For the monthly paintings I take the inspirations mainly from the book “Spiritual Astrology” by Master EK (E. Krishnamacharya). I’m regularly reading in this book for over 12 years, but still there is quite a lot which I don’t understand. It is a very dense text, but when reading it a lot of images arise before my inner eye. And so I try to capture them with the paintings.

We just entered the sign of Aquarius. When reading the chapter on Aquarius I was fascinated by the description of the downpour of the energies from cosmic planes down to our planet. The description of the Ashwins, the Vedic twin Gods as winged horses made me think of Pegasus. I searched for an adequate representation and found a picture of a little statue of a winged horse which I took as a starting point. Below you see the figures of the two sages Vasishta on the right and Agastya on the left. They have a cosmic and a terrestrial dimension, guiding spiritual Hierarchies on our earth.

In the centre of the upper triangle you see the pot of Aquarius from where the waters of life are pouring out incessantly, though there is an opening on the other side where nothing flows in – the mystery of the Aquarian energies. In the centre of the lower triangle there is a picture of Uranus who receives the energies for our system. And below you see a triangle of mountains surrounding a huge lotus into which the energies are received. The vessel is on the planet but also in our heart. You see the Blue Mountains of the Nilagiris in the front, Mount Kailash in the right back – and from the “Swiss Himalayas” the Matterhorn at the left…

And if you have a close look, you see in the centre of the downpour a Deva figure…

Here are some thoughts arranged from “Spiritual Astrology” and “The Aquarian Master”, describing the spiritual dimension expressed in the painting:

“The One manifests as two and the two interact with each other, making various systems. The one centre from where these two energies descend is called “Aswins” or the twin Gods. The sign Aquarius represents this state, in which the two potencies are concealed, which form the expressions of time and space, of the divine breath. They are called Mitra and Varuna or the “Not untrue Beings”, because they are beyond the real and the unreal. They descend from the supra-cosmic plane as the twin horses with wings. They both conceive the great dweller of the supra-cosmic plane as Vasishta and in the cosmic plane as Agastya. These two seers preside over the spiritual dwellers of their respective planes. At the planetary level, Vasishta functions through the Himalayan Hierarchy and Agastya through the Blue Mountains. The two Hierarchies represent the two triangles. Vasishta governs the higher triangle and Agastya the tower triangle.” (From: “Spiritual Astrology” and “The Aquarian Master“)

25 September 2012, A 5, pencils, crayons and photo work on paper

Since last Monday we are following the seminar with Sri Kumar. We – that is a group of 37 persons from the West, and we are here at the Retreat Centre of the WTT in Visakhapatnam.
The week passed by extremely fast. Monday evening we were received at the house of Sri Kumar for a sumptuous dinner in a leisurely atmosphere. The other days we had morning and afternoon lectures and good time for exchanges.

At the lecture

Sunrise seen from my balcony

Thursday early morning we were again at the house of Sri Kumar for meditation and fire ritual in his garden.

Afterwards the bus brought us to the Planetary Healing Centre, my favourite place here, a little paradise garden at the beach road north of Visakhapatnam. We sat under some cashew trees in front of an old Maitreya statue, which the group had beautifully garlanded and listened to the words of Sri Kumar. They were accompanied by the cra-cra of the ravens which were jumping about in the trees.

When we sung the mantra OM Namo Narayanaya and the Maitreya song together, I felt uplifted and thrilled by the magnetic ambiance.
At about 1 pm we assembled in the Healing Centre for a silent meditation of 15 minutes, listening to the continuous sound of OM being played in the hall. Sri Kumar had explained about the centre before:

„The centre is built with the inspiration of the Greek healer Asclepius in 1991. Asclepius was a great healer and he cured many incurable cases. He had a centre in the nature where he was healing and teaching. There were people coming to get cured in the healing centre. Three days and three nights the people were put to healing and were also given food that he distributed.
I was so inspired in Greece that when I came back to India a person wanted to have a good service activity I thought that we could do a similar work here and it was found in contemplation that this place was earlier used by a great saint who left healing energy in the place. It is also believed that in this state there is a snake with a gem in the hood. The place is dedicated to the Sun God. The temple is seven times 7 feet in diameters and 7 times 7 high and again a 7 feet cupola. Inside the temple there are 7 circles where you can sit and meditate. In the centre the pillar is of 7 inches. In the place there is a sphere from Iguazu falls. We got it here at 1st January 1995 and the temple was inaugurated. People come and meditate here. The only sound used in the temple is the sacred sound OM. Every year we do a class here, we pray and have our food to relate to the place.

