Tomorrow is Master EK’s birthday. He was born on 11 August 1926.

Although I didn’t meet him physically, Master EK (Dr. Ekkirala Krishnamacharya) had a profound impact on my life. His teachings and his way of living impressed me very much. I first heard about him in 1981 but it took long years to “get caught” by his magnetism. His biography “Master E.K. – The New Age Teacher” is an inspiring reading and gives a good insight into his life.

Now there is a series of 6 DVDs relating to the Yoga of Master CVV (coming soon on YouTube); the second part has been published recently, dealing with the early years of Master EK’s life.

Here are a few words from a talk of Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar (Master KPK) given on Master EKs birthday in 2011:

“It is not easy to understand a Master. We just make some conclusions about him without knowing anything about him. We consider him someone similar to us. He appears so but he is not. He appears to anyone according to their own belief and though. What a Master can do in this creation, even the cosmic intelligences cannot. His work is much greater. That is why there are some disciples who fulfilled themselves just by deeply following a Master and not even looking for the Lord.

A Master gives his disciple all freedom to move as he likes but keeps a constant check on him to protect him due to his compassion towards his disciple. Generally the relationship between the Master and disciple goes on for lives and lives and does not end with just one life.

Master EK is one such grand Master who has come down to help us all in the path. He is such a grand light but he just lived a simple life. He said “I believe in simplicity and not in publicity.” His sight is a great vision. He used to appear as if he did not see us but just by seeing anyone for a moment, he could understand the complete stature of the other person from his past to present. He just behaves as an image to us. If we greet him, he greets us; if we talk to him, he talks to us, if we are arrogant towards him, he would be very arrogant and so on. So there is nothing we can understand of him. It is even useless to even try to understand him.”

It is good to remember a Master and his qualities on his birthday – and it is uplifting to us.

Master EK, 1979

When I set out to write the new Lunar Messenger for the month of Leo on Lord Krishna I felt again his magic touch. And thoughts of previous encounters came to my mind. I remember well how I noticed this touch of the presence consciously for the first time in the mid-70s of last century, when I read the newly published German version of a booklet, “The Heart of a Gopi” – “Das Herz einer Gopi” (PDF, by Raihana Tyabji, 1924, not available as English PDF) – stories about the enchanting influence of Krishna.

My first impressions of Krishna in the Europe of the 70s, however, were a bit weird: Bald-headed people in orange clothes with a queue at the back of the skull and chanting Hare Krishna were quite exotic appearances in the shopping promenades of the German city where I was studying. Years later, I had some “culinary contacts” with them – for a while the Hare Krishna people run an excellent restaurant in Berne, and one of them walking through the city gave me a free copy of their Vedic cook book…

The most intense encounter with Krishna’s magic was in the early 90s, when I translated Master EK’s “Music of the Soul” and “Man Sacrifice” about the life of Lord Krishna – these versions weren’t the ones published later. During the months of translation, I often felt blissful and like in a trance. My wife also experienced it while proof-reading. I did the translation in a time of intense inner and outer transformations and it was a strangely uplifting experience. Especially Music of the Soul I read a number of times, also in English as a “language course” with a friend. I relived the thrill when in 2012 Master EK’s “The World Teacher. Advent of Lord Krishna” was finally published in English and German. I received it from Sri Kumar and immediately dived into it.

My approach, however, was not a straight route and only slowly it took to a more differentiated shape. Chanting was definitely not my path, I found out end of the 80s when leaving the Sai Baba movement. In the 90s I bought in a second hand bookshop at a bargain price the complete 12 vol. edition Srimad Bhagavatam of Vedavyasa, in German, by Swami Prabhupada, dealing mainly with the life of Krishna. When I took some of the books to the next meeting of my then-teacher and his group, he made some derogatory remarks about the Swami and the books. His impact made me throw all the volumes in the garbage the next day. It took me quite long to trust my inner impulses and not to follow what I believe to be right, because I have heard it from someone, even if I regard him as my teacher.

I’m learning more and more to be vigilant about the energies I feel, their quality and expression, and Krishna is definitely enchanting for me. I don’t feel Hindu or like a “devotee” – it’s not my soul mood – but fascinated by the touch of the subtle presence. It was there when I translated orally comics and stories about the life of Krishna for our children while they were young. And when I did the three pictures on Lord Krishna (see below), each time this presence was strongly felt. I don’t try to analyse but just let the magic take effect on me. It is beyond mental concepts, it just IS.

