This book is a classic for anyone interested in adventure, mythology and spiritual development. Written by Edwin Bernbaum who while teaching in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the mid-late seventies studied Tibetan religion, mythology and art and became interested in Shambhala – a mythical kingdom somewhere beyond the snow mountains north of the Himalayas.

“For centuries the people of Tibet and Mongolia have believed in the existence of Shambhala where a line of enlightened kings is said to be guarding the highest wisdom for a time when all spiritual values in the world outside will be lost in war and destruction. Then, according to prophecy, a great king will come out of this sanctuary to defeat the forces of evil and establish a golden age.

“Drawing on Tibetan and Sanskrit texts, interviews with lamas in Nepal and India, and his own experiences in the Himalayas, Edwin Bernbaum gives a detailed account of this fascination tradition, examining its basis in religion and history and its connection to the archetypal myths that have influenced both Eastern and Western cultures. As he explores the myth of Shambhala, showing how it symbolises an inner, spiritual journey to enlightenment, Bernbaum leads the reader through the actual terrain of the Himalayas, the mist-filled valleys and snow-covered peaks that have helped to inspire the idea of a mysterious sanctuary hidden in the remote mountains of Central Asia.

When filming in the Himis Monastery in Ladakh in the mid eighties we had the opportunity to visit the head lama. After speaking quietly with him and an interpreter for an hour he asked if we had any questions. I asked him, “where is Shambhala?” He waved his hands in a northward direction and indicated it was beyond the Himalayas, somewhere in the Gobi Desert region.

“Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges -
Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting to be found. Go!”
Rudyard Kipling

“Behind the ice walls of the Himalayas lie the empty deserts and remote mountains of Cental Asia. There, blown clear of habitation by the harsh winds of high altitude, the plateau of Tibet extends north over thousands of square miles up to the Kunluns, a range of unexplored peaks longer than the Himalayas and nearly as high. Beyond its little known valleys are two of the most barren deserts in the world; the Taklan Makan and the Gobi. Sparsely populated and cut off by geographical and political barriers, this vast region remains the most mysterious part of Asia, an empty immensity in which almost anything could be lost and waiting to be found.”
Edwin Bernbaum

Although there are differing opinions as to where Shambhala actually is, the lamas all agree that it is a place of majestic beauty. They are more specific about the kingdom itself and give a remarkably clear and detailed picture of it. According to their descriptions, a great ring of snow mountains glistening with ice completely surrounds Shambhala and keeps out all those not fit to enter. The texts imply that one can cross the snow mountains only by flying over them, but the lamas point out that this must be done through spiritual powers and not by material means.

The inhabitants of the kingdom live in peace and harmony, free of sickness and hunger. They all have a healthy appearance, with beautiful features, and wear graceful robes of white cloth. They speak a sacred language and all have great wealth but never have to use it. Tibetans have, in fact, taken the Sanskrit name Shambhala to mean “the source of happiness.”

Many Tibetans insist on the necessity of purifying the mind in order to go to Shambhala. Most forms of meditation used for this purpose tend to cut off, or silence, the habitual thoughts and preconceptions that block the kind of mystic vision, the vision that may actually penetrate into other worlds as solid and as concrete as ours. By clarifying his mind in this way, ridding himself of the mental conditioning that limits his awareness, the traveller to Shambhala may be gaining the ability to see into the fourth dimension and take an actual journey through a strange, but real, landscape of fantastic deserts and mountains that lie parallel to the ones we find on maps of Central Asia.

If the high lamas of Tibet consider this majestic paradise to be symbolic then a powerful symbol like Shambhala can do more than stand for some hidden truth or aspect of reality; it can also act as a window that opens up a view of something beyond itself.