And so it was also this year. After lunch and siesta we sat under the trees talking, and some of us went to the nearby ocean to have a swim or walk along the sandy beach.

Later in the afternoon the bus brought us to Ramadri, the place of Rama. Over the years the World Teacher Trust has developed the site lying at the foot of a hill slope overlooking the Bay of Bengal. A powerful atmosphere has been created there through some mantric and ritualistic work.

A huge statue of Hanuman, blessing the onlookers – with the moon in its 7th ascending phase above the head.

There is now a little school maintained by the group where village children are given free schooling and food. A growing number of cows is maintained there as a cow worship and to give milk for the children and the villagers.

And there are many little shrines and statues all over the place with beautiful flowers, especially Tulsi, the holy basil, Banyan and Ficus Religiosa trees.

The Sun God riding on a chariot with 7 horses, the 7 rays of light

Sri Kumar and his wife planting some new Tulsi plants

We had some tea and sweets and afterwards at nightfall our evening meditation before we returned back home to Visakhapatnam.

At the evening meditation

Friday morning around 3.15 I got up to get ready for the Guru Pooja celebrations – and to be in time in the bathroom… In the bus all were still quite tired, when we rode through the city still asleep. At the Guru Pooja premises, however, the morning rituals were already going on in the huge hall, which had been prepared with colourful cloth. The morning prayer was followed by the lecture of Sri Kumar – about the path of discipleship and the 5th work of Hercules – Gathering the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.

After breakfast a number of parents with the small children gathered before the stage for the small ceremony of introduction into reading, where Sri Kumar made the child write the sacred letter OM and intonated the mantram OM Namah Sivaya. Then the ladies sat in long rows for the Lalitha Pooja, a worship of the divine Mother. It is always a very sacred atmosphere, where the rhythmic hymns resound in the air.

The day passed fast, with the afternoon pause in the palm forest, the evening prayer followed by the lecture of the Master. It was again late when returned to the Retreat Centre and dropped into our beds.

Saturday morning the Western brotherhood meditated with the Master on the dais, a very uplifting experience to sit in the centre of the energies in front of the pictures of the Great Ones

Later after the lecture the Rudra Abhishekam started, the water ritual in honour of the first cosmic ray of Divine Will. Sri Kumar and Smt. Kumari intonated the hymns, while Ravi Shankar conducted the ritual on the stage. The water symbolises the waters of space, the cosmic ethers from which all creation comes out and into which it is dissolved again. The water is poured over an oval stone, a Lingam, symbol of the creative force of the divine will, Shiva. There is a statue of a 7-hooded serpent behind the lingam, symbolising the 7 aspects of the divine energies, the 7 rays. The water flows down over the Lingam into a receptacle. It later distributed to the participants. A sublime and serene atmosphere spread throughout the air with the rhythmic mantric invocations, spreading bliss and upliftment.

Around 11 am there was the part of the Fusion of East and West. Representatives from the different countries of the west present at the Guru Poojas – Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Argentina – came to the podium to speak about their experiences with the wisdom teachings and the related transformations in their lives.

