Monday morning the area was full of fog, when we went to the house of the head of the temple for morning meditation. Afterward my program was over – while the others went to visit the temple again and later a Hanuman temple, I went to bed – with “Indian intense intestine cleaning program through all channels” and sleeping till the moment of departure. And then 7.5hs bus ride, doped with allopathic medicine and looking like a ghost… I was very happy when the bus ride was over – but the group took very well care of me. Of course, I wasn’t the only one being treated by the “inside washing”.

Crossing the Godavari river bridge at Rajahmundry on the way back in the evening

We arrived past 10 – a quick jump into bed and up again early next morning. This morning, Tuesday, we had the final lecture by Sri Kumar followed by a first question-answer session. Again very intense – and though the look into the calendar says that the end is quickly approaching, I can’t “believe” it, the time is running so fast.

In the afternoon the busses brought us to the Daspalla hotel for a conference organised by the WTT and the Circle of Good Will India. Besides our group and members of WTT India there were a number of guest like the mayor of Visakhapatnam, the head of police and of another department the name I have forgotten. And quite some media people taking photos of the speakers and us. An Indian brother had told us before that normally they don’t invite the media, but they wanted to inform the public that the work the WTT is doing is beyond being a “Homoeo dispensary organisation” as they are perceived in the public.

First we had our evening meditation, then the conference started. The theme of the talks was Spiritual Fusion of East and West. Sri Kumar gave the introductory note. I liked very much how he spoke about the foundation of the World Teacher Trust by the establishment of Spiritual Hierarchy at the transition from Dwapara to Kali Yuga, the dark age in which we are living now. Some extracts from my notes, not literally:

“The World Teacher means Jagad Guru. We worship him in every person as the 2nd Logos or Vishnu who presides over the creation and who establishes and protects the law and order. The divine energy functions and expresses through the outstanding persons who contribute to the well-being of society serving the fellow beings and helping them to uplift society… The World Teacher is a principle available to those who seek from the Divine the ability to serve society better… The key is not to seek for you but for others. Many politicians were guided by Lord Maitreya and the invisible government.

He explained how Maitreya was a disciple of Parasara and how Krishna installed him at the time of his passing as the world teacher for this dark age, how he had learned before to live in several bodies at a time and continue living. This is mentioned at several places in the Puranas, but the Indians in general haven’t realised the role and importance of Lord Maitreya and the group of Masters he formed for this work, they have focused more on worshipping Krishna than on understanding the work Maitreya does. He is the teacher for the entire humanity and not the east or west. It is an all-inclusive path and not a path of sectarianism or exclusion. Each one can relate to him, the one cosmic energy, through prayer and meditation. “I could meet many truth seekers that seek the truth beyond religion. There is not religion higher than Truth”, as theosophy says.

Afterwards there were talks by 6 members of the group from the 6 countries present at the group living, speaking about their experience with the teachings in their lives. And then the two guests of honour. It was impressive to observe the different characters expressing.

Afterwards an excellent dinner was served – and I had to pay attention to my diet…

The group before the start of the conference

After dinner talks

ads through forests and tiny villages – we were quite away from civilisation. Suddenly I saw some temple towers in the wilderness, then some houses, and then a new big guest-house building where our busses stopped.

Where are we, we asked ourselves. What kind of a temple is it? We got nice big rooms, took a shower, then went with the busses to the temple compound.

At the beginning of the compound we left the busses. We saw a huge statue which we didn’t know. Later I heard it is representing Annamacharya, a singer-initiated who lived about 500 years ago and inspires many people even today.

We entered the temple through a huge gate and went around the inner temple.

The name of the temple is Dwaraka Tirumala, but I still had no idea what it was all about. We could read nothing, only Telugu letters. I followed closely Sri Kumar and Kumari and had the good luck to go with him into the innermost part of the temple. Two Vedic priest conducted a ritual and Sri Kumar was being honoured. We received flowers and sweets, then we went to a little side-shrine in the inner, where a mother goddess was standing, and then to another little shrine with another mother goddess. Some meters away Sri Kumar sat on the floor. There was a carpet and I sat there directly in front.

Then the Vedic priests came, offered him a seat, decorated him with a pink shawl and started reciting. Different priest sang in different modes.