Maybe the “hidden valley” exists in the inner consciousness of the mind, reached only through the practise of disciplined meditation. According to one high priest, reaching Shambhala mentally means that one has reached the innermost mind locked in the heart centre. According to prophecy, the future king of Shambhala will come not only to deliver the world from the external tyranny, but also to liberate its inhabitants from the internal bondage of their own delusions. The main purpose of the final battle and the golden age is to bring about the conditions and teachings needed to attain enlightenment, to help people awaken the innermost mind and know the true nature of reality.

The prophecy implies that the solution of the world’s problems will come from an inner source hidden within each of us. Some of these myths exert a considerable influence on our lives, affecting not only what happens to us as individuals, but also what happens to society and the course of history itself…..the modern myth of progress…..the conviction that science and industry will transform the earth into a material paradise and establish a golden age of prosperity for all. This conviction lies behind much of the push for social reform and economic development that now determines the policies, as well as the fate, of governments throughout the world, regardless of their particular ideology. The myth of progress seems in fact, to have led us into the degenerate period of materialism that is supposed to precede the golden age of Shambhala.

We have come to this quandary in large part because we have lost sight of the inner side of the myth of progress. In striving to create an earthly paradise, we have overlooked the needs and nature of those who must live in it. A fascination with the problem of ever increasing material prosperity has led us to develop a one sided view of the myth that emphasises external progress at the expense of inner development…

We need to recover a balance and perspective that will enable us to use, rather than be used by, the power of the myth of progress. The kind of insights we have gleaned from the Tibetan myth of Shambhala may be able to help us do this by redirecting our attention toward the inner meaning of the myths that shape our lives. We may even be able to use the myths of progress itself as a symbol to awaken the deeper mind and liberate ourselves from the bondage of our illusions.

Ultimately, however, each one of us needs to find and seek his own equivalent of Shambhala, that place, thing, person, or even idea that has the power to inspire us to take the inner journey to greater freedom and awareness. The myth of Shambhala is meant to encourage us to find a form of our own that reveals, rather than replaces, the essence of the kingdom itself.

In seeking the essence of Shambhala through whichever form we find to be ours, we come to realise that it lies hidden right here in the world around us. This realisation opens us to a growing sense of the sacred in everything we see. People and things that we had regarded with scorn or indifference becomes sources of wonder and awe. As we become aware of the sacred nature of all that surrounds us, we cease to see people and things to be abused and exploited. We come, instead, to cherish them for what they are, and to treat them with the utmost care and respect. If we can awaken this sense of the sacred in the world around us, then we may have a chance of bringing about the golden age of so many myths and dreams.

Only exaltation of spirit
Enables one to cross the radiant bridge
Let each one who is illumined by spirit
Walk boldly into the temple

The opening mantra from the exquisite voice of Yuki Tasogare, who played the tambura, along with Shen Flindell on tabla, formed a beautiful and unforgettable introduction to the evening. Her classical mantra set the tone for what was to become, not so much a performance by highly talented artists, but more a meditation that would be remembered long after the evening finished.

Following Tasogare’s delicate subtle chanting, classical flautist Taro Terahara performed what surely was one of the longest flute recitals of all time, producing a melodic and haunting sound that echoed to the deepest reaches of the mind. Taro has had many years of yoga training, which enables him to play the flute with such precision and beauty. His recital required a deep concentration on the breath – only a yogi with years of training and meditation could hold notes to such a degree of perfection. The ebb and flow of his breath and the sounds that followed transported the audience to a place beyond their normal day to day ponderings – to a state of deep meditation – where the mind resonates to the sounds of other worlds, far beyond the mountains of Tibet.

An intermission of chai and sweet chocolate macadamia brownies brought everyone back to earth, accompanied by an on-screen display of wonderful images of the Sahara Desert, the Dogon people in Mali and the sacred Mount Kailas in Tibet. When we resumed our seats, the performance of Tibet2Timbuktu2 began with a fusion of the best music from both worlds.