First Sri Kumar spoke about the meaning of fusion of east and west. Here are some extracts from my notes.
“The fusion of East and West is conducted under the auspicious guidance of the Great Teachers of Hierarchy. The west is looking for the inner wisdom. Wisdom is compartmentalised and then considered as eastern and western wisdom, Greek wisdom Egyptian wisdom, Mayan wisdom… It is only one wisdom expressing in many ways. It is proposed by every true teacher that the student should dive into himself and find the truth within himself. The universal wisdom he realises; initially he was matter-bound or bound in the head. He travelled to the east in him. The travel is from the west in him to the east in him, from the base centre to the ajna. For each one of us the two have to meet in the heart centre. The east and west meet in the heart, that is where love, synthesis, truth prevail. From material to spirit. The soul is equidistant to spirit and matter. It is the point where spirit and matter agree. One is not denying the material world or the spiritual world.
That is the state of the yogi. That state should happen within oneself before one travels from east to west or from west to east. He starts thinking from the heart, working from the heart and he becomes hearty. That attitude is to be reached. It is transcending of mind to buddhi, mortality to immortality. That is the immediate work of Hierarchy, that we transcend the illusion of death… The related wisdom is taught in the morning and evening classes. Man is taught to turn within himself, conquer the obstacles and find the implements within himself.
The vertical energy which exists in him can lead him to the higher worlds or to the grosser worlds. That is the work of fusion of east and west. That is the work first envisioned by Madam Blavatsky – the importance of the ancient teachings that existed in the east and in the west and in between. These earliest schools of wisdom existed, but with the advent of Kali (the dark age) the wisdom disappeared and only the religions were there with exclusive attitudes. Through Madam Blavatsky the Hierarchy informed at large the entire globe that the wisdom had always been there and it had not been an exclusive concept. Seek first the wisdom within oneself and then see it in the east and west. And then the teachings of Madam Bailey coming from the hierarchy and about 3000 groups were formed around the globe. Wisdom came through Master CVV and his yoga synthesisis. It came from Europe, North America and South America.
From Europe it comes to North and South America, this was also said by Master EK and can be seen in the books. And the teachings through colour, sound and symbol, number and also form can only be realised through a specific way of life called the Path. Unless one consecrates oneself to the path one cannot discover the wisdom. The transformation happens when one undergoes certain exercises of discipleship. The universal group beyond caste, creed, religion. Satyam Nasti Paro Dharma – there is no religion higher than truth, Mme Blavatsky said. Today the world is divided by religion, this is Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Hindus, Christians, Hebrews, etc. This had a dominance the last 2000 years. To break these divisions is a major work of Hierarchy, to bring back the truth. The humanity at large is exposed to truth, when the universe is seen as macrocosmos and humanity as microcosmos. That wisdom is available in the western countries… In tune with the energies that came to the planet the religious idea must die. Religion is a sectarian approach to truth.
In this context people who were touched by the teachings of Mme Blavatsky, Mme Bailey, Nicholas and Helena Roerich came into contact with the World Teacher Trust. If we do the fire ritual, the significance is explained, if we do the water ritual, the significance is explained. If we do it without awareness it becomes a routine, if you do it with awareness it becomes a ritual.
Christ can be seen in everyone, in the heart of the beings. It becomes the heart. It is the Lord and if you exclude the Lord who is worshipped in another form it is a limitation. God exists in every name, form, every member. To see God in every form forms the basis of truth seeking. Those gathered in the World Teacher Trust are looking for this comprehensive truth. It is not that we are establishing a hierarchy of Master CVV, MN, EK. It is not propagating certain Masters, but the Masters. The World Teacher has an army of teacher, and all who have committed to the Hierarchy are in this work. In the occult meditations coming form Master CVV you find Egyptian, Hebrew, Christian, Eastern wisdom. In that we proceed. It is the case here and also outside India. We teach the child to transform, to transform the family system, all the sacraments, marriage, to develop a good way of life.”…

Afterwards the boys who participated in the Upanayanam ceremony (initiations into Gayatri came into the hall and received the blessings of the Master.

In the little palm forest – I love so much the idyllic atmosphere.

Sitting at the computer in the hall

Sunday morning after breakfast there was the grand fire ritual in honour of the 2nd Logos, the Vishnu Homam. Vedic hymns were intonated and the flames of he fire rose high while the different devas were invoked. Afterwards there was a presentation of the new publications of Dhanishta Editions, mostly in Telugu.

Early morning ceremony of Ganesha-worship – for a good beginning of the day

The butter lights in front of the altar

Fire ritual

Book presentation – new editions of Master EK’s works

Thursday morning started with a fire ritual conducted by Sri Kumar and Smt Kumari-Garu in the retreat centre.

The morning fire ritual

Afterwards we were served “umma”, a delicious dish like couscous, and bananas. Around 10 am a very old bus arrived to bring us to Simhachalam to visit the temple. It had a beautiful old diesel roar, awakening like a dragon. Slowly we were rolling through Visakhapatnam, then the road was changing between small bumpy parts and broad lanes with many streetlamps – in the wilderness. Finally we arrived at Simhachalam downhill and the bus immediately started climbing the hill to the uphill station. We were told not to take any phones, cameras and the like to the temple, since now they were strictly forbidden and we would be controlled at the entrance. So we left the luggage in a taxi.

Starting the bus ride

Group members in the bus

Sri Kumar and Kumar Garu joined us at the entrance of the temple. It seemed that the rule with the cameras was valid only for us – inside the temple compound Indians were waiting for us and taking shots in front of the temple entrance – and inside.
In the inner chamber of the temple we participated in a worship ritual, singing the mantram OM Namo Narayanaya. It was a thrilling atmosphere – especially when the priest waved the camphor light and gave us some sacred tulsi herbs together with some water with cardamom. There was a new brass statue of Lord Narasimha at the inner sanctum – and already at the outside there were many new colourful statues of him in different positions. Also different parts of the temple compound were freshly painted and the huge temple entrance door shone in fresh gold colour.

The temple tower is shining through the trees

The huge banyon tree in front of the temple compound

After the visit we descended the long stairway down into the valley to the Guru Pooja compound at Simhachalam downhill, where we were served lunch. Then we went to a small palm forest for a “siesta”. A friend from Barcelona did a special deep relaxation exercise which made me dive deep inside – it opened a profound silence in me.

Around 5.15 pm the Guru Pooja celebration began with a little ritual of Sri Kumar at the Ganesha statue at the backside of the hall, followed by lighting the candles at the main altar and the recitation of mantric songs. After the evening prayer Master Kumar started his lecture in Telugu. It was translated into English and then to German and Spanish. I took my notes in English. Later, after dinner, we drove back to the retreat centre, while most of the Indian members stayed on the Guru Pooja compound at Simhachalam. Answering some e-mails and then I fell asleep – for a short night rest.

Monday morning after breakfast – I had some difficulties with all the chilli-food, but there wasn’t anything else – our driver set out to show us a number of placed which Gokul had instructed him to show us. We first went to a little sanctum on top of the hill. We had to queue up a stair and there was a little shrine with the sanctum of the feet of the Lord which we touched.

Walking up to the little shrine

“Holy bangles” bound to the lamppost – a nice decoration way up to the shrine

Touching the “feet of the Lord”

Then we drove to a stone arch and a view down to a little “canyon” in the rocks.

Selling colourful necklaces

Afterwards we came to the place of “Akasha Ganga”, the cosmic stream of energy descending down to earth – water from a reservoir flew down through some gargoyles and people were washing their sins away in the downpour. A lovely place.

Akasha Ganga and the downpour of “cosmic waters of space”…

… washing away all the sins of the pilgrims – I decided that since I had other holy baths there were no more sins left to be washed away 🙂

We then came to another place of “Akasha Ganga” – a waterfall in the forest where people were standing in the waters and doing worship. It was a most idyllic place, and I enjoyed very much standing in the knee-deep water and near the waterfall.

The idyllic river

Standing in the water and rejoycing the scene like a little child

The sites were always surrounded by souvenir shops with all kinds of devotional objects. At the last place there was an old man with a monkey whom you could let jump on your head – an image of your “monkey-mind”.

The “monkey mind”

The water reserve for Tirumala

After some pause in our room we went by foot to the outside of the temple compound to take some photos which the day before we couldn’t do in the queue. It was a huge compound and many people with colourful dresses were flowing in and out. Many had cut their hair as a sign to leave back their old lives and start a new beginning.

Entering the temple compound of Tirumala

The entrance gate of the main temple. In the queues surrounding it we had waited 2 hours the day before.

View of the sanctum. The cupola and the interiour are made of pure gold

A little stage besides the main temple, with a replica of the statue of Lord Venkateshvara and on his left side the great poet-initiate Annamacharya, who had been here 500 years ago.

A huge tree with long air-roots near one of the bus-stands.

We afterwards took one of the orange-golden free buses which are continuously going around the city. We had to press in to get a place, but after a while when we came to the outer areas the bus became emptier. It was very impressive to see this city which just housing pilgrims and temples – the main temple being the most important one in India. In all of the crowds we didn’t see any other non-Indian coloured face.

Inside the bus

Tuesday morning we set out to our trip to Chennai. It took about an hour until all formaliTies of check-out wore settled – bureaucracy at its best. The hairpin-bends down the hill, then through villages and vast countrysides – it too nearly 6 hours for the 160 km ride to the airport.