Then they showered rice over him and also spread rice over us. We received a laddu, an Indian sweet. Then Sri Kumar started to talk, explaining what we had been witnessing, but not understanding

He said that in India, there are 4 most energetic spots, and we are at one of them. One is in the north, one in the south, one in the east, and this one is in the west. 5.500 years ago, after the departure of Lord Krishna, a sage went from Dwaraka, where Lord Krishna lived at the east coast of India, to this area to meditate. After intense worship he realised in himself the cosmic person in his upper 4 centres, the sahasrara, the ajna, the heart and the solar plexus centre – and as a sign of his realisation there was a stone statue of the Lord manifesting from out of the earth, but also only part of the four upper centres. After his realisation he went away from this place, not telling anyone of the place. But a king in the area had a dream where he saw all that had happened. He ordered his soldiers to seek everywhere in this forest area to find the manifested statue, and he explained where he had seen it in his dream. They found it after 4 days of search and were thrilled. The king had another dream where the Lord told him to construct a temple there. Since the feet are worshipped as the expression of the divine, but there were no feet at this statue, they made a stone statue of the same kind as the manifested statue and put it behind the smaller statue. The one of the forms of the Divine Mother represents Bhur-Devi, the gross matter, the other Sri Devi, the subtle nature. This is what we had seen in the innermost of the temple, but not understood.

Sri Kumar continued saying that the priests are continuously magnetising the place by singing mantrams and hymns, and we had listened to short extracts of the four vedas. There are many marriages conducted at this place, often 100 a day, and they are said to be very stable. The Lord worshipped at this place is Lord Venkateshvara, like in Tirupati, and it has the same energy as the place of the Lord of the 7 Hills. The head of the temple had organised the hounouring of Sri Kumar and gave him 2 new DVDs about the temple and everybody received a little commemorative shield with an image of the Lord in the two forms.

We were all very touched by the holy vibrations of the place and the auspicious ritual we participated in. Tomorrow morning we will be again at the temple for morning meditation.

In the dormitory there was a sprightly mood, with some Argentineans making music and the youngsters playing card.

After breakfast we started a little barefooted tour to see two temples in the surroundings. The first was a huge temple of the Hare Krishna-movement. Of course there was again “photography prohibited”, but I remembered well that Krishna didn’t obey to what his step-mother wanted him to do nor did he follow imposed rules – so I prefered to follow him and tooks some nice pics.

There is a bridge-walk around the temple with 10 little shrines with statues of the 10 avatars.

Inside the temple.

There were a black statue of Krishna and a white one of Radha as well as three figures of Krishna, his brother Balarama and his sister Subhadra. Whereas Krishna (meaning black) stands for the background of creation, Balarama symbolises time and Subhadra the existence protected by the two others, as Navanetam explained.

Some people of the temple then started explaining about the Iskon-Society, the Hare-Krishna movement and distributed a booklet about their mission, which I discretely put back on a chair and went down to take some pics of the beautiful lotuses in a little pond.

We went through a little park with statues of avataras of Vishnu, had a look into the devotional objects store and then continued to the next temple. It was very different – grey colours with black and grey ornaments – a temple of Lord Subramanyam, a son of Lord Shiva representing Mars. There was a huge copper pillar in front of the temple, the metal of Mars.

In a side-shrine there was a black Ganesha and in the main shrine there was a statue of Subramanyam all in gold and silver. Navaneetam said they used several kilos of gold and silver, symbolising the solar and lunar energies, to manifest a powerful energy for the statue. I loved the sober, focused energy, which had nothing emotional. There was a fire place and they were giving us some vibhuti – holy ash – as a blessing.

The priest conducting a little ritual with camphor

A triangular mirror reflecting the shrine

The group sitting in front of the shrine

There was a beautiful view from the terrace of the temple over the Godavari river over to the long bridge of Rajahmundry.

We then returned to the WTT centre for breakfast and a little pause. At 3.30 pm we will leave the centre to spend the night at a temple 2.5 hs away from here.

The WTT building in Rajahmundry

Saturday we just had a morning lecture – the next to last one – and then packing for our 2.5 days trip to Rajahmundry and surroundings.