However, you don’t need to put off your mind to get the touch of the presence – it is like being on two planes at the same time. I experienced it when I did on my PC an extensive collection of material of what Dr. K.P. Kumar and Dr. E. Krishnamacharya said on Krishna and when I ventured to condense it to the essence for the Lunar Messenger. But the touch of the presence clearly pointed out the way to take.

Krishnas birth was on 18 July 3228 BC, his  birthday is celebrated on the 8th descending moon phase of Leo – this year on Sunday, 17th of August.

Music of the Soul – Full Moon. 29/12/2009

Union beyond Duality. 16/04/2011

The Magic Flute of Krishna. 21/12/2012

I like very much airing out in nature. Whenever possible, my wife and I go out for a walk on Sunday afternoon. It is a good occasion for reflecting on experiences, events or persons , especially when walking on a hill with a view into the distance. While walking thoughts get cleared out and nature replenishes the “stocks of prana”.

Before each walk I’m intensely studying the trail map of the area to find a new spot or a place where we haven’t been for some time. And there are plenty of paths in the surroundings. So I’d like to take you with us on yesterday’s afternoon walk.

I chose the Falkenfluh, about 25 km from where we are living. Falken means falcon, and Fluh is an expression for a rock face. Though there were no falcons around, it is a very beautiful place at the foothills of the Alps.

From where we parked our car there was a beautiful view down, with the Lake Thun in the background. It wasn’t raining in the afternoon but the clouds were still hanging deep and veiled the Alps of the Bernese Oberland.

When we crossed the first little forest there were wood-strawberries all along the way. Later, on the top of the Falkenfluh, there were raspberry bushes and along one forest even blueberries. We could advance only slowly, the berries were too delicious.

At the entrance of a country house, Amor was waiting for sweet victims but there weren’t many around…

A little further ahead, we discovered a ramp leading over the cliff into the abyss: a jumping-off point for delta planes and other para-gliders.

Some meters ahead, there was a triangulation point marking the geographic centre of the Canton of Bern. And the Swiss Geomatic Society was celebrating an anniversary and inviting to register in a guest-book to participate in a raffle for a GPS…

Old apple trees on a meadow were heavily loaded with fruits.

Following the path, we arrived at a little farmhouse where children on the balcony told us the direction to follow: Turning to the left and along the barn, where some hens were running through the grass

We opened a pasture gate; the path became a small trail running over the meadow. A huge linden tree spread its aura far over the little valley. On an “emotrance seminar”, my wife has learnt to observe trees by asking whether they are willing to share their energy or not. Many trees, especially young ones, are not but huge, well-grown trees are spreading their energy all around. You could clearly feel the energetic presence of the linden tree even at a distance.

The air was filled with the ringing of the bells of the sheep. Here in Switzerland, sheep and cows often wear bells, so that you can easily find them – without GPS (I recently read about the tagging of animals with codes injecting the chips subcutaneously – for “better registration” and easier delivery at the butchery…)

A little further ahead we walked up a steep trail up the mountain. The earth was still very humid from the rain of the previous days and we walked zigzag over the roots.

At the top a lady was waiting with her mountain bike. When we came out of the tree alley, she started driving downward, over the slippery ground. It was steeper than the photo shows:

The path led us along the forest with a beautiful view over the meadows. When we stopped at a bench, we saw that people were just preparing a delta glider at the ramp. And again there were bushes with berries but had enough and started going down again.

Since many years I’m fascinated by the sublime geometry of the Sri Yantra. When our children were young, we did Mithila classes and drew with them the Sri Yantra (see the book “Mithila” about the mantra Sreem and the related yantra – scroll down). In our home we have several directional Yantra mandalas inspired by the science of Vastu, also the Sri Yantra at the entrance.

A few days ago I came across the website of a German artist who has devoted his life to work on the Sri Yantra and is creating beautiful copper-works.

In his youth, Bernhard Wimmer had learned bronze casting and chasing. After years of artistic search he discovered his vocation in uniting art and science. He found in the Sri Chakra Yantra a cosmic energy generator, and he describes the work with it as a journey to the I AM through cosmic energy geometry.