We enjoyed the evening flight to Visakhapatnam, where a group member was already waiting with a taxi to pick us up. We went a zig-zag drive through backside-roads which I had never seen; for a while we had to wait in front of a level crossing without gates until the train started again.

Finally we arrived at the retreat centre and received a warm welcome by the group members who had arrived already earlier. Tired but very happy I unpacked my luggage and had the first spice-free dinner since the last week 🙂

Sunday morning after meditation and breakfast we set out on our journey to Tirupati-Tirumala, to visit the temple of Venkateshvara, the Lord of the Seven Hills. The evening before I had received a short e-mail from a friend in the States: “I just looked up your temple visit. The most visited religious place in the world with 50-100,000 people per day. Gulp….. I can feel my claustrophobia coming up! Enjoy.”…

Gokul, a group member from Bangalore, willed to accompany us. Nataraj gave some instructions as per the tour and the driver, we said good-bye to Tapovan and started.

The entrance of Tapovan – now our exit place

Nataraj giving us last instructions – he had very well prepared the details with the driver

Gokul and Meinrad at the taxis, “ready for take-off”

On the highway – reaching the outskirts of Bangalore. Again and again we saw scenes, where the Swiss police would be totally shocked – and which are totally normal here:

Bangalore is a huge city and it took a long time till I had the feeling that we are leaving the outskirts.

First it was a good 4-lane highway, it later grew smaller and became more winding. Interesting rock formations were seen alongside, like heaps of huge pebbles. Some were standing on the crest like ready to fall down.

It was already well past noontime that we arrived at Tirupati, the downhill station. We approached a huge security control hall, where all cars were inspected inside and outside. In the past there had been some attempts of attacks on politicians who were visiting the temple and to prevent any terror activities these checkpoints had been set up. All luggage had to go through a x-ray scanner. They first didn’t want to allow me to take the small electric kettle with me, for an excessive use of pilgrims with their electric devices might cause problems with the current situation in the uphill station.

The security control hall

Then our taxi started to climb up the 18 km road through a park-like hillside. Behind the tree we could see the peaks of the hills.

Finally we entered the temple city of Tirumala. We decided to immediately go to queue in for the Darshan of Lord Venkateshvara, the Lord of the Seven Hills, Balaji, the energetic centre of Tirumala. A friend from Visakhapatnam informed us on the way that there is a special entrance for foreigners with an “express queue”. We had to leave cameras, luggage and footwear in the car. Gokul came with us to show us the way and speak with the temple officials. We had to register with our passports and to fill out a form declaring that we as non-Hindus, have faith in Lord Venkateshvara and reverence to him and his worship and that we therefore ask to be permitted to enter the temple and have darshan of the Lord. Gokul had to take another queue and wanted to meet us again at the end – which turned out as a weak point in the plan…

We then entered the queue, which slowly proceeded to fuse with another queue where pilgrims had been waiting already for a longer time. When someone tried to make a shortcut at the queue, there was wild uproar of protesters… The more we proceeded the more the queue became pressing. After two hours in the “express queue” we finally entered the holiest of the holy. The crowd was ecstatically singing / shouting “Hey Govinda” and lifting up their hands. For about 15-20 seconds we could see into a dark corridor at the end of which we saw the statue of Lord Ventakeshvara. Though already before there was a powerful energy in the air, I had the impression like receiving a dazzling flash of Light. It touched me to the core. I visualised sending it out over the world and to my near and dear ones…

We had to rush on and were directed to the Prasad counter, where we received two big and very sweet Laddus. We sat on a bench and waited for our Indian friend to come. After one hour we thought we wouldn’t find him again in this crowd. We didn’t know where we would spend the night or where our taxi was. Outside it had become dark. Luckily we had the paper-slip with the phone number of the driver which Nataraj had given us. Meinrad asked a pilgrim with a phone to ring up the number and found out where the driver was waiting. But since we couldn’t orient well, we had to ring him up again from an information stand and finally we found him. But he neither knew about Gokul. So we had to wait. After 75 minutes Gokul rung up and arrived. He was astonished to see us, he didn’t know that we had the phone number of the driver and couldn’t find us at the temple. He had taken 3hs15min in his “fast line” – normal lines take 8-10 hs way into the temple – the speed depending on the fee one pays… Gokul luckily had found in the queue a friend who was driving back to Bangalore in the night and would bring him back – he wanted to be at office next morning. So they planned to share driving through the night…

We were quite tired when we finally found a place in a rest-house. It was a huge building and our room had two metal beds with plastic mattresses – the covers and blankets were damp. Fortunately we had some linen ourselves. After a short wash with the cold water we quickly fell asleep.