The band members Tenzin Choegyal, Marcello Milani, Shen Findell and Taro Terahara were in perfect harmony with each other, joking in a relaxed way about Karma and Lamas. Tenzing Choegyal, the lead singer, sang with such control and strength it was as if he was calling the spirit of Tibet into our presence. His voice was powerful and vibrant. In a spontaneous moment, Shen Findell, the tabla player, suggested to Tensing Choegyal that he might like to perform a tune he did some years ago in Japan, when he first met Taro Terahara. At first he seemed a little confused, as though he wasn’t sure – then, in a precise moment, he had the flute to his lips; for around 10 seconds, in absolute silence from the stage and audience, with one deep breath he sounded a note of such high key and beauty that he instantly transported everyone to a heightened state. It was almost as if Tenzin Choegyal was channelling this music from a master flautist somewhere in the mountains of Tibet. Along with the classical sound of Taro Terahara, they formed what was, for most in the audience, an exceptional musical experience. This unrehearsed flute recital was the highlight of the performance and, I’m sure, redefined the concept of flute music for an appreciative audience.

The evening ended with a Tibetan chant. The audience were asked to join in with the words “OM MANI PADME OM” – “the jewel in the lotus”. Softly they began the mantra, sounding it over and over, ending the show on a blissful note. An evening not to be forgotten.

www.tibet2timbuk2.com
  

“This day at Teahupoo – Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many are calling the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate enough to be there working for Billabong on a day that will go down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water.
Kelly Slater described the day by saying “witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people’s lives all day long, it’s life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life.”

All images where shot by Chris Bryan using the Phantom HD Gold camera. To see more of Chris’ work check out his website www.chrisbryanfilms.com
Music: ‘Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun’ by M83

There’s a scene in the opening of Andrew Kidman’s Glass Love, of Daize Shayne surfing a longboard through a blaze of light, that is so intense that, for a moment, she completely disappears – and then emerges on the other side to continue riding the wave. She is drifting – floating – the surfboard just a vehicle to transport her to an ethereal world. In the early morning light it can be like that sometimes. The brightness can be so intense that, after a while, it will burn out all colour, leaving just a blaze of whiteness. Andrew sent me a photograph of Daize soon after the film came out – it is a constant reminder of the incredible aesthetics in surfing. It captures perfectly the formless, in a metaphysical sense, and is a reminder that behind every form is light.

Glass Love

“In the film I wanted to feature the generational link and love of surfing that gets passed down through families, in particular the Curren and Purchase families. The sons are surfers and their fathers are surfers/shapers. It was nice to peek in on a small part of their relationships and how surfing makes them special. This, and the continued experimentation with board design, were the highlights for me in making this film.”
Andrew Kidman

Andrew Kidman lives near Mount Warning, on the far north coast of New South Wales. He has a three hundred and sixty degree view of the hinterland surrounding the mountain. It is one of the most picturesque sights on the entire coast and one that you will never get tired of looking at. The mountain is on the western outlook of the house and the late afternoon and early evening colours leave a lasting impression. On a moonless night, the grand Milky Way overshadows the house and the constellations are clearly visible. All is quiet and peaceful, with only the sounds of nature to be heard. You couldn’t ask for a nicer place to live.

When you walk inside the house there is an array of colourful surfboards in racks against the wall. Boards of all sizes and descriptions, with a history that could fill a book. Some he’s made himself, others are from friends and surfers who are close to him. They are all works of art. Made with love, they are filled with memories and energies of great waves and beautiful days. And like all works of great art, they are inspiring.

Here are a few photos and technical details for the boards….

