Saturday, 29 October 2016

Biota_07 – What is a miniature elephant doing in a papaya flower?!


In contrast to the ‘big‘ world which experiences increasing global troubles during these present times, life in the microcosm doesn‘t seem to be effected at all, instead going on peacefully and balanced as usual … 


… creatures and their activities in front of my eyes, but nearly unseen because of their tininess.


Some bugs I haven‘t seen while taking the picture, I discovered it only later by enlarging the photograph in the computer …


… can you see this tiny creature? The flower of a weed has the size of one centimeter! I‘ve taken the picture due to the beauty of this yellow bloom. 
It happened many times to me, that only afterwards I could recognize a tiny life  on the enlarged picture – what a surprise!


This is a small part of the white flower of another weed, and among wild plants it is quite big, around 5 centimeters.  
Even this brownish guy looks big, I discovered him too only later after enlarging details of the picture. 


This is a miniature biotope of weed, on which normally we step on. Our eyes one or two meters away can see only green wilderness. Modern mind ot taste wants to get rid of it – and if nothing helps – even with poison. 
This picture took me really some time to explore all details until I found this little flower with 2 small creatures, one so tiny, that human eyes can‘t see it.


Some flowers are sort of weeds, having a size of few millimeters only, others like flowers of herbals, chili and capsicum are also really tiny …


How many bugs and beetles are existing so small, hardly to recognize despite enlarging?
How might this ant feel under the huge dome of a capsicum flower …?


What a busy goings-on around these small flowers … and each of these creepy-crawlies are doing an important job …


I imagine, how it goes on endlessly in both directions, into microcosm and up to macrocosm … and we humans between with our eyes limited to see … 


Do you know which flower is this? … Papaya! 
And this tiny creature on one of the petals must be an miniature elephant of one millimeter size!  


Doesn‘t look the one of these two ants really angry? 
Is this appearance pure anatomy or the result of a certain feeling or just protection by looking very angry …?


Watching these beetles sharing fairly the 3 petals of a pumpkin flower, shifts me into a pondering silence: why can‘t do so continents and nations? Everybody just care their parts – not others …!


Until then, I‘m watching the macrocosm‘s diversity – curiously, thankfully amazed – by exercising useful gymnastics – to bow and bend down, to grawl on the ground, to wrench arms and legs … which keeps my body flexible and elastic :-) just as well my mind. 

Such practices help to become young again, until you start wondering and asking like a child: What is a miniature elephant doing in a papaya flower?!

Friday, 30 September 2016

Impressions of 52nd Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp, September 7 – 9, 2016 at Centre for Social & Political Art (CSPA) at Sylviander House


As always we were looking forward to the 11th Wellbeing Camp at Sylviander House, welcoming Sethu Das a day before. Unfortunately, Eswar Anandan couldn‘t manage to come for this camp. 


Preparation meanwhile became a routine, and when next early morning the tibetan team arrives from Bangalore, it feels like good old friends coming to our home for sharing some days together … 


While the tibetan team has breakfast and then doing the morning prayer, already patients are waiting patiently in front of the house under the shadow of the two cashew nut trees – one gives yellow fruits, one red ones. They must be a love tree couple, as they grow very close into each other.  


At present there is a sharp increase in diseases due to lifestyle reasons and new diseases cropping up due to side effect and wrong medication. People often fall prey to symptomatic treatment and instant medication to relieve pain and provide instant relief without thinking twice about the cause or effect of such drugs on one's health. Choice has led to steep decrease in patience and intelligence quotient.


In such troubled times, people of God's Own country are benefitting for the sixth year from a political tragedy which occurred decades back, forcing multitudes of Tibetans to leave their home land and seek refuge in India. The old traditions still kept alive, medication in its ancient form still finds application - benefiting the people of the country. 


Every two months hundreds benefit from the age-old medical practice of 'Sowa Rigpa'.


The paperbags, in which the patients carry their tibetan medicines home, are handmade from old news papers. 


On the front side of the paper bags, a drawing by Alexander Devasia is applied, showing birds in the branches of the cashew-nut love tree couple in front of our Sylviander House. 


The three days of the camp are flying fast … 
Always we meet some patients, who come regularly for the consultation to getting their medicines. Then we enjoy good talks about body, mind and soul and being in balance … 


One evening, Alexander cooks a »lecker« pumpkin soup … 


And as always, there is fine drinkingwater in our kitchen, from our own rainwater tank, double filtered and finally filled in glass bottles, on which I‘ve written the most positive and powerful information to the water element: Freude, Liebe, Danke = Joy, Love, Thanks! 