Looking out of the bus – the poster of our group living

Navaneetam, Uma and Ravishankar, our Indian friends

At 3 pm our three busses started for the 5 hs trip. We had a joyous time in the bus, with some rhythmic music giving the soundtrack to the “cinema” outside – street scenes with little shops, families squashed into Tucktucks or on scooters, colourful trucks with a lot of smoke. And here and there a little pause. A superb sunset between two hills. while we were having a coffee break.

Sri Kumar and Kumari joined us for the coffee break

Sunset on the highway

At about 9 o’clock we arrived at the building of the WTT in Rajahmundry. It was my 3rd visit – at the first one in 2008 the 4 storey house was still under construction. Now they have completed everything, with a huge dining hall at the ground floor, a a prayer hall of the same size at the first floor, and another big hall, where we passed our night on mattresses.
A warm welcome at the centre

Serving the dinner

At dinner table

Morning meditation

A picture of Rishi Agastya / Master Jupiter on the altar

A big statue of Master CVV on the top of the building

Sunrise

Sunday morning after meditation, while the others were preparing for the bath in the river, I went up to the roof of the house where there is a big statue of Master CVV – and from behind the morning sun started unfolding its glory. Aquarius new moon day or, according to the lunar calendar they use here, Capricorn new moon.

We went to the Ghats, the place at the Godavari River where the pilgrims take their bath. The whole area is full of temples of different movements. We put off our clothes, and then entered into the warm river. An incredible atmosphere. I swam out into the large river and at some place where I could stand, I started greeting the sun singing the Gayatri mantram, the song to the inner sun behind the physical sun. Others joined and so we stood there for a while in the river, absorbed in the beauty of the ambiance. – no pics while swimming 🙂

At Rajahmundry there are big pilgrimage gatherings. Whereas in Varanasi/Benares there is a big Kumbha Mela each time Jupiter passes through Aquarius every 12 years, here there is a Kumbha Mela each time when Jupiter passes through Leo.

After the bath we returned to the centre for breakfast.

Yesterday morning we went to the Bala Bhanu school of WTT to assist at some presentations of the students. The school (the name means initiating the child into a way of light, name given by Master EK) is giving spiritual education together with the normal one.  It was  initiated by Master EK as a model school for educating children to become responsible citizens grounded in spirituality.

In front of the school there is a little Ganesha temple and in front of Ganesha there is his vehicle, the rat. Ganesha symbolises cosmic wisdom, the rat clever intelligence. So when wisdom mounts on intelligence, it becomes practical. So going around the Ganesha shrine and ringing the bell means activating these qualities, especially the one of sound, which Ganesha, who is the cosmic Jupiter, rules over.

The rat looking at Ganesha, ready for a ride

In front of the school rows of students greeted us with Namaskarams. We got some petals to put in front of a picture of Master EK in the entrance area.

Since the last time I had been there 1 or 2 years ago the school had been repainted and was very neat and clean. It is lying at the outskirts of the city, in front of a mountain, so it is very beautifully located close to nature.

In the spacious inner court there were rows of chairs waiting for us.

Sri Kumar and Kumari greeting the students looking down from the different floors.

At the open side of the court there is a little shrine with a statue of Master CVV under a huge Ficus Religiosa tree, where out of one stem three stems are growing. The tree is considered auspicious for learning and meditating, and it is related to the cosmic teacher principle called Lord Dattatreya, who is depicted as a youth having three heads, surrounded by four dogs (four dimensions of knowledge, the 4 Vedas) and with a cow, representing the cosmic nourishing mother principle.

After some words of welcome we went to have a look into the different classrooms where shining eyes were looking at us and and folded hands greeting a warm welcome. It is touching the heart to see the loved expressed by these children and teachers, the latter having worked there often for many years now.

Then different dance, yoga and “human-tower” presentations began. Girls dressed in colourful saris presented folk dances, but with a spiritual background: a group of boys rushed in, surrounding them and holding plates with words like “corruption, greed, misuse”, which are destroying the fundamentals of culture. And through education a strong basis is created to withstand these onslaughts. Lovely to see them singing “India, India, oh my India”.

The highlight were three classical Indian dances by Soundarya, the daughter of Uma and Navaneetam, secretary of WTT. I had asked her before if she could do some dances for the group, and she replied, It is up to my father to decide. A good decision…

The dances were accompanied by (I think) her dance teacher’s rhythmical rap-like singing: tak takatak-takataktak, and sharp cymbal sounds, very intense.

