MY VISIT TO THE YAD VASHEM

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“At the entrance to the museum, the origin of Nazism was summarized on a large board. At the beginning, Nazism was illegal, and Hitler was imprisoned. While he was in jail, he wrote the book Mein Kampf, which became the ideological basis for the ascent of the Nazism. Maybe the words contained in that book vibrated harmfully, polluted the air, and later they triggered a wave of anti-Semitism, I thought.
“At that moment, I thought of Erez. In my mind I saw him at his kibbutz by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He cast a stone against the trunk of a tree and said, ‘Look at this stone. First it hits the tree, then it bounces and strikes the grass, and finally it lands on the ground. Three effects derive from one action. The same is true of words. Words have vibrations. They trigger a chain reaction when they pass from mouth to mouth or from ear to ear.’
“I went around the museum with Anne, who looked a little bit less pale. ‘Do you know that words can give rise to life or death?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I heard about that in a lecture. It was held in Hebrew, and I couldn’t understand everything, for my Hebrew wasn’t good, but I caught the gist of the lecture. Yes, words can create or destroy something.’ ‘Anne, do you think words can cause bad events?’ ‘Yes, I do. If we speak negative words all the time, it can create bad situations in our life, and vice versa. So, to be happy we need to speak positive words.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

VISITING GORDON’S CALVARY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“When I got to the Garden Tomb, I was surprised at the silence in that place. I turned to the right and headed for the skull-shaped rock. It was a cliff with two big holes and a nose-shaped stone between them. To my eyes, it didn’t look like a skull. On the railing was a picture of the cliff. Looking at it, the whole cliff seemed to be skull-shaped.
“I turned left and walked to the tomb. Entering it, I saw three stone beds. One of them was a bit higher than the others. The ceiling of the tomb and the right wall had been plastered. I was alone inside the tomb. Turning my eyes to the wall on the right, I thought I saw Jesus’s face slightly imprinted on the wall. It was similar to that on the Shroud of Turin. I didn’t see the whole face but only some features like the eyes. At that time I felt that the real Holy Sepulcher was there.
“I got out of the tomb and looked for the winemaking press. I couldn’t spot it. So I asked a lady who was sitting on the bench. She got up and pointed out a pool where in the past the grapes were pressed by feet and the juice flowed into a smaller basin. ‘Do you want to see the real place where the Lord was crucified?’ ‘Yes, of course!’
“She led me to a rocky wall on one of the sides of the garden. ‘This cement covers the  crack in the rock caused by the earthquake that happened when Jesus passed away. Underneath our feet there is no rock but a wooden floor. The rock is hollow. Digging is in progress. Jesus’s blood fell from his bleeding body into the Ark of the Covenant. He established a new covenant between God and humans.’
“I was puzzled by her words. How is it possible that the Ark of the Covenant was below the cross when Jesus died? I thought. She noticed my doubtfulness, so she took out a pen and a postcard from her purse and wrote something. Then she gave me the postcard. ‘Do your research, and then you’ll find out that I am right.’
“Later, I checked her information. Actually an archeologist had been digging under the rock of Gordon’s Calvary. The aim was to bring into the light what was once called Zedekiah’s Cave, a vast underground quarry which supplied the stone for the Temple of Solomon. Therefore, nothing can be excluded. I still keep the postcard the lady gave me. Besides the name of the archeologist, she wrote, ‘Jesus loves you.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE PRECEPTS THAT NON-JEWS HAVE TO OBSERVE