Masuru Emoto, a japanese scientist, whom I have seen speaking in Munich 1998 has inspired me since then … 
Sethu says, there is really a difference. I agree, and I feel to drink more from joy, love, health, which balance body, mind and soul … 
And look at this, how many orbs are levitating over the bottles, one is quite huge. It is said, some orbs were definitely energy, which is spirit, bundled light … 


This time, I filmed the morning prayer of the tibetan team at Dr. Dorjee Rapten‘s room – Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar, Dr. Lhundup Dorjee, Yeshi Chodon, Tenzin Dhonden, Tenzin Dolker. 
The short film is to be seen on Youtube:
Tibetan Morning Prayer for the Medicine Buddha:


The Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp organised jointly by ‘Friends of Tibet Foundation for the Wellbeing’ and ‘Men-Tsee-Khang’, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be held every 2 months (Wed-Fri) at Centre for Social & Political Art (CSPA), Sylviander House, Chettikad Beach Road, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. 

- Google Map Directions to CSPA: https://goo.gl/Y2mMA0
- Registration by SMS: 9400354354, 9061354354
- Registration by Fax: 011.47615142 
- Registration by Email: wellbeing@friendsoftibet.org 

Friday, 19 August 2016

Impressions of 51th Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp and exhibition »Indian Cartoonist on Tibet« July 13 – 15, 2016 at Centre for Social & Political Art (CSPA) at Sylviander House


For the 10th Wellbeing Camp at Sylviander House, again there is a special program: 
The exhibition »Indian Cartoonist on Tibet« 


Friends of Tibet, one of the principal organisers of ‘World Tibet Day’ worldwide, expects more than 40 countries to join the event with various events and related activities in July this year.  


In Alappuzha, Friends of Tibet organizes »Indian Cartoonists on Tibet«, an exhibition of selected cartoons on the Tibet issue (1950 - 2005) and the tumultuous Sino-Indian relations by renowned Indian cartoonists at the Centre for Social & Political Art, Sylviander House, Chettikad Beach Road, Alappuzha, Kerala. 


Some of the participating cartoonists are: Shankar, Ranga, OV Vijayan, RK Laxman, Mario Miranda, Rajinder Puri, Ravi Shankar, Prriya Raj, Yesudasan, Nanda Soobben, Abe Gowda, Kaak, Madhu Omalloor, Balu, Thommy, Ponnappa, Morparia and Prakash Shetty will also be on display. 


Introduction and text is by Claude Arpi, author of 'The Fate of Tibet' and 'India and Her Neighbourhood: A French Observer's Views'.


As usual, Friendsoftibet founder Sethu Das and campaigner Eswar Anandan arrive a day before the camp with organic rice and organic vegetables for our meals, which will be cooked by Lilama. 


In the evening they are busy with the preparation for the exhibition – as always: Eswar is working, Sethu and Alexander are giving good advices to him! 


Next early morning the tibetan team arrives from Bangalore, having a short rest and then breakfast. 


For the opening of 51st Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp with the exhibition »Indian Cartoonists on Tibet« the team from Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical Centre at Bangalore, performs a prayer for World Tibet Day … 


Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar, Dr. Tamdin Sangmo, Sonam Wangmo, Yeshi Chodon, Tenzin Dhonden. 


On July 6, 2016, the 81st birthday of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people will be observed as ‘World Tibet Day’ by Tibet Support Groups and Tibet supporters all over the world.


The video of the prayer is to find on Youtube: 


After the prayer the camp will start as usual, the doctors are ready in the two consulting rooms at the ground floor …


In the entrance room patients will register, such coming for the 1st time have to fill a form with their contact address and their physical complaints … 


Sethu and Eswar are coordinating the scedule and help with filling the forms … Alexander will support the patients with translation if needed …


Sonam Wangmo is the collector and writes the bills …


Yeshi Chodon and Tenzin Dhonden prepackage the medicines …


… for the bigger pills a tool for counting is used, but the very small pills have to be counted by hand … 


Often families consult the doctors with their sick children … 


… this time, a cute little boy being blind since birth is brought to Dr. Dorjee …


For a tea break, Varghese had a new idea for the tiffins!


New handmade paper bags arrived, decorated with a drawing from Alexander … 


… in these paper bags, the patients receive their medicines. 


Plastic bags are strictly avoided.


This time newly made cotton bags too are offered to the patients …


… made by Friends Of Tibet


Everybody can buy them for 50 Rs.


While the camp is going on, the waiting patients can see the exhibition … 







… and outside in front of the verandah the rains of the monsoon are creating fascinating formations …


Next Wellbeing Tibetan Medical Camp will be in September 2016. 

Online Registration: 
SMS: +91.9400354354 
Fax: +91.11.47615142 



Photographs by Sylvie Bantle