But group members also gave some presentations – a Spanish lady a short Indian dance, an Argentinean young man a typical Argentinean song – and then two Argentineans a very lively version of the Gayatri-mantram which they do in their Sunday morning Mithila-groups in Olavarría – a beautiful fusion of East and West:

Sri Kumar used the pauses for sending some SMS – and later gave a short talk  about the background of the school:

“Every responsible person tries to supply to the society what has been his inspiration. Every initiate is a teacher and thinks of uplifting the human awareness and thereby leading the humans. In that context Master EK thought of such a school to transmit something which can be carried into society in a matter of 25, 30 years. Things that carry some spiritual value we supply to them… Master EK in October 1977 thought that he should set up a school, a continuous education that caters to the human needs. … 1996 we had the premises of this building, in 1977 we started building the school…. The Western groups have contributed and also local groups. The school is well conceived.”

He then presented the members of the management board who guide the school.

Afterwards we had a beautiful lunch  – and then the group picture before the busses brought us back to the retreat centre.

The little Krishna statue at the entrance of the school

In the evening we went by feet to the Babatarini temple at the beach road in Visakhapatnam. It was not allowed to take photos inside, so here are my pic from the outside and some descriptions, so that you can make your own inner images (oh, my pic was made inside – but I think no-one saw it except God, and he twinkled with his eye 🙂

The temple is a replica of a big temple in Calcutta, where Sri Ramakrishna used to meditate and have his visions of the divine Mother. There is this main building you see on the photo and a little side-temple. At first we salutated Ganesha at the entrance 🙂 and then had “darshan” (the gracing view) of the divine mother as Kali. Normally Kali is frightening for the people, for she symbolises the dissolving-destructing aspect of the divine – but what would happen if everything would always be growing and nothing dissolved? She is depicted in black and red, showing her tongue for licking up the evil. She was clad in saris – normally you see skulls and heads cut as garlands. She stands on Lord Shiva sleeping under her feet. This symbolises that Shiva, the Will aspect of the divine, is sleeping as long as creation exists, for he is the background, and the mother, the form-aspect is dancing – evolving on the basis of this background. Besides there was a tiny statue of Sri Ramakrishna meditating.

We had a short meditation besides the temple and then went again to the “darshan” of the Mother. The priest did a short ritual with camphor waving flames to all of us, symbol of purification. Then we went to the little side temple with a Shiva lingam here some water is drippling from above as a continuous water ritual.Int he background there is a huge image of  Kali in blue – and here you see the skulls and heads…

Again some short ritual by the priest, then I was asked to give some explanations. I mentioned the above and that inside this side temple there is something special:  There is mercury alchemically treated. Normally mercury, symbol of our mind, is always liquid and difficult to hold – like our thoughts. But this mercury here has been stabilised through the treatment, the effect of which causes a stabilising influence on the minds present.

Sri Kumar is in the managing board of the temple run by 2 elderly ladies as a service activity. They also do good-will work for the needy.

Yesterday morning we first had a fire ritual. I love these rapidly changing forms of the flames and the thrilling energy the mantrams and offerings create in combination with the fire – and of course the aligned attention:

After breakfast three busses took us 105 Westerners out along the beach road to the Planetary Healing centre. I had already visited it at the beginning of the seminar. Now it was not just a visit, but our morning lecture with Sri Kumar around the beautifully garlanded Maitreya Statue.

All the electronic devices had to be installed – and then electricity. It was on and off – but for the micros they had a big car battery. It was not so easy for me to follow the lecture with the crows crowing and the other noises around – and my bad ears. So I sat as close as I could on the ground typing my notes:

“The centre was inaugurated in January 1995 when the groups from the east and west were together. The healing centre is conceived with the energy of number 7, it is also the number of the sun whose other number is number 1. The centre is conceived with dimensions of number 10. 7 times 7 is the diameter of the circle of the healing centre, 7 times 7 is the height of the pyramid, upon the pyramid the dome of 7 feet is erected. Within the healing centre 7 circles are prepared from the centre to the circumference, and circular meditations are contemplated through the sacred word OM. The centre is surrounded by water and is therefore unaffected by the surrounded energy and is linked to the ether. If one sits in the healing centre and invokes OM the vertical line which is established from above downward can be experienced in our cerebro-spinal column. In the centre of the circular healing centre we have set up a 7 feet high pillar. The three divine aspects on the surface, on the top of which a global stone which is an agate… which was brought from South America, from Iguazu, and it means all that is in India and America. Ever since the centre is maintained, he is also living here and taking care, his family is near, the lady decided to live here. It is a peaceful place and it is visited regularly and we make a regular visit in January. During the day here after lunch you may go round and experience the place and get also into the healing centre, invoke OM 21 times and stay in meditation for a desirable period. That is how everything formed of the healing centre….”

