LIFE IN SADHANA FOREST (INDIA)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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Next to Auroville is Sadhana Forest. The word sadhana means spiritual practice. According to the founder, who was an ex-philosophy professor from Israel, the forest should be a place where people spend their time in total contact with nature, far from everything that sounds modern, like electricity, running water, and stone houses.
There were almost 200 volunteers from all over the world in Sadhana Forest, who had come just to spend some time plunged into a primitive environment. Their task consisted of planting trees and preserving the forest from fires, which can break out due to the dryness of the area.
We arrived in the forest by bus in the afternoon. The Israeli professor gave a speech about life in the forest. He said that many families lived there. One of the visitors asked, “What about your children? Do they go to school? Who gives them an education?”
“Our children,” the professor answered, “have home schooling. Then, if they want to go to school they can, but if they don’t want to go we don’t force them to have compulsory education.”
The professor led us around the forest and their tiny village, which was built on pilings. The dormitories for the volunteers were just over the pilings. There was neither running water nor electricity, except in one or two pilings. They produced power by a bicycle and solar panels.
They offered us a vegan meal and showed a film about life in the forest. We also saw how mercilessly they grow chickens and pigs in developed countries, which are fed inside very narrow cages until they are killed.
In the evening, when we got off the bus, a young man gave us a flier. Once at home we read it. The young man complained about having been expelled unjustly from Sadhana. Apparently, despite human endeavors, it is not possible to create a perfect society where everybody can live happily and without conflict, even in the forest.

This is an excerpt from A Hidden Sicilian History 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 RISHIKESH (INDIA)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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The weather in Rishikesh changed radically the following day. The sun was shining and it became much hotter. We walked along the same lane as the day before and arrived at a narrow bridge. Only pedestrians and motorbikes could use it. Monkeys stood along the handrails, hoping to get some food.
We crossed the bridge and walked along the other bank of the river, which was also full of shops and restaurants. While we walked on the bridge, I admired the river in all its majesty, and noticed that the olive-green color was constant, even in stretches where the banks were surrounded by houses, when the trees were far away and the sky was cloudy. Its wonderful green color remained even at twilight. Obviously, the constant hue depended on some phenomenon that I didn’t know about, but there had to be something mysterious in the amazing Ganges. It could be considered sacred not only by Hindus, but by everybody. It cannot be ruled out that God, who is the same for all people, regardless of the race, becomes manifest in different ways so that He can show Himself through those holy waters.
Cows wandered freely in the narrow streets, while donkeys and mules were used to carry river sand, gravel, and red bricks to building sites. I hadn’t seen this kind of transportation for at least seventy years, when long lines of donkeys, mules, and horses carried goods and people from the countryside into Enna.

This is an excerpt from A Hidden Sicilian History 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 BASILICA OF SAINT SOPHIA IN ISTANBUL

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

20190613_122337Visiting the Basilica of Saint Sophia in Istanbul is like reading a book of history.
The most ancient Basilica of Saint Sophia was built by order of Emperor Constantine, the one who liberalized all religions in the year 313 AD. The basilica was dedicated to Divine Wisdom, in Turkish Haghia Sophia, but it didn’t last long, because it was destroyed by a fire.
Later, by will of Empress Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian, the Basilica of Saint Sophia was rebuilt bigger than it was before. It is said the Emperor Justinian aimed at realizing a basilica bigger than the Temple of Solomon. Justinian is renowned for creating the Codex of Justinian, a body of laws which was the fundamental legal text for many years to come in continental Europe. This emperor was intolerant against the pagans. If they didn’t convert to Christianity they were executed. Due to his intolerance against the heathen, he shut down the Philosophy School of Athens.

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After the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Basilica of Saint Sophia was converted first into a mosque, and later into a museum.
What surprised me was the closeness between Christian and Muslim symbols. In fact, verses of the Koran stood beside the mosaics portraying Jesus and Our Lady. This means to be tolerant.
In my opinion, only one God exists, the modes of worshipping God differ. The Basilica of Saint Sophia in Istanbul highlights the idea of tolerance and respect towards all religions.
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MARY’S WELL IN ZIPPORI (ISRAEL)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“Hearing his words, I hesitated about going to Nazareth with him or going to see this Mary’s well. The latter alternative prevailed. ‘Yes, I want to visit Mary’s well. Where is it? ‘It’s just three hundred meters away. Cross over that field, and you’ll find it. Good luck! After you see the well, you can take a bus to Nazareth. The bus stop is across the road.’
“I walked in the countryside, but I couldn’t find the well. I asked a man on the way. ‘Yes, it is down there. Some people drink the water of the well, but I’ve never done that,’ he answered.
“After passing by a garbage heap, finally I found the well! I got near to it and was welcomed by the warm greetings of several children. ‘Shalom! Shalom! Shalom!’ they all sang in one voice. ‘Shalom!’ I answered with a big smile.
“The children were splashing in the pool, jumping up and down. Actually, the well was a pool. The water had a bluish hue, which degraded into light blue and ended in whitish colorlessness by the edge where I was standing. At first, I guessed that the light blue color of the water was caused by the reflection of the blue sky. But soon I realized that the pool was too small and shallow to reflect the blue sky. The water didn’t seem to be stirred up by the children who splashed continuously. Its preternatural blue color remained unaltered.
“I took off my shoes and tried to keep my balance while I was walking on uneven, pointed stones. I sat on the edge of the pool and dipped my feet into the cool water. Then I washed my face and my head. There was an ancient wall on one side of the pool. A small blue rivulet fed the pool. I had never found any mark about this Mary’s well on the map. Nevertheless, I visited the well by chance. The sky blue color of the water and its atmosphere enchanted me. When I stepped out of the well, the children performed a Hebraic dance for me. I was happy to see their dance. I waved goodbye to them, smiling. Then I walked to the bus stop.