Bernhard Wimmer working on a Sri Yantra (c)

On his website he explains (in German) the Sri Yantra as an instrument or better a “machine” which uses physical laws to change the physical world around. The Sri Yantra can generate energy waves which are in resonance with us and support us to build up energy fields to send them with our intentions on a journey into the cosmic field of consciousness. And it is our ability for devotion and love which opens the energy door so that we can send our deepest impulses and intentions through the world and into this cosmic field of consciousness. The Sri Yantra is an extraordinary instrument for our energy and consciousness development and can greatly intensify our work but not replace it.

Bernhard Wimmer (c)

Bernhard Wimmer is singing mantrams while working on a Yantra, mainly the Gayatri mantram, the invocation of Light. The work is done for the highest weal of the world and the place or the people for which he does a Yantra. Here are two videos with interviews (in German)  about his work (1 / 2).

It is interesting how his descriptions match with what Dr. Ekkirala Krishnamacharya says about the Sri Yantra in his book “Spiritual Psychology“:

“Tantric texts in Sanskrit and the Kabbala prescribe various compound symmetrical shapes for various compound numbers that are to be meditated upon to acquire perfection of the mental, vital and lower Buddhic planes. They are called Yantras in Sanskrit. Sri Yantra is the most perfect and profound form of all. It is not only a perfect shape for meditation, but it represents the operations of the whole cosmos down to the individual man. It is formed by an arrangement of five equilateral triangles with their apexes below, and another set of four equilateral triangles with their apexes above, the circumcircles of these triangles and three squares outlining the whole figure.”

And Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar explains in the book “Mithila – A New Age School Syllabus” the work with Sri as a scientific work of manifesting subtle energies:  “The invocation of the Mother ‘SRI’ makes you magnetic and lucky when you practice it with deep interest and inclination. In this invocation, you are carrying out a triangular work, i.e., you are applying a Sound (Mantra) upon a Symbol (Yantra) according to a specific process (Tantra). This is a scientific way of manifesting the subtle energies upon the grosser planes, known to the Magicians. If your motives are sacred, it leads to White Magic.”

And in the book on Mantrams he explains:  “SRI stands for the splendour, the Divine Nature. SRI is a seed sound. It helps speedier transformation and it is the work of fire.”

Bernhard Wimmer is producing the Sri Yantra in copper, the metal of Venus – the sound Srim is part of the mantra of the Venus principle. But he also sells the Yantra as beautiful prints. Have a look at the website of Bernhard Wimmer. (Thank you for the permission of using the images.)

Bernhard Wimmer (c)

Tonight the sun passes into Leo – so here comes the picture to the month.

According to spiritual astrology, the heart centre is the seat of the soul and is ruled by Leo. Leo is the expression of the I AM, the sun of our being. The lion is the symbol of the personality which is to be transformed by the soul. The highest point of illumination in us is the head centre, and via this centre a yogi establishes contact with the sun centre of our planet, Shamballa. On a still higher plane there is a relation to the polar star.

The painting took some inner preparation before I began the outer work. To start with, I did a print-out of a colour spectrum wheel with 7 layers per colour shade. I photographed an icosahedron cut in a rock crystal and used the form of this Platonic solid of 20 triangles as an expression of rounded-up matter, or the “diamond body” of the spiritual matter which an initiate carries. For the meditator inside the crystal, I chose a picture of a statue of an Eastern goddess in a blessing posture which I took some years ago in the home of friends. I placed her face into the centre of the triangle pointing upwards and placed the picture of a lion with its head in the middle of the downward triangle. I put the colour wheel into the background with its centre at the heart centre of the meditator, symbolising the spectrum of the one light manifesting in 7 layers of creation. The colour of Leo is gold, and so the lion radiates a hue of golden light.

Behind the colour wheel I included a photo of the Dhaulagiri (meaning “White Mountain”) of the Himalayas as a symbol of intense aspiration towards greatest heights. On the front of the meditator, I placed the symbol of the sun. I shaped the headpiece exceeding the pyramid as an etheric representation of Shamballa which the meditator contacts via the head centre. Atop of it you see a star symbolising the polar star forming a triangle with two other stars.

See more pictures on the site with my paintings.

09 April 2014, pencils and photo work

I would like to share some experiences I had the last weeks around a prophecy of the return of Master CVV – as Master KPK (Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar). For me it was as if I flew a loop. I pondered some days whether I should blog about it or not, but I decided that yes. And the text, though short-cut, is definitely longer than an easy-to-read blogpost in “Facebook compatibility” should be.

