Dewdrop Spring 2008

Evera Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 2 Evera, 14 Forest Street, Trentham VIC 3458 [email protected] +61 (0) 5424 1702

In this Issue Editorial Tineke Bak 1 Editorial Sweet Dew It is a typical (Melbourne) Spring day here today, several seasons in a day, with wind, rain, clouds, and patches of warm sunshine, and overall the 2 Things Fall into Place scents of nature growing, blossoming and weaving the return of her gar- Rain Blessings ments for summer. The natives too are flowering, the delicate wildflowers contrasting with the bold golden wattles in full bloom. 3 Spring Horses And the Dewdrop has produced yet another full and colourful issue, with 4 , Dreams and some contributions already overflowing and waiting for the summer issue Poems to come.

5 4 Poems In the northern hemisphere the summer is coming to an end, and those of us here who have followed the crop circle season (via the internet) have 6 Purnima been delighted and astonished at the wonderful forms given to the earth this year. On our final page we offer images of a few (from over the last de- 7 More Reflections from cade) with the geometric theme of the three-armed spiral - the Triskele. India, March 2007 We especially offer our gratitude and appreciation to everyone who man- 8 Musings, Spring 2008 aged, despite busy and demanding lives, to find time and energy and in- spiration to contribute to this issue. And we hope you enjoy our/their 9 Virtues offering! 11 Shin’s Lecture - Part 2 Sweet Dew 14 Triskelion The Way is constantly nameless. Crop Circles Though in its natural state it appears to be unimportant, No one in heaven or earth dares to make it his subject. Were marquises and kings able to maintain it, The Voice of The ten thousand things would submit to them on their own. Mahadeva (pg 2) Heaven and earth come together and send forth sweet dew, No one causes this to be so, of itself it falls equally on them. Shin Shiva Svayambhu M. When we start to “regulate” or “put into order” there will be names. Consider every morning that ev- But when names have indeed come into being, we must also know that it erything which goes out from you is time to stop. on this day will have its effects Knowing [when] to stop is the way to avoid harm. and after-effects. Sooner or later the results will come back to you. The Way’s presence in the world, May all that you send out or do Is like the relationship of small valley streams to rivers and seas. be true, beautiful and good. Act out of calmness, out of truth and in love. Translation by Robert G, Henricks, of the “Bamboo Slip Laotzi”, Chapter 21, found in 1993, in Guodian, Hubei Province, China, dating from 3oo BC. Columbia University Press. New York, 2000.

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Things fall into Place: Tao and Triskelion Note: Henk Bak Contributions for the Summer Issue A firm breeze and a bright sun invited me to rest a while in a comfortable should be already typed and chair on Shin’s land. It is pure spring. Trees are trembling their silvery leaf- preferrably sent by email to reflections in the breeze, glistering and shimmering in the high risen sun. Tiny birds flit and twitter unseen through the fruit trees and shrubs. Magpies are [email protected] on a mission over the paddock, alternating between flapping their wings and or resting them, sailing elegantly as master gliders. [email protected] The grass close-by glows a lush and saturated green and in the distance I by 10th December 2008 survey all around he trees and shrubs, and around the rise, we call ‘Kangaroo hill’ the wide ring of groves which now have become the focus of the seven If you send illustrations they should world-religions, to be visited in walking meditation. Its centre most likely a be in jpg, gif, png, and be in resolu- favourite camping spot for the Dja Dja Wrung people in earlier times. tion suitable for printing (250dpi) if photographs or scanned images. All of it made me think of the many beings, people, devas, ancestors, angels who have been shaping and developing this land, the co-creative gardening, Donations towards costs are (the Perelandra way), that Helma practises to prepare a healing environment welcome and can be made out to: in which people can really be at peace and listen. And then the tree-planting HR Bak, Bendigo Bank working bees, the summer camps, the paneurythmy, the weekend courses, BSB: 633-000 the singing workshops with Jonathon (1995) and Rhyll Godber (1998) and with Account: 111 245 643 Sylke Fromberg (2005), Shin’s seminar (2006), the women’s work and festi- Reference: “Dewdrop” val group, the play group and ‘bush-kinder’, the home-schooling and most recently: the midwinter 3-day holiday project: children and adults learning to play traditional games… All together a process on the way toward integral Rain Blessing learning and intuitive doing. Cass Roadknight For me this year ‘things’ began ‘to fall into place’ at the day of midwinter At dawn, and haven’t ceased to do so since. It started with a throw-away line by a Just after a cold, rainy night, friend, who suggested the I Ching was perhaps just as effective in getting The sunlight is raying sideways you to think ‘outside the box’ as the method of present-day science. In philo- across the earth. sophical conversations this ‘box’ became for me an image of the self-imposed Some birds land in a tall tree; limits of scientific knowledge that dominate our culture since Kant (ca 1800), Glistening raindrops fall into the and forces our education into what Shin calls ‘small band learning’. Science puddles below, became confined to what one can count, measure and weigh. The being or Causing expanding circles to criss- inner life of plants, animals or humans, therefore, cannot be known scien- cross each other tifically. My recent experience in hospital showed me, that doctors, nurses, With flashes of sunlight. all staff involved, did not treat me as a ‘thing’ at all, but addressed me as In a country of drought… someone with an inner life, notwithstanding the scientific climate of a medi- What a delight. cal approach. And a recent, very plastic, demonstration of how genes are modified in GM experiments, i.e. throwing genetic materials in a hit-and-miss manner at a string of DNA, with one in the million chance of ‘success’, makes ‘advanced’ science pale in comparison with I Ching.

It made me shift the attention from ‘limit’ to ‘horizon’ from a closed ‘box’ to an open universe. A recent (second) arrival (a story in itself) of Hugo Kuekelhaus’s Das Wort des Johannes helped me realise how boundaries are not obstacles but me- diators. Dark and light in the Tao symbol are interwoven, not separated by the line in between. Both Tao and Triskele sym- bols playfully turn divisive oppositions into dynamic and cre- ative polarities: Triskele through a circular dance, Tao through a weaving gesture.

