More about Peter's friends in China...

before going to Chengdu, the first workshop I gave was in Zhuhai (twin city to Macao, but already in mainland China). The picture shows me with that group. Harry Wong and his wife Li who both functioned as translators are just left of me. They had spent about 10 years in Spring Valley. They hosted two months of my 4 month stay,- the last two months where managed by the lady directly right of me who hailed from Hong Kong. The lady at the very bottom left is from Shanghai and she sent me a return ticket to Shanghai where I was to give another workshop. That group kindly hosted me to a guided tour to nearby Suchow (the "Venice of China"),- a truly wonderful experience ! Back in Hong Kong I gave a talk to the HK University Graduates Association one week before my return to Toronto.
Best to all !

More from Peter...

Dear Seedlings:

This photo shows my workshop in Chengdu at work (2005).

I am slowly recovering from osteoporosis of my lower back, I am finally back at the Internet after several months of having been off line. Since I spent one month at the Chengdu Waldorf school giving workshops there in 2005, since the earthquake I got very concerned about the well-being of the many friends I had made there and Harry Wong sent me a copy of his newsletter. [I don't know how to upload a pdf to the blog, so I sent it as an attachment in an email...Mark]. I thought you might be interested and I hope you can tell all our friends about the work in Chengdu.

All the best to all of you !

Peter von Zezschwitz

David Wilcock on Coast To Coast AM Tonight!

Maybe Mark will give me a little slap for this, but I'd like to suggest a NON-anthroposophical source just this once. He's David Wilcock, probably a reincarnation of Edgar Cayce, who will be appearing with Richard C Hoagland on tonight's program. Sure, it's an ungodly hour (2 AM to 5 AM, EDT) in the middle of the night, but these guys have important things to say.
After all, it was Cayce who kick-started my spooks, so I feel I owe him at least a listen.

Getting Involved

In Richard's post below, if I understand it (Dear Richard, you are a bit long-winded) he seems to be asking about how much involvement in current affairs seems appropriate. At my age I am somewhat limited physically -- but I can still toss words around. Just before the reunion I wrote a short piece which was deliberately provocative. May I suggest that anthroposophists seem to ride their high, hobby horses ad nauseam into the sunset of 'safe' areas of philosophic discourse.
By all means: Get Involved! That's what anthroposophy is all about. Become, as Peter v. Zezschwitz put it so many years ago, anthroposophers. (Do the Eurythmy, you'll see what I mean.)
In my essay I tried to become, how do you Canadians put it? "Dit Shisturbers?"
Here's the link: http://www.mccausland.cc/BHM/pages/Intellectual%20Integrity.htm

Framing and Foundations

I see a question arising in a forum such as this might become, as to how far one might go in addressing cultural and contemporary streams and issues from the perspective of a spiritual framework. To what extent does one allow oneself to engage in the controversies of the day or contrariwise, to what degree does one remain apart from life, as “a watcher” in the tradition of Odin. To what degree is it still necessary to stand in the background while influencing affairs of men? I'm sure this question has been the subject of much debate over the ages and I'm merely re-inventing the wheel. And yet, who could say the question has been answered once and for all?

When I refer to “a perspective from a spiritual framework” in the paragraph above, I do so in the awareness of how “framing” these days has become a much-evolved discipline, originally in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and more recently in American political languaging. To scratch the surface of this subject, take a gander at George Lakoff's little book “Don't Think of an Elephant”. Lakoff argues that the American left is falling into the trap of allowing debate to take place within “framing” that's been cognitively engineered by heavily-financed right-wing think tanks, and that this framing already slants the way arguments will come across to the listening public. Perhaps you've also noticed that academic studies of “game theory” are being used to engineer political strategy. Reminds one of Josuf Stalin's famous reference to the writer as “engineer of the soul”. Which in turn reminds one of last year's most important movie (my rating), “The Lives of Others”, in which that quote appears, a movie that was made with the hope of stemming a growing tide of nostalgia for the old days of east-bloc communism. Reminds me how I wondered, back in the 90s, how things would look if we ever had “glasnost” over here in the west. Aggh but I digress. So how's all that for venturing into the dirty waters of politics? Not too deeply I hope.

Perhaps a distinction is necessary between what might be right for anthroposophy, and what might be right for individuals who themselves are more or less connected with anthroposophy. And when we bring our own anthroposophically-influenced perspectives to bear on our discussions of contemporary issues, to what degree does our responsibility to appropriately represent anthroposophy limit us from delving as deeply as we might like into those issues, because we wouldn't want anthroposophy to become tainted by association? Might that be why some contemporary spiritual teachers choose not to stand in the world as representatives of an existing spiritual stream, but rather as pilgrims on their own paths, drawing from various sources of learning? Yet such an approach has the downside of failing to give credit where credit might be due and of perhaps not making it any easier for new seekers to find their own way to hidden knowledge.

