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Pacifica JournalA bi-annual newsletter published by the Anthroposophical Society in Hawai'iNumber 26 2004 (2)
Anthroposophical Society in Hawai'i, 2514 Alaula Way, Honolulu, Hawai'iPhone (808) 395-1268, Email [email protected]
Om Om OmBhur Bhuva SvahaTat savitur vareniyamBhargo Devasya dhimahiDhiyo yonah prachadayatOm shanti shanti shanti
Om Om OmMay the light and powerOf the rising sunAwaken love in us,Illumine and purify our thoughtsAnd prepare us for the day’s deeds.Om shanti shanti shanti—The Gaitreya mantram
India. An ancient chant greeting the power of the sun.The lighting of an oil lamp inviting the presence of spiritbeings. This was to be a great event: a celebration ofAnthroposophy in India, seven years after the first AsiaPacific conference took place in Mumbai in November1997. That first event had grand and lofty themes: ameeting of East and West in the realm of cosmic idealsand philosophy. Now with the recent conference inHyderabad the being Anthroposophy came several stepscloser to earth.
This progression was beautifully characterized in thelecture of Anand Mandaiker on Hinduism and Christianity(Anand was brought up Hindu in Madras and is now apriest of the Christian Community in Germany.) Ananddescribed the mature tree of Hinduism, lush with soul-
nourishing leaves and the fruit of ancient wisdom. Incontrast Christianity is a small seed planted in the earth, aseed with enormous potential to transform, a force for thefuture.
The theme of the Hyderabad conference could easilyhave been Transformation through Initiative, for such was
its energy, such were the people who came and the workthey represented. There were teachers from the Waldorfschools in Hyderabad and Mumbai as well as from manyWaldorf initiatives in India, Nepal and Pakistan; alsoteachers from the Waldorf movement in Japan, thePhilippines, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan.A large group of biodynamic farmers and gardeners fromdifferent parts of India were present. There were alsopeople active in alternative banking, in the women’smovement, in ecology, in the healing professions, in youthinitiatives and in the arts. Indeed it seemed that in theseven intervening years the seeds that had been scatteredhad been watered, broken their husks and sprouted far andwide.
This conference took place in the gracious old colonialSecunderabad Club, founded in 1878 during the BritishRaj. Although somewhat modernized with excellent sportsfacilities, including two swimming pools, the club retains
Eurythmy was performed as part of the Asia-Pacific Anthroposophicaland Goetheanum Conference in Hyderbad, India. (Photo: HisashiAihara)
The Asia Pacific Anthroposophicaland Goetheanum ConferenceHumanity, Civilization, Nature and Spirituality
Hyderabad, IndiaOctober 29 – November 2, 2004
Penelope Roberts, Copake, NY, USA
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the secluded atmosphere of lawns andavenues shaded by huge baobab trees, coolhigh-ceilinged drawing rooms and, up onthe roof, a lofty open-air ballroom. Thiswas our venue – a large space with a stageand enough room for the 80 local attendeesand 50 out of town guests, many of whomstayed in the club’s well-appointedguesthouses.
A main theme of the conference wasthe Anthroposophical Society itself,introduced by Paul Mackay in his openinglecture. Aban Bana then gave a fascinating
history of Anthroposophy in India, goingback to early travelers in the 1920’s who hadbeen personal pupils of Rudolf Steiner.Aban is preparing this history for the nextPacifica Journal. Later on the same day wewitnessed the founding of the RudolfSteiner Branch in Hyderabad and heardmoving speeches from each of the eightfounding members, all women. This deedwas seen as a step towards an eventualoverall Society in India, made up of similargroups from other major centers.
On the final evening of the conferencePaul MacKay announced that, on behalf ofthe Council in Dornach, he had asked fivemembers in India to form a temporarygroup to feel responsible for Societyquestions in India over the next year. Thesefive are: Aban Bana from Mumbai, who hasfor the past 15 years actively encouraged andnetworked amongst all the initiatives ofAnthroposophy in India; Patrick Brilliant,founder of the Tridha Waldorf School inMumbai; Nirmala Diaz, founder of theSloka School in Hyderabad; SwapnaNarenda, homeopathic doctor and curativeeducator in Hyderabad; and FrancisAradhya, co-founder of Friends of
Camphill social therapeutic community inBangalore. A person from the biodynamicmovement in India is yet to be identified.India is a huge country with many smallanthroposophical initiatives. The hope isthat ultimately they all could join under theumbrella of a national society.
Woven in between these events was aseries of contributions addressing manypractical aspects of Anthroposophy. UlrichRoesch: The Threefold Social Order andGandhi; Paul MacKay: New Ways inBanking and Economy; Cornelius Pietzner:Modern Spirituality and Social Action;Francis Aradhya and Shaheeda Hanneson:Social Therapy in India and Pakistan; PeterProctor: Agriculture and Healing the Earth;Rajeev Baruah: The Maikaal Project for Bio-dynamic Cotton; C. Jayakaran: Bio-dynamicAgriculture in India; and Yuji Agematsu:Organic Architecture and the Measure ofMan. These talks sparked a great deal ofenthusiasm and conversation, particularlyto those new to Anthroposophy.
Also present were three members ofthe Youth Section, Valentin Vollmer(Dornach) and Jiro Omura and HishashiAihara (Japan) who presented a proposalfor supporting socially inspired youthinitiatives (IDEM). To learn more, contact:www.youthsection.org.
As well as all this there were artisticgroups and several interest groups that metdaily. The two Eurythmy groups were verypopular, as were the form drawing and avery large group on the subject of moneyand financing. There were wonderfulevening performances of Eurythmy and ofclassical Indian dance and music.
And of course, all the time there wasIndia!!! We were shown the sights of oldHyderabad. We enjoyed the Indian cookingas well as the booming from the Hyderabadflight patterns overhead and the crazy trafficoutside our gates. Every day attendees werespirited off by our hosts for shopping inthe bustling streets of Hyderabad and laterreturned beautifully attired in bright silksand cottons, new pearls around their necks,and carrying bundles of exotic treasures. Itwas the perfect place for Christmas buying.
On the final day, as we took leave ofour joyful company and the charm of theSecunderabad Club, there was a strongsense of purpose, of work to be done anda bond that will bring us together again.
International speakerscontributed to the sharing ofideas at the Asia-PacificAnthroposophical andGoetheanum Conference.(Photo: H.A.)
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The Waldorf (Rudolf Steiner)Education Seminar in India
Aban Bana, Mumbai, India
The Sixth Waldorf (Rudolf Steiner)Education Seminar will be held from Sunday 8th
May until lunchtime on Saturday, 21st
May 2005.The two week residential seminar will be
at the Bai Dhunmai Cawasji School (D.C.Public School) in Khandala, a hill station inMaharashtra, which can be reached easilyfrom Mumbai or Pune by car or by train(nearest railway station is Lonavla, onCentral Railway), Tel. No. 02114-273 743.Please be present at the introductory sessionat 5:00 p.m. on 08/05/05.
Boarding and lodging at the school willcost Rs. 150/- per person per day plus Rs.1,200 tuition fees (for the entire seminar, perperson). Please make the total payment INCASH upon your arrival.
You are requested to bring the followingitems: two bed sheets, a pillow and a pillowcase, water-bottle, mosquito-repellent, hat orcap, comfortable shoes for Eurythmy andgames, torch, first-aid kit, note-book, basicstationery and a musical instrument, if youplay one. Also bring photos and material forthe evening presentation of your school.
Participants are expected to have a goodknowledge of English. We are confidentthat with your kind cooperation this seminar
will be very successful . Together we willlearn and have a happy time.
The two week seminar in May 2005 inKhandala will be divided in two groups:Beginners and Advanced. The Lecturers atthe seminar come from the UK, Europe andMumbai. Participants will learn new ideasand methods in Creative Education andArtistic Activities for children of all ages.