Lost in the Ether

Riding Michael Peterson’s board on a shallow Northern New South Wales boulder point…

“I was nervous pulling into this tube. As the wave moved onto the bank, the bottom dropped out of the barrel. The board could easily have broken as it only has a glue stringer. These frame grabs from Lost in the Ether were taken from footage shot by Steve Sherer.”
Andrew Kidman

More on Andrew and Lost in the Ether film & book…
www.andrewkidman.com

Jack loves photographing waves so much so that a few years back at Teahupo’o he was swimming dangerously close to the reef in the water filming Andy Irons. A set loomed and Andy dropped in on a moderately big wave – “moderately” being large in most surfers reference frame….. with his focus on Andy, the wave pulled back off the reef and then when it exploded took Jack over – camera and all – with it. He hit the reef, got heavily wacked on the head – fortunately he was wearing a helmet – and dragged over the reef. In a semi-conscious state, he said later, that he was enjoying the sensation so much that he wanted to stay there. Realising that he was on the verge of unconsciousness he pulled himself back around and eventually came up on the shallow reef. In a dazed state and standing in waist deep water another bomb wave drained off the reef and exploded on top of him. He was dragged along the reef for a hundred meters and eventually pulled on board a jet ski. Five minutes later he passed out and was unconsciousness for thirty minutes.

Most people after an experience like that would probably not return to the ocean. Jack did – many times – and continued his exploratory techniques of filming the beautiful waves of Teahupo’o and Tahiti. A few years ago he designed an underwater propeller driven torpedo-shaped platform to support his camera and continued to test and film the beautiful waves and surfing in Tahiti.

Jack’s footage caught the attention of Paul McCartney and the result is the clip Blue Sway below.

McCartney’s music – with a beautiful string orchestra backing – combined with Jack’s amazing images have created an exceptionally beautiful creative masterpiece of space and sound.

More on Jack…
http://adeepershadeofblue.com

Nature’s beauty can be easily missed — but not through Louis Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.
From TEDX San Francisco, filmed June 2011

His new film “Wings of Life” will be released by Disneynature.

“The secret lives of bats, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bumblebees come to life before our eyes as Schwartzberg and his talented team highlight how the determination and interdependence of these diminutive creatures somehow keep our chaotic world in balance.”
Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Schwartzberg founded Moving Art to use the power of media to inspire and entertain through film.

http://www.movingart.tv/

Drove down along the back roads through flat grazing territory past rivers filled with the early morning bird life, mountains in the distance were sharp with a light westerly clearing the early morning haze. Past horses grazing, cows meandering, signs with homemade jams for sale and honesty boxes to collect the money. Old farms – sleepy vibe – no cars….. it could’ve been the seventies – not much had changed. There was a crispness in the air – almost a touch of autumn; an unseasonable southwesterly breeze was fanning the morning trees ….. and waves. It was the middle of summer and the surf was perfect. No better way to start the day.

The first person on the radar screen when we pull in was the Reverend D. Hunt from Babylon, he greeted us with a smile from ear to ear – one he carries permanently, “Don’t you just love it, don’t you just love it” – he wraps his arms around us, “let me feel your love”. We wax up and walk over a grassy headland covered with wild flowers along a track that would have to be one of the best walk outs in the world – The Reverend is foaming…we all are. The sets pull around the point like Currumbin without the crowds….. no car park or houses here – just wide open space and pure natural beauty. The ocean is like crystal….. the waves paper thin….. we couldn’t have been in a more perfect space.

Gratitude was flowing in abundance as we launched off the rocks and into a beautiful temperate ocean so clear you could see the grains of sand below. The Reverend took off on his alaia, sounding what was to become the mantra of the day, “don’t you just love it”. We rolled around hysterically in a state of bliss and rode wave after wave giving thanks for our good fortune and being in one of the most incredibly beautiful bays along the east coast.

The low had moved down from Queensland slowly and with the easterly swell laid its bounty on every point along the coast down to Newcastle. If you listened carefully you could hear the cries of delight from all over.

It was just another one of those days…..

Don’t you just love them…..