Photo: Tineke Bak Thus beauty brings – in gratitude – goodness and truth together, through pure attraction, without force or fusion.

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Spring Horses Angelique Stefanatos

“I am the life of all animals and human beings, protector and shepherd for all. I am the deer and his task. I am the horse, lord of all horses.” (From the booklet ‘Message from Shin’, November 2000)

If anyone were to ask me: show me the existence of God, I would lead them out to a large green pasture, sit them down and say: watch the herd of horses. Photo: Greg Fyfe Photo: Greg Every time I look at horses I am grateful to God for let- ting us share the earth with such awe inspiring creatures. legs out behind him and buck. It always gave me a fright, It never ceases to amaze me how a grazing horse can but he was not really serious because he never threw me exhibit so many qualities simultaneously: half a tonne off. And instead of being upset with him I was so happy of muscle and bone—grazing peacefully with the sweet that he was truly alive and free to be himself. Instead smell of grass on its breath—at first makes a horse ap- of punishing him as people expected me to do I would pear so “earthy”. Then at the slightest hint of danger, chuckle away and tell him he was a good boy. His whole or as happens in Springtime for pure joy, the horse will demeanor would change, he would get this cheeky look in take flight...tail flying high behind it as it gallops like the his eye, and he would prance and arch his neck and carry wind. Suddenly the “earthy” quality has given way to his head proudly. I knew he was much more in tune than that of “air/wind”. Dainty hooves barely touch the earth I was to the surging energies of nature and spring, and he as it wheels and turns, bucks and jumps. What appeared was kindly passing them on to me! The rest of the year he to be a paddock full of quiet herbivores has become a behaved beautifully and we won lots of shows together. fantasy scene of animals with phenomenal strength, power and “fiery” energy, yet at the same time an al- In the modern world, horses are so important because most unbelievable grace and lightness. Everywhere you they allow us to experience a direct and intimate con- look on a horse’s body there is this incredible perfection nection with nature: when you ride bareback you can feel of both earthy strength and heavenly grace. every muscle ripple under your legs and seat, and feel the warmth of the horse’s body and smell their salty scent. How is all this possible from one humble animal? An ani- If there was one word to sum up what horses have given mal so humble that, despite all this strength and the mankind it is FREEDOM. Freedom to roam the globe, or ability to kill a human being with a single blow, it never- just the freedom of a child, too young to drive, getting theless allows us to ride it and use it for work and war. on a horse and galloping away from the senseless world of school, homework and the rules of modern society…off to However, every horse owner knows that in the beginning unknown adventures. of Spring, even the quietest, most trustworthy, cuddliest and fattest ponies and horses, belong to God and Mother So, I thank God for the horses. Without them, my child- Nature! (Horses just lend themselves to us for the rest hood would have been impoverished. of the year). In my childhood, every Spring, my quiet, golden-coloured palomino named “Apollo” would take me by surprise while we were out for a nice ride, with- out warning he would put his head down, throw his hind The Voice of Mahadeva (pg 16) Shin Shiva Svayambhu M.

Respect and honour the life in all creation. Care for and protect animals, plants and stones, for you carry a gift from each of them within you. Respect and honour life, it flows to you from God. All beings have given you gifts. Search for the highest gift. It lies deep within you. It is your blissful unity with the Great, Beneficent God.

I am – I am – I am. Photo: Angelique Stefanatos Photo:

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The Healing Power of Meditation, Dreams and Poems Catherine Warner these experiences and it meant I was in contact with Just as everyday life is a patchwork of experiences quite a few well-known poets and their various styles and emotions, so it is with one’s inner world. Events of poetry. in the inner landscape are not linear, which is why it is both interesting and informative to make notes of Little did I expect that the very first poem of mine that one’s dreams as I explained in some detail in Dewdrop was in print was to be one in Japanese. Yet that is what Vol 1 Issue 4 and Vol 2 Issue 1. Initially I was only happened as, in hiding away from my internal troubles making notes of my . Then I had a separate I took up the study of the Japanese language firstly in notebook for my dreams when I began studying them. Boulder, Colorado and finishing my honours degree at However now I keep both my meditations and dreams Monash University. In 1990, my final year of study, I in one and the same notebook. Keeping detailed notes spent six months in Tokyo and apart from my regular enables one to look back to review the inner journey. study of the language and doing research for my thesis, In this way, one can make sense of what is happening, I attended classes in traditional Japanese braiding, and come to a deeper realisation of one’s progress in learning to make braids with silk threads and learning one’s soul life and become ever more clear about the much about Japanese culture and history besides. And messages received. it was through my returning to Tokyo in 1993 and 1995 for two three-month spells at the Domyo School of I have often in the past been classified by my mother Traditional Japanese Braiding that I came to stay for a and aunts as “complicated” and “difficult”. “What is the month with a Japanese woman who was on the editing matter with you?” “Why can’t you make up your mind?” team of a poetry journal. It was she who later published (in decision making) were the cross expressions addressed a (slightly edited) poem I had sent her. to me as a child in the 1950s and 1960s. My self protection mechanism had me shut down. What I did not realise was But I digress. The purpose of relating the above to you how much I did shut down, or even that it was depression is to show you how over the years I plugged away at my I was suffering from until the early 2000s when I was well poetry and even had it appraised around 1997 by a poet on the way to recovery. To all outward appearances I was a working at the Victorian Writers’ Centre who told me fairly successful young woman, having obtained a degree to either try prose instead or, if I wasn’t put off by her and working as a bilingual secretary and administrative strong cuts and thrusts at my efforts, to do a writing assistant in two international organisations in Geneva, course so I could improve. I did not do that. And, it was Switzerland for eight years, then moving to Australia in thanks to the inner work I did that my poetry improved. 1981and marrying a scientist at the peak of his career I have already mentioned doing yoga meditation. I also in 1982. A high flying life, you would say, considering we attended many courses at Landmark Education and emigrated to the United States and did much travel for completed the two-year full time Advanced Diploma of the next five years before returning to Australia. Rudolf Steiner Education.