I deeply respect other viewpoints – this is just about my experiences.

At the Jubilee celebration of 30 Years WTT Germany I suddenly grew very alert when I heard in the Jubilee speech the words “When Master CVV left his physical body on March 12th, 1922, he promised his followers that he would return in the year 1945 to continue his work.” These words printed in the jubilee book continue a bit later with, “Master KPK was born two days after the new moon in the sign of Scorpio on November 7th, 1945… This consensus foreshadows the incarnation of Master CVV’s soul in Master KPK ….” I remembered having heard this some years before and that at the same time a “red question-mark” rose up inwardly.

I afterwards asked the speakers where this quote is from, and they referred to the book of Sabine Anliker about Master KPK. Yes, there I had read it in 2005, and it says, “Master CVV informed his disciples that he would come back in the year 1945. This is found in the book Kundalini written by Sri Ramanujam which is available in the library of the UNO Geneva. Master KPK was born in 1945! ….”

I still was sceptical if it is correct, so I decided to ask Sri Kumar directly. When I met him in Hergiswil 12 days ago, I gave him a paper with some questions and: “… Could you comment on the prophecy. Has it been given by Master CVV or is it a claim of the followers?”

He read my questions from the paper, while I was standing next to him. Then he asked for my pencil and gave me in his handwriting: “Return of Master CVV in 1945 has been a prophecy, recorded in the Tamil books of his followers.”

For me, this context was enough, for the moment, – I didn’t want to ask him, hey, are you the reincarnation?

I was struck by the answer in written and pondered a lot on it. Both Masters have touched me to the core and mean very much for me. But I would never have “fused them” into “one as the sequence of the other”. I was reminded of the sequence of Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai and Prema Sai spoken about by Sri Sathya Sai Baba, or reincarnation traditions of Buddhist lamas.

I googled for the book of T.S. Ramanujam mentioned by Sabine: “Kundalini – or Universal Love Refound“, published Madras 1938 – but there was no PDF version. However, I found an old booklet, half  Tamil?/Telugu?, half English, about Master CVV, with a longer article by Ramanujam on Physical Immortality – here is the PDF version, just the English part, and here the complete version (15 MB). There you find a mention of 1945 and the re-emergence of Master CVV:

“When the space is fixed, the picture will stand” – these words of the Master are still ringing in the ears of his mediums who, from the surface of the earth, are looking forward to his re-emergence in an eternal physical form. When that Great Day comes, it may not be after 1945, a current of Physical Immortality will run from the Master to the mediums in logical succession, as a current of electricity runs from bulb to bulb, and illuminate, as if in a flash, all human beings with the light of eternity!”

Picture of Master CVV from the book

I shared the answer of Sri Kumar with some close friends, and I received a reply from an old “fellow traveller”. On my request he wrote: “You are most welcome to use what I say in terms of ‘a group member said’ but thank you for respecting that I do not want to be named.” Of course. We have a regular correspondence, and it is fascinating to me.

Here are some extracts from his email, reduced to what is relevant in this context:

“So, just a few thoughts, logic based and not ‘intuitive-knowing’ based. I have told you some of this. When I met KPK in xxx in xxx we went for a walk together and the conversation was far reaching. He said that He and I had been together before and that we had been with DK as doctors in the German army during the war. “The war” would be the conflict from 1914-1945. So, that puts us both in incarnation somewhere during this time. He said that DK transmitted the Bailey books from Germany and not from Tibet. He told me that DK was so advanced that He could ‘save the planet by Himself.’

On very many occasions KPK has demonstrated to me a deep and intimate knowledge of the workings of KH’s ashram. I once saw Aurobindo and EK standing together. I asked KPK and he said yes that they were in KH’s ashram. He told me that he had been sent to help EK in his work and that they would send someone to me to help me with mine. …

I have been told by xxx that he was with KPK in Argentina. They took him out for dinner or entertainment and there was a show featuring the Tango. I guess it was pretty sexual, the dance. xxx and the others were embarrassed and embarrassed for the teacher. KPK reportedly joked, not to worry that this would help him “take the 5th.”

And, recently he gave me His CVV medium number.

So, I do know of what Sabine has said that KPK is THE incarnation of CVV. But the above pieces do not necessarily fit with this hypothesis.

A full incarnation of an Avatar, coming as less then a full Master at birth? KPK himself reincarnated at the 4th degree and with a CVV medium number….. In incarnation as a co-worker with DK, perhaps, at the same time CVV was in his body.

I think these pieces point toward KPK being a medium of CVV, yes, overshadowed and demonstrating the energy of Synthesis and aspects of CVV’s mind. But, I’m thinking he could not be CVV as a reincarnate…

Of course I do NOT KNOW. “Above my pay grade” as we say… I just assemble pieces using what logic I can use. When Sabine made the claim about KPK as CVV, it did not ‘feel’ right inside.

I asked him and he only smiled but did not answer.

Sabine is a very faithful devotee, I’m not sure that helps with reason sometimes. …

I am committed to KPK, EK, the WTT for life. It all came to me ‘from the inside out’ and KPK as KPK has told me, ‘I am in you.’ It is very clear that I am in his gaze. I think if he was 4th degree and taking the 5th, and if he is a medium of CVV, this changes nothing for me at all. I have not need for him to be the Full incarnation of the Avatar of Synthesis….”

Another close friend who followed the discussion wrote to me: “For me also, it was kind of strange and hard to believe that KPK is CVV. Maybe mainly because when you call for CVV or KPK, this is not the same vibration… Moreover, I noted that KPK is really answering very precisdly to any question, not 1% beside the question. If you look what you asked: “Has it been given by Master CVV or is it a claim of the followers?” and what he answered: “Return of Master CVV in 1945 has been a prophecy, recorded in the Tamil books of his followers.” it seems very clear that word to word, he’s pointing out the “claim of the followers”…

Things inside me fell again into an order. When a friend asked me why I was so eager to know, I replied, “It is about self-knowledge and truth – do I believe something because others have said so or is it in accordance with my own inner intuition? And if it is not, I better not accept it – though I respect the insights of the others.”

There was an echo in my mind of the lines in Secret Doctrine (Vol. III, page 401) quoted also by AA Bailey: “The Lord Buddha has said that we must not believe in a thing said merely because it is said… “I taught you not to believe merely because you have heard, but when you believed of your consciousness, then to act accordingly and abundantly.”

Photo of a 3-d picture of Master CVV, taken in the house of a friend

Beginning of June, when I met Sri Kumar in Hergiswil, he gave me a warm welcome and pointed to some cookies and chocolate on the table: “Take some”.

I answered, “I must be careful” and pointed to my stomach. He smiled and replied, “In our age it is no longer necessary.”

So I took a cookie and I saw him later take one, too. I forgot about the episode.

My body weight is an issue for me since my childhood…

When three weeks later we were in the hotel in Paris, I shared a room in the apartment, which was the “dining hall” for Sri Kumar and his close company. The rest of us had our meals in another apartment, and I used to silently slip out of my room to the other one. The last day in the morning, I saw Sri Kumar casually talking with Sabine and Anna and I had the impulse to ask if I could join. He said, “Yes, please come”.

He then smilingly remarked, “You look a bit thinner – did you lose weight?” I replied, “I’m happy when I can keep it stable.”

He continued: “Agastya, Master Jupiter (he is the eldest of the Masters of Wisdom) is always fasting though he eats great quantities of food. But he doesn’t live in the consciousness of eating. He has realised that the food he takes is Brahman and that it is Brahman who is eating the food. In this consciousness the food which is Brahman nourishes the body which is Brahman, and so Agastya is not eating.  This is real fasting. Not eating keeps the mind with eating. When you realise that the whole process is only Brahman, then you won’t put on any weight. It won’t stick to the body. Just offer it to Brahman and see that it is Brahman who eats.”

He then started singing:
“Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir / Brahmagnau Brahmanaahutam / Brahmaiva Tena Ghantavyam / Brahmakarma Samadhina
Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva / Praninaam Dehamaashritaha / Pranapana Samayuktah / Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham”

I knew these verses from the Bhagavad Gita. I later looked them up on the web and found them on the Sathya Sai website:

“The act of offering is God, the oblation is God / By God it is offered into the Fire of God / God is That which is to be attained by him / who performs action pertaining to God.
Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings / mingling with the subtle breaths, / I digest the four kinds of food.”

I remembered that a friend had recorded the melody last January in India, with Parvathi Varanasi, the sister of Sri Kumar, singing it. In traditional Indian families, it is sung before you eat a meal. I’m just learning it by heart. It reminds me to realise that it’s not me eating but the Divine, and that the food is also divine.