Photos by Jack McCoy and Robyn Wren

When filming a series of religious festivals in India in the mid-eighties I would often wander the streets at night around the time of the full moon, listening to the sounds of chanting from nearby temples. There is always more temple activity during this time, with most of the population asleep and the stifling daytime temperatures a little less intense, it was another view of India that most people wouldn’t see or hear. During the days with the millions of people all active – the sound levels were intense – however around midnight that had all settled and the peacefulness allowed for a different note to be heard.

Wandering through the streets day or night – there is always some activity and India is the land of temples. You could follow the sounds of chanting and find yourself in a temple with a group of people all playing music and chanting. The harmonious resonance was magnetic and under a full moon in the stillness of the night and the aromas of incense and herbs – it was captivating. On one occasion I met an old aristocratic man who spoke with a clear and soft tone. He was chanting along with a small group. I stayed in the temple for a few hours drifting into a meditative state then he asked if I would like to come to his house and meet his family and have some chai. We quietly walked to his house in the pre-dawn hours and his wife prepared some chai and sweets for us. Afterwards he excused himself and disappeared for a few minutes and returned carrying a large case which he put gently down on a rug on the floor between us. Without saying anything we finished our chai and then he opened the magic case to reveal the most beautiful sitar – made for a king. With reverence he gently and carefully removed the instrument from its case and proceeded to play.

Over the next hour and through the sunrise he played classic tunes for us. Together, in a heightened aural and visual experience, we watched the room turn gold as the first rays of the sun penetrated his window and flooded the room with light. This classical master sitar player left a resonance that stays with me to this day. Even though our paths crossed for the briefest time, that beautiful moment stays – his music came from and returned to a different space but for a moment its vibration and pure essence gave beauty to the sunrise and prepared the day for those yet to awake from their dream state and move into another day in the life of India.

www.occupylove.org

Our idea was this: let’s start a pumpkin seed co-op and maybe we can find a way to freely distribute them to countries in need of durable, natural food that is lasting, nutritious and tastes great. Of course this will not solve the world’s food problem, however, if energy follows thought then perhaps it’s a start and you never know where a pumpkin seed might end up. So when next you buy a pumpkin – save the seeds – one day in some way we may be able to collect the seeds – and send them off on a journey of adventure to help feed those who are struggling – it’s just a thought. Imagine the joy on the face of a baby who tastes a beautiful sweet pumpkin for the first time or a family who can bake the pumpkin on an open fire. One pumpkin will produce up to 150 seeds, each plant will give 3-5 pumpkins – that’s 750 pumpkins or another 112,500 seeds – it doesn’t take long to gather a million seeds. That’s a lot of pumpkins and they last for a year.

It’s just a seed thought – one that could feed the world.

It’s really interesting to take note of the tourists leaving Australia and the same tourist when they leave Bali to return home. Usually on the exit passengers are tired and unhealthy – their energy levels are low and they appear lifeless and colourless. On the return flight from Bali everyone is happy, healthy and colourful – it’s as if their life has returned to them.

Bali has that effect on everyone. It is easy to understand how Bali has over the past decade become the number one tourist destination on the planet. For me it is almost a second home. Like all beautiful places – the longer you stay, the longer you want to stay. Then the time comes when you just cross the line and throw the return ticket away. Actually there were many occasions when the time came to return to Australia that I just couldn’t get on the plane and postponed the return flight. I would stay for two months and often for six. But come September, with the scent of the Australian spring in my nostrils, I would return in time to spend the next few months with my favourite flower – the wisteria.

Many years ago when I was first introduced to Claude Monet’s paintings I was fascinated by his life – where he lived and how he transformed his domain into a beautiful home and garden, with waterways passing through the property and bridges covered in the most amazing clusters of flowers. He created incredible gardens and then spent the remainder of his life painting them – now of course the paintings are priceless. I later discovered that the flowers overhanging the bridge in some of his most valued paintings are wisteria. A few years later I found myself in his home, now preserved with the most stunning gardens for all to see. A walk through his highly colourful house and gardens is a treasure and, for those interested in art and beauty, inspirational.

