Open Sky Newsletter

September 2022

Be as You Are!

Open Sky Newsletter

September 2022

Summer Retreat

at Open Sky Villa Denia, Spain

The Summer Retreat

In the energy of the daily Satsang with John David, combined with Mantra singing, Meditation and Tantra it became possible to recognize that we are one with everything and that all problems are simply caused by the false identification with the ‘I’ (ego), meaning a separate sense of Self. This leads directly to our normal suffering.
 
John David based his Satsang teachings on our freshly published book from Ramana Maharshi, “Aham Sphurana – A Glimpse of Self Realisation”, which touched everybody immensely. The teachings deepened everybody’s understanding and opened the possibility to live our lives in an alternative than society makes us believe is the only possibility. 

Karma Yoga

The Role of Karma Yoga on the Spiritual Path

“Don’t differentiate between work and meditation. If you don’t differentiate, every job you do becomes meditation. And don’t make distinctions between different kinds of work. Don’t think ‘This is good work. That is bad work.’ If you treat all work the same, any work you do will be beneficial for your sadhana.”
Annamalai Swami

Expressing Energy through Karma Yoga

Also as part of this year’s Summer Retreat, there were some Karma Yoga Projects, like beautifying the garden, cleaning the pond, working on the pool or new guest rooms. Everybody applied their expertise or natural talents to support the projects. Working in small teams and caring for the place contributed to a particularly beautiful and powerful group energy.

Practising Service and Selfless Action

In Karma Yoga, every action is done for the greater good, out of dedication to service, and for the well-being of others. Therefore, there is no attachment to what is done or expectations for the work such as reward, success or failure.
Karma Yoga also provides a container in which we can channel and release our energy in constructive and positive ways. It is a way to let go of our selfish desires driven by greed, fear or pleasure or striving according to societal ideas. 

Opening the Heart

In a spiritual Sangha, all activities are seen as service, which supports the opening of the heart. An open heart is a key component for looking inward, for accepting yourself and being open to what is offered by the mirror of the people around you. The overall effect of the individual heart openings creates an incredibly powerful field of love.

Overcoming Limitations

Karma Yoga helps to overcome individual limitations by integrating ourselves into a larger harmony. You recognise that the forces involved are not only your own but energies that the whole Universe assembles to accomplish the action. 

It is the recognition that in an unconditional act done with an open heart, without any expectations, something much larger than the individual self takes part in the achievement of the outcome. The energies are no longer personal—the entire Universe participates in the perfection of the work. In this way, actions become a form of prayer and connection with the Divine. 

After a period of dedicated practice, Karma Yoga does not need the formal approach anymore, because it happens spontaneously and becomes a natural path of daily life.
Spain working crew from OSH

Living in Community

Budha, Dharma... Sangha

The Significance of Spiritual Companionship on the Path 

Sangha is a community of people who have the perfect right to cut through your trips and feed you with their wisdom, as well as the perfect right to demonstrate their own neurosis and be seen through by you. The companionship within the Sangha is a kind of clean friendship – without expectation, without demand, but at the same time, fulfilling. True Sangha is only possible within a container of love, intimacy and trust. It takes commitment, willingness, time and patience to create this much-needed environment. 

~ Chögyam Trungpa

Sangha helps individuals to stay connected and not get lost.

For anyone who aspires to inner freedom, a Sangha creates the energetical support to help individuals flourish into Self Realisation.
In society at large, many influences distract us from the path of Truth and support our structures and unhealthy desires which disturb us in our aspiration for a conscious life of peace.
If we are not deeply grounded in the Self it is easy to be mislead into so many different alleys of The Ego.

Support through Resonance

Another way of describing the benefits of Sangha is resonance. In most parts of Society, the belief of separation from life itself is much more dominant than in the energy field of Spiritual Companionship. If we are in the company of Truth, the resonance of vibrations creates a support which allows us to stay more strongly in touch with our true Self. Our identifications evaporate naturally and the result is an increasingly lesser degree of separation and a stronger connection to the universal vibration.

A Powerfull Field of Love

Of course, challenges are bound to arise also in the field of Sangha – every moment is an opportunity and a mirror that reflects our emptiness or our anxiety. In the common willingness to look and the energy field of love, the wide range of situations will naturally reveal what is otherwise often avoided. The Sangha`s strong heart energy has a powerful effect and is an essentiell support through difficult or challenging times.