The sweets on the table

A few days ago I read an article about the German national team at the World Cup in Brazil – not about their sport performance, which I followed only vaguely, but their fashion.

The article remarked that though the German team never had much sympathy in Switzerland the trendy soccer viewer should notice that the Germans are trend-setters:

Unlike all players of other teams who wear tattoos, long hair, beards or use other ways “to make a difference”, the German team is “breathtakingly inconspicuous”. Even in their physique they are no muscle-men. He wrote that he took “normcore” as a media hype but that this team displays a “hardcore normal existence” – demonstrating that even no special hairstyle is needed to win a match.

Not just normcore – the international football birds of the “Fifa Bird Cup” 2014 on a garage door at the Lake Lucerne

I had to think of what Master CVV teaches about “normal temperament” as a fundamental attitude required in spiritual life. Sri Kumar explains it:

“Do not live above the ground. Be practical and be normal. Have no anxiety in you that others should recognise that you are spiritual. Make no efforts to enable others to understand that you are spiritual. As far as possible, keep a veil. As far as your spiritual understanding is concerned transact with the other person as a normal human being. Always keep the spiritual understanding in the background. Do not use too many spiritual terms in your anxiety to make others know that you are also spiritual. If possible, hide it. Wait to understand the other person, speak to him in the same language and terms that he speaks. Don’t use terms which he does not use. … You carry your understanding in you and then according to the others’ understanding you transact with him on that plane. Keep the higher understanding in you. Don’t vomit your higher understanding. At all levels meet the understanding of the other man.”

So let’s retain normal temperament in all events of life.

Admiring the Bird Cup pictures….

Last Wednesday I was at a meeting of Sri Kumar with members of the Swiss WTT group in Hergiswil (I met him there already on 6 June) . It was the end of his 57th tour to the West and he had invited us for a question-answer exchange; 10 persons could come.

With his smile he gave us a warm welcome and remarked that there is no need to sit in a school-like manner. Then he presented his wife, his son and his nephew to the group, who were accompanying him on the tour.

I took the occasion to ask the first question: “How can we better work together as a group?” – and here is what he answered – clear and inspiring as always:

“For a group to be together there has to be a common work. Common work has to be found between the members of the group, what a work can be done, it should serve the group. This should be found. This develops group consciousness. Man normally tends to be individualistic, some part of him can be individualistic and a major part has to be groupal. This develops the personality. When we relate to the group there is an exchange of energies in the group and therefore the individualisation; the process of individualisation takes to a different dimension of group. While staying individualistic the group consciousness is also developed. By this, there is the exchange of groupal energies and the related joy.

When we are alone at home is one thing and when we are in a group is another thing. Normally everyone is locked in oneself. If the exchange is not made one crystallizes in oneself. In a group by exchange the one learns from the other. By nature when we are alone we tend to be individualistic; we cannot adapt to the surroundings. For the personality to develop it is important to adjust. Therefore man is in a community. You cannot exchange with the entire society but people who have the same ideas can come together and do something for the community. For that the wisdom says, community living, group living, community meals and prayers, community work, that is how community is formed to experience group consciousness.

In a group there is sharing of energy. Slowly working with the energies makes a group a family. A family is a group where there is a free flow of energy. Today the family is in a danger. The individualisation is causing walls between the members. More and more one gets individualised. One gets disconnected with all the surrounding life energies. The consciousness that we are is universal. Universal consciousness expresses individually, like one electricity expresses as so many lights. Consciousness always looks for unity and not separativity. A natural group like a family is today no more able to work as a group; this leads to an excessive individualism which is contrary to the nature of consciousness.

Consciousness is by nature staying united. Excessive individualisation leads to excessive mind. Even if there is someone sitting next to you there is no relation to him. In nature, it is a family system; the flowers live together as a bunch of flowers and not as single flowers. A bunch of flowers is more beautiful than individual flowers. There is strength in being together. Today more and more is tending to be intellectual and individual; it is difficult to tolerate another person next to him and less to exchange with him. Today people feel the company of a cat, a dog or a rat better than a man next to them. That is a demonstration of intolerance towards co-human beings. The person withdraws, and it forms a prison towards the consciousness he really is. Therefore there is a suffering in individualism. The wisdom teachings instruct from individuality to personality and from personality to group consciousness, from group consciousness to universal consciousness. The contrary is a process of condensation; everything becomes very strict in life. Nature has the tendency to reverse the inversion. It is like a flower that unfolds, it doesn’t show its beauty when it is closed.

