What happened at the Oneness Festival Feb 16-22 2004?

By Lee

The festival started with homa, a ritual. At first glance, it was somewhat ridiculous to me to be too serious and even religious. Anyway, the Indian Dasajis performed the ritual to invoke deities and ask for protections for the whole festival. Anandagiri Dasaji addressed briefly on the intention of the festival. He said that, throughout this festival, we are going to experience many different knowledges from different traditions.


Ananda Giri of the Golden Age Foundation

But knowledges are just knowledges. No one knowledge is superior than another knowledge. There is only diversity of knowledges. Then why not just enjoy them?

Sure, why not? It started this way in the morning and from that afternoon, I busied myself often hesitating which one to choose among two or three lectures or workshops going on at the same time at different places, and moving myself here and there.

I liked the place. There was no village around, hills on the west, the other sides open to the horizon decorated by contour of scattered palm trees. It must have been a very calm place if it were not for the noise of generator for the electricity and occasionally of machines on the construction site. I can not tell exactly why, but throughout the week, I felt very comfortable and peaceful in this place, I really liked the place itself.(Some said it was because this area was full of quartz and indeed it was.) And no mosquitos!





The first lecture I attended was on Vastu, an Indian science which studies harmonization of energies of buildings and human beings and their environment. The first lecturer, Prabhat Poddar, talked about 'geobiology', a study on the phenomena observed by visiting doctors.

According to this theory, there is grid of energy lines scattered over the surface of the earth and this can affect on physical, mental, spiritual wellbeing of the inhabitants. There is also influence of orientation. He showed how alignment of body energy changes according to the direction we face.

Another factor is sensitivity of our body to the flow of energy which is apt to be changed by partitioning of a building, location and size of doors and windows, etc. So these(location, orientation, layout design) are secret, key considerations in Indian architecture. He also talked about right use of materials in building houses.

All these theories confuse and make one worried about one's own house. But as Mr. Poddar says, 'Even perfect vastu cannot prevent the effect of your own bad thoughts. On the other hand, if you meditate on love, nothing can influence you. Only, you have to do it 24 hours and that's what yoga is all about.'

The second lecturer on Vastu, Sashikala Ananth provided very simple and clear ideas about the basic principles of Vastu. She said, in the universe, there is Brahma Stana (creative center, still and unchanging) where everything sprouts from. Likewise, there should be Brahma Stana in everything creative. For example, in Indian Raga(traditional music), the melody moves around unmoving central tones called shruti. This is Brahma Stana in music. Sushumna nadi is the central axis of body energy around which ida nadi and pingala nadi spirals. This is Brahma Stana of human energy body. Indian dancer makes moves around this axis. This creative center should always be empty and undisturbed. That's why Indian sari does not cover the abdomen, the center of physical body. Vastu is Brahma Stana, the energy center, of buildings and it should also be always empty.


Vastu means element, object, substance which is contained by outer envelop. Vaastu is the outer envelop, container. Vastu, the contained, can not be healthy when vaastu, the container, is not healthy and vice versa. The inside and the outside should be in tight balance each other. They are dependent upon each other and exchange influences. That's why we have to be conscious about the energies in our environment. And that's what bumi puja(land ritual) is all about: to harmonize energies of a specific palce. She explained the meanings of each procedure of the ritual.

This reminded me of the ritual performed at the beginning of this festival. Slowly, everything started to make sense. Mr. Poddar said, everything(even words) is frozen energy in the form of standing wave. (Actually, later in two different workshops here, I could observe matter crystallizing along beautiful patterns of standing waves.) Within me, those ideas were changing from ridiculous superstition into more scienific understanding. The homa, the quartz, heartily smiles of the people... everything is vibraring energy and when all these energies get somehow harmonized each other like a beautiful piece of music, what will happen? I found it much much easier to open heart to a stranger here.

And I liked this idea of 'Brahma Stana' very much. There must be Brahma Stana of mind too. In fact, aren't we searching for this center throughout one's own path, consciously or unconsciouly? And this idea makes me more easily imagine, or reach at, what it is.