We could mention here people like Richard Tarnas, who I'm currently reading. In his talk at Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto, he mentioned first learning about anthroposophy from a Waldorf teacher education student some decades back. Who really knows to what degree anthroposophy has informed his world outlook? But his treatment of astrology from what amounts to a phenomenological aspect is, to my mind, highly congruent with what one could expect from a “spiritual science”, both in rigor and in depth. I don't think Tarnas represents himself as an anthroposophist. He's “just” a university professor from California who's explored a lot of different esoteric and cultural streams. Would it have enhance the palatability of his book, which already takes on the unpopular topic of astrology – Tarnas calls it “the gold standard for superstition” -- if he had connected it with anthroposophy in his back-cover blurb. I'm guessing probably not.

Clearly I'm not trying to draw conclusions here, but hoping to stimulate dialog. So what do YOU think about all this? It's really very easy to post a comment. Start by clicking immediately below on the word "comments".

Just a Look around...

Certainly one of the advantages of this venue of communication is that you can share video clips as well as photos. Above is a video clip from the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland found on YouTube.

A Pair of Book-ends

Just before our reunion yesterday, a conversation was progressing at our little table at the Village Market. We were engrossed in a conversation about Andy Warhol, Marshall McLuhan, and other culture-worthies, and were just on the brink of anwering the question, WHAT IS ART?. I have no recollection of the segue, (like the Program at the Living Seed, you never know what is going to come next!) but Kim McQuaite began speaking about his reading of Steiner's lectures on the Occult Signifigance of the Bhagavad Gita, and about his growing understanding of Steiner's concepts about the evolution of consciousness. He went into some detail about various aspects of the translation (of the lectures and of the original Sanskrit text.) And without missing a beat, we found ourselves discussing the question, just what is the value and meaning of this Song of God in our time?

(Much) later that same day, Richard and I found ourselves passing the time sitting on a couch at a party. (The women were playing in a kayak in the backyard pool.) We spoke about books we were reading and about contemporary currents in spiritual investigation. (I have just finished studying The Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden, and Richard is reading Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas. ) We discussed various approaches to sharing insights with others using Internet technology, and how this could be one aspect of the continuing work of our community.

As I write about these "book-ends" , it strikes me that our meeting was not an isolated event, of value only to ourselves - It was an element in a much larger process.

Greetings from Peter von Zezschwitz

Dear Seedlings. I have been down since March with spinal osteoporosis and I am on my feet for one hour/day. I miss you all ! Here is a picture of my chinese seedlings!

Can you REALLY catch-up on 30 years in just 3 Hours?

It seems hard to believe that it has been thirty years since the Living Seed was sold!
It was such a special part of all our lives and it was good to relive those memories with so many special friends that are still so near and dear. I'm sure I can add more, but for now, let this photograph tell some of the story.

Much thanks to everyone who made this event possible, especially Mark McAlister for all his work and Waldorf School for sharing that beautiful space with us.

A few words from Zeb

(from a recent email from Zeb...I added the image - MM)

Just to confirm, I do expect to attend tomorrow. It's about 2 hours drive, so not sure exactly when I'll get there, but probably on time. (No cell phone.) I could bring blueberries if that is preferable to cash. They are $20 for four litres at a farm nearby.One thing I regret is not to have visited the Goetheanum since 1974. I'd like to learn more about geometry and sculpture, as I have a hobby which combines platonic solid concepts and clay modelling in rather organic yet geometric morphs. I was always curious to try to understand the 'lemniscate' form that Steiner talks about. Also, in doing 3-d geometry, sevenfoldness seems the one thing that just "isn't", which makes me think it is more a concept to do with 'time', but I'm open to explore.

Luciferic Influences in Our lives

The fall of Satan/Lucifer, Gustave Doré's illustration for Paradise Lost by John Milton

I certainly think that this blog should live on after the reunion! If only to try to be a beacon of enlightenment for those who have been taken off-course by a wrong turn down the information superhighway.

Speaking of wrong turns, in my humble opinion there is no time in history where the influences of both Lucifer and Ahriman are more pronounced then at present. Certainly, with the Presidential elections in the United States, the events in the Middle East and in events most recently in eastern Europe bringing the eyes of the world media upon them only serves to strengthen those influences. It seems fundamentalism is on the rise as is our increased dependance on technology and both these influences are taking us for a ride with more then enough wrong turns.

We see the polar opposition of fundamental religious and political views at one corner, the technologists at another corner and those with liberal views at yet another corner; each under the influence of these two powers. Yet somehow, they fail to recognize their influence upon them!

I wholehearted agree with Mark McAlister that those influences have the effect of too many people spending way too much of their time on the computer! If fact, in some cases it occupies so much of some folks lives that they become unable to "interface" with their fellow human beings anymore, losing contact with the warmth of humanity and preferring the false-comfort of a computer keyboard and mouse, or just limiting their communication to "texting", email, or cell phone conversations. These Ahrimanic tools of technology just draw many deeper into the throes of materialism and away from their very humanity. Another good example of this false promise is how computers promised us a paperless society! The environmentalists embraced this as a savior for the environment, but alas, we all know where that false promise led.