We look at a bud of a flower and wait for it to unfold. Likewise each one of us can unfold like a flower with 8 layers of petals. Then the potential for real human being is realised. The reversing process of excessive individualism for this group living is given. We try to bring together our strength so that we can do common work – the common work, common study, common prayer, common eating, common travel. When these things periodically happen, this would release a person from constriction. In the beginning of 20^th century especially to the west the concept of group work has been imparted by teachers of wisdom.

Before the 2 world wars of 20^th century, there was a good family system, even in the European and American countries. By industrialisation there has been a change in the way of life, leading to individuals becoming more a system than the group. This has led to excessive individualism. The consequence of individualism is strong individual viewpoints – what I think is right. There is no way to accommodate another viewpoint. When one lives continuously in one pattern he cannot see other viewpoints. It tends to make intolerant towards other viewpoints. It reduced the vision to a single viewpoint. And one tries to impose one’s viewpoint on the other.

We see that each one of us has a different viewpoint as per the food, the weather, the life events. To some less salt is tasty, for others more salt. That both possibilities are there is not realised. Sun is good for some, for others it is good when it is clouded. To be able to see from every viewpoint leads one to vision. To stand by one’s viewpoints leads to excessive individualism and he cannot see the beauty of nature.

What is comfort? There are different views, also what is tasty, what weather is good – in everything there are different views. To be able to accommodate the different views and develop a vision, that is group consciousness. When we group together, it is different from personalities grouping together. We should see the difference as complementary but not as disagreement. That is where frequent meetings and doing something together is a way to liberate oneself. If you are just individuals – I do my own breakfast, I drive my car to my work, I see just my work and am not related to people around; I take my own meals and don’t participate in the meals with others and then I drive again home, I cook and eat and watch TV – all alone. When no life is shared the beauty of human potential is not shared.

The rose bud can unfold by being in relation to others. The whole life in its beauty is to see it in relation. The more you are related to the surroundings, beginning with the humans, the energy flows out and you keep opening. If you only take the energy inside, even by prayers, you remain a closed bud. When you observe yourself while traveling – there are many people but no one relates to the other. This way we build walls between each other and restrict substantially our potential of experiencing life. Where there is communication there is the joy of unfoldment.”

The other questions were about “Music”, “Dealing with Crises”, “Working with plants / a plant mantra”, “Burnout / colours for healing”. As usual, I had my notebook with me and took notes of the interesting answers – otherwise the words seem to quickly vanish. Of course, they were recorded but normally I don’t take the time for listening to it.

After the exchanges we had a 30 minutes meditation, starting with 7 times OM and ending with OM Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. We then had a joyful spaghetti dinner together and afterwards Sri Kumar said good-bye by shaking hands to each one.

While driving home 1.5 hs, some of his replies kept lingering in my mind.

A view out of the window from the dinner table

After the solstice seminar in Billerbeck, Germany, I joint members of the Belgian WTT-group for the trip to Belgium and Paris. A beautiful summer-day ride brought us to Corroy-le-Grand, where most of the members of the group are living together in several houses on the countryside. I have been there a number of times before, I love the cordiality of the group. On their compound, they have since a few years the Centre Caducée, a therapy centre of a doctor and his wife. I slept in one of the rooms, where some welcome-flowers were at a little table. On the other side of the therapy building they had arranged a room for the group meditations. It looked to me like a chapel with a beautiful triangular mirror at the gable. A bit later, I observed Elise decorating the little altar with a careful hand:

The Centre Caducée

The triangular mirror with a glass crystal reflecting like the eye of God

Elise arranging flowers

A little later, a quarter to 9 pm, the group with Sri Kumar arrived, and there was a warm welcome. We gathered in the house, and while some of the ladies were doing the final preparations for dinner, we sat together with Sri Kumar in the living room. His conversations, always accompanied with a light smile, are very sprightly. After a spaghetti dinner we had a short night before we assembled around 5.45 for the morning meditation. And after breakfast we sat out for the tour to Paris.

The group after morning meditation

A fast highway ride brought us to Paris – and we were thrilled when we saw the Seine River with the Eiffel Tower appearing. Our hotel was just a kilometer away.