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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Non-Jews have to observe seven precepts, but we Jews have to observe six hundred thirteen precepts!’
“I looked at Erez with astonishment. He stood up and took out a pen and a sheet of paper from the drawer of the desk. ‘Now, hold this pen in your hand and write down the seven precepts that non-Jews have to observe. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not have sex with your family members. Do not have sex with animals. Do not eat parts of animals that are still alive. Do not worship other gods but God. Do not worship idols. Do not curse the  name of God. Build law courts in your country,’ Erez said.”
“Uncle Salvatore, the precepts are nine not seven. Why did Erez say seven precepts?”
“I guess that the precepts that had similar contents, that is, those regarding God, were grouped into one. At that time I didn’t notice how many they were.”
“After writing down the seven precepts, I was doubtful about the seventh precept. ‘I think law courts are places where people quarrel. In the courts of law there are arguments, anger, and hatred. Attorneys argue with each other, and there is also acrimony against the judge whenever one feels that his verdict is unfair. So why should we build new law courts? Instead, they should be abolished,’ I said. ‘No. It’s not like that. It is necessary that a third person judges. If law courts didn’t exist, people would kill one another, for everybody would think he is right. Without law and judges, humanity wouldn’t progress and people couldn’t settle their quarrels. To these seven precepts I want to add one special precept for you.’
“I listened to Erez and was enchanted by him. His hair and beard were dark chestnut, and his face resembled Jesus’s more and more. Then he spoke, ‘Listen to this eighth precept carefully. It is never to say bad words about anybody when they are absent and can’t defend themselves. Your words, both spoken and written, should be positive, not destructive or defamatory. I emphasize the importance of this eighth precept, for words contain vibrations and have consequences all the time.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SICILY AND ITALY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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You are welcome, even though you are Italian, a descendant of the ancient Romans.’ ‘I am from Sicily. The Romans didn’t consider Sicily part of Italy. In fact, Sicily was a Roman colony, like Judea. We were ruled by a Roman governor like you. You had Pontius Pilate, and we had Verres, who was so brutal that he stripped the Sicilian temples of the golden statues. In my hometown he couldn’t steal the statue of Demeter because it was too big, but he snatched away the statue of Victory which Demeter held in her hand,’ I said.”
“Uncle Salvatore. Don’t you think that still now there are differences and misunderstanding between Sicily and Italy? I have a feeling that they are two different nations. As for me, I consider myself as a Sicilian rather than an Italian. What about you?”
“Benedetto, I am a citizen of the world, as you know. So I don’t feel like being Italian or Sicilian. My country is the world. Garibaldi unified Italy politically, but he couldn’t make one nation with the many small countries that preexisted Italy, because all of them had different history, traditions, and their uniqueness.

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

 

A MESSIANIC JEW EXPLAINS KABBALAH

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“I asked Daniel, ‘What is Kabbalah?’ ‘Kabbalah is the power of words. Words have vibrations. Through a word, you can even create things or life. Jesus was a great Kabbalist. He could perform all those miracles because he knew Kabbalah well,’ he answered.”
“Uncle Salvatore, it sounds strange to my ears that a person can perform miracles if he knows a secret. How can one create things or life by knowing the power of some words? It is absurd! If it is true, I want to learn Kabbalah.”
“Benedetto, to learn Kabbalah well, you have to know Hebrew first. A word in the original language has a different meaning than a word translated into another language. Nevertheless, I’ve never studied Kabbalah, so I can’t answer your question properly.
“I asked Daniel, ‘What are the threads dangling from your shirt?’ He looked at the threads, put his hand on them, and showed some knots to me. ‘These are called tzitzit. They symbolize the word of God. As you see, there are knots along the tzitzit. The knots mean that you have to hold on to the word of God, you shouldn’t let it go away.’
“I asked, ‘How do you pray in the synagogue? Can I visit a synagogue on the Sabbath?’ ’Unfortunately, I can’t go to the Synagogue of Nazareth Illit because I believe that Yeshua or Jesus was the real Messiah. In the synagogue, they don’t approve of my point of view. A short time ago, they damaged my car. So I go to the Synagogue of Afula, a town near Nazareth. There are Messianic Jews throughout the world and also in Israel, even though they are a minority, who believe that Jesus was the Messiah. You can come to the Synagogue of Afula, if you don’t mind. But I don’t think the Sabbath is right for you. The ceremony is too long. It takes almost three hours. Do you want to visit my house?’ ‘Sure!’
“While we were walking to his home, he showed me some houses that had been abandoned by the Jews as soon as some Arab families had settled in the area. The Jews didn’t like to live flank and flank with the Palestinians.”
“Do you think the Jews are racist, Uncle Salvatore?”
“I don’t think so. If they don’t want to live next door to the non-Jews, they have the right to do so. Individuals have freedom to stay with whomever they want. In Isola, the Jehovah’s Witnesses marry within their religious group. They can’t marry those who have a different religion from theirs. In society it happens the same. The rich tend to live next door to those of the same social class, and the poor next door to the poor. This is the landscape of the world.