Some seminar subjects will be:1. Anthroposophy – Dr. Rudolf
Steiner’s Philosophy.2. Child Development.3. The Four Temperaments.4. Nature and Ecology.5. The Waldorf Kindergarten.6. The Waldorf School, classes one to
eight.
Artistic and Creative Activities:1. Eurythmy: An art of movement.2. Watercolour Painting.3. Drawing: in colour and black and
white.4. Form Drawing.5. Singing and Flute Playing.6. Poetry and Drama.7. Classroom Games & Playground
Games.
For more information email:[email protected]
Education Seminar held atKhandala in 2003.
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Waldorf Initiatives in theHimalayan Kingdom of Nepal
Van James, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Nepal is a land of striking contrasts:soaring, snowcapped mountains and steamyverdant jungles; humid monsoon rains anddry, arid cold; crowded urban centers andexpansive, solitary landscapes. Even inconditions of dire poverty, one sees womenbeautifully dressed in brightly colored gar-ments. Most of all, one notices the contrastbetween the polluted city congestion and thefriendly, outgoing (yet reserved) people.
Within this small but dynamic Hindukingdom with a population of 27 million, isthe capital city of Kathmandu. In the center ofan oval shaped valley known as KathmanduMandala are three striving and thriving Waldorfschool initiatives—Bal Mandir Kindergarten,Tashi Waldorf School, and Shanti Seva School.Each of these schools was established byWesterners, all rely on funding from the west,and all work with mostly underprivilegedchildren.
Bal Mandir Kindergarten was established in1998 by Meyrav Mor as a Waldorf-stylekindergarten in an existing state orphanage.This kindergarten is unique because it receivesno parent support by way of family tuitions asschools usually do. All the funds needed for
the care and education of the children must beraised outside the school. When Ms. Mor wenton to start Tashi Waldorf School, KantiRajbhandari faithfully continued the Waldorfprogram at Bal Mandir, and oversaw athreefold growth in the early childhoodprogram and a class one. Trained in England,Ms. Rajbhandari has four Nepali co-workerswho together guide the eighty-four kindergar-ten children with dedication and love. Operat-ing in a former palace, now rather rundown,the staff maintains the kindergarten classroomswith an artistic touch, in strong contrast to thegovernment-run classrooms that are also a partof the orphanage. Bal Mandir Kindergarten isthe longest running, Waldorf-inspired initiativein the country. Volunteers from Ireland,Denmark, Switzerland and Nepal have helpedout in 2004. Bal Mandir Kindergarten, P.O. Box6967, Naxal, Kathmandu, [email protected]
Tashi Waldorf School is another initiativebegun by Meyrav Mor, an American trained,Israeli teacher. Established in 2000 in arenovated Tibetan carpet factory in northKathmandu, it presently includes a nursery,two kindergartens, and classes one throughthree. The school brings together children ofdifferent social and economic backgrounds andparents pay what they can afford and volunteertheir time to help the school. However, theschool’s existence is dependent on donationsfrom outside the country. Both Nepali andTibetan cultures are woven into the school’scurriculum through stories, songs, dances, andvarious arts and crafts activities that aremodeled on local traditions. In the classroomschildren play with handmade dolls resemblingthe various ethnic groups of the Himalayas.During the year students celebrate local festivalssuch as Tihar, the festival of light, and Lozar,the Tibetan New Year. A playhouse built intraditional Nepali style stands in the corner ofthe playground where children have a safe,pollution-free setting for their outdooractivities. Chandra Tamang will be returningfrom England in 2005 after a three-year trainingat Emerson College. She will be the first fullytrained Nepali Waldorf teacher. Other teachershave had in-service training from visitinginternational instructors and have attendedconferences and workshops in India andThailand. Education Coordinators, mostrecently from New Zealand (Kate Bryant andLaura Wilson) and America (Kathryn Loveday),have worked with the Tashi teachers on a dailybasis. Marjorie Theyer of New Zealand has
Kanti Rajbhandari and hercolleagues at the Bal MandirKindergarten in Kathmandu,Nepal.
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visited the Tashi kindergarten for several yearsin a row. Heather Maclaren, Project Manager,coordinates fundraising through Children ofNepal and holds the “big picture” for TashiSchool. (Tashi is the name of the Tibetanbenefactor who made the property available forthe school.)
Founding teacher, Meyrav Mor, now livingin England, has written two books on herteaching experiences in Nepal: Fire in the Heart:Social Integration Through Education and the Arts(2000) and Preserving the Past, Reserving theFuture: A Foundation for a Culturally SensitiveEarly Childhood Curriculum for Tibetan Children inExile (2003). She is actively working to bringWaldorf educational methods to Tibetanchildren living in exile. Tashi Waldorf School,GPO Box 8975, EPC #4218, Bansbari,Kathmandu, Nepal. [email protected]
The third Waldorf initiative inKathmandu Valley is Shanti Primary School.This is a unique school because it serves thechildren of leprosy patients and otherdestitute members of the Shanti Sewa Grihacommunity. Starting with 13 patients and fourrooms in 1992, the community and clinic hasgrown to over 800 patients and 175 children.In 1999 it was seen that a kindergarten wasneeded and today a Waldorf methods school,under the direction of Halina Lubisz (for-merly Education Coordinator for TashiWaldorf School) provides K-5 instruction onan extensive property surrounded by gardensand forest. The community runs a freemedical clinic, a hospice home, a disabledchildren’s center, vocational training and craftsworkshops, organic vegetable gardens andorchard, a poultry farm, residential housing,and the school. In addition to Shanti Sewa’srural land it has rented workshop space indowntown Kathmandu for over ten years.Recently the community acquired property intown where it hopes to move its workshopsand build a hospital. Ms. Lubisz will be
expanding the school program this year toinclude curative education training for theteachers.
This outstanding work for the people ofNepal is due to the vision and will of MarianneGrosspietsch, a former Waldorf parent fromGermany. Mrs. Grosspietsch designs productsand comes up with ideas that the Hanson’sDisease patients then produce. The qualityitems are sold in Europe and together withother fundraising support all of the ShantiSewa community endeavors including theschool. Director, Krishna Gurung, whooversees community projects, includingongoing expansion of Shanti Primary School,spearheaded the planting of 1999 fruit trees onthe property in the year 1999. Shanti Sewa Griha,Gaushala, Pashupati, P. O. Box 7861, Kathmandu,Nepal. [email protected]
In this land of political turmoil (the royalfamily was decimated a few years ago, govern-ment corruption is rife, and Maoist rebelsthreaten what little stability the kingdomoffers), extreme poverty and pollution, all ofthe Waldorf initiatives need support fromoutside if they are to survive their challengingenvironment and fulfill their missions to bringa future generation of people to contribute in apositive way to Nepal’s needs.
Nirmala and her class threestudents practice recorder atTashi Waldorf School.
A resident of Shanti SewaGriha community works on aloom to create crafts that willsupport Shanti Primary Schoolin Kathmandu, Nepal.
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Anthroposophy and theReligious LifeAn Open Letter
Arthur Zajonc, Amherst, Massacusetts, USA
Because of my work with the Dalai Lamaon the relationship between science andBuddhist philosophy I have been asked byseveral friends to clarify whether or not I am aBuddhist. The simple answer is no. However Iwould like to clarify what I think are gravemisunderstandings of the relationshipbetween Anthroposophy and religion, and alsothe strictures some would place on those withwhom one may associate as ananthroposophist.
The fourth statute approved at theChristmas Foundation Stone meeting states“Anyone can become a member, withoutregard to nationality, social standing, religion,or scientific or artistic conviction.” Thisimportant non-discriminatory clause lays thefoundation for an entirely open and publicsociety, one to which all individuals, regardlessof their background and beliefs, are welcomed.To make this point even clearer one need onlyrefer to Rudolf Steiner’s remarks concerningreligion and Anthroposophy.
