divine power.

Melekisedeki. Mele = targeted towards, Kisedeki = Heart of the Sun.

NGUM & NZA in Kikongo means Solve & Coagula in Alchemy, Yang & Yin for Chinese wisdom. Ngum = Spirit and NZA= matter. In pronouncing this mantra you can feel similarities with HAM SA…

The sound NGUM (I found in some Buddhist texts that GUM is used to correct negative aspects of someone’s life) was vocalized by our ancestors to fight, clear negativity. The following mantra is OM GUM GANAPATAYI SVAHA dedicated to Ganesha is revealing enough.

A Six-rayed Star is said to be the symbol of Kongo people. One triangle represents GOD with his three attributes: LOVE, WISDOM and WILL; the other one three divine ancestors of kongo religion. Be it said by passing that Ne KUTUMI (similarities with Master KOOT HUMI) is one of the great divine ancestors in tradition.

In Avalokitesvara’s mantra OM MANI PADME HUM there is the word Mani. The same word in kikongo is regarded as the title given to an initiate who has attained enlightenment. Hence the term MANI KONGO given to the old king of Kongo Kingdom in the 13th century. He was said to have a divine consciousness while living on earth.

In Kukai’s mantra is NAMU DAISHI HENJO KONGO (Homage to Maitreya). we see the word KONGO. Kukai is the Highest Priest in Shigon.

In Bagavad Gita, Krishna says of letters: ” I am A”. In kikongo AKONGO (A KONGO) is the name of HIGH GOD. (AKONGO = OMAKONGO) .The first letter of the kikongo alphabet is “A”, just like in hebrew with Alef, latin Alpha. Kikongo alphabet has equally 22 letters just like hebrew. Think of the 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

Maha in Sanskrit means Great; it is the same thing in kikongo. Hence words mahatma, MahaLowa in kikongo (Great Sun = Vairocana).”

He also gave me a text where he is going a bit more into details. I sent it to some friends who were very much touched by it. A friend from Argentina replied:

“Thank for sharing the African e-mail with me. It made my imagination fly to the planets interplay and Shiva’s dance. It is so joyful to find our common origin that we can hardly realize how the diaspora took place among the human beings. Everything has to be experienced, I guess. This reminded me when Roberto got in touch for the first time with Celtic music. He was astonished to find out that it contained even tango as well as tarantella in it. Going backwards, if possible, we should be able to trace the OM…
So many sounds have lost their significance, … that’s why the Master says that the degradation of languages shows the degradation of people. The pulsation, perhaps?”

Statistics sometimes suggest much more precision than the facts are. If you have a look at “Worldometers“, you find world statistics updated in real time. At the moment I’m writing this the statistics give the following numbers, which are continuously increasing:

You get the impression, that a horde of brownies is running around all over the planet collecting data, even in the far-off jungles and deserts. At the bottom of the site, however, there is the warning: “Please note that demographics data is based on census data reports and projections. Do not use for exact calculations.” But where does the projecting of data lead us? It appears like magic, with the semblance of great precision.

Another mathematical “magician” must have been Leonhard Euler, (1707-1783) who is celebrating his 300th birthday today. He is one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived. I yesterday read an article in the “Bund” about this “totally normal genius”. In the average he has done an important discovery every week. He had a tremendous overview and immediately saw the inter-relations. In everything he directly saw a mathematical structure. He solved many problems, not only mathematical ones, and he created the basis for the sudokus people like to solve nowadays.

In spite of losing most of his children at an early age, losing one eye with 31 and losing sight at a later age, he was very content. Born in Basle, Switzerland, he later lived in St. Petersburg and Berlin and was tremendously productive until the end of his life. A colleague, Dieudonné Thiébault, wrote about him: “With a child on his knees and a cat on his shoulders he wrote his immortal works” – by dictating them, because he was getting blind. He must have been one of the rare cases who can concentrate on difficult subjects while playing with children.

You find his portrait on several stamps and it was for a while even on a Swiss bank note. Here is a stamp just published on the occasion of his birthday:

Numbers are strange phenomena. They are considered to be creative forces by the ancient seers and used by some people for meditation. They are innate parts of our being. The embryo inherits the numerical potency and germinates the parts of the body in terms of number. You find more about this in the book on Spiritual Psychology by Dr. E. Krishnamacharya.

There were some situations my wife and I came across the last times, where people were living in a state of fear of failure. Fears of disappointing others, fears, others could see some weak points in them or think bad of them. And above all: fear that others might do a job not sufficiently well. Seen from the outside, there were clouds of fear, cultivated for quite some time. The fears didn’t declare themselves as such, but showed up under the cover of over-identification with a task:

When someone comes from the outside and says, you’re o.k., this doesn’t take the fear away, but he’s going on with his fears. The clouds work like a blind spot: What you have inside is seen as problems outside. You see the fears you have inside with situations in the outside. So when an impulse comes from the outside, it is being reflected by your cloud and projected outside – as a criticism about a situation or how others do a task:You are convinced that you know what is right and might want others to act in your way. Or you get angry about others that they have another approach and don’t act according to the way you think it’s right. You might start making prescriptions to others, because they don’t correspond to your way of acting – or you don’t to their’s.

As long as you stay on the level of argumentation, you remain stuck in the blockage of mental conceptions: “I (you) have to do this because…” You are pressing the other with arguments, and the other is pressing back. This way you don’t get out of the cloud of fear. (see the blogpost on “Communication or Riding a Bicycle“). You can observe this very well in politics.

When you come to see what is common between the standpoint of the other and yours, you are already about to overcome the obstructions and resistances. Focusing on what is common and not on what is separating lets you see that there is much more in common that separating. This way you come into a mutual exchange and flow:

With this vision you come to understand: “I do my best, because I love doing it – and it’s the same with you.”

This blog-post has been translated into Spanish, together with some other posts of this series.

I yesterday got an e-mail from a Canadian friend with impressive photos said to be from Hurricane Katrina hitting the US Gulf Coast in August 05. “Googling” the source of the pictures quickly lead me to “Snopes.com“, a site about web rumours, telling that these were genuine pictures, however, not of the Katrina hurricane, but of series by storm chaser Mike Hollingshead taken in Nebraska and Kansas in 04. On his site “extremeinstability.com” you find extraordinary shots of tornados, as well as wallpapers, links to videos, DVDs and more. Here is a photo of the May 28, 2004 Highway 12 Nebraska Supercell series. Thanks Mike, for the permission of using.

It looks that chasing storms isn’t that easy. Mike Hollingshead writes that he is driving long distances in hope of seeing cool clouds, often all for nothing: “It is a bit depressing being so far from home and seeing crap storms or nothing at all, then having to start that long drive back, often while extremely tired.” Since 2004 he’s doing it with no other job outside this…

A “tornado” or “storm” is also a metaphor for turbulent situations in life. Normally people don’t like going through these storms, for crises aren’t that cosy. But often these intense times of change bring about the most important transformations.

Here is a fascinating video from YouTube of a talk of Steve Jobs from Apple to graduates of Stanford University. It just came to me via an e-mail sent by a friend, though Steve Jobs gave the talk already on June 12, 2005. He is speaking about his biography, his way he met with failures, love and death. He never graduated from university, dropped from college, met with great crises, when he was fired from Apple, the enterprise he founded, was confronted with cancer.

He learned many things like calligraphy (beautiful writing) which revealed only many years later what they meant in his life. He was following his intuition and fascination and came out of great transformation processes:
“Don’t let the voice of others’ opinions make you decide”, he told the students, “stay hungry, stay foolish”.

A beautiful inspiration for openness towards life and striving.

Here you find a transcript of his talk.