Poetry has the special characteristic of crystallising The first poem below was written in February 1997 experience in a distilled form. I began writing poetry of two months before I began meditation. I wrote it after a sort while in Geneva, lots of it rather immature, yet it cutting the deadheads off native daisies in our garden was an attempt to put my feelings about nature and other and really did go to dancing classes for a few months things on paper. I always liked writing, but my attempts from that date. The second poem was written in March at creating little poetic vignettes became a pleasurable l999 about the older woman I saw in a dream I had. pastime. Even at that stage I wrote the odd awkward It was not till much later that I recognised that she poem about my inner life. I have had episodes of poetry was who I was at that stage. The third poem written writing throughout my life, dreaming of being published in 2005 represents how I felt at five years old. And the one day, which I did in the most unexpected manner. last poem, also written in 2005 reflects a happier state I rang up the (Melbourne) Victorian Writers’ Centre in of mind. 1998 and told the woman who answered the phone that (Continued on page 5) I was doing a personal development course and had given myself the goal of having my poetry published by In the 2nd century Irenaeus (man of peace) said a date that was three months away. I did not see how on Gloria Dei vivens homo earth I could manage to get published in that time. She “God’s glory is the fully lived human life”. informed me that performance poetry was regarded as For this century he might have added publishing one’s material and told me how to go about Humanitas vivens Trinitatis Gloria becoming involved in the open mic portions of poetry “Humanity alive in WE is the glory of the nights in and around Melbourne. I thoroughly enjoyed Divine Triunity”.

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(Continued from page 4) Four Poems by Catherine Warner Inside me sinks beneath the waves now As outside me walks into the sea Inside me is dead now Deadheads As outside sea tickles my knee I cut off the deadheads of my sorrow and went dancing, Inside me feels OK now Wary of tomorrow, yet advancing That outside me is joining me For alive entombed to be Is no thing for you nor me. But now that I am up to the neck in sea Someone comes and carries me Hail, my lonely child, so long you’ve been abandoned: Back to the sand and the sun and the voices Not gone wild, just on an island stranded. Back to the numbness of who is me. Come with me and we will see What together we can be.

For the Glory of a Rainbow Rainbow-coloured wind spiral Complications Twirling on your thread In her dream mind Shedding radiance all around. all is plain. Clear and simple. No worries, she would always answer When the wind blows you groundwards but the reality is otherwise. I pick you up so you can twirl again When the dust coats you Not wise is she I wash you with sweet water to the mismatched wiring When your thread breaks I mend you within her mental frame. And yet she knows all is not right. So also do I do with The rainbow in me. And so she worries and gets all tangled up in that great invisible mind maze.

Class One

Inside me I know I can do it Outside me All goes so fast Inside me I want to know But it makes me messes inside Inside me Wants my body to do the things Outside me is different, it’s hard Inside me is wanting to cry Inside me is not going to give up. Inside me.

Inside me is not feeling good now Here in the sun at the sea

Inside me feels that nobody cares now Bak Photo: Tineke at all about me.

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Guru Purnima “Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes, Virendra Aswal, India Vishnu sans his four arms Brahma sans his four heads. “GURU PURNIMA” He is parama Shiva himself in human form” Tasmaye Sri Guruvay namah ~ Brahmanda Puran Gururbrahmaa gururvishnuh Guru is the God, say all our scriptures. gururdevo Maheswarah | The Bhagavad Geeta describes the concept of yajna Guruh-saakshaat parambrahma as the sacrificial offering of one’s self to the good of tasmai shrigurave namah || all beings. “Not mine, but thine” is the true message which means as follows: of yajna. Whatever one achieves in this life in terms of physical prosperity and knowledge, one has to The Guru in the Hindu tradition is looked upon as offer them back to the society. The Ishaavaasya an embodiment of God himself. For, it is through Upanishad declares: his grace and guidance that one reaches the highest state of wisdom and bliss. “My salutations to the Ishaa Vaasyamidam sarvam, yatkincha Guru who is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. jagatyaam jagat | The Guru is Parabrahma incarnate.” Tena tyaktena bhunjeethaah maa gridhah kasyaswiddhanam || Guru Purnima falls on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed “God is the lord of all creation. After offering to as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day Him, enjoy only that which is left over by Him. Do sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. All not rob what belongs to others.” Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who The Sun (Surya) is the visible symbol of the edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Supreme (Narayana) and is therefore known as Surya Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa Narayana. The full moon reflects perfectly the light even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the of the illuminating Sun. The moon is also symbolic Guru of . of the mind. When the mind is purified it reflects On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees the Atman. Purification is attained through selfless worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and service and through spiritual sadhana. On the full all disciples perform a ‘puja’ of their respective moon of Guru Purnima, aspirants seek and pledge spiritual preceptor or ‘Gurudevs’. to purify their mind to reflect the glory of the Sun in all its splendour. This day is of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, Dhyaana moolam guror murtih; as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in Pooja moolam guror padam; the fields. It is a good time to begin our spiritual moolam guror vakyam; lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to moolam guror kripa intensify their spiritual ‘sadhana’ from this day. ~ Guru Vandana The period ‘Chaturmas’ (“four months”) begins The form of the Guru is worthy of meditation from this day. In the past wandering spiritual Offer worship at the feet of the Guru masters and their disciples used to settle down The words of the guru are indeed at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Liberation is by the grace of the Guru. Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions. On Guru Purnima we affirm our belief in the Eternal Truth, and our faith in the scriptures and teachings For the true Indian knows that the Guru is the that have been brought to humanity through the only guarantee for the individual to transcend the great immortal seers who guide the evolution of bondage of sorrow and death, and experience the (Continued on page 7) Consciousness of the Reality.