I sought out nurseries with wisteria and read as much as I could on this exquisite flowering plant and slowly began planting varieties around my property. Within a few years the vines took hold and every spring they flowered. With time, the number of flowers increased and after eight years of growth there is a wonderful profusion of wisteria flowers come spring. Weather conditions determine how long the delicate blooms will hold. The window is unfortunately very short, perhaps four weeks in ideal conditions. The attraction of flower and subtle perfume is so intoxicating that I can sense it in Bali. It is the only reason I leave this second home of Bali and the reason I very rarely leave this property in September. It’s truly amazing how quick flowers bloom and pass over. A reminder how all things are constantly in a state of transformation before our eyes and yet we don’t see it. The most amazing thing about observing flowers is the realisation how incredible life is and how fleeting the moment. Upon recognition of that, whether it be through observation or direct experience, you learn to live in the moment and, if nothing else, through the relationship that you have with the flowers and your garden, you develop a profound connection with all life on all levels.

All connections you have with nature offer this and once you’ve had the experience there’s no looking back – or forward for that matter – it becomes an inner journey of discovery, you see the spirit in all things. Nature holds the key to this transformation. When you learn to look and see or listen and hear, another world opens and that world it seems has more to offer. When we reflect upon the most profound moments in our lives often it is in the connection we have with nature. Once we have connected to that world, we have connected to all worlds, including looking at the human kingdom from a different point of view. We learn to look at what’s behind the outer form – the cause of our being, our existence becomes more important in our lives and the lives of all others. When we look deep into the beauty of a flower or ride in the vortex of an ocean wave, we resonate with something deep within ourselves. As we connect all those moments into one moment and realise that it is all part of the one life, then we have the key to the kingdom – all that remains is nothing but pure consciousness.

More…
Monet’s gardens in Giverny
Wisteria Story – Ashikaga Flower Park

Many beautiful mysteries exist in the cosmos, and when the spirit contacts them,
the heart is filled with exaltation and with infinite gratitude to these spirits,
the creators of our consciousness
Helena Roerich

The heart that knows the subtle world knows flowers and mountains, and snows and the seas. Flowers thrive in a richness of forms and their colours are indescribably more complex that the colours of earth; the snows are more whiter and crystalline and richer than those of earth. Only the light bearing consciousness of the heart will carry the subtle body into the higher realms.

If thought in itself contains creative energy, then how useful it is to direct good thoughts into space.

He who does not think of the heart will also fail to improve his consciousness. Only through the heart will you conquer. When human thought shall recognise the heart as an impeller, not as an egoistic personal instrument, but as a collaborator with the subtlest energies, the predestined transformation of life will at once begin.

To behold flowers of the subtle world means already to ascend into the Beautiful sphere.

How important it is to let our heart tell us what it is we want or need
Instead of letting our brain dictate to us.

The chief requisite for the application of the hearts energy will be an understanding that physical effort is unnecessary.

Heart available www.sydneygoodwill.org.au

Foundations of Buddhism
Buddha’s love was so immeasurable a stream that it could not be exhausted by any hate or hostility. On the contrary, such a hostile attack only brought to it fuller unfoldment. Therefore, he decreed that his disciples act thus, “However men may speak concerning you, whether appropriately or inappropriately, whether courteously or rudely, whether wisely or foolishly, whether kindly or maliciously, thus, my disciples, must you train yourselves. Our minds should remain unsullied; neither should evil word escape our lips. Kind and compassionate will we ever remain, loving of heart, not harbouring secret hate. And we will bathe them with the unfailing stream of loving thought. And proceeding further, we will embrace and flood the whole wide world with constant thoughts of loving kindness, wide, ample, expanding, immeasurable as the world, free from enmity, free from ill will. Thus, disciples, must you train yourselves!”
Here we see that the love that his disciples had to cultivate was the boundless stream of kindness radiating to all four quarters of space, above and below, in all places the wide world over.
According to the Teaching these waves of kindness, compassion, or joy sent into space reach a mind afflicted with sorrow and grief, which suddenly feels within itself a welling-up of peace and serenity.
Thought is energy and as such acts in full conformity with its intensity and the impetus given to it.
Love, as taught by the Blessed One, being the deliverance of mind, was at the root of everything really great.
“The greatest of all is the loving heart.”
Helena Roerich