The centre was designed by Sri Kumar on proposal of a gentleman now living there with his wife and maintaining the place as a service activity.

After lecture we assembled in the Healing Centre for 21 OM and meditation. I was one of the last ones, first I mailed my notes to the mailing list – thanks to the web connection of Jayadev 🙂

A thrilling experience – group meditation in the Healing Centre

Afterwards our Indian brothers had already prepared a beautiful lunch under the trees at the Buddha statue – all brought here from the Retreat Centre – and we only had to enjoy it. Later, after a good siesta (and me using the internet-drive from Jayadev for writing until the battery was down) we went to Ramadri, also called Hamsavanam, the place, where the Swan (of the inner pulsation) lives.

Ravishankar at the entrance of Ramadri

A beautiful mandala on the floor at the entrance

Hanuman is the servant of Sri Rama (cf. the great epics Ramayana), the divine incarnation in Lemurian times.

There is a huge Hanuman statue on the ground, the beginning of the development of the site, erecting in 2000. Since then it has grown a lot. Now there is also a Mithila school for free school for children of poor families from the neighbour villages, financed and organised by the Circle of Good Will, India. The children were coming to present us a rose.

Later we went on for the feeding of the cows. Cow service is regarded as a sacred activity, and they keep the cows also to provide free milk / meals to the children. The cows were very keen on the bananas – and I jokingly said, now they get banana milk.

Sri Kumar later explained that the place is also called the Ocimum Sanctum, and ocimum is the Latin name for Tulsi or Tulasi, the Holy Basil. On all the little stupas and elsewhere there grow many, many little bushes of Tulsi – and  friends from Africa and Germany had asked me to bring some Tusi seeds – a friend in Germany had managed to grow at home the Tulsi plant and others got interested. It is a very holy plant in India and you find it at nearly every temple.

In Ramadri they have now 364 such little stupas with tulsi on the top – and under it there is each time a stone box containing 1000 booklets with 10.000 times written Sri Ram in it. Ram is the seed sound of cosmic fire, burning all impurities and expressing the fire of divine will. Writing the name is a strong spiritual discipline. There were nine such boxes now being installed with a little ritual conducted by couples of the group:

I later went around the site to visit all the little shrines – a miniature pilgrimage. I particularly love the shrine of the 9 planets – statues of the planetary spirits and of Rahu and Ketu, the north and south node, which can cover the influences of the other planets and thus create difficulties, so they are considered important by spiritual astrology.

Statue of Lord Shiva under a banyan tree – there is a lovely little “Ganga” (Ganges) in the tuft of his hair. – of course I had to ring the bell – the vibrations purifying the surroundings.

Statue of the divine mother – where I left the rose I got from the children

Later we sat in the little amphitheater with a grand view over the ocean and the horizon merging with the sky. Sri Kumar and Kumari presented some gifts to the couples who had done the rituals. Then we had a short but fantastic evening meditation with some bats flying around and Venus rising behind the mountain. Afterwards we got some packets with rice and sweets as “prasad” (gift after a ritual), then the busses brought us back through the night to Visakhapatnam.

Three days ago we had a a slide presentation by the young Indian artist Yatin Pandit from Nashik, Maharashtra, North India (near Bombay / Pune) who 2 years ago had done the statue of Master CVV which you saw in my blog-post from the Guru Poojas.

Though I only could see the last part of his presentation, for I had an emergency visit to a doctor  I was very impressed by his gentle way and the skill of his art. I was particularly fascinated how he uses modern techniques to produce these 3-D statues from out of 2-D photos. He is mainly realising statues of great spiritual teachers of the present and the past, and they are found in many ashrams in India.