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(Continued from page 6) consciousness. May we be blessed to seek Brahma Vidya (Supreme Knowledge). May our minds be purified and our hearts open so that we may be adhikaris or deserving of spiritual knowledge and may the sanctity of the sacred teachings be preserved by us. May we recognise, revere and serve the Satguru Shin Shiva by whose grace this knowledge is revealed to us. Jai Gurudev……Jai Shin Shiva…...Jai Mahadev ……Jai Bhairava….. May Shin Shiva and Maa Parvati bless all of us……….

Virendra Aswal (New Delhi and Shin Shiva Charitable Trust, Uttaranchal, India.) Virendra Aswal works for Shin’s various Projects in Garhwal, Uttaranchal, India. He was Opera- tions Manager in one of India’s foremost Travel and Tourism Companies for 23 years. He left the organization after meeting His Holiness Shin Shi- va in 2002 and since then with the blessings of Shin he has experienced many astonishing divine things, bringing fulfillment in spirit, soul, and daily life.

Shin and Shree Raja Mohan Nath Kriplani Photo: courtesy Virendra Aswal More Reflections from the Retreat in India, March 2007 Henk Bak After Shin had spoken, opening the Intensive Retreat ferent elements, spirits. All the religions should be one. at Bhairave Nagar, 16 March 2007, his guest of hon- The one can be, by the power of Shiva. Can we bring the our, Shree Raja Mohan Nath Kriplani, king of Sad- different elements, qualities, ‘currents’ of Shakti into hus, spoke in response, addressing us all. (I read One? We have to do spiritual work, otherwise we cannot from my notes and try to convey the meaning of see Shiva and Shakti together. Why don’t we try to find what was said in translation as accurately as I can). Shiva in Shakti? (It is said, that Shiva once begged Shakti for food for his children.) which can be seen as a symbol ‘To be invited here is to be invited to Darshan of Heaven.’ of Kundalini.’ When Shree Mohan Nath first met Shin, he was impressed by Shin’s energy and power. He thanks Shin for inviting Mohan Nath then a mantra, which meant: him to Garwal and he wishes Shin Shiva’s projects to grow and grow. ‘All our holy gods come to earth.’ There are Our liberation happens some things mistaken in , which will be corredt- when we follow ed by Shin Shiva. Shin selected this land. Garwal will bless The way of verity. the whole of humanity, we will be happy, every city, every country, every state, then everyone will be happy. And he concluded with a wish for Shin, who protects the senses, the cow, energy, fish (the one who cleans the ‘We all pray to Mother Shakti for Shin. In India we have water, the higher insight (?) is the water) and yoga: due a saying, playing on the name Shiva: Shava=dead body; to yoga we can see nature. Shiva lives in the yogas and Shiva=Lord of Life. Before death we should accept Shiva, has them for everyone. accept him in this life, otherwise you have to come back. Shiv=life=soul. We have to see: He is everywhere, in na- Shree Raja Mohan Nath Kriplani has travelled widely ture, and if you help poor, help sick, help earth, help na- through the whole of India, creating ashrams, working ture, you will see Shiva. for the peace of the earth. He worked for a whole year (?) in Bangalore, where people recognise Shiva, and hon- Shiva and Shakti cannot be separated: where there is oured him with the title Raja, King. Now he lives in Ra- light, shade comes with us. Shakti we see divided in dif- jastan and works for peace, the earth and nature.

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Musings, Spring 2008 essence of WE, the group. Friendship is an element of Helma Bak group-awareness. Real friendship seems to be in danger these days. But friendship is a most beautiful melody that Recently I had a telephone conversation with Sylke From- sounds through sitting around the campfire, talking about berg from Germany, Sylke who got us singing, with such the ‘weather’ or about the most memorable happenings pleasure and confidence, here in Australia. She had been in each other’s life. The stars above, the sound of the to a seminar with Shin, in Rigi. In Europe it was the time waves breaking on the shore, the rustling of the wind of Lughnasad, the festival of the first harvest (cherries, in the trees, the fire in front of you, cup of tea in your berries, plums). In Australia we celebrate this festival at hand, listening to the trusted friend. There is also the the beginning of February. heart wrenching melody of your friend in serious illness. How to be a good friend then? Or the distressing melody One of the things she mentioned was the importance of of a friend in emotional turbulence through problems working with group awareness, the group essence: that with children or marriage break-up. And there is the we should develop our I AM to such a reality, that we can peaceful regenerating melody of friends sharing their stay in the strength of the I AM and in the strength of insights gained on the spiritual path. the WE awakened, and stand in the experience that both the I AM awareness and the WE are embedded in God’s This is how we know it can be. However these days glory… friendships can easily be broken, by misunderstanding, neglect, or having no time for a nurturing frame of What a rich picture! mind for these friendships. It hurts. It is hard to heal it, hard to find the time to overcome the paralysing If so, then we might have to work with the mastery of feeling (‘tomorrow I will phone’). And with a shrug of empowering each other within the sustenance of the the shoulders you go the path alone. group, the WE. Is it through understanding each other’s point of view, or feeling each other’s heart concerns? Or But let us go back to the group, the WE Shin speaks mastering the Word in us, so that our speaking does not about. After Pentecost the Apostles were a WE. How do hurt? Or through stimulating each other to be who we we fathom, sensing out into the environment, into the really are and enabling each other to achieve what needs near future, this WE group. What are integral learning to be built. experiences of a group?

In the Norse mythology there is a story describing how Say you start group work enthusiastically and there will the gods want to tame the fierce fenriss wolf (Loki’s be friends in the group. Frictions will happen after the offspring). They had acquired him as a cub, but he has first honeymoon time. If we come together for spiritual outgrown this lovely state and has become down right work, does that make us a WE? Is it the shared ideal which dangerous. They try to tie him down with strong chains, makes us We? Is it genuine concern for each other? but he breaks out nevertheless. Then the ‘little people’ make a super fine, extra strong chain, which keeps the What happens when a mood of criticism slips in, or wolf in the right place. They make the strong chain from negative feelings, or a lack of forgiveness? These moods the following elements: are not helpful for individuals or friends. One feels that. Yet that feeling: ‘oh, I don’t know’ can become so The roots of stones, the noise made by the foot-fall pervasive that one says: ‘Perhaps I better stay home and of cats walking on wood, the beard of women, the do my own work. And when I work on myself, surely the spittle of birds, the breath of a fish and the sinews world will improve.’ of bears. And the group? An interesting collection of energies! They seem to be the little small touches that have strong healing power. Every member is important, every presence is unique. They are the ‘touches’ that are directed by the I AM. That new element Shin brings, the WE of a group is the challenge. As Shin says: ‘there is a school of love, of Christ brought the I AM awareness to humanity, and the wisdom and of pain.’ The upsets through group-processes teachings of how to live out of that strength. The devils can give us sudden insights, lights: ‘oh, that is what is might have been able to form in our feeling- and other meant!’ Little by little the puzzle falls into place. Grad- bodies - the false identifications, sometimes positively, ually we will grow into the reality that God, Goddess, sometimes negatively coloured. We still have some work stones, plants, animals and man belong together. This to do discovering and recognising them. Shin speaks is a creation reality to which we all belong. And the I about the I AM as the spark of God in us, strengthening AM, the group-that-is-WE, nature, God and Goddess will the Christ message. And Shin brings new elements, and become discerned reality for us consciously living and one of those elements is when Shin speaks to us about the creating in the sea of life.

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Virtues: Contentment, Patience and Clarity Tineke Bak

These next three virtues take us once more into a quite new direction. This time they seem to require us to turn more inward, towards our deeper, in- nermost resources. Where the first three focussed on action and endeavour, and the second on purification and social interaction, these challenge us to reach into our own eternal, infinite being.

It is as it is, The first of the three is contentment. We all know that contentment can never be found only by outer means. And we know, too, that contentment and as it is, it is. cannot ultimately be bought or manufactured. To find it and practice it, we notice more and more that the deeper roots of it must reach further and fur- ther inwards into the core of our being. It is very easy for us on the surface Jiro Murai, of life to feel our discontent, whether it is with our circumstances, other founder of people, or ourselves. In fact, most often somewhere or other the discontent is with our own selves. Either way, we seldom have to look far for an ex- Jin Shin Jyutsu ample, and contentment itself seems a fragile and transitory thing indeed.

The star sign Libra (scales) supports us to see many points of view, and chal- lenges us to nevertheless remain balanced. It is an air sign and cardinal, suggesting that in our thinking and attitudes we can find strength to lead CONTENTMENT the way. Anthony De Mello, SJ The search for contentment brings us up against the realities of the world, Paradoxical as it seemed, the Mas- the conditions all around us of injustice, change, inconstancy, inconsistency, ter always insisted that the true and so on. Even the happy times change and are ephemeral. And we struggle reformer was one who was able to continuously to achieve some equilibrium in all this, some peace. Like bal- see that everything is perfect as it ance, like the scales, we need to constantly adjust and adapt, rethink and is -- and able to leave it alone. re-examine our attitudes to strive ever anew for contentment. One powerful way to find the centre point of contentment, is to accept the world (and “Then why would he wish to reform one’s self) just as it is. This means letting go a lot of opinions, expectations, anything?” protested his disciples. wishes, hopes and judgements. But in the process of accepting that what is, is, contentment can arise. And in accepting what is, rather than wanting “Well, there are reformers and re- or expecting things to be different, more, or better, we can also begin to formers: One type lets action flow perceive it as it is. through them while they them- selves do nothing; these are like In English we can play a word game with the ‘contentment’, as we can have people who change the shape and two meanings: content and content. When we accept the content of life and flow of a river. The others gener- the world as it is, we open a door inwardly to being content. We are always ate their own activity; they are larger than that which we let go, and what we accept. Letting go seems like like people who exert themselves a diminishing, but the act of it allows us to grow, allows us to grow roots to make the river wetter. deeper into our inner infinite and eternal being. Striving for contentment builds in us a greater strength to face with inner composure and equanimity all the content of life and the world that comes and that goes again. In the MORSEL: Be still like a mountain face of bliss or pain we remain, not untouched, but undisturbed, unshaken, and flow like a river. --Lao-Tze. the calm eye of the storm.

This calm is of great support in the challenge of the next virtue: patience. Without a foundation of contentment and acceptance, it is much more dif- ficult to find in ourselves strength for the duration of patience. Patience relates to time somewhat in the way that we could say contentment relates to form or space. To accept what is all around us and within us AS IT IS, we are both at the centre of and larger than the forms and space around us. Patience places us in the deeper currents of time, so that we stay centred in (Continued on page 10)

