About Gatherings, Mountains, Friedrich Grohe

It’s interesting to see what happens in the work of a great person after his death. The case of recent teachers like Yogananda has been disastrous – let alone fraudsters like Osho (Rajneesh). I don’t expect the same will happen from K’s work because he was clear on what he did not want, as far as I understood, no hierarchy, no membership, no organizations (except the minimal organizations which he set up to take care of the publishing and preservation), no followers, no dogma, no cages. Nevertheless, the human conditioning is strong and plays its part in how it treats a great teacher’s work after his death – the human consciousness has long, strong grooves of habit in this area.

I wonder why gatherings have become so important. No doubt, coming together around a topic of mutual interest is good but it seems alarming when people say they need gatherings in order to grow. Why is someone who went to a K school and met him and studied his work for so long would feel a *need* to go to a 2-week mountain gathering to inquire about K’s teachings with others, some of whom have been at this for 40 years and still claim to be confused (while some new comers grasp the material swiftly). Some go as a summer vacation, some have their trips paid for, some get a kick out of being leaders, some go for the socialization, to meet new people, to meet old friends, to meet people who have an interest in K, to share their inquiry with other like-minded people; the reasons are varied.

During the last talks in Saanen K said:

The Swiss Mountain Gathering

The Swiss mountain gathering has gone on since K’s death, changed form, and changed place, gained and lost participants, and every year some are sad when it’s over. I went to the gatherings many years in the gorgeous open green valley of Saanenland. The nature itself makes you “fall in love”. I met many good friends at these gatherings and still have many friends that go to these gatherings.

I never needed a gathering to study K’s work, nor a mountain top, because I can test and inquire about what he says in daily life. Nevertheless, to be together with others can be wonderful and we had a lot of fun as well as serious exploration.

It’s nice to have a break, be in a lovely area, but without that inquiry in daily life, a mountain top is just an escape, and the proof of it is, over the years, I’ve met so many people who say they come there, feel free, go back to daily life, have the same problems and struggles, come next year, and it repeats.

A friend said recently he doesn’t go to the gathering any more because it is difficult to get to Murren. He also observed:

Having gone to it for many years, the best part of the gathering is the new people who bring fresh ideas and approach and the mountain walks and informal spontaneous one-on-ones. At times the dialogues were so intense and clear due to the presence of some new people who are not burdened by self-pity, and of insightful older-timers. Some other times, it was a drag. We made suggestions, and some of those suggestions seem to have had an effect.

Saanenland (Saanen, Gstaad, Schonried) is relatively open with big skies for a mountainous region  compared to many other areas in the Alps, and my heart goes there. I have no emotional attraction to the new place, Murren.

Nevertheless, I considered going, following a dream, and called but found out it was very cold there with snow and below zero temperatures in the mountains in the middle of the August. Switzerland is generally a cold country – not severe cold but winters are tiresome and often last nine months. When it finally gives birth to summer, it makes no sense to have a winter holiday in the middle of the summer.

Saanen-Gstaad

I visited Gstaad recently. What a marvelous valley it is. In Saanen there was a polo tournament – what a boring sport. Most of the spectators were the rich & famous showing off their riches, shopping for private jets and Bentleys at the exhibiting vendors, and hardly even watching the match. The horses were beautiful, overworked, thirsty in the hot sun, and grumpy.

The earth was brimming with the fragrance of the summer and its river, trees, soil, and flowers of vibrant colors. The simple farmers who were lucky to have a farm in this area have seen their grandfather’s land turn into a $20M property. The government protects the farmland and the cow herders who rent the grazing ground from the farmers pay a nominal, controlled amount of rent. And if a farmer lets his land grow wild flowers and not plant crop in it in order to let it rejuvenate for a year or two, the government pays him money for that.  The casino in Gstaad is now closed as are all casinos in Canton Bern – a wise move. There are several new over-priced shops and restaurants. As though a mountain village really needed its own perfume shop at the entrance of the supermarket, now visitors to Coop are choicelessly exposed to synthetic, unhealthy perfume, and the heavily veiled ladies from Arabic countries whose perfumes are sometimes suffocating, have a new place to use their plastic cards.

We performed music in town. Rich people don’t tip buskers as much as ordinary people, unless they’re Swiss German who categorically love and support music.  In nearing Thun we got an amazing response from ordinary people who loved the music. Rich people were more interested in their dog’s clothing :) but one gentleman gave us 10 francs.

Friedrich Grohe

On the second visit, went on a lovely walk with Friedrich Grohe, an affectionate wise old friend whom I love like my father. In fact he’s the same age as dad and knock on wood, he still hikes with the power of a teenager, and has a joyful heart of a child. We walked from Col-du-Pillon to Arnensee for 4 hours including leisurely breaks and appreciation of breathtaking nature. (pictures are at the bottom of this article).

Alpine Flowers, Trees, Mountains & Reza Ganjavi – by Friedrich Grohe

Alone Alpine Pond – by Reza Ganjavi

Arnensee by Reza Ganjavi