The “Holy busses” with brass decoration in the form of elephant heads – free circular transportations departing every 5 minutes for a round-trip.

Four months ago a book in my library caught my attention after having been there silently for about 24 years, “A Short History of The Theosophical Society. Compiled by Josephine Ransom”, published in India in 1938 for 4 rupees. It had come to me with a bunch of other valuable books – with many works of Master EK – from an old German theosophist who let me chose from his library whatever I wanted; it was his legacy, and he died in November 1990, directly after a last visit to our home in Switzerland.

I haven’t read most of the books, but I hold them in good honour. The “History”, however, now had its turn for reading.

With great interest I went through the pages, seeing how Helena P. Blavatsky (H.P.B., or the “Madam” and Colonel Henry St. Olcott struggled to set up the Theosophical Society, how the Masters have frequently appeared to them and many others or how instructions had manifested in most mysterious ways. I also enjoyed reading how there had been a lot of quarrels and discussions – it wasn’t a “meeting of saints” – from the 17 founding members all except the Colonel and Madam dropped away. The two struggled tremendously to spread the teachings, but also to develop an understanding themselves. Quote p 243: “He often disagreed with her, and she with him. Those who knew them both intimately have left on record their admiration for his patient and uncomplaining endurance of her worst and most volcanic outbursts.” In his “Old Diary Leaves” he gave his best to “prevent any tendency to set her up as infallible, yet he cherished for her a great friendship”.

In a letter from Master KH to the Colonel that dropped into his cabin on a boat on 29 August 1888 the Master wrote to him, “H.P.B. has next to no concerns with administrative details, and should be kept clear of them… But this you must tell to all: – with occult matters she has everything to do… she is our direct agent…”

I took the book with me on the journey to India and was thrilled to read about their tours up and down the country. I came to know that Olcott had given lectures to large groups in Kumbhakonam at the time where Master CVV had been mayor there. He had been at other placed I also knew and he had given talks in Ooty in the Nilagiris and later been there for recovery after a very strenuous trip. I felt like travelling with them, feeling with them when worst calumnies were spread by traitors, how leading Indian members left out of protest because they didn’t want that “sacred secrets” were to be unveiled to the ignorant masses… And though I had read several times before how the Madam had struggled with great atrocities of members and foreigners as well as most severe health problems, it again touched me deeply to read about it – being in the Indian ambiance.

The day started with a great symphony of light over the mountains. We left the hotel around 9 o’clock; school boys and girls in green and red uniforms were rushing along the street. I was in a meditative mood looking over the tea plantations interspersed with mimosa or eucalyptus trees. After Ooty there came the steep descent into the valley, with 36 hairpin bends. We then entered again into the tiger reserve. After a while our driver stopped and said, “An elephant!” There was a huge black figure looking to us through the bushes. I waved to him, and as in reply he started waving with his trunk. For a moment there was a feeling of friendship and relatedness in the air.

Some moments later we saw other elephants, but as prisoners in chains, with a rider on the neck. I was reminded of an old book we saw at our visit in Mysore about “elephant training” in the beginning of the last century, how these huge animals were forced into traps, then “trained” with brutal violence to obey and later sent to the palace of the Maharaja for display of power… It seemed that there was sadness in the eye of the elephant.

The road continued through towns and cities – we crossed the living spaces of many people just for a short moment, like on-lookers from another planet. Small lorries packed with vegetable and some people sitting on the top, seemingly ready to fall off… Bullock carts with huge heaps of hay blocking lanes on a highway… I never found out on which side cars should double or drive – it seemed “anything goes”. And then tuck-tucks packed with 12 people or more, colourful trucks blowing clouds of black exhaust gas into the air, the whole mingling into a never ending flow. After 7 hours ride we arrived again at Tapovan in Bangalore, where a hot coffee helped us to revive our spirits.