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT SANTO DAIME?

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“All of a sudden, Natasha introduced a new topic, ‘Have you ever heard about voodoo?’ she asked me. ‘Yes, but I’ve never done anything like that,’ I answered. ‘And what about shamanism?’ ‘I shiver with fear at the thought of doing a shamanistic ritual. But I’d like to know more about the Australian Aboriginals. It is said that they have special powers.’
“Natasha went on, ‘Did you study only the Catholic religion, or did you experience other religions?’ ‘I’ve studied many religions, from the mainstream to the small ones. At the moment, I am studying Scientology and a religion called Eckankar. The latter practices spiritual exercises by uttering the word HU, an ancient name of God.’ ‘I don’t know Eckankar. I attended a Buddhist center where we chanted mantras. What changed my life was an experience I had in Amsterdam one day. At that time, my mother was in hospital. It was a difficult moment in my life. A friend of mine asked me to go to Amsterdam with her. That travel was the turning point in my life.’
“I stopped eating and turned to Natasha with increasing interest. She continued, ‘When I arrived in Amsterdam, I called the hospital and asked about my mother. Everything was okay. Then, my friend took me to a place where almost three hundred people were participating in a kind of ritual. In the middle of the room, there was a table on which the Seal of Solomon was drawn. A cross was on the Seal of Solomon. Some persons from the Amazon rainforest came in with a drink. We chanted and prayed for a good while. Then I drank the beverage they handed to me. Soon after drinking it, I felt like dying. Everything became dark. Suddenly, many doors appeared in front of me and the name of a religion was written on each door, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and so on. I entered the door of the Christians. I followed a dark tunnel for a while, and then a great light appeared. All the symbols of religions disappeared, and I saw Jesus standing in front of me. I looked at him and stood in awe of him. Afterwards, I opened my mouth. I am Jewish, I said. Why are you worried? I am Jewish too, Jesus answered. From that day on, I went to Amsterdam many times to attend the meetings. Once more Jesus appeared to me and said, Why do you come here? It’s enough for you to observe the seven sacraments. Hearing Jesus’s words, I realized that I ought to follow another way, but which? My lineage was Jewish. I wanted to be Christian. But which branch? Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant? I had also the option to practice Judaism, for my parents were both Jewish.’…

“Giovanna wanted Natasha to continue to tell about her experience in Amsterdam. So she asked Natasha, ‘What happened when Jesus said to you that the seven sacraments were enough? Which was your choice?’ ‘I opted for the Catholic religion and was baptized.’ ‘I want to know something about the religious group you met in Amsterdam. You said that it changed your life. Does this religion still exist?’ I asked Natasha. ‘Yes, it does. It is illegal in many countries. Many trials are under way. But in Holland it is legal,’ Natasha answered.”
“Uncle Salvatore, it seems that there is a kind of persecution against this religion. It is anachronistic nowadays, isn’t it?”
“No. There is no persecution. Natasha said that the problems arose from the compound of the holy beverage she drank. In Holland it was analyzed. They found a small amount of hallucinogen in the drink. The judgment was pro the religious group. In other countries like Germany and Italy, the trials were in progress. ‘What is the name of this religion?’ I asked her. ‘I can tell you the name. It is Santo Daime. It is widespread. You have it in Italy, too. A lady who had been diagnosed with brain cancer brought this religion to Holland. According to the doctors, she had only two months left to live. She went to Brazil and met the Santo Daime group in the forest. She stayed with them there for some time. When she returned to Holland, the cancer had already disappeared. The government of Brazil sent fifty special experts to the forest to study the Santo Daime phenomenon. When they wrote their report, they couldn’t find anything bad and even they became involved in the religious practices of the Santo Daime.’