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(Continued from page 9) the now, while processes and transformations move through their own cycles or time. We remain patient until… there is a new development, however long that may take. It is only in the NOW that we can be patient and give time and space to what needs time and space to unfold or complete itself. A guru said to his gathered disciples, “There are two kinds Contentment gives strength and openheartedness to deal with the forms in of people: those who don’t their different stages. Patience holds my focus, my allowing and supporting know, and those who don’t these forms through time’s streams and cycles. And in time, more of the true know that they don’t know.” nature of things, of processes, of people is revealed. Patience held in the mo- ment allows for the birth of ever deepening insight, born of our presence in A disciple asked, “How do you the streams of time and the form of space. know?” This capacity for insight then supports our striving for clarity. Built on a foun- Alan Harris dation of inner composure and capacity for insight, our search for clarity is able to reach further and deeper and wider into the realities of the world An Everywhere Oasis towards the fabled “kingdom of truth” (Gideon Fontalba, 3rd Rule of the www.alharris.com Masters). Used with permission As we strive for clarity we search for the characterisation, for the ever truer concept and understanding of our perceptions and experiences of this world of form and time. In some versions of this circle of twelve virtues, clarity is Imposing virtue upon others is also known as control of the tongue. A connection can be seen in our striving like trying to paint raindrops. toward clarity through conceptualising and language. Care for the words we choose and mindfulness of when we use which words contributes much to bringing clarity into the world. The right word at the right time is very potent. Alan Harris Even greater clarity is created around us when we strive to live in integrity with our word.

Gradually, as we practice clarity of thought, feeling, action and perception, a new capacity arises for sensing, feeling, for perceiving what is the True. A feeling for the deeper principles of creation and life develops, beyond the realms and valleys of reality. Truth is by nature something else, and remains mostly hidden behind the world of forms, and even behind the cycles of time. And by practicing clarity of heart and mind, we grow a new sense organ for feeling the presence and shape and potency of Truth itself in the depths of our own being.

Goethe demonstrated the activity of these three virtues when he discovered the metamorphic nature of the growth of plants. First we have to become quiet enough to notice the ‘isness’ of the various forms themselves from shoot to stem and leaf, to but, flower and seed. And to accept each stage and each form for what it is, as it is. Then we can patiently observe the phenom- ena through the cycles of time, which allows us insight into their intercon- nectivity. Clarity is then needed to express this new knowledge as truthfully as possible, care for the concepts and words used to communicate the idea so that others can feel the truth of it as well.

Contentment, patience and clarity ask from us ever greater mastery of our- selves as we grow in our capacity to behold, know and understand the beauty and terror of the world and our own being.

Contentment, Patience and Clarity stimulate the growth of the roots for perception, knowledge and understanding - and become higher moral powers of Inner Composure, Insight and Feeling for Truth.

A sea mandala created (and stone ceremony performed) at Lakes Entrance by Greg Fyfe, Kaz Wilson, Cass Roadknight and Angelique Stefanatos. Photo: Angelique Stefanatos Photo:

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Shin’s first lecture at the Secret of Renewal Seminar 2006 Transcribed and edited from the recordings taken on to be interested in the world and to be with nature and Thursday morning, 26th of January 2006, with what was helpful or dangerous in the powers around Evera – Trentham the human being. The old traditions knew very well by experience and by integral learning that everything wants Part 2 human being to tell something. All the plants and animals and stones, all the processes all around you want to tell The Triskelion something. You can learn from everything that is given as an element of this world. I am not here for to bring the indoctrination of any par- ticular religion or philosophy. But we are very interested There lies wisdom, but there is also power. There is also in the source or spring-point, in where all this came from, energy streaming through all evolutions. Some aspects of in what may be the deeper, scientific, spiritual-scientif- life on Earth have gone, others are coming. Some partici- ic background of all the real religions of the different pants, I mean some animals, some trees have been devel- streams, of the different lands, of the different cultures. oping very much by themselves, others in connection with This is what is interesting. And finally, if we do these re- certain animals or with the human being. For example, searches, we can find that in Egypt, for example, and in the grape, the plant of wine. Originally it was located India, in Sumeria and Mexico—we can even go further and in the area of Sumeria, the Babylonian area. Those old further into older and older times, like Africa (e.g. the traditions told that the wine-plant was a gift from god, Dogon people) or Ethiopia, or the knowledge of some in- and that it did not develop as it is now on earth, but was digenous tribes of North America—and we can find there transformed. Some plants have even been brought to the wisdom and knowledge that the very old streams knew gods. Don’t be nervous when I speak about the gods and very well, each on their level of science and religion and not about angels. I am just speaking about the time be- culture. We can find that they knew the same things, but fore one gave the name ‘angel’. explained them in different ways. Angel means angelus and angelus means messenger. And According to the Celtic tradition this principle is shown naturally all the closer gods and goddesses and all the with the symbol of the Triskelion, Triskele or Tricaru. And greater, larger and stronger gods and goddesses, as well because (or with the help) of the Temple Knight Order, you as the highest gods and goddesses are sons and daugh- can find the beautiful, wonderful, light constructions of ters of the One, and in a sense, therefore, messengers the Gothic cathedrals and churches here and there. And of the One. But the further you go back through history there you can find the wheel (not with yin and yang or two and through time, and look at the different traditions of fish turning) with three fish turning around. This is Triskele. knowledge about religion, about the cosmos and gods and Triskele is a wheel with three energies moving. goddesses and all these beings, the more you find in some region an even more complex knowledge. You can find out One energy is creating, engendering, giving birth, bring- with your research, that the later traditions could gain ing development. One is changing, accelerating but also some new knowledge, but always by taking away a part taking away. And between them, constantly, continuously, of a more complex, older wisdom. during the whole evolution process of this being— whether an apple tree, a lion, a human being, or whatever other We shall deepen some aspects of this phenomenon: that being—the holding, protecting energy is working, the ener- later versions of knowledge are more specialized, but gy which holds through, bringing things through from one have less of the whole, up until today, when there is a step to the other. very separated consciousness. Nowadays most people no longer have such a direct contact with nature and all the You can see wisdom, the wisdom in nature. The wisdom participants of this life on Earth. They also feel more and of animals and plants working together. You can see how more separated from what is called God or Angel or Spirit plants work together. How some families of plants like to or Helper or even Ancestor, and so on. grow and to help each other. And how different stones and mineral conditions give beautiful places for the plants. A And then according to the old tradition of, for example, wisdom is there. A wisdom you can recognize in all the the Celts or the Hindus, of the Indo-Germanic area, the uncountable number of medicinal herbs. third principle which is between wisdom and power is love. Not perhaps love as you might think it in the first Somehow, one could say after research, there is not one moment, not like a lot of people think : ‘oh, this is love; herb which is not of some medicinal use and purpose. oh, this is highest moment of love’— ‘this is love, this is not love’— ‘love is not good, love gives only problems’— The old traditions in various lands gave human beings the and so on. Not this level of love. What was meant ac- impulse to be very interested in the world. They needed