Yesterday morning we went to the Kodanadu viewpoint, the goal of our journey to the Blue Mountains, the Nilagiris. Since I came to know of it in the early 90ies, I was fascinated by that spot, and I used a picture of it at the entrance of the good-will-site.

In the ethers around that place there is the ashram of Agastya, who in theosophical literature is called Master Jupiter and considered to be the Eldest of the Masters. He is well-known in the Eastern teachings and here in South India you find several places dedicated to him. Sri Kumar once called him jokingly the “James Bond” of the Masters, who steps in in times of crises of global dimension and otherwise remains withdrawn. Master CVV is considered to be one of his disciples. In one of his books Master EK gives a beautiful description of the visit of Master DK to this ashram about 5000 years ago to learn the secrets of the time key, astrology, there.

The place is about 18 km away from Kotagiri and 50 km from Ooty. We drove through beautiful tea plantations and were astonished to see many policemen everywhere: The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, a lady, is having a huge plantation there and was going to launch a campaign (not just for her own teas…).

Sitting in the presence of the mountain we did a meditation, tuning up to the energies present. You are not allowed to enter the area beyond the viewpoint, it is a protected natural reserve. Below the mountain there is a waterfall dispersing its load into the depth.

Suddenly a group of about 30 police-people came to the place. They were surprised to see us and said we are the only” white skins” around. The head of the group was a lady and there were several other ladies in uniform as well. We had a talk together, they wanted to have my e-mail address and then there was a photo shooting session…

This morning we went to Coonoor, about 50 km away, where we visited a botanical garden with huge old trees from the 19th and early 20th century – it breathed the charm of colonial times passed by.

Cleaning-up the world…

Then we went to a nearby viewpoint, from which we could see the “Dophin’s Nose” and another waterfall, the Catherine Falls. Our driver explained that in these areas there are still some adivasi-tribes (original inhabitants) living, far off of civilisation. We could see the place were we were staying at the hotel, but since there was a steep valley in between, the distance by road was about 50 km.

In the afternoon we had an ayurvedic massage in our hotel / spa. Since my cold and coughing was still strong I took a head massage, and while the therapist used my skull as a drum or produced on it the sound of a strong rain-shower, I relaxed well and after the shower felt like reborn.

1st of January in the morning we went to the Ashram of Sri Ganapathi Satchitananda, in Mysore, who is also quite known in the west, particularly for his concerts. He was to give a talk, and a son of the family we visited yesterday evening together with a friend volunteered to show us the ashram.

It was a very huge site, beautifully done. In a spacious music hall a big audience was waiting for the Master, who is considered to be an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Dattatreya, the cosmic teaching principle. Around 10 o’clock he arrived from a nearby hall where he just completed a fire ritual. There were some ceremonies and then he started talking in the local language.

We left after a while, and our young guided showed us the beautiful park full of bonsai trees, a special hobby of Sri Ganapathi. I never saw such a big collection of miniature trees from all corners of the planet, baobab from Africa, different ficus trees, little forest of geometrical trees…

A bonsai-tree of the planet-related trees, this one related to Sukra – Venus

An overgrown Ganesha-statue at teh entrance of the bonsai garden

A little statue of Lord Dattatreya in the bonsai garden

Then we visited another park with medicinal plants and statues of the zodiacal signs and their symbolism – a tremendous art work with hundreds of statues of finest sculpturing filled the place. And there was a very huge statue of Hanuman, the tallest of the world, which had been inaugurated some days before…

A statue done by over 100 artits, full of little heads, symbolising the suffering humanity which needs healing.

The beautiful statues of the zodiacal signs

After a coconut drink we left Mysore around noon time heading towards the Blue Mountains, the Nilagiris. Our driver had a very dashing style, doubling at places where I wouldn’t have dared… On the way up the mountain we saw beautiful eucalyptus forests, tea plantations and colourful little villages. We came through a tiger reserve – we didn’t see any tiger, but some wild elephants, wild pigs, fallow deer and of course monkeys…

The more we came up into the mountains the more the temperature went down. We passed through Ooty and finally we arrived at Kotagiri. In the meantime my cold had developed to a heavy caughing and sneezing. The countryside was enveloped in clouds and I asked myself whether we would be able to see the Durga mountain the next days, for which we had come – a special energy spot, an ashram in the etheric realms.