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

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MITHRAISM AND CHRISTIANITY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“His easy and fluent talk was like the rushing of a river. It seemed unstoppable. ‘Do you think the Christian religion is original? Not at all! Christianity borrowed its rites from the cult of the god Mithra, who was also born in a cave on December twenty-fifth.’
“I stared into his eyes, and then I raised my voice, ‘Tell me! Where did you find such information? Can you prove what you said?’ ‘Yes. I’ll give you written proof, but don’t ask me to prove anything else. Everything I say is true. I don’t invent anything,’ he said severely. Actually, a few days later, he showed me the encyclopedia through which he had learned about the god Mithra. While I was driving toward downtown Isola, he kept talking about religion. ‘The Roman Catholic Church built many cathedrals on god Mithra’s temples. Do you want me to give you evidence?’ ‘Yes, I do!’ I answered eagerly. ‘Hence, go to Rome and visit the Basilica of San Clemente. It’s near the Colosseum and easy to reach. This basilica has one ground floor and two basements. At the entrance, on the ground floor there is the newest church dating back to the twelfth century. If you go down to the first basement, you’ll find another church which goes back to the fourth century. On the second basement, you’ll find god Mithra’s temple. Some people perceive a peculiar energy in the lowest basement, especially when they stand near the water which flows down there. I don’t believe in extrasensory energies. I only believe in what I can touch, see, and hear. I am just reporting that somebody feels an arcane energy in the Mithraeum of San Clemente Basilica.’
“Giuseppe was still telling me the story of the god Mithra when we got to Umberto Sabatini’s house. Umberto’s build was different than Giuseppe’s. He was a tall redhead with a more refined way of dressing. Umberto had the air of a teacher, while Giuseppe looked like a blacksmith. Actually, he had been a teacher of Latin and ancient Greek, but he quit his job. Even though he had a degree in classic literature, he wanted to become a municipal policeman. Strangely, although Giuseppe and Umberto had master’s degrees, they didn’t want to have the job they had studied for. One wanted to be a writer instead of a physician, and the other a municipal policeman instead of a teacher. Two uncommon persons! Like them, maybe many of us would want to be uncommon, to lead a different life, change jobs, move away from our country, city, family, and so on. But we don’t do that because we tend to live according to the social patterns that have conditioned us since childhood. Umberto, at a brisk pace, got into my car and sat in the back seat. We introduced ourselves briefly and set off toward Capodarso, which is almost a half hour away from Isola.
“On the road Giuseppe resumed his tirade. ‘The Christians changed the figure of Jesus. The Greek word Christos, which means anointed, doesn’t apply to Jesus. The term was coined later by the early Greek-speaking Christians. Jesus was anticlerical, but the Christians turned him into a priest. Jesus didn’t hand over any rite, but the Christians borrowed their rituals from Mithraism, such as baptism, Holy Communion with bread and wine, and so on. The idea that Jesus was born from a virgin was also borrowed from Mithraism. In fact, Mithra was born from the virgin Anahita, who had been inseminated by the god Ariman through a miracle. Like Jesus, Mithra promised eternal life to his followers and was very popular among the Roman soldiers who could die in battle.’

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 TUNNEL TO THE STAIRS OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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“While waiting for the opening of the Garden Tomb, I strolled about the area. I crossed the street and bought a ticket to visit the archeological area. I entered there. A few ruins were scattered here and there. Then I arrived at the entrance to a cave. There was also a group of tourists guided by an English-speaking guide at the entrance. A lady from Australia came close to me and asked me to join the group. How strange! Whenever I was in need, someone appeared and helped me. I joined them and listened to the guide. ‘We’ll cover a distance along a narrow underground tunnel with shallow water, which can sometimes rise up to the height of your trouser pockets.’
“Actually, at the entrance the water was high up to the pelvis. Then, it shallowed. The tunnel was narrow and low. Sometimes we had to bend ourselves forward. If I had suffered from anxiety and claustrophobia as before, I couldn’t have walked through the tunnel. I was happy that I could walk underground without fear. The tunnel was long and seemed to be never ending. How many laborers left the marks of their pickaxes on this tunnel! Three thousand years ago they were alive and worked to dig the tunnel. But they disappeared like a dream. Did they vanish into thin air? Were they reborn? Did they go to heaven or to hell? Nobody knows, and maybe we will never have an answer to such questions. Only saints and enlightened ones can know the truth.
“Walking through the tunnel, I compared it to the tunnel of my life. I had spent my life without seeing the light of joy, like a fish swimming in the water of a dark cave. I didn’t know that the tunnel was connected to the stairs of the Temple of Solomon, a place where Jesus had been definitely, but, to my surprise, it led me there! How mysterious it was! After about ten minutes, the tunnel ended. We kept walking underground and gathered in a place with several stairs. I sat on one of those steps and listened to the guide. ‘According to more than one archeologist, these are the stairs of the Temple of Solomon. As you can see, the stairs are neither too distant from each other nor too close. So at that time, people could go up to the temple easily, and in the meantime, the sacrificial animals could walk up without difficulty.’
“Were these the real stairs of the Temple of Solomon on which Jesus had walked? I can say only one thing: I was attracted to these stairs by a mysterious energy. When I came to Israel, I didn’t know about this place, nor had I a map to locate this spot. I arrived there naturally. I think those were the real stairs of the Temple of Solomon.
“Beyond the stairs was an open space with a pool that could be the Pool of Siloam where Jesus performed the miracle of healing a blind man, according to John’s Gospel. At the Siloam Pool I left the group. It was almost three-thirty in the afternoon, and I had to hurry to get to Gordon’s Calvary in time…

This is an excerpt from The Vibrations of Words: second edition

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