Well, enough of these ramblings for now! Before the earth completes one more revolution about its axis I will be in my car, on my way to the reunion! I hope we all take some photos so they can be posted here in later entries. Time for that second cup of coffee...certainly yet another Luciferic creation!

...See you all then!

Dream? Reality? Something really new?

Thank you Bruce for encouraging us to look at Ahriman in the face, examine our fear, and deal with it. (See previous post.) Pick up your mouse and talk!

This post is more about Lucifer. I thought that a nice crisp image of Cheech and Chong would set the tone nicely, but you know what? There ARE no crisp images of Cheech and Chong...Although intoxicants and hallucinogens were not a factor in the life at the Living Seed, I do wonder sometimes wonder just what was happening there...(Has anybody seen my rose-coloured glasses???).

The conversations and postings leading up to the reunion have really helped me to put things in perspective. Perhaps I am at that point in my life where I can begin to find the balance between Lucifer and Ahriman.

Reunion is TWO DAYS away!!

"Ahriman" as carved by Rudolf Steiner (click on description to view source article)

My fathers most recent book: "Intellectual Integrity and the search from truth" copyright 2008, is now available for reading on-line by clicking on the title.

I always find it curious that while there are some individuals who are brave enough to explore the new frontiers that the internet has to offer, there are still so many who hardly dip their toes in that vast pool that the internet can be.

I believe that the "computer" and the "internet" are certainly tools of Ahriman; however, it is up to each of us to master those tools, not shy away from them. We can either be swept away and drowned in that pool and its complex eddys and currents, or we can sip from its waters and learn how to cleanse ourselves in its waters, avoiding contamination. It is all about how we use this as a tool, or a weapon, it is in fact very much a double-edged sword. it has the ability to give us so much, but it can also take away so much of what humanity really is about. We are offered a choice, either it can master us, or we can become skilled enough so that we remain the master over it. This can be used as a tool for knowledge and communication, or a cesspool for pornography, spam and deceit. We either learn how to navigate its waters, or be become hopelessly lost and helpless in that ocean. It is certainly a sink or swim situation for civilization that the world is in these days. We certainly live in interesting times!

Pardon my digression, because what I was really intending to comment on was the lack of responses here. I would love to hear from each one of you, as would no doubt my father, who checks this each day.

Final Guest Book Entries for The Living Seed

Above are the final pages of the Guest Book pertaining to the Living Seed Health Centre. I hope you enjoyed reading and browsing the entries! A note about the final page: Because one entry was almost unreadable, I had to adjust the contrast and brightness so that it could be read, the edges of the image were darkened because of that process.

Guest Book pages 18-22 (of 26)

Guest Book pages 13-17 (of 26)

Yet More Guest Book Pages...

Remember: Clicking on any one of the images will allow you to bring-up the full resolution image for better reading. Just click you "Back" button to return to the Blog...and view another page.

Guest Book Is "In Progress"

I hope you are enjoying the Guest Book Pages. You will notice that some of the pages are still blank, but Bruce will add the content soon. For now, just scroll down past the blank spots to see the rest of the blog, or use the archive section in the sidebar...

More Guestbook entries

These pages are listed in chronological from first to last, and cover the period of the Living Seed.

Early Guest Book Posting

The original location of The Living Seed Health Centre(ca. 1979) after it was sold.

Connecting With Comments

If you have been following our blog but won't be able to come to the event, we would really appreciate your comments. You can write something about the theme, or about other things that have struck you while reading the blog. In this way, you can be part of this fascinating process, even though you can't participate directly.

Just press the Comments key below and make your comment. There's no need to register...just click on the "anonymous" button in the Identity section. (You can still put your name in the body of the comment if you wish...)

Bruce's Journal - Conclusion

Monday, June 30, 1974:
Yesterday I took Tina to her sister's for the holiday weekend. She will be staying on with us until she gets accepted at Camphill. Tomorrow Eric Lockwood moves in. He wants to earn his room and board by helping in the store. He will make the move with us.
This morning I got an interesting call from Rolf Zimmermann. He still thinks I am making a mistake in buying Goldberry's, and we almost had an argument about it. He somehow thinks that Eric Foscett is trying to gyp me.
A little later Else Andress called. She had been talking with Rolf and he had told her that Goldberry's was bankrupt!!! She felt she should warn me. Somehow these two must think I am a fool. Maybe I am, but I shall certainly check over Goldberry's figures with my accountant, Mike Atlas, very carefully before I sign anything. But to think that Rolf should attempt to start such a vicious rumour!...and that Else should believe him!
Rolf of course has a financial interest in seeing me stay here. I'm selling a lot of his pills. Goldberry's, on the other hand, doesn't have much of a pill business. He sells mostly food items.
While I have Rolf and my good karma to thank for the continuance thus far of Living Seed, I think I will be well rid of his influence in the new location.

Eastertide, 1975: Much that was left hanging in last June's suspenseful entry has been resolved and the drama continues to unfold! After making a formal purchase offer to Eric Foscett in ____ [there's a blank here, for a month which I never entered in the