“…this spiritual research (Anthroposophy)in no way wishes to set itself in opposition toany religious confession. It does not consideritself as a new religious confession; it is as faraway as possible from the founding of areligion or the development of a sect of anykind.” These sentiments were repeatedlyexpressed by Rudolf Steiner. The Society iscompletely open to individuals of all faiths, orto those without a particular belief. It is in thisregard a true Consciousness Soul institution,cosmopolitan in spirit, embracing in this waythe leading characteristics of the Michaelic age inwhich we live.
But one might still maintain that suchopenness was only true for the Society, and thatwhen one is accepted into the First Class of theSchool of Spiritual Science an additionalconstraint concerning religious affiliations isput on membership in this community. NOsuch condition exists. I say this as past Chair ofthe Circle of Class Holders and as the pastChair of the Collegium of the School. Theconditions for membership in the School areclearly put forward in the document given toeach applicant. The key requirement is that one
agrees to be a true representative of Anthro-posophy. Nowhere is it stipulated that onemust belong to a Christian faith. In fact manyclass members observe Jewish, Muslim,Buddhist and other religious practices. Activeclass members of all faiths are to be foundaround the world, which is precisely as itshould be. I have met many such individuals inmy years of work on behalf of Anthroposo-phy. It is always a joy to experience the humandiversity that is alive and well within our Societyand within our School of Spiritual Science.
All this is not to diminish the centrality ofthe Mystery of Golgotha for world evolution.Its significance is a spiritual scientific fact andhas nothing whatsoever to do with religion.Anthroposophy can interpret religiousdocuments, but is itself no religion.
Finally one might argue that the leadershipof the Society must be of a particular faith(specifically Christian) and that leaders shouldhave no associations with other spiritualorganizations. Again there are no grounds forthis view, and there is abundant evidence thatsuch considerations should play no role in theselection of a person for the General Secretaryor other leading positions. This is not anacademic issue but rather one whose force Ihave personally felt for the last several years. Insupport of my view, I need to quote at somelength a passage from the appointmentproceedings of the English General Secretarywhich took place in 1923. A question had beenraised as to whether it was appropriate topermit Mr. H. Collison to become GeneralSecretary since he was a prominent Freemason.Rudolf Steiner gave a thorough endorsementof Collison and went on to enunciate aprinciple of respect for the freedom of theindividual, while at the same time lookingclosely at the dedication and capability of theindividual to carry out his duties as GeneralSecretary of the Anthroposophical Society inEngland. Rudolf Steiner said the following tothis issue:
“Speaking to the other question raised here,it appears to me actually, when all the individualfacts are brought forward, there is not the leasthindrance concerning Mr. Collison who has thevery best qualifications for General Secretary. Icannot see that anything speaks against it.Concerning the thing which he himself hasbrought to expression, namely concerning theFreemasons, this appears to me absolutelynothing to deflect us. I have always said, if it isa question whether someone from anothermovement – in this case the Freemasons –
...this spiritual research(Anthroposophy) in noway wishes to setitself in opposition toany religiousconfession.
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should come into the anthroposophicalmovement: The point is not what someone isin the other movement, rather it is a questionif he is a good anthroposophist when heenters the anthroposophical movement. Whatis important for the anthroposophicalmovement is whether he is a goodanthroposophist. If he is a good or bad ormiddling Freemason has nothing to do withthe Anthroposophical Society. …And it wouldbe a senseless judgment if one in any waymade the worth of a member asanthroposophist dependent on whether or nothe is a Freemason.”
It should be clear that Rudolf Steiner wasputting forward and strongly supporting thenomination of H. Collison for the office ofthe General Secretary, the most importantleadership position within the Society. Hismembership and activity within the Freema-sons was not an issue to consider, only hisefforts and capacities on behalf of Anthro-posophy.
Therefore, although I am not a Buddhistpractitioner I would speak for the right of everymember of the Society and every member of theSchool and of every person in a leadershipposition to follow their spiritual life with all theintegrity demanded by their unique andmysterious karma. Rudolf Steiner’s ideal ofethical individualism demands this kind ofinclusion and diversity at all levels of our Society.We should be extremely reticent about judgingwhat is fit for another person’s life. We have everyright to disagree with the decisions made by ourleadership. But to assert, for example, that I havebeen exposed to Eastern occult brotherhoodswho have manipulated me unconsciously,displays an arrogance and presumption that isastonishing. I have been told that even if what Iam doing is fine, my very association with theDalai Lama gives the “appearance of impropri-ety.” On that basis alone I am unfit to lead. Am Ito be judged on appearances instead of realities?I have been a practicing physicist for the last 30years surrounded by trenchant materialists. Is myassociation with them inappropriate? Am I unfitfor a leadership position by virtue of myprofession? What associations do you have thatwill come under scrutiny next?
I am pleased to report that when theseaccusations were brought before the full circle ofClass Holders and before the Collegium of theSchool of Spiritual Science in North America,both bodies rejected the accusations against meand endorsed my continued roles. I thank themnot only because it affects me, but I also thank
them on behalf of the freedom that is at theheart of Anthroposophy. I fear that some areadvancing a uniform code of conduct by whichanthroposophists are expected to live, and aprinciple of guilt by association. Rudolf Steinerwrote forcefully concern-ing the inappropriatenessof the Kantian categoricalimperative which states:what is morally right forone must be morally rightfor all. Against thisRudolf Steiner placed hisethical individualism inwhich for each and everysituation and for everyindividual a new andoriginal moral judgmentis made. This is not moralrelativism, because if Itruly live into the life ofthe other I too canunderstand and evensupport them in theirmoral decision, althoughthe same action mightwell have been wrong forme. This is the newmeaning of brotherhoodand sisterhood. Gone ishomogeneity throughoutthe group (the old groupsoul); gone is thehegemony practiced by thefew over the many(ideological leadership).Instead we are called topractice a true selflessness,one that can enter into theunique karma of theother, and supports ourbrothers and sisters outof a deep understandingof their unique situation.If we cannot find our wayto this ideal as a Societythen I fear we will haveabandoned the very foundations of whatRudolf Steiner offered to humanity.
In light of this view I made the judgmentthat it was important for me to collaboratemeetings of Buddhism and science as orga-nized by a circle of individuals (scientists andBuddhist scholars) who I respect. Themeetings are serious and strive to bring acareful and sophisticated understanding ofscience, philosophy and Buddhist thought to
Threefold Man, a Buddhistmedicinal manuscriptillumination from the PatanMuseum in Nepal.
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bear on issues concerning the nature of matter,life, and the mind. I have led two suchmeetings and have participated in three others.In my opinion the Buddhists present,including the Dalai Lama, have been open-minded and invaluable partners in thediscussion. With the publication of theproceedings of the 1997 meeting I led, you cannow judge for yourself.1
It is important to say that as in Christianity,fundamentalist Buddhist sects do exist andthey cause profound difficulties for those of amore cosmopolitan and liberal bent, such asthe current Dalai Lama.
Finally, I resigned as General Secretary twoyears ago before theseaccusations became aserious matter. Myrecent resignationfrom the Collegiumhad also been in theworks for some time.I delayed thatresignation in partbecause I hoped thatthe case against mewould be decidedbeforehand. As itturned out I resignedat the same Collegiummeeting during whichI was affirmed in mywork on the Col-legium. My reasons forstepping back fromleadership positions inthe Society are unrelated to the issue of mycollaboration with Buddhists. Rather, I felt thatI had made my contribution, my arch ofleadership was at an end and that it was timefor someone else to take on the varied roles Iplayed on behalf of Anthroposophy. My workduring the last ten years with members andfriends in the U.S. and around the globe hasbeen a great source of satisfaction to me. Somany are selflessly and courageously doing thework of Anthroposophy. And wherever I go Imeet the same deep longing for an open,future-oriented, and non-sectarian Society. Icontinue to work in many countries on behalfof Anthroposophy, but now – like so manyothers of you – I do so simply as a member ofthe Society.
No I am not a Buddhist, but this is notthe point. Like you I am a striving individualwho has found Anthroposophy to be aninfinite source for renewal, one fed by the
Waldorf Initiatives in theThai "City of Angels"
Van James, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Bangkok, known as the “city of angels,”literally means “place of olive plums.” It is acolorful and truly eclectic metropolis! As thecapital of the Thai kingdom, with a populationof eight million people (the population ofThailand is 65 million), it has seen dramaticgrowth in Waldorf school initiatives over thepast decade. Notable among these are PanyotaiSchool, Tridhaksa School, Baan Rak Kindergar-ten, and Wat Siripong Daycare.
Thailand’s first Waldorf initiative wasbegun in 1996 by Dr. Porn Panosot and hiswife Janpen. Panyotai (Dawn of Wisdom)School moved to its present site in 2001 andcurrently has about one hundred students inKindergarten through Class 7. Together withten teachers, the Panosots have established anourishing school environment with solidWaldorf methodology and strong parentsupport. English and Chinese languages aretaught and art and music permeate the school.In three years the school will move to a newsite with buildings designed by a parent/architect in traditional Thai style. The goal ofPanyotai community is to build steadily towarda high school. Panyotai School, 27/789 MoobanNapalai, Sukhumuit Road, Bangua, Bangkok10260, Thailand. [email protected]
Tridhaksa School started in 2000 with anursery group and presently has six kindergar-tens and classes 1-4. Quickly growing to serve
Proposed building design forPanyotoi Waldorf Schoolinitiative in Bangkok,Thailand.
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200 children and employ 20 teachers andassistants, Tridhaksa arose out of a socialimpulse to benefit the Thai community inBangkok. Founded as a non-profit institutionby the Peoples Integrity Foundation, TridhaksaSchool is under the direction of Mrs. UsaTanompongphand. Many of the teachersreceived their Waldorf training in Australia andlike the other Bangkok Steiner teachers,continue their professional developmentthrough workshops and conferences given byvisiting international colleagues. Chinese andEnglish are also the two foreign languagestaught at Tridhaksa. Tridhaksa refers to thethree faculties of the human being (thinking,feeling, willing), as well as to the Buddhisteducational principles of Sila (looking after thelimbs and doing), Samadhi (ensuring the soulis tranquil and in balance), and Punya (learningand developing order to gain wisdom).Tridhaksa School, 226 Pra-Dit-Manoo-Tham Road,Wang Thong Lang, Bangkok 10310, [email protected]
Abhisiree Chanranjanaphet inherited herfather’s kindergarten, and together with herJapanese husband, Masaki Sato, has trans-formed it into a thriving community center andWaldorf inspired nursery/kindergarten. BaanRak Kindergarten has just fewer than onehundred children on its beautifully enclosedcampus, complete with turtle pond. Ms.Chanranjanaphet has been a midwife forWaldorf-Steiner ideas in Thailand, passing onher own kindergarten experience to ruralinitiatives beyond the busy city. But even insideBangkok she has trained teachers in Waldorfmethods at the government funded WatSiripong Daycare, a Buddhist temple kindergar-ten with 300 children. It is wonderful to seethe silks and wooden toys together with theharmonious play of children in such a largekindergarten complex. Ms. Chanranjanaphetand her husband have crafted a very influential,community education center through theirwork at Baan Rak. Baan Rak Kindergarten, 29 SoiSangchan, Sukhumvit 40 Road, Bangkok 10110,Thailand. [email protected]
The Bangkok schools host a biannualkindergarten training for southeast Asia withinstructors from Australia, New Zealand, andAmerica, and participants come from HongKong, Vietnam, Nepal, India and all overThailand. A group of Dutch Steiner schoolteachers has come once a year for the past threeyears to help in the training of class teachers inThailand. And recently, an interest in therapeu-tic education has prompted an exchange
between Bangkok initiatives and Camphillcommunity members in Kimberton, USA. Acurative eurythmist from Europe and a youngThai painting therapist are active in Bangkok atBaan Rak Kindergarten and Tridhaksa School.
Other contributors to the educationalwork in Bangkok are Hans van Willenvaardwho has published a Thai translation of JohnThomson’s book on Waldorf education,Natural Childhood. He and his Thai wifeorganize alternative education conferences in anattempt to infuse Thailand’s general educationwith new ideas. Their website is: www.suan-spirit.com
Elementary education professor, BoosbongTantiwong, is another important catalyst in thegrowth and understanding of Waldorf-Steinerpedagogy in Thailand. As department head atChulalongkorn University she has led herstudent teachers to a broad background in theirfield with a good emphasis on Waldorfmethodology. She often takes her students toWaldorf education lectures and seminars wheninternational speakers are in town.
In this bustling and dynamic, yes, evenhyperactive, city of Bangkok, it is reassuring toknow that hundreds of children are receiving ahealthy introduction to their incarnation in theCity of Angels.
Class five students at theTridhaksa School in Bangkok,Thailand.
University, kindergarten,elementary school, and studentteachers take part in a Waldorfapproach drawing course held atBaan Rak Kindergarten inBangkok, Thailand.
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A Visit to Korea28 May until 8 June 2004
Hans van Florenstein Mulder, New Zealand
This visit came at the request of the AsiaPacific Continuity group to visit Korea and makecontact with all the Anthroposophical Groupsand Initiatives. As I already was in Taiwan, where
Ineke and I had been asked to help with thepreparation for classes 7,8, and 9 in the WaldorfSchool in Ilan, I had the opportunity to go toKorea as well. It was a very special visit. It isamazing what has already developed in Korea inthe Anthroposophical groups. There are twoinitiatives preparing teachers for kindergarten andlower school teaching. There are a number ofkindergartens already in existence, and also justoutside Seoul, there is a school with four classesfounded by the parents. Besides that, there aremany young Koreans studying all over the worldto be Waldorf teachers. They will soon finishtheir studies and strengthen the initiatives. It ison the two farming communities that I wouldlike to focus in this report.
The Social Aspect of Farming During our visit to Korea in May/June of
this year, we were taken among many otherinitiatives to two farms which have been workingfor a long time organically and who hadexpressed an interest in learning more aboutbiodynamic farming. Both came into being outof the very dedicated work of Mr. Oh, whostarted working organically 30 years ago. Hisbackground was not farming but he felt verystrongly that to help his country, still recoveringfrom the Korean war, it would be good to startworking organically. First we were taken to his
newest farm on the island of Jeju. This has onlyrecently been bought; the buildings are up andthe work on the land has started in the tunnelhouses. They have to grow their vegetables intunnel houses because of the strong winds andthe frequent heavy rains. They are still decidingwhat to grow as their major crop outdoors. Itwill probably be carrots as the environment issuitable only for low growing root crops. Thefarm is worked by four families, who are allexperienced farmers and have decided to pooltheir resources and skills to form a farmcommunity. They all have a strong Christianfaith; it forms the ethical basis for all decisions.They are strict vegetarians and find it hard toincorporate animal farming in their farmorganization, although the soil is very poor andwould respond well to composted manure. Theynourish the soil mainly with green manuring.
Among their buildings, is a communitybuilding used for courses and meetings, and itwas in this building the farmers attended. Ourdiscussions afterwards were very lively. The useof 500 and the making of 500 captured theirinterest the most.
This farm is connected with a Waldorfkindergarten in the nearby city. The children get amidday meal in the kindergarten, and the farmsupplies them with the vegetables. Selling organicproduce is not a problem as there is an extensivenetwork of shops and they have their owncertifying body and logo.
Then we were taken to the “ Poolmoo”farming community, south of Seoul. Thiscommunity is much older, initially inspired byMr.Oh (now well into his 80s). By now it is awell-established community, in which 500farmers have joined together. They concentratemainly on rice growing and have developed aspecial technique for their rice cultivation. First ofall, they use an old variety of rice, not the modernhybrids. When they sow out the rice to make theseedlings, they also hatch many duck eggs. By thetime the rice is ready to be planted out, the youngducklings are also old enough to fend forthemselves. They are released into the rice fieldsafter the planting. They have their own little hutfor shelter and amazingly stay in the fields wherethey are released. Then they set to work, keepingthe fields free of insects and manuring as they go.We asked what the yield of their rice fields wasand it was marginally lower than conventionallygrown rice. The demand for their rice is muchmore than their crop.
