Open Sky Newsletter
September 2022
Summer Retreat
at Open Sky Villa Denia, Spain
The Summer Retreat
Karma Yoga
The Role of Karma Yoga on the Spiritual Path
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
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
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.
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.