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it is a science of highest kind, which gave this master Ye- cording to the old tradition is divine love in creating, in shua (called , but the name was Yeshua) the right to holding, accelerating evolution and in – that is in the next say: ‘If you identify yourself with your body—which is of part of love – attraction. the ground, which is of the earth, which has had its de- velopment with the evolution of the earth, which is aris- There is one energy which brings you forward in love. You ing out of the spiral of the evolution of this earth—then run after this or that—after your love. But it is also at- you are from below. If you identify with your life ener- traction. There are elements, there are forms, there are gies, with your power, with what you have done, what beings which attract your love. For example, a child. A your father has done, your grandfather has done, what child attracts most normal people to be calm and tender, your teacher has done, the rabbi has done and the rabbi to admire and to contemplate. Children can change you, before him has done, then – again – you are going with in some moments, by their appearance, their beauty and the spiral of evolution of your family and destiny and so their purity, and by their innocence. Most people who re- on and you are rising from below upwards.’ It is not even ally live, feel a need to be careful, and gentle and tender negative, it is merely descriptive. with a child. And you are attracted—if you really live, you are attracted by children. It is the manifestation and ar- Home-School rival of a spiritual energy and divine atmosphere of life and youth, and of something which is mysterious, a mys- I am running for the moment, running from one thing to tery of a pure life, a pure consciousness. the other, because I am trying, with your permission —I have to tell what I am doing—to break the intellectual, And you can be very attracted to the ocean, especially the observer, the customs officer: your personality. I want when you can contemplate the sunrise there. You are at- to break his need to ‘have it’, to have it, to have it, to tracted. It is beautiful. It invites you to look. And those have it, again and again. Because this one, this person- who let themselves be invited by the sunrise, for example, ality of yours, this ego of yours, this little, small-range or some beautiful moon appearance or the rainbow, as no intellect of yours, cannot ‘have’. You are able to have, one has time to do, can then learn a lot. They can gain but not that one. I don’t want to wound you. I don’t want energy, they can lose sorrows, they can be transformed by to offend you. It is just that we are only breaking through only half an hour of contemplating sunrise, especially by the small-range consciousness to another consciousness, the ocean. one that is worthy of the human being.

And if you have experienced what this means, you are Also, if somebody identifies himself now with his thoughts, attracted again and again. The kind of attraction I mean his opinions, his feelings, his emotions, his will, his de- is always attraction to the higher, to the more refined, sires – any elements of the soul – it is again that he identi- to the more transparent. It brings you higher and higher. fies himself with the gifts that come via evolution. Your So the attraction to God is thereto bring you up to divine body is something you have, but animals also have it and consciousness. ‘Don’t you know that you are children of plants as well, and stones also have this body, and the God?’ ‘Don’t you know that you are divine?’ stones had it first.

Somewhere, somehow there is something which is seed We can be very general and say we have the physical body from the light and the fire. This is a science. It is not a by the help of fire. It is true. When stone was liquid—as part of a confessional system. It was a science when it was it still is down below, inside the earth—stone was fire, said: ‘I am not of this world. But you also, you are not of was lava. Then it moved outwards and was between the this world.’ So it was told 2000 years ago by Yeshua. It is a depths and heights, between the center of the earth and science. Now we are moving away from Kashmiri Shivaism the wider surroundings of the cosmos, and it became and the Celtic tradition, and we come to knowledge be- stone. Your body remembers the stone world, the mineral longing to the Christianity of St John. St John, the beloved world and your bones are witness of this. And also some of one, was the guardian of this knowledge, in particular. your liquids are witness of this. The densest part of your And it is even more interesting to find that in this science body, you have because there is the world of stone, the it is said: ‘I come from the heights, from above, you are mineral world. coming from below’. In our ears, or in some ears of today, this could give rise to lots of questions. But also there is life—life giving transformation, life giving growth, life giving different forms and a way through the Thus we could ask how this man can say such things and forms, life-energy holding your body, holding your body- how this man can allow himself to say these words. Is this energies together. Again you share it with partners on the not – (sorry, it is not actually, but we could ask the ques- earth, with animals and plants. With plants the physical tion) – is this not a sign of extreme arrogance? Or even of forms begin from inside for the first time, they begin to a person who is somewhere not grounded in reality? No. be transformed from the inside. Naturally, you know all Again, and even more deeply than the previous example,

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this. I have just to run through what you already know Imagine that this Earth was created, step by step in order to go in these directions and come on to those through millions of years, as a base only in order to levels not reachable anymore by anyone immediately and grow so that the babies, the young seeds, the I AM pres- directly. ence, the real divine entity can have an embodiment and learn in this home-school, in this university, what- And then there is the soul. Soul you can already find with ever this entity/identity of the cosmic tradition has to animals. Not the same soul, not as differentiated, not as learn in order to become himself, herself, and to be a elevated, not as ennobled, perhaps. But be very careful: creator spirit, a divine individuality, to become a free, animals have soul. And animals are sometimes more pure good creator. Good, because it knows everything about than human beings. But animals cannot change them- creation and development, creation and development selves. Animals have – perhaps you can understand it as of worlds and beings, in the sense that all these worlds something like a guardian, like an angel, like a divine en- and beings can have a harmonious, dynamic, evolution tity/identity as the guardian of them. without evil disturbance.