Another thing I liked was that I could meet so many Latin Americans here; Brazilians, Chilis, Mexicans, a Puertorican too. They brought the wisdom of Native American spirituality. One night, about thirty of us - Russians, Europians, Latin Americans, Oceanians and a Korean which was me, half naked, crawled into a tent called 'Indian sweat lodge' which native American Indians used for the spiritual ceremony called 'Temazcal'.

Temazcal is an ancient Mexican word which means 'the Mother of birth'. This ritual is an ancient tradition which has been kept for thousands of years in different part of the world. Especially in Latin America, the tribes kept this tradition in it's pure form on the risk of their own life under Spanish rule.

The tent is designed to be the womb of Mother Earth. It's built by 18 poles which symbolize 18 energies of the universe. There is one small hole open through which you crawl in and out like a baby. Inside is totally dark except for the dim red light of hot stones(called 'Grandma') at the center which are regularly served by a fireman outside. Indians knew that the elements of the Nature were very ancient beings and that's why they called the hot stones 'Grandma'.



When you sit inside the tent and pray together to Godesses, the sacred darkness and heat(60-100C) from the heart of Mother Earth makes you have some feelings like having come back home. Every hole of your body opens and your mind also become wide open. You feel brotherhood with everyone in true sense.

Roberto who is from Puerto Rico led us into this holy ceremony and when we came out into the fresh cool air and starry sky, we embraced each other without being conscious of any barrier of sex or nationality or culture or anything. We entered into the womb of Mother Earth and were reborn into her new baby. It was too beautiful to be born on the Earth. Afterward whenever Roberto called me 'brother', I could feel what he meant by it.

Temazcal was used to make one remember one's true nature. Among many practical usages; for pray, delivery of a baby, etc., the ancient tribes used it also when any conflict arose. That is, the two sides of the concerned party or individuals entered together into the tent and didn't come out until the conflict was dissolved on it's own. What a beautiful tool for world peace?

I can not describe everything in detail but every one of the lecture and workshop was excellent. Every morning with the beautiful dawn on the horizon, we made a small circle for a sacred dance called Paneurhythmy. It was simple, beautiful and inspiring. It is said to be, 'a gift from the celestial realms to prepare humanity for this time of ascension engaging Earth, the Cosmos, and us.' This is a practice introduced by the Bulgarian sage Beinsa Douno and every year in Bulgaria, thousands of people gather at a beautiful place on a high mountain, and they dance together for days.

Vedic art workshop led by Kerstin was a surprise because it made everyone an artist within an hour. It was a new approach not only to art but also to any aspect of our life. Michelle Phillips was a great shaman. She guided people through powerful indepth journeys into self-knowledge and self-integration. Danny Becher did a wonderful research on overtonal sound and it's effect on harmonizing chakras. Along with Krishnaprem's slide show about the Japanese research on the water crystals and human consciousness, his workshop showed that we are collections of different waves and harmony among them is of utmost importance.

We also had a chance to observe Diksha(giving Light, or enlightening) of 'Bhagavan' to his disciples which happened in a different campus. I didn't like the 'worshipping' atmosphere of the beginning but it soon changed into many laughters at his comments. The influence of his presence to his disciples seemed to be enormous. As soon as diksha started, the hall became somewhat like a field hospital with screams and laughters followed by faints.

Of course there were enough 'nurses' to take care of them. Anyway, I liked the laughters which I did not expect there. We are too serious to get enlightenment. 'Bhagavan' tells not to do any kind of spiritual practice. Maybe because it makes us too serious, I guess. Enlightenment may not be so difficult as we imagine. We might laugh when we find it is too easy.

Laughter dissolves serious problem; even serious illness. The movie and the documentary was shown in a Clown & Laughter workshop by Judith Bourque. Patch Adams is a medical doctor who started a hospital which actively gives laughter to its patients as a major prescription. I saw many eyes swimming with tears at this touching documentary. It was the laughter full with love - a deep one - that touched.

Throughout the festival, we shared much love, much tears, many singings and dancings and huggings, and quite a few laughters too. The warm spirit of Russians and freshening bright spirit of Latin 'brothers and sisters' brought beautiful colours to the picture. I really enjoyed the diversity of knowledges. I feel so sorry that I could not mention all of them but it was indeed a festival of diversity. Still it was in perfect harmony at the same time because every knowledge directed to one same truth; Oneness of All.