Again this community has many communitybuildings, among it a guest house where westayed, an horticultural museum and a high
Hans Mulder presenting abiodynamic lecture at HongsungAgricultural College in Korea.This college is part of thePoolmoo Organic FarmingCommunity.
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school and a College for training young adults inorganic agriculture. Here we were told that theonly book of Dr. Steiner translated in Korean isthe Agricultural course, translated by Mr. Ohfrom Japanese. Many years ago, Walter Goldsteinfrom the U.S.A gave seminars on making anduse of the preparations and some of the farmershad been working with some of the prepara-tions. The request to me here was how to makecompost. On this farm, there are cows, broughtto Korea from Switzerland. This farm commu-nity is more diverse with the rice growing,vegetables and cows. The most challengingquestion was whether it is alright to use humanmanure, an age old custom in Asia . After I hadgiven the reasons why it might be better not todo it, the question came: “What then do we dowith it?” A very relevant question also for us. Itwas inspiring to be part of this community, evenfor a very short time, and it would be wonderfulto go back one day as was requested.
buildings in Taichung, a third way down the eastside of the island. It was basically a western styleapartment, with barsover the windows tostop flying debrishitting the glasswindows in typhoons[or cat burglars?]. Itwas always shoes off towalk on the highlypolished woodenfloors and tiny [for us]scuffs everywhere towear in the bathroomareas etc. At theentrance are guardswho man the place 24/7, in three shifts.
One man explained how difficult it was toarrange education in Taiwan. People want theirchild to be born in the year of the dragon [1940,1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000] and in this year,(every 12 years) the birth-rate of Taiwan rises by50,000. Conversely no one wants their childborn in the year of the tiger and in those yearsthe increase in population is much smaller thanusual. Children born in the year of the tigerhave a taboo and their mothers are not to seethem for the first month of the baby’s life. Soschools have large varieties of numbers in theclasses each year depending on the year’spopularity. Children born in the year of thedragon have strong competition to get into thegood colleges as there are so many of the sameage, whereas those born in the year of the tigerhave better chances for higher education. Thiskind of superstition is from old China butmany people still follow it, although manyyounger people are breaking away from it andare freer from such views.
Children in Taiwan are one year old at birth,whereas our children turn one, a year after theirbirth. From a young age they are taught formallearning in fear that they might not succeed. Asthey get older they go to school until 5 pm thengo to cram school. The pressures are great andthere is a rising amount of depression and suicide.
Most parents work to make money to sendtheir children to college or University. 75% ofpeople attend University and much emphasis inplaced on a person’s position and we met manyprofessors and directors. People look after theirold parents who live with them and do thingslike collect the children from kindergarten whileparents are working.
Robin visited classes in the LeichuanWaldorf School, situated in a former Catholic
Wen-Hui, Diana, Robin andShy-Tyng.
A Visit to Taiwan
Diana and Robin Bacchus, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
We have returned from two weeks in a totallydifferent culture, with the main purpose ofgiving lectures and workshops on Steiner/Waldorf education at a variety of places includingthe National Taichung Teacher Training College, atechnical university at Chungtai, several kindergar-tens, the Leichuan Waldorf school and at theTaichung Anthroposophical Associationconference held in the mountains at Shi Tou.
We spoke in six different places and visitedothers. All talks were translated by Shy-Tyng Kai,Wen-Hui Wei or June Lin, Taiwanese teachers.We both used over-head projectors for pictures,photos and diagrams to support our talks. Wefound this to be a very successful way ofworking, as it provided something visual forpeople to watch between translation slots as wellas giving a ‘map’ of the talk. The range of placesand the length of time that we visited precludedanything other than overview type presentationsin more formal lecture-type situations.
We were given a very warm receptionwherever we went and treated as guests ofhonour - an interesting and unusual experience.We expect there will be a variety of further contactresulting from our visit.
For the first days we stayed with June Lin,Shy-Tyng’s mother. It was an apartment on the8th floor of one of the dozens of tall apartment
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seminary, in Taichung and spoke to the teacherson several occasions.
Taiwan has a population of 22 million (5.5times that of NZ) and is less than half the sizeof the north island of NZ (one seventh of thearea of NZ). Most the population seems to benear the west or north coasts, where the land itflat or undulating. In the centre and east of theisland are high mountains, higher than MtCook. Because of their proximity to theequator, they had trees as high as we could see,but there is evidently some snow there attimes. The first place we stayed was inTaichung, a third of the way down the west
coast. It was denselypopulated in highapartment buildingswhich had offices andshops on the lowerfloors. Traffic wasreasonable but nowhere as bad as inAuckland I thought. There were millions ofmotor scooters whichhad priority at trafficlights where the front10 or 20 metres waszoned for them. Somotor scooters always
went to the front and zoomed away quickly,often after buying fast foods from vendors whowent onto their areas to sell to them as theywaited for the lights to change.
Motor scooter riders and some otherswore masks because of the thick pollutionwhich meant the horizon was never clear and Ionly saw the sky twice. Even in the moun-tains, it was misty. Travelling south we passedrice paddy fields, crops and wide rivers thatflowed from the mountains, obviously heavilyin the monsoon rains. In the south, therewere plantations of pineapples, coconuts, betelnuts, bananas, mangoes and papaya, of whichwe ate many. When travelling we were oftenon one of the three motorways that stretchedthe length of the island. These highways wereelevated most of the way, that is raised off theground, so other roads and farms can gounder them. So the highways did not followthe terrain of the land, and had no ups anddowns, just a level, gently winding road. Making such roads is very expensive andshowed the wealth that must be in Taiwan. The concrete paths through the forests wevisited were also pretty elaborate with aggre-gate designs and neat edges. In NZ such
paths would be cut through the bush andwith an earth surface.
On one occasion I saw a van with open sideswhich was totally decorated with artificial flowers,even on the roof. In the back sat about 10 menwith long white cotton fabric lengths tied aroundtheir heads and on the front of the fabric was ared square. These people were taking a deadperson to the hills where they are buried.
In the mountains we walked through abamboo forest, and cedar/cypress forests whichhad undergrowths of lush moon flowers whichare related to the datura family. During the war,the Japanese, who had occupied Taiwan forseveral decades, had cut down all the camphortrees in that area and taken them back to Japanfor furniture, so there had been a majorreplanting after the war, by the Japanese, Ibelieve, and so this forest was only 60 years old.
Taiwan does not offer such a comprehen-sive social system as in NZ and there are somepoor people, but most can find a job if theywant to. We did not see any evidence ofpoverty, or any beggars, except for one Bud-dhist who walked along with a begging bowl,but that is different. In the past, jobs wereoften in the plastic industry, but now the mainbusiness is connected with electronics. As wedrove along, the driver connected her cell phoneinto the dash, and just spoke as she drove alonginto a microphone built-in to the dash. Carswere mainly of Japanese and European originand were replaced about every eight years. Wesupposed that the old ones went to China.
Summers there are very hot, but in lateOctober when we were there, it was usually inthe upper twenties to mid-thirties. I did notfeel uncomfortably hot and only my faceperspired. Whenever I lifted a hand to wipe mybrow, there was always someone nearby whorushed to me with a box of tissues, or the fanswere directed towards me. The houses wherewe stayed and public places like shops andUniversities had air conditioning, so that madethem pleasant. When we were in the south, atyphoon was approaching Taiwan so all schoolswere closed for the day. A strong breezeblowing through the palm trees where we werewas the most that we experienced, but thetyphoon moved up the east coast where it didmuch damage with flooding, while trees andbuildings in the country were blown about.
We are sure that some of the people we metin Taiwan will visit us in NZ and we will lookforward to seeing them. It was an amazingexperience for us both and we learnt a lot aboutourselves and others.
The Leichuan Waldorf Schoolfrom the playground.