Shamballa send fiery messages, golden seeds of wisdom and knowledge to all those who cultivate their minds in true meditation and learn to penetrate into the realm of peace.
Nicholas Roerich

Not long after registering as a student with the Arcane School my friend came home from The Theosophical Book store in Sydney with some beautiful postcards of painting of the Himalayas. Having not been to the Himalayas I was struck by the incredible colours of the early dawn light that the artist had captured. The cards although small resonated with a beautiful energy. They were of paintings done by a Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. Thus begun another wonderful journey into a world so different to the one I had been living. Several years later I found myself in the Himalayas amongst steep mountain peaks covered with winter snow. The clarity of the high altitude in the pre-dawn light put an edge of sharpness and detail into these mighty mountain peaks. Often during the early hours of morning I would walk along well-worn paths through fields of rich pasture to catch the sunrise – it was as if I had stepped into a Roerich painting. Nicholas and his family had spent many years in the early 1930’s travelling and painting in these mountains long before I was born and yet they somehow appeared to remain exactly in colour and form as he had rendered them in his paintings. He had spent years travelling through these mountainous regions and over the vast plains of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and through the Altai Mountains gathering artefacts, visiting temples and meeting with remarkable Rishis before settling down in the Kulu Valley in northern India with his wife Helena and two sons George and Svetoslav to complete the work that the family had spent their entire life collecting.

Paintings of a spiritual nature such as Roerichs resonate with a strong healing vibration that will not only inspire you on an inner level, but also transform the way you think about the world. They have a strong and powerful radiation as if being in the presence of a very strong magnetic field. Should you find yourself in New York at the Roerich Gallery, home of the Agni Yoga society, which they initiated, you will have the opportunity to view a large collection of original paintings – mostly from the Himalayan region. If you never get to the Himalayas and find yourself surrounded by these paintings it will be as if you had spent time travelling through these awesome mountains. When you walk back out on the streets of New York you will realise then the powerful effect that they have upon you – you will not be the same again. Perhaps its being in such a beautiful pristine part of the world untouched by human hands that Roerich was able to capture or perhaps it was a combination of his purity that allowed him to be in that presence and be guided through his heart and hand to paint such master pieces.

The Roerichs are long gone but their heartfelt beauty and richness of spirit has left a wealth of profound teachings and paintings that will send vibrations of a powerful healing nature into the world for generations to come. They were a truly remarkable family and to this day and well into the future their legacy will remain as one of the world’s greatest gifts of a spiritual nature available to mankind.

Each person interprets this coming Radiant Age in his own way, but in one thing they are all alike – precisely, that they interpret it, with the language of the heart.
Nicholas Roerich

“Culture is the reverence of light.
Culture is the love of humanity.
Culture is fragrance, the unity of life and beauty.
Culture is the synthesis of uplifting and sensitive attainments.
Culture is the armour of light.
Culture is salvation.
Culture is the moving force.
Culture is the Heart.

If we gather all the definitions of Culture,
We find the synthesis of active Bliss,
The alter of enlightenment and constructive beauty.”
Nicholas Roerich

For more information on Agni Yoga and Nicolas Roerich
and for the purchase of books on Agni Yoga contact
www.agniyoga.org
www.sydneygoodwill.org.au

Often we would walk through Hyde Park, sit together and have lunch on a nearby park bench. With the hustle and bustle of London, it was as if we were enclosed in a place of beautiful silence that was protected from the outside world.