VERNISSAGE
23rd October • 11 – 15h

Dear friends of Art,

We cordially invite you to the Vernissage with five artists on Sunday, 23rd October.
The exhibition will be opened by galerist Sandra Wenderhold and curator John David at 12 noon with a talk from each artist.

Exhibiting Artists:

Jana Dettmer • Alfred Karl Maria Kreutzberg  • Dr. Günter Zöhrer • Markus Schürmeyer • Marijke In den Bosch 

Jana Dettmer

Painting

Visual Poetry

Alfred Kreutzberg

Painting

Joy of Life

Günter Zöhrer

Photography

Light of our Earth

Markus Schürmeyer

Sculpture

Receptive Bowls

Marijke In den Bosch

Sculpture

Sensual Curves

We Look Forward to Seeing You! 

John David
Curator

Sandra Wenderhold
Galerist

The Art of Honey

AUTUMN EDITION

A perfect honey for cosy evenings at the fire place, reading a book and sipping your favourite tea. It has a warm, gentle and foresty flavour.

Arunachala Pilgrimage Retreat

8 – 29 Jan 2023 • with John David

“Join us for a Pilgrimage to one of India’s
most powerful spiritual sanctuaries at the feet of
Arunachala Mountain.”

John David

Program

DAILY
Satsang with John David – Mantra Singing – Yoga – Meditation

REGULAR
Heart Dance – Self Enquiry – Active Meditation

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
 Visiting Ramana Ashram
 Full Moon Walk around the Mountain
 Visiting the Arunachalesvara Temple
Meeting Spiritual Masters from India and the West
 Visiting caves on the mountain where Ramana meditated for many years

Upcoming Events

Vipassana Island 

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

7 – 9 October

at Open Sky Villa Denia, Spain

11 – 13 November

Silence is the Language of the Heart

A shortened and intensified way of a classic Vipassana Course. Spend a whole weekend with yourself, sitting in silence in the supportive energy of a meditating group, the Open Sky House Community and John David who has been guiding people into their hearts and essence for 25 years.

 Free Volunteer Week 

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

10 – 16 October
28 Nov – 4 Dec

Get a Taste of Living in Spiritual Community 

Join the flow of the community and take the chance and discover how spirituality can be lived in everyday life. Come one week for free as a volunteer, meet like-hearted people and take part in the daily activities and mediations of the community and the evening programs.

Meditation Weekend

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

25 – 27 November 

To understand the Miracle of Life, the mind must be very quiet.

In this weekend members of the Community will introduce you to a variety of still and active meditation practices. In Satsang with John David you can ask questions and share your experiences. This gives you the opportunity to find the right practices for you which you can bring into your every day life.

Christmas Retreat

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

23 – 27 December 

Enter more deeply into the flow of life

This intimate retreat welcomes anyone who wants to spend Christmas in silence and community, and nurtures the deepest and most real part of us. A Christmas menu with cabaret, walks on the Rhine, meditation and chanting mantras accompany the daily meetings with John David.

Vipassana Island 

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

7 – 9 October

at Open Sky Villa Denia, Spain

11 – 13 November

Silence is the Language of the Heart

A shortened and intensified way of a classic Vipassana Course. Spend a whole weekend with yourself, sitting in silence in the supportive energy of a meditating group, the Open Sky House Community and John David who has been guiding people into their hearts and essence for 25 years.

 Free Volunteer Week 

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

10 – 16 October
28 Nov – 4 Dec

Get a Taste of Living in Spiritual Community 

Join the flow of the community and take the chance and discover how spirituality can be lived in everyday life. Come one week for free as a volunteer, meet like-hearted people and John David, the spiritual teacher of the Open Sky House Community. Take part in the daily activities and meditations and the evening program.

Meditation Weekend

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

25 – 27 November 

To understand the Miracle of Life, the mind must be very quiet.

In this weekend members of the Community will introduce you to a variety of still and active meditation practices. In Satsang with John David you can ask questions and share your experiences. This gives you the opportunity to find the right practices for you which you can bring into your every day life.

Christmas Retreat

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

23 – 27 December 

Enter more deeply into the flow of life

This intimate retreat welcomes anyone who wants to spend Christmas in silence and community, and nurtures the deepest and most real part of us. A Christmas menu with cabaret, walks on the Rhine, meditation and chanting mantras accompany the daily meetings with John David.

Anything you would like to share or ask?