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition by Ettore Grillo
Ettore Grillo author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

 

THE CHARM OF THE MOSQUES IN TURKEY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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Visiting Turkey, I have come across many majestic mosques with minarets so slender that they seem to want to touch the sky. But what impressed me was the sincere prayers of the Muslims. They pray five times a day, with great zeal.
In my hometown most of the congregation consists of old women, while in the mosques there are many young men that pray zealously.
Seeing them praying with such ardor, I wanted to pray with them. So I entered a mosque and asked a man to teach me how to pray. He said, “Our prayers are in Arabic, even though Arabic is not our mother tongue. All Muslims must pray in Arabic, for the Koran can’t be spoken in a language different from the original.”
“How can I pray?” I asked.
He answered, “Start your prayer by saying Allah Akbar (God is most great). However, if the imam is present, follow him. He will guide you.”
Then he gave me a few booklets about Islam. I accepted his gift gladly. I will read them when I come back to my hometown.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE HAREM OF TOPKAPI PALACE IN ISTANBUL

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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Topkapi Palace was the residence of the Ottoman sultans for many centuries. It is said that almost 10.000 people lived in this palace to attend the sultan, who had about five hundred wives and many concubines. Black eunuchs supervised the harem. Every day a huge amount of food was cooked in the very large kitchen for the sultan and his court.

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Visiting Topkapi Palace, I asked myself, ‘Was the sultan happy?’ I don’t think so. A harem, although it is made of the most beautiful women in the world, cannot give happiness. Human desires are insatiable!

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I also asked myself, ‘What was the criterion to select the women for the sultan?’ Of course, it was physical beauty. They didn’t select women according to their wisdom or heart. In my opinion, it was a wrong criterion of selection. An intelligent and wise woman that really loves you is more worth than five hundred beautiful women with no heart!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

VISITING THE GRAND BAZAAR IN ISTANBUL

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

20190614_125515Besides Haghia Sophia, what impressed me in Istanbul was the Grand Bazaar. It deserves to be visited not only for its bigness but also for its architecture, the kind of merchandise the shops display, and the swarm of thousands of people looking into the shops here and there. On the other hand, shop sellers try to allure passersby and ask them to enter their shops to buy something.
Imagining life in the Antique Grand Bazaar many centuries ago, I can see the swarm of slaves sent to the market by their masters to purchase this and that. I imagine patricians in their litters carried on slaves’ shoulders, who look at the comings and goings of people from the litters.
Opposite our room in the hotel, there are the remains of an old Roman aqueduct. Something of the old aqueduct still remains, but now where are those who haunted the Grand Bazaar in ancient times? What’s left of them? Nothing! Life in the Grand Bazaar will continue after us, from generation to generation, but with different characters!
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

 

VISITING THE SUFI CULTURE CENTER OF KARABAS-i VELI, OSMANGAZI (TURKEY)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

20190615_233134Touring Turkey, we came across the Culture Center of Karabas-i Veli. It happened naturally, as if a powerful stream of energy had attracted us. The Center looked like the zawiya (Sufi lodge) I had attended in Rabat (Morocco) a few years ago, but unlike there, here the Sufis were the Whirling Dervishes who claimed to be direct descendants of the mystic poet Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.
While I was waiting for the performance to start, I sat on the floor for men. We waited for three hours. In the building there were two separate areas: the ground floor for men and the loft for women.

After two hours, a man wearing a cylinder-shaped red hat and a white beard, who seemed to be a top level Sufi, addressed the audience for more than one hour. He spoke in Turkish. I couldn’t understand anything, but the vibrations of his words seemed to penetrate the innermost layers of my soul. I felt that he was talking about God and the many ways to approach the Deity.
“The Sufi way is mystic,” said a man sitting beside me, when the speech was over.
I turned to him, with eyes full of wonder and kept listening to him.
“Do you know that Saint Francis of Assisi was a Sufi?” he asked.
“How can you know that?”

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“I am sure about Saint Francis of Assisi as a Sufi and I can give you a lot of evidence on that. However, if you want to know more on this topic, read The Sufis by Idries Shah.”
Then, almost ten Dervishes entered the hall, which fell silent. They wore black habits, placed themselves on a raised side of the hall, played their musical instruments, and sang. After they played music for some time, the whirling dervishes came in one by one whirling. Their whirling was amazing! There are no words to describe this fantastic performance. Everything had a symbolic meaning, from the colors of the Sufis’ habits to the position of their arms and hands.
There are many modes of worshiping God, but only a few great spirits can follow the mystic way which is very demanding. The Sufis are among them, definitely.
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo