Tracks Across Time Into The 21st Century

During his lecture and workshop trip on Sri Aurobindo – one of the most important philosophers of Integral Consciousness, mystics and yogis of India – in Germany and Netherlands, Dr. Reddy visited also Berlin for one week. His visit to Germany was realised by support of several members of AUROVILLE INTERNATIONAL (AVI) DEUTSCHLAND e.V.

On his trip around the world in 1998 when he was presenting his project Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research – S.A.C.A.R. his previewed trip to Germany was postponed by organisational reasons. Now one is inclined to say that time had not yet come. Last not least because of the many German visitors to Auroville (about 70% of them are Germans) he was very interested in what was going on in Germany at present. But he took an ambivalent attitude towards German actual development because many of the Germans in Auroville uttered, ‘I hate Germany because of its nazi-past, …how could this happen?’ Dr. Reddy had got his informations from historical sources and the writings of Sri Aurobindo and from reports of Sri Aurobindo’s environment on the facts concerning pre-war and war times. He was influenced very much in his thought and perception by the descriptions of The Mother who was the French originated collaborator of Sri Aurobindo and the founder of Auroville, Mira Alfassa. Both of them, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother had expressed their thoughts very impressively on the political events of that time.

On one side, Berlin as former focus of this darkest chapter of German history would claim investigation and clarification of thought on German present development on this background. On the other side, he was in contact with the editors of HERE-NOW4U since 1996. HERE-NOW4U had published many of his articles and translated them into German language. And he was invited to stay with them since quite some time. Finally, two invitations for lectures – one in Humboldt-University, one in Indian embassy (Tagore society) – made him decide to visit Berlin this time!  In Berlin he wanted to talk to as many people living and working in the town as possible, and most of all, visit Reichstag. On his second afternoon in town we queued for Reichstag-visit and after half an hour of waiting time, we were entering German house of parliament, dedicated ‘to German people’ (Dem deutschen Volke) as was written on front. First surprise was when Dr. Reddy got to know that Adolf Hitler never entered Reichstag as ‘Reichskanzler’ (chancellor of the empire). This was one of the reasons to render this building to its original destination. The atmosphere in this dome of light full of happy-go-lucky visitors on this afternoon was pleasing very much to all of us who admired the genius of the British architect Sir Norman Foster to meet the shadows of the past with this abundance of light.

After this, meditative resting in the room of silence in Brandenburg gate (it really exists!) was not only charging batteries after looking at so much history but for Dr. Reddy it brought certainty that for this country in the middle of Europe with its newly regained liberty time has come to realise the task for the future. Mainly for the young generation of Germany on their way to worlds citizen there would be no more reason for distance to their native country. Identification with the native country is according to Dr. Reddy not only very meaningful for individual identification but also for evolutional development of consciousness.  

The opening to a project to realising was given on this path as if it was a natural result of talkings with people living and working in this town who all wanted to show him a part of ‘their’ Berlin. It was decided to open a ‘Sri Aurobindo Centre’ in Berlin. The constituting assembly was visited by about twenty people and took place two evenings before he left Berlin. Dr. Reddy expressed in his open minded and cordial way words of inspiration and encouragement to make the centre a location of expanding knowledge and encounter and to make it a spiritual home for those who feel inspired by the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother to develop and realise themselves.

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