Photo courtsey Yatin Pandit

After the presentation I was presented to him and he gave me his card. There is the picture of a statue of an old woman where he was especially working about the expression shining through her eyes in spite of all hardships expresses through the physical frame.

Yesterday I talked a bit more with him about his art saying it reminded me of the work of Madam Tussauds, and he said, in fact he has been much inspired by these wax works and had been at workshops of them, but wax isn’t ideal for India – obviously. He uses marble powder or, I think it is cast resin. With the eyes of the statue of Master CVV he worked by painting from inside. A fascinating encounter.

Yatin Pandit in the Retreat Centre

The Guru Puja being over we are now following the seminar in the retreat centre. Or at least trying to follow. It started yesterday in the morning and I had caught a little flue with fever. During the fire ritual in the morning I was surprised how fast it went by – I was sleeping most of the time – and rushed to bed afterwards, feeling weak and dizzy. But I didn’t want to miss the lecture. So I sat there and typed notes, a method of staying awake, and either this or the homoeo medicine did its work – at least the fever went away and the head became clearer.

Then again sleeping nearly all of the time till the afternoon lecture, which again kept me awake and well energised in the Presence by taking notes (I’m sending them after the lecture to the WTT mailing list, in case you are interested, please contact me). It is always thrilling for me to follow the lessons of Sri Kumar. He is speaking about the correspondences between Purusha, the cosmic person, and the different layers in us humans as microcosm, a topic interesting me since long.

In the evening we were invited to his house for a reception on the roof. He is so generous, every year we receive a sumptuous meal and afterwards gifts. Music playing, chearful talks under the night sky, an inspiring ambiance.

And today I’m already much better, the head is clear again, just a strong cold – it seems that my etheric body still can improve in warding off the effects of cold winds at a corner of the Guru Puja some days ago…

The room where Master EK used to live in the house of Sri Kumar – repainted. I love the vibrating atmosphere there and had a short meditation.

Ladies on the roof of the house – Shanti, daughter of Sri Kumar, Kumari and some Argentineans – the didn’t post for me, but I took the pic 🙂

Sri Kumar and Kumari enjoying the reception

After the Lalitha Pooja Navaneetam addressed the assembly introducing the publication of Lalitha Sahasranama:

The words of the Lalitha Pooja, the he 1000 names of the World Mother, were now published in 10 volumes. Sri Kumar and his wife have worked on it for a long time, besides all their other duties. Kumari-Garu received the dictations every morning after morning prayer for many years. So it was she to present the cassette with all the 10 volumes, – the 10th volume being just published. – all in Telugu But she didn’t say anything.

The cassette with the books in the hands of my neighbour, Mr. Murthi

The Sri Yantra on top of the cassette – symbol of the divine Mother

Sri Kumar then told us, “At home she speaks and here I speak. Some time ago she said, even if I sit on the dais I won’t say anything.” and so it was…

Here are some extracts from his talk – it touched me deeply.
“I have the feeling that a heavy weight fell from my heart, the description of all the 1000 names of the Mother is a great fulfillment in my life. My wife has shared all aspects in my life, it is like a shadow always being with me, so the Master has lead us together, not also at home doing all together, but also she participated in all responsibilities. …

The day we finished the 1000 names Kumari was in a limitless ecstasy, full of joy. We happened to be alone in the house. … Every work that has to be done at home Kumari always does with me, she is always available. Especially for this work she is always cooperative. All these book.s The yantra, the mandala of the Mother, can be seen in the 10th volume.

In the 10th volume there is something from the past and the present. I never forget my birth place, I was born in Vijayawada, and the name I received Parvathi Kumar. They first wanted to call me Parvathi Sastri… (or so..), but my uncle from the mother’s side said, don’t call him Sastri and all this. He proposed Parvathi Kumar. This lead to this name. I like Kanaka Durga, the goddess of Vijayawada. While I wrote the book, while I was doing the exams I had high fever. I went to the temple of the mother, I told the mother that it is very important to pass this exam, I am born at this place and got your name. I had no more a father, only a mother, like Hercules, so I said to the mother in the temple. I told the Mother, if you regard me as your son, you will let me pass through the exam. If yes, you let me pass through the exam. I started writing the exam, the fever went down and I passed the exam. Since then I knew that the family relation with the Mother is there….

In the 10th part of Lalitha Sahasranama I published a picture of Master EK. I normally didn’t speak about it. When in Europe he told me to speak, but I told him, no I sit in the back and you speak. I was like this in my childhood, but he said, no, you speak. In my childhood I didn’t want that my father showed my horoscope to people, but he continued to do so. Our past comes to us as our future, according to what we did in the past comes as our future, so why do we need a chart. Then the Master asked for my horoscope, and I smiled: I never give my chart to anyone, but then I nevertheless gave it to the Master, and it even had been published what the Master said.
Sometimes Kumari has also proposed corrections in my dictations and said, this sentence is not so good, and she said, please dictate it anew, and so it happened….”

The photo of Kumari in the 10th volume of the Lalitha Sahasranama

The time rushed by in an incredible speed. In the afternoon after our palm forest nap there was a little concert going on in the hall. And then already the final evening prayer and the talk of Sri Kumar on the second labour of Hercules, revealing very deep new aspects of symbolisms. And then the closing ceremony of the traditional worship of the feet of the teacher, with the heart-stirring sounds of the Guru Padukam and other hymns, while all members present came to the front. Very intense moments.
Although it was my 12th Guru Pooja, it was so different this time, clear and calm.

But it was not just a “paradise on earth” – the laptop of a Spanish lady had been stolen in the lecture hall and also the camera of a Spanish friend who traveled with us last year… The guards at the entrance cannot control everybody who tries to enter from the outside…

Then the “last supper” and back to the bus. But our driver was lying there in the bus, drunk. So we had to go to another bus. I took one going to the Spanish apartment, via a bumpy road. The moon was hanging low in its 7th descending phase. And when we came along the oceanside, there was such a romantic view with the silver lights on the surface… Very tired but happy I dropped into my bed.

The Guru Padukam worship at the end of the Guru Poojas

Friday morning again getting up very early and then through the night to the Guru Pooja. This morning we were invited to come for morning prayer to sit on the dais, directly in front of the pictures of Hierarchy, surrounding Sri Kumar. What an uplifting experience, being here in the centre of the energies – besides me the lingams of the water ritual and all these beautiful picture. The sounds of the Guru Paduka song and the OM spread out and penetrated through the atmosphere. The time quickly passed by in rapt silence.

The Argentinean members on the stage one day before

Afterwards Sri Kumar continued speaking on the second labour of Hercules and the symbolisms involved.

After breakfast the ladies arranged in long rows with little pictures of the World Mother before them, some kumkum powder and flowers, for the worship of the Lalitha Pooja, the 1000 names of the World Mother.A beautiful and colourful worship.

The ladies arranged in several long rows, with pictures of the divine mother and red kumkum powder before them.

SriKumar singing the hymns of the Lalitha Pooja

Before breakfast I had been lead to Mr. Rao from the Indian brotherhood who had composed the booklet with the stories about Agastya. I wanted to request him that it should be translated into English. I don’t know what he thought of the idea, but he started telling me about Agastya. First he sent me to have my breakfast and said he would wait for me.

So I returned and he started telling me about Agastya regulating the deva of Vindhya mountains to prevent him from creating havoc through his desire to be as big as the Himalayas. Agastya asked the mountain to give him way and create a pass-through for him until he would return north – but he never returned, staying in the South since these times immemorial. I had told the story years ago to my children from an Indian comic and the pictures rose to my mind’s eyes.

And then another story came, and I listened with keen interest, it was a magical moment sitting in the room with this old gentleman and getting a vivid lesson about how Rishi Agastya got his wife created by Lord Shiva, a fascinating story Master Kumar had already told yesterday evening:

“His parents were a bit worried that he didn’t marry. He did a fiery meditation and realised that he was a part of Shiva himself. Shiva appeared and asked him, what do you want? I need a wife like you have. Shiva said, ok, and at the same moment a child was born in Agastya’s hands. He gave the child to a king to care all about the child, which was a girl, also a manifestation of Shiva. Lopa Mudra she is called in our worships. When the girl grew up the King wanted to make her marry and thought to whom give it. The girl was so beautifully radiant that he thought to whom she marry her. He asked Agastya whom to marry her, and Agastya said, she is of no parallel, she was born for me and she shall be my wife.”

A statue of Master CVV besides the stage. He was an expression of Agastya.