Some years later when Jan was diagnosed with cancer, she continued the work until, physically incapable, and after twenty years of service, they returned to their homeland New Zealand. Soon afterwards I travelled to see them and stayed in a quiet garden flat within walking distance from the ocean and their home. Every morning and evening I would walk to their house, past beautiful gardens and trees, to meditate and spend time with them. We had formed a triangle of loving energy during those years in London and as Jan’s passing was close the meditations were of greater significance. During the stay in New Zealand we recorded Jan’s voice sounding The Great Invocation.

When the time came to leave their home and return to Australia, we walked very slowly through the garden towards Steve’s car, stopping to admire the flowers and treasure the preciousness of the moment – it seemed to last forever. Jan stood motionless, as we loaded the car, radiantly beautiful with a glow around her and a peacefulness beyond words. As we drove off I looked back to see her and realised the great love that we as humans are capable of – everything in that moment was perfect – the connection remains forever there. It was the last time I was to see Jan.

Not long afterwards Steve contacted me and said that Jan had died peacefully at home by his side. He mentioned that during her last hours he could see her lips moving and, unable to hear what she was saying, he put his ear close to her mouth and listened. She was sounding, ever so quietly, the Great Invocation.

During the following year Steve, a friend and I were in the mountain region of Darjeeling in Northern India attending a meditation meeting on the Wesak – full moon in May. Darjeeling was a special place for Steve and Jan, having first travelled there when they were young students. Surrounded by the magnificent Himalayas, the town offers spectacular views of the majestic mountains, including the sacred mountain, Mount Kanchenjunga.

On a crystal clear morning we walked along a quiet road bordered on both sides by ancient pine forests to a garden park that offered spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Steve carried Jan’s ashes. With a peace and serenity we walked slowly in unison towards a garden of roses where Jan’s ashes would be spread. Steve had a blissful glow around him. As the golden light of sunrise reflected off Mt Kanchenjunga, Steve spread Jan’s ashes under a beautiful rose bush. Silently we sounded The Great Invocation in memory of our beloved friend.

As the power of visualisation develops, the human soul becomes able to abstract these pictures from the mental plane of his little existence and to project them out into space, directing them where he wishes, thus using the power of visualisation. He touches other human beings, energises them, and eventually learns to build a super system of television in the centre of his being through which he communicates with inner and outer worlds and with events taking place in both…

The greatest tool for liberation ever gifted to humanity is meditation.

“That which cannot be seen will be seen…
But only by those who choose love not fear”
Let the Great Evolution Begin

For Centuries, Tibetans have been devoted to the study of human consciousness. The Tibetan Buddhists believe that there is no greater vehicle than compassion and forgiveness to counteract the suffering in the world. Their unique Buddhist practise and beliefs provide a framework for the attainment of mental peace and enlightenment, a goal they are encouraged to pursue from an early age. They are taught to value contentment, fulfilment, and mental peace above all else, since one’s state of mind is believed to be the only possession that survives from one lifetime to the next.

The classical portraits of the Tibetan people by Phil Borges are an outstanding representation of a culture who embody compassion as the core of their existence. More than any other race the Tibetans have introduced pure Buddhist teachings to the world. With the forced expulsion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from his homeland in 1949 the world has benefited greatly from his presence. Having audiences with most western leaders his influence cannot be underestimated.
He continually speaks of non-violence and compassion as the essential qualities for a peaceful world.

“From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and wants to avoid suffering. In this we are all the same. Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion. The reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another”.

Our self-centeredness,
Our distinctive attachment to the feeling
Of an independent “I” works to inhibit
Our compassion.
True compassion can only develop
And grow as such self-grasping is reduced
And eventually eliminated.

Tibetan Portrait
The Power of Compassion
Photographs by Phil Borges
Text by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Prologue by Jeffrey Hopkins
Published by Rizzoli Publications Inc.
Available online at www.biblio.com