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Pan-AmericanAnthroposophical Congress
Erongarícuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
9 to 14 of September 2005
The members of theBranch Juan De La Cruz and their friends
are very pleased to organizethe third
Pan-American Antroposophical Congress
that will take place inErongarícuaro, state of Michoacán
one of the most beautiful states of our country.
The central subject of the Congress will beThe Americas in the
Transformation Processof Humanity
We have chosen Erongarícuaro and itssurroundings for this third Congress, being aspecially beautiful and calm place and alsobecause the first Biodynamic agricultural centerand curative pedagogy institute are developingthere.
We want to share our enthusiasm with all ofyou and therefore invite you to prepareyourselves for this travel to Mexico to partici-pate in the congress.
In the next communication we will send youmore information.
For more information contact:Octavio Reyes or Margarita Reyes
[email protected] Tel: ** 55 56176854
Vincent Geerts or Martha Zapié[email protected]
Tel: ** 434 344 02 76
The History of Art in 7 Minutes
Denise McCauley, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Dream lightMemory picturesCave sanctuaryWomb templeInitiationHandprint—Who are we??Male/FemaleDeer/CowStraight line/CurveIn bone or stoneThe point of consciousnessThe sphere of fertilityContraction/ExpansionBalanceHeart/FeatherKATemple sleep—soul journey into spirit realmsGods and manMan and womanMan and lion and bull and eagle“The Sphinx”The figure emerges from the stoneFree standingHarmoniousPotentialGod as manMan is womanDemocracyPhilosophyGeometryAndrogenyWeight and levityAhriman and LuciferBalanceUprightnessLoss of balanceInvasionEngineering Labyrinthine CatacombsCrypt Initiation NOT ResurrectionRaising of Lazarus
Noah in a box!Jonah in the belly of the beast
(There’s that temple sleep again)Catacombs to Churches to CathedralsRising ever higher and higherMatthew – the ManMark – the LionLuke – the BullJohn – the Eagle(Sound familiar?)Chartres—Light as God the FatherNatural lightGiotto—so real, so naturalA renaissance in painting!Leonardo—creative thinkingRaphael—breadth of feelingMichelangelo—depth and power of will
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God in manMoving NorthThe mysterious realities of
Life and DeathSelf—consciousnessDürer/Grünewald/HolbeinFalling
IntoPain…
Who am I??Rembrandt sees
the Spirit of LightFriedrich dreams
Cathedral (in mist)Crucifix (in tall pines)
Crutches (in snow)Turner experiences
Steam/Speed/RamThe power of light to dissolve matter
The Sun is God!Then, Manet’s OlympiaSo loose! So free!(Too loose. Too free.)Degas finds her attractiveNext thing—
Racehorses! Circuses! Dancing girls!
Monet looks onObservesMorning, noon and nightSummer, winterA cathedral
A bridgeWaterlilies
While people dissolve into colorVan GoghBecomes colorDevours colorSculpts colorKandinsky wondersWhat are light and color saying?What is form doing?What is that picture on my studio
floor?Picasso fragments form—Such a radical,Period.A Dove across the sea
Sings on canvass!O’Keefe call out—Blue!Marc/Mondrian/JawlenskyContract trees into lines and curvesExpand faces into brushstrokes of
color(God is hiding)Duchamps rebels!Blasts a staircase to smithereens—
Drastically De-con-struc-ting The Descending
Nude.
DestructionWar and more warNew York is where the action isJackson Pollack—abstract acts ofMoving/Doing/ColorMark RothkoMissing in action in a color field
Looking for GodAndy Warhol pops up20th Century Sphinx without a secretCatholic EverymanGod is everywhereThere’s a form, pick a color!
Keep it light‘cuz (like the man says)
Heaven and Hell are justOne
BreathAway.
[This was a performance piece presented by theauthor at Rudolf Steiner Instititute inWaterville, Maine, 2003.]
Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand
Art the Inspirer andHumaniser of Society8 - 11 July 2005 • Christchurch
Conference on the Arts (open to the public)
“ Imagination is not the talent of some people;it is the health of every person!”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
We are very happy and fortunate to be able toannounce that Van James (USA) will be givingthe morning talks and will lead one of the morn-ing artistic workshops. Van James is an artist,writer, and upper school art teacher at the Hono-lulu Waldorf school, in Hawai’i. He is an art’sadvocate in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific region andhas a special interest in the theme.
ThemeHow can we bring an artistic approach to all
aspects of our life and work in order to realisewhat Rudolf Steiner described suggested: “Artmust become the lifeblood of the soul”? Art—creativity—is what makes us truly human. Wemust first realise in a practical way that everyone isessentially an artist at heart!
ContactDiederic Ruarus for the Christchurch branch ofthe Society. email: [email protected]
Transformative Arts Retreatand Individual Courses January, 2005
register by December 13, 2004
Rudolf Steiner College
The Arts Retreat January 9-28 with Diane Goettlicher, Van James, Ted MahleEnjoy a three-week residency on our beautiful campus and experience the healing potential of working in the arts of painting, drawing and modeling. A special package price includes all 6 course tuitions (100 hours of art study as described below) and housing in our comfortable and elegant student residences with kitchens. All art materials included. Residency: $1280 Seniors: $1150 Nonresidency: $850.
Individual Courses of Study
R u d o l f S t e i n e r C o l l e g e9200 Fair Oaks Blvd. Fair Oaks, CA 95628 • (916) 961-8727 • FAX (916) 961-8731
[email protected] • website: steinercollege.edu • [email protected]
Spirit and Art: Pictures of the Transformation of Humanity with Van James Jan. 10–14, 9 am–4 pm, M–F Trace the threads of human development and consider the changes of consciousness through the artistic images from the beginnings of prehistory to the present day. Through recreating paintings, sculptures and drawings from the differ-ent cultural epochs one can begin to penetrate the mysteries of the process of incarnating into the spirit of time and place. Van James: art instructor for over twenty years, chairman of the Anthroposophical Society in Hawai’i, author of several books on art and archaeology, the most recent, Spirit and Art: Pictures of the Transformation of Consciousness. $270
The Veil Painting Process in Time and Space with Ted Mahle Jan. 10–13; Jan. 18–20; Jan. 24–27, evenings 7–9 pm Painters can create their own sacred space through the meditative quality of painting “out of the color.” In painting, the consciousness and the will are united through decisions made in the heart space, intuiting the mystery of healing in the arts and of the transformation of substance. This water-color technique of transparent veils of color will be explored in two distinctive exercises. Ted Mahle: art instructor for thirty years and director of the Arts Program at Rudolf SteinerCollege, 1982 to 2003. $220
Weekend WorkshopThought Forms & Color Imaginations: Blackboard Drawings and Painting Sketches of Rudolf Steinerwith Van James Jan. 14–15, Fri. 7:30 pm; Sat. 9 am – 3:30 pm.This workshop will delve into the powerful and enigmatic visual art of the 20th Century master, Rudolf Steiner and explore with pastels certain motifs and visual forms of ex-pression he utilized as a means of communicating spiritual content and ideas. $75
All Courses are subject to minimum enrollment. Please register by December 13, 2004
For information and registration: 916.961.8727; or go to Events Calendar at www.steinercollege.edu
A Sketching Day in Nature with Diane Goettlicher MLK Day Jan. 17, 10 am – 4 pm Enjoy a day of walking and sketching along the American River while being guided though a process of observing and learning how to capture the beauty of the colors and forms in the environment. Bring a sketchpad about 12X16, drawing pencils, colored pencils, kneaded eraser, a packed lunch and bottled water. Meet at RSC garden. Diane Goettlicher: arts educator for twenty years, professional exhibiting artist and owner of a Lazure business. $60
Sacred Expressions: Creating Images with Inner Meaning with Van James and Diane Goettlicher Jan. 18–21, 9 am – 4 pm T–F An exploration of the historical signifi cance of sacred sym-bols and archetypal imagery such as labyrinths, mandalas, icons, while also asking the questions what are universal and what are personal expressions of the sacred? When and how are sacred symbols both? After working with these historic images, we will recreate important designs working in mixed media. From this sense-imbued understanding of these sa-cred forms we will seek out and create our own personal and meaning-fi lled language of form. $215
Lazure Technique as an Artistic Mediumwith Diane Goettlicher Jan. 24–28, 9 am – 4 pm M–F Learn how to work intuitively in experimenting with transpar-ent waterbased painting and glazing techniques. Participants will explore larger format painting and discuss this technique as wall treatment as well. In addition to color exploration, the use of form and line will be introduced. $270
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Hawai'i News
New MemberA warm welcome to new member of the
Anthroposophical Society in Hawai’i, LenoraGauldin, living in Waimanalo on the island ofO’ahu.
2005 Calendar
January 3-10Penny Roberts, Curative Education and Schoolof Spiritual Science, Honolulu and Kona.
February 16Douglas Gerwin, Waldorf Education lecture,Honolulu.
February 19-21Interisland Waldorf Schools Conference withJaiman McMillan, Kula, Maui.
February 26Iris Sullivan, Parcifal painting workshop,Honolulu.
April 4-8Betty Staley, Waldorf Education, Honolulu.
June 15-20Marko Pagognic, “Earth, Spirit and Aloha”lecture and workshop, Honolulu and Kona.
anthroposophical family, so Diana’s motherapproved. However, as war seemed imminent,Mrs. Patterson took her daughters back to thestates. Diana graduated from Edgewood Schoolin Connecticut, the forerunner of High MowingWaldorf School. Hermann von Baravalle was hermentor. Then Diana and her mother moved toVancouver, BC, where they kept up their interestin Anthroposophy and where Diana worked asan apprentice in naval architecture. After highschool, she also spent some time learningjewelry-making at the Goetheanum.
Diana and Noel were apart for seven yearsduring the war, during which time they corre-sponded only for birthdays and Christmas. In1945 Diana went to England where she and Noelwere married July 29. Shortly after the wedding,Noel, who was in the British army, was shippedout to India, then to Singapore, where Dianajoined him a year later and worked for aSingapore shipping company, designing boats.The Bells then went to Auckland, New Zealand,where Noel tried to finish his law degree withoutsuccess, and Diana worked for an architect. Soonthey moved to Vancouver and began a familywith the birth of daughter Tara and the adoptionof son Galen.
In 1957, Noel and Diana traveled toHighland Hall Waldorf School in SouthernCalifornia, to attend a summer conference, andon their return to Canada made plans to movethe family to North Hollywood and enroll thechildren in the Waldorf school. Noel and Diana
In Memory of Diana Bell(1922—2004)
Notes by Bonnie Ozaki-James from an interview withNoel and Tara Bell
Diana Bell, Waldorf class teacher, co-founderof Kula Makua—Adult Waldorf Education,weaver, watercolor artist, mentor and dear friend,crossed the threshold in Honolulu on August21. She was eighty-two years old. She left behindNoel, her husband of fifty-nine years, theirdaughter Tara, of Vancouver, B.C., and manyfriends and colleagues.
Diana Mary Patterson was born May 12, 1922in Ontario, Canada. With her mother and youngersister, Diana traveled frequently between NorthAmerica and England during her early years. Dianabecame a Waldorf student at the age of fourteenwhen her mother enrolled her in Michael Hall, aSteiner boarding school in Sussex, England.
Noel Bell’s youngest sister was also a studentat Michael Hall and he visited the schoolfrequently. Thus, Noel met Diana at a schooldance and fell in love with her right away. Bothmothers were friends and Noel was from an
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took the teacher training course from Hermannvon Baravalle, Werner Glas, and Gisela O’Neil,among others.
Thinking of high school for their children,Diana got in touch with an old classmate whotaught at King’s Langley in England, and hesuggested that all four come as there was workfor both Diana and Noel. Tara remembers doingShakespeare’s Richard II in the field near theschool where the ruins of the old abbey ofRichard’s time were discovered.
Each year for the next three years, Diana andNoel took the Class 10 from King’s Langley foran exchange to a German school at Freiberg insouthern Germany. The exchange lasted for threemonths each year. Noel was teaching and Dianawent along and helped out wherever needed.
In 1973, the family moved back toVancouver and joined the staff of the VancouverWaldorf School, where Diana took a secondgrade and Noel began with a first grade. In themid 70s, Diana was invited to Honolulu to teachwatercolor painting and later in 1980, after shehad finished her eighth grade, she was asked bythe Honolulu Waldorf School to take a thirdgrade temporarily until a teacher could be found.And the teacher they found was Diana herself,Diana and Noel having agreed to anotherseparation. Noel stayed in Vancouver to completehis ninth grade class and then joined Diana inHonolulu. Diana took her new class throughGrade 6 and after that she devoted her time toteaching adults and training teachers.
Shortly after their arrival in Honolulu, Noeland Diana conducted a morning seminar for themany untrained specialty teachers at theHonolulu school. The following year, Dianaheld seminars at their home for several newuntrained class teachers. This program was theforerunner of the school’s adult educationprogram, which then became the independentKula Makua—Adult Waldorf Education andTeacher Training.
For a number of years in the 1980s, Noeland Diana traveled to outer island schools inHawaii to teach blocks and coach teachers. Fromthis work Diana arranged an innovative 4-day amonth intensive training for outer island teacherswho were already on the job but had no Waldorfbackground. Right up until the time of herdeath, Diana was still teaching adult classes.
Throughout her life, Diana spun and dyedher own wool and wove many rugs. She was alsoan avid watercolorist. She was known for herafternoon tea with cookies and lively conversa-tion. Diana loved doing crossword puzzles withTara during Tara’s frequent visits to Honolulu.
Earth, Spirit & AlohaA summer solstice event
with Marko Pogagnic
June 16-18, 2005Kealakekua, Hawaii
The focal point of the event will be workingtogether as a conscious social deed to createa lithopuncture connection on the land.
• Integrating spirit and matter as itrelates to earth, nature, elemental,human and angelic beings.
• Creating and living in partnershipwith earth out of heart, spirit,imagination and consciousness.
• Developing one’s inner space andoutward connections via meditation,consciousness exercises, moral andsocial development, artisticactivities, hula, chanting andenlivening the heart.
• Striving to practically andcontemplatively connect withHawaii and the land of Kona.
The Earth is natural spirits andelementary beings, the Earth’s conscience.The Earth is also the network of livingenergy, chakras and channels. The Earth’slandscape is a series of temples. Artist andgeomantic, Marko Pogagnic has developedvarious methods for the protection andhealing of the invisible levels of life, whichhe calls the Healing of the Earth.
Pogagnic’s method of Healing the Earthresembles acupuncture and homeopathy: hepositions stone pillars on naturalacupuncture points of the Earth. With this‘lithopuncture’ he tries to come into contactwith the living, conscience and spirituallevels of a particular spot in the countrysideor town. With permanent ‘touching’ of thesenatural points positive and healing effectsshould be achieved.
Pogagnic has carried out a number of‘lithopuncture’ projects in Germany,Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, inSlovenia, on the Canary Islands, in Austria,Italy, Brazil, the US and Switzerland.
2514 Alaula WayHonolulu, Hawaii 96822
Pogagnic’s method of Healingthe Earth resembles acupunctureand homeopathy: he positionsstone pillars on naturalacupuncture points of theEarth.
