The Monastery Project

February 2007

In the very northern part of Kerala we are on our way to the mountains, reaching close to 2000 meters in altitude where rural communities are decreasing in size, become less frequent and the atmosphere more tenuous. It is late afternoon as we are running into an old Vaidya in our hotel lobby where, using gestures, he is trying to tell us there is something he wants us to see. It is India where I can let go, have trust to let things take their course and so I decide to call a taxi getting us on our way - it is getting dark. The desolate, bumpy road is meandering its way uphill alongside the diminishing sandalwoods of Kerala.

We stop in front of a building of considerable size. A group of men dressed in baseball wear, various in age and looks are looking at us in an astonished kind of way making visitors seem uncommon. I look at the Vaidya just as astonished - what am I supposed to do here? Good thing people around here do speak English and I come to find out it is an old Carmelite Monastery dating back to the 60’s.

They are priests, numbering 27, in a building counting some 300 rooms. Everything around here is emanating profound piece, far from Indian civilization. Priests in baseball wear?! A young man is smiling and telling me about a game they had just played with the kids.

“Their kids?” - I was inquisitively asking. Yes, there are about 147 kids of all ages the Carmelites are taking care of, teaching them and simply providing a warm meal. Surrounded by nothing but mountains, yearlong efforts on sides of the priests finally got natives to send their kids to them. During week days they go to school to obtain education and regular meals where on weekends they go on their long walk back home to their parents, taking hours. Carmelites are an ancient contemplative Order of catholic origin who, without any financial interest, entertain social projects on a global level, building schools, hospitals and - if not playing baseball - are dressed in a brown frock with no possessions allowed.

I am shown the building, the inner court and surrounding estate where it is getting dark by now with fireflies swirling the lake. It is a dream where, lost in visionary thought, on my way home I promise to come back. I know it for sure - this has got to be the place I’ve been looking for all these years. In midst of untouched nature, vast organic food plantations (vegetable and fruit) and curative silence, and where ¬- quote of the head Carmelite - “according to gods will” our Centre of Harmony and Healing may emerge.

July 2008

Thoughts and visions about this project capture me and won’t cease. Again we are on our way to the monastery with Prof. Dr. S., Dr. N. and myself, hopefully being able to take one further step towards the realization of this vision.

Offer:

Naturopathy/Ayurveda/Yoga + Meditation and other holistic therapies
Seminar for a natural way of living according to nature & healing of the Self
Wordly education
European therapists will have the opportunity to accompany seminars + treatment at a Health Resort
Affordable long-term therapies for patients with chronic diseases
Classes & treatments pertaining to “natural beauty”

What we want:

make Ayurveda affordable
to partially redirect proceeds to benefit the Carmelite children project helping to install alternative energy resources at the building in the long run
enable people with little funds to receive treatment through active participation at the project
live + heal with and in nature
support education of the children through sponsorship
expand the cultivation of healing plants, organic gardening of various vegetables + fruits as an appendage to Naturopathy, Treatments and adequate vegetarian dishes for all guests
intensive courses in Ayurveda/Naturopathy

Leisure time: