It was quite hot when I set out to Belgium by car early morning on 25 June. While the summer countryside flew by, I was enchanted by the audio-book of the “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Yogananda. In Haguenau, France, I picked up Martine who joined me for the trip to the next group life with Sri Kumar. She proposed to take the way via Germany to avoid the French highway toll stations. Scenes of earlier trips to Belgium popped into my mind. When we arrived in Corroy-le-Grand, where several group members of the Belgian “White Lotus Group” live together since about 30 years, we received a warm welcome. Some group members were preparing flowers for the group life – Benoît had bought plenty of roses and other flowers Saturday evening at a flower market in Brussels for a cheap price…
In the evening and the next morning, we meditated together in the beautiful small chapel in Benoît’s house. A little later, we packed flowers and luggage into the cars and went to the seminar place, the “Golf de l’Empereur” – a beautiful site surrounded by meadows and forests in the south of Brussels.
About two hours later, the seminar room was set up and we drove to the airport to pick up Sri Kumar and the other group members coming from the seminar in Alicante, Spain. Some group members had visited the airport and the other sightseeing places in Brussels. So we now had a joyful pick-nick on the top of the airport parking before we went down to the arrival gates. The plane was delayed, and thus, we had some more time for coffee, tea and exchanges.
At a quarter to four finally, the travel group arrived. A warm welcome, some short talks, and then we took the elevators to the top of the parking. From there, we drove to the center of Brussels. More group members joined us at the café. Later, we went to the Grand Place, where the gold decoration on the roofs of the old houses shone in the sun. We went to the inner courtyard of the City Hall and formed a big circle. Sri Kumar spoke some words about the importance of the place as the economic center of Europe and then asked us to stand hand in hand. He then started speaking the Great Invocation and we joined in. It was a very powerful moment, especially when we intonated the OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Then our short “flash mob” dissolved again into the stream of visitors.
The peak of the rush hour was over but still there was heavy traffic when we drove through the quarters of the European Union administration and along the Royal Court. In the evening, there was a welcome meeting at the seminar house followed by evening dinner.
Next morning Sri Kumar gave a short talk followed by a question-answer session. Topics were raised concerning pregnancy preparation, a healthy health system in Europe, love and brotherhood, old age and leaving the body or dealing with depression. In the afternoon the group did a walk with Sri Kumar.
After evening prayer, there was the blessing of children: “We bless the born children with an intent, the intent that they should find the purpose for which they have been born. The blessing of the children by the group is to make the child recollect the purpose for which they have been born. Many of us would not have recollected the purpose of life. It should not happen with the children. Not knowing the purpose of life we mover for long years into different ways but if we know for what we are born we can straight away realize and work for it. In ancient times the purpose was taught from the teacher and the information taught by relating to a fire people were lighting. In all system there was the fire worship and also the sun worship. The worship is to recollect the purpose for which you are born. When children arrive into the world we wish them to recollect the very purpose for which they are born. They are also introduced to sun worship and fire worship so that one fine day they would recollect the very purpose. So they remembered it very early. The initiates recollected the purpose very early. Once it is recollected the journey is again a straight work. Otherwise they go into many sideways and child is lost. Therefore whenever groups meet a blessing of children is arranged. You may put one or two grains on the child and on the parents an also some good wishes.”
Wednesday after morning meditation and breakfast the group life ended. The weather had changed during the night and it was raining. With three friends, I set out for the seminar in Billerbeck, while a travel group with Sri Kumar visited Liege and Aachen before going to the next seminar place.