After a little noon pause in the hotel Günter and I started a bit earlier than the others for the seminar place. Günter had a larger map of the metro stations from an earlier visit to Paris, and he showed me a metro station near the Eiffel Tower which wasn’t on the small map Martine had given. We went over the Champs de Mars but didn’t find the station. So we crossed below the Eiffel Tower to another station where we saw that it would be better to continue walking to the next one… There we asked at the information desk – Günter’s map was too old, the metro was no longer working. Finally we set out to our underground trip through Paris. At one change we bumped into the group of the other members who had started later … the first Paris adventure.

Crossing under the Eiffel Tower during the first excursion

The two “Meeting of Solar and Spiritual Astrology of East and West” with Master Kumar were at a centre of the Brahma Kumaris – a hall with an entrance from a beautiful small garden. About 90 persons had gathered for the first evening. We had to wait 45 minutes for the arrival of Sri Kumar – his taxi got stuck in a traffic jam. (I had a nice talk with an elderly lady sitting next to me….) Then the conference started. Two well-known French astrologers, Fanchon Pradalier-Roy and Samuel Djian-Gutenberg gave interesting inputs to the topics “Astrology as the science of the Soul”, “What can Astrology give to the World in this time of crisis of planetary evolution?” “Which is the place of astrology in the New Age?” During the pause I was at a table where we displayed some books, leaflets and Lunar Messengers and had some short exchanges with interested visitors.

Fanchon Pradalier-Roy

Samuel Djian-Gutenberg

Then came the talk of Master Kumar – a great talk. The same sequence repeated the next day but whereas the two French astrologers gave once more the talk they had given the day before (and the visitors were told just to come for one evening), Sri Kumar continued and his inspiring talk became deeper and deeper. Below the picture you find a short extract of my notes from the second lecture.

The speakers and organisers

“It is a great opportunity to be in Paris. Paris is a global city. It is built in tune with the 7^th ray energy. You see all masonic symbols on the structures of this city and many astrological symbols. Most of the old buildings have the masonic wisdom. It is well supported by the river which flows north-west. What is flowing towards the north or east are considered energies towards the spirit. Paris is the capital city of France and represents its incarnation in terms of energies.

The Eiffel Tower is a great symbol of spirituality. I may or may not but I got up every time up. 7 times it has happened. The Eiffel Tower is a great symbol of the spinal column. It has 4 pillars on the 4 directions. They represent the 4 petals of the Muladhara and from there is the upward movement structure up to Ajna where there is the headlight. And that light in the night shines forth in the night all over the city. The overviewing aspect of the human is in his Ajna centre. We also call it the throne of man. There are 2 thrones, one is in the heart and one is at the Ajna. The centre in heart is considered as the Lion’s throne, and when it is in the Ajna… When we ascend to the heart we are called Yogis and when at the Ajna we are called Raja Yogis. This means a king of Yogis. That is the goal set for humans.

Thereafter to related to the extra-terrestrial and get into the higher systems and for the higher system to get into us there is the Sahasrara, the 1000 petaled lotus. If we wish to get into the 1000 petaled lotus, we must no more relate to the world. This is Samadhi. This aspect is not yet built on the Eiffel tower. Otherwise it would get into another dimension. That is the goal set in 1889. It is a goal set for France in 1889 that the French raise in their awareness from solar plexus to Ajna. And the first step is to move to the heart and then to the Ajna. When you move up there is a middle level. The first lift takes you to the heart. The second lift takes you to a long journey via the throat to the Ajna. Staying there, closing your eyes and meditating gives the blessing. When he returns he feels the highness when he returns. Up there you are much in the light, and below there is shadow. Every day, thousands move up and come down but if you do it as a pilgrimage, it would have a different impact on all of us. Every great city is not to be seen as a tourist but as a pilgrim. The approach is as a pilgrim and for this the life has to be organised as a pilgrimage.”

The next morning our group went to the Eiffel Tower. There we met Thot and his friends who had organised the conferences. It was not possible to get group tickets any-more but we got a bunch of individual tickets. And then went up…

On the Champs de Mars

View from below – with maintenance constructions.

Thot and Sri Kumar

Afterwards the group went for a boat ride on the Seine River and had some nice inside into the history and present times of Paris.

The second day the group visited the Louvre Palace with the famous glass pyramid. I had to leave a little earlier to catch the train to Switzerland around noon time. The others had some more sightseeing and went to the Arc de Triomphe before returning to Belgium for the continuation of the tour to Hamburg.