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ModelingWith Frances AltwiesExploring movement through clay.January 10-February 5Times and days vary *7 Sessions-HWS Niu Valley$90 (KM Credit $165)
EurythmyWith Kurt Farber/R. LumsdenAn introduction to soundthrough gesture and movement.Wednesdays, 6:00-7:00 PMBegins January 1219 Sessions-HWS Niu Valley$100 (KM Credit $220)
Drawing Through the GradesWith Van JamesChalk board, bees wax crayon,and colored pencil drawing aspresented in grades 1-8.Mondays, 3:30-5:00 PMBegins January 2412 Sessions-HWS Kahala Campus$130 (KM Credit $260)
WoodworkingContinued from previous semesterNo new studentsResumes January 15
Painting Through the GradesWith Van JamesLearn to paint the way childrenin the Waldorf School do!Experience grades 1-8 wet-on-wet watercolor exercises. Noexperience necessary.Wednesdays, 3:30-5:00 PMBegins January 2612 Sessions-HWS Kahala Campus$130 (KM Credit $260)
Kula Makua Adult Waldorf Education and Teacher TrainingSpring Semester, 2005
Rhythmic WorkWith Sue LautenslagerMorning rhythmic workthrough the grades, includingcircle time.February 23-June 16 Sessions-Niu Valley and Kahala$80 (KM Credit $150)
GeometryWith Chris BennettA Waldorf approach togeometry.Mon./Wed., 3:30-5:00 PMBegins February 236 Sessions-HWS Kahala Campus$80 (KM Credit $150)
Speech and DramaWith Daniel StokesExploring rhythm, alliteration,and breath. We will be workingtowards a dramatic productionfor Kula Makua graduation.Saturdays, 9:40-11:00 AMBegins March 12Drama is added starting April 911:15-12:45 PM16 Sessions-HWS Niu Valley$160 (KM Credit $300)
Handwork: Stuffed AnimalsWith Yoshiko ScionA creative experience in whichyou will learn to design, cut,sew, and shape an animal.Saturdays, 8:00-9:30 AMBegins April 96 Sessions-HWS Niu Valley$80 (KM Credit $150)
*Call (808) 259-5407 for schedule
Artistic Classes Academic Classes & Study Groups
Adolescent DevelopmentWith Paul GierlachFeb. 11, 5-9 PM; Feb. 12, 8 AM-1 PMHWS Kahala CampusNon-Credit Students: $25/$50
Child Development IIIThe AdolescentWith Chris BennettFor high school teaching.Mondays, 5:10-6:10 PMBegins January 1012 Sessions-HWS Kahala Campus
Rosicrucian WisdomWith Chris BennettA comprehensive introductionto Anthroposophy.Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 PMBegins January 1113 Sessions-HWS Kahala CampusKM Credit $260 – Audit $130
Philosophy of FreedomContinued from previous semesterResumes January 12
Studies in Waldorf EducationWith Chris BennettContinuation of a study ofRudolf Steiner’s basic educa-tional works, includingpractical applications.Fridays, 5:00-6:30 PMBegins January 1417 Sessions-HWS Kahala Campus
Classroom Teaching SeminarsWith HWS TeachersCredit Students OnlySaturdays, 11:15-12:45 PMBegins January 158 Sessions-HWS Niu ValleyKM Credit $175
Art HistoryWith Van James and Chris BennettSlide presentations and hands-onart work, exploring the evolutionof art and culture from Paleolithicto modern times.Mondays, 7:00-8:30 PMBegins January 2413 Sessions-HWS Kahala CampusKM Credit $260 – Audit $130
ReincarnationWith FacultyA Western approach toreincarnation in the light ofAnthroposophy.Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 PM andWednesdays, 7:15-8:45 PMBegins April 2612 Sessions-HWS Niu ValleyKM Credit $260 – Audit $130
Workshops
www.honoluluwaldorf.org/kulamakua/English/Home
BiographiesWith Lee Sturgeon-DayIncludes 7 Year Life CyclesMay 6, 5-9 PM; May 7, 8 AM-1PMHWS Niu ValleyNon-Credit Students: $25/$50
350 Ulua StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96821
Tel (808) 377-3471, Fax (808) 373-2040Stephanie Pintz, [email protected]
Kula Makua is a part-time, in-service, two year, AWSNA recognizedWaldorf Teacher Training Program.
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Pacifica Journal Annual Subscription
Pacifica Journal2514 Alaula WayHonolulu, HI 96822
$10.00 USA (two issues)
$15.00 all other countries(please submit in US currency)
Make check payable to:
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Asia-Pacific Initiative Group Contacts
Pacifica Journalis published biannually by theAnthroposophical Society in Hawai‘i.Please send subscriptions, donations, inquiries,announcements and submissions to:Pacifica JournalAnthroposophical Society in Hawai‘i2514 Alaula WayHonolulu, HI 96822 USAEmail: [email protected]: Van JamesAssistant Editors:Bonnie Ozaki James, Genie SakaguchiProduction: Phyl Dwyer
AustraliaKarl KaltenbachP. O. Box 5450Kingston ACT, 2604 AUSTRALIATel: 2-9651-2578, Fax: 2-9651-5085Email: [email protected] LampsonRR #3, 4811 Waters RoadDuncan, B.C., V9L 2X1 CANADATel: 250-746-8530, Fax: 250-746-8545Email: [email protected] Siu / WenhuanPO Box 31, Peng Chau, Hong Kong CHINATel./fax: +852-23902000Email: [email protected]‘iVan James1096-F Wainiha StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96825 USATel: 808-395-1268, Fax: 808-373-2040Email: [email protected] Bana5 Proctor Road, Grant RoadMumbai 400 007 INDIATel/Fax: 386-3799Email: [email protected] Agematsu3-9-1 Imaizumidai, Kamakura-City, 247-0053Kanagawa, JAPANTel: 81-44-954-2156Email: [email protected] MorEmail: [email protected]
New ZealandHans van Florenstein MulderEmail: [email protected] PerlasUnit 718, City and Land MegaplazaGarnet Road corner ADB AvenueOrtigas Center, Pasig City 1605Tel: 63-2-928-3986, Fax: 63-2-928-7608Email: [email protected] ChanNo. 1 Lane 273Iong Hsin Rd. Sec. 2I-Lan County 269 TAIWANTel: 886-3-958-5188, Fax: 886-3-958-5443Email: [email protected] ChangAnthroposophical Working Group in Taiwan8F, 81 Chung-Cheng 2nd RoadKaoshiung TAIWANTel: 08-769-2488Email: [email protected]. Porn Panosot297 Panya Village, Patanakarn RoadBKK 10250THAILANDTel: 662-3003-404, Fax: 662-3003-403Email: [email protected] States of AmericaPenelope RobertsCamphill VillageCopake, New York 12516 USATel: 518-329-7215, Fax: 518-329-9022Email: [email protected] OkadaRudolf Steiner College9200 Fari Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, CA 95628Tel: 916-961-2134, Fax: 916-961-8731
Viêt-NamHa Vinh ThoFoundation PercevalRt. de Lussy 45CH 1162, St. Prex SWITZERLANDTel: 41-21-8034253, Fax: 41-21-8061897Email: [email protected] CherryPO Box 416Bowral, NSW 2576 AUSTRALIATel: 61-248-722520Email: [email protected]
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2514 Alaula Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
Pacifica Journal Number 26 — 2004 (2)
The Asia Pacific Anthroposophical and GoetheanumConference ..................................................................... 1
The Waldorf Education Seminar in India ........................ 3Waldorf Initiatives in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal ......... 4Anthroposophy and the Religious Life ............................. 6Waldorf Initiatives in the Thai “City of Angels” ............ 8A Visit to Korea ................................................................. 10A Visit to Taiwan ................................................................ 11Pan-American Anthroposophical Congress ................... 13The History of Art in 7 Minutes ...................................... 13Art the Inspirer and Humaniser of Society ................... 14Transformative Arts Retreat ............................................. 15Hawai'i News ...................................................................... 16In Memory of Diana Bell ................................................. 16Earth, Spirit & Aloha ......................................................... 17Kula Makua Adult Waldorf Education and Teacher
Training ......................................................................... 18Asia-Pacific Initiative Group Contacts ............................ 19
Should the present human being of the East find the strength in his own spirit-reality to give maya the strength ofexistence, and should the present human being of the West find Life in his reality of nature, then they will visualizein their ideology the workings of the true spirit: thus will come about the understanding between East and West.
—Rudolf Steiner
Being Awake Summer ConferenceAugust 8-11, 2005 - Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