Identification with the soul or with the life energies or It is a deep and long story, wherein we also have to with the generations and the knowledge of those who have touch on the question of good, or so called good and lived before you in the family, is still an identification with bad, or so called good and so called bad. One key a consciousness and a love stream and a life stream which has been given already. One key as been given with comes spiraling through the evolution of the Earth and all the triskele. Triskelion or the wheel of evolution—held its participants. by one God, namely the creator—the wheel of the tri- unity, the active, harmoniously, dynamically active tri- There is a divine and spiritual element in the human being, unity of wisdom, love and power. In order to come however, which is not of this kind and not of this world. through all the realities to the truth or birthplace of Our integral learning is going in the direction of bringing all realities. the understanding of what the need is of this I AM pres- ence. What is the need of this divine identity in you? It I know we are running wide through time and space has been shown clearly through different traditions—and and it might be a very wild opening and perhaps for by God through some of the masters again and again, in some a stormy, chaotic beginning. (But the winds are higher and higher steps—that the human being is a divine very happy!) entity/identity, which is not realized in most people, but has sometimes been realized. Let us, for just a little moment, look to the old Greek tradition in the time when philosophy came more and Imagine now that we come to an epoch where everybody more to birth. And the word philosophy, friendship or is requested and everybody is helped to come to this I AM love for wisdom, is an expression of one element of presence. To come to fulfill what was shown in a most the Triskele from the Celtic tradition. I allow myself to wonderful and divine example 2000 years earlier by the mention the Celts on one side and the Greeks on (the) master Yeshua, and especially through God in the master other side, because they had a very deep and wonder- Yeshua. ful exchange. (And there is even a very old saying of Greek philosophers that the best scholars of the Py- How do we gain this being who is light and fire. How do we thagorean tradition would be the Druids. That was said reach oneness with the real I AM presence? Is it possible? by a Greek, but in a later time.) Philosophy is friend- Is this high aim and goal of the various Yoga and initiation ship or love of wisdom. We have three elements in systems through the different cultures real or is it an in- the Triskele: love, wisdom and power /might. (Don’t vention of priests? fear might, but fear misuse of might, that is something else.) One element is love for wisdom. I say: ‘It is real and humanity has waited too long, mis- guided by the enemy of the gods and the human being, Then from Egypt, old Egypt, another saying would ap- waited too long to develop this and to realize this, which pear on the door of the teaching of the [mysteries]: is the real goal of humanity.’ bring wisdom to power, bring wisdom to power oth- erwise it will be very dangerous! And then we could Integral learning wants to give you a way to understand follow the Celts and the Indo-Germans, understanding: that this Earth is not for leaving. Should we leave because bring the might, bring the power, bring the energy to we suffer, because we have this or that problem, because love, the principle of love, goodness and compassion. it is so full of suffering and anxiety? Or because there are So with love to wisdom, wisdom to might and power, spiritual worlds and beautiful heavens and higher situa- might and power to love, goodness. This is how the tions, better situations? What is it that we should do here wheel, Triskele, Tricaru runs in the universe. So I have on this Earth? tried with the help of elements of other cultures, to present to you this element of the Celtic culture.

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Triskelion Crop Circles: Adapted from: wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion) modern trisceles

A triskelion or triskele (both from the Greek τρισκέλιον or τρισκελής, for “three-legged”) is a symbol consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry.

A triskelion is the symbol of Brittany, as well as the Isle of Man and Sicily (where it is called Trisceli). The Manx and Sicilian triskelions feature three running legs, bent at the knee and conjoined at the crotch. Spiral forms of the triskele are often classed as solar symbols, while the legged version, sometimes including a gorgon mask or Me- dusa’s head at the central axle point in the Sicilian ver- sion, suggests a chthonic significance.

Origins

The triskelion symbol appears in many early cultures, in- cluding on Mycenaean vessels, on coinage in Lycia, and on staters of Pamphylia (at Aspendos, 370–333 BC) and Pisidia. A symbol of four conjoined legs, a tetraskelion, is also known in Anatolia. Celtic influences in Anatolia, epitomized by the Gauls who invaded and settled Galatia, are especially noted by those who theorize a Celtic origin for the triskelion.

Celtic / Gaelic Triscele

The triscele has been used since ancient times in Celtic culture to symbolize the cycle of life. It has also been a symbol for the trinity since post-pagan times and medi- eval times in Scotland, Ireland and parts of England and Wales. As with many of the pagan myths and stories that changed during this time period so did the pagan symbols that were once part of the culture in an effort to convert the entirety of celtic culture to Christianity. The triscele also was a symbol for the three goddesses of Celtic my- These images of trisceles are but a selection of the many thology (also found in Greek mythology). There is also spiralling and complex geometric forms of the crop circles some debate if it came to be a symbol for wise men, lead- in England over the last decade. The ‘season’ is over for ers, scholars and people of the arts among the druids an 2008, and the crops have been harvested. Each year the ancients celts alike. Origins of this can be found in Brigid images are posted on the internet (link in box below), and daughter of Dagda (Brigid is one of the three goddesses). year books are available of these remarkable and mysteri- When looking at the symbol it is clear to see that spirals ous communications. They are known by many as temporary move inward therefore also being cited that each spiral temples. If anyone knows more about them, and would like symbolizes strength, honor & fortitude. to share their knowledge in the Dewdrop, we would wel- come that very much. Neolithic spiral formation Copyrights for all items belong to the contributors Spiral triskele, found in Celtic artwork, used by Celtic (writers, artists, photographers). Crop Circle im- Reconstructionists and occasionally as a Christian ages taken as low resolution thumbnails from the Trinitarian symbol. best crop circle site: www.cropcircleconnector.com/

Dewdrop-Evera Newsletter Spring 2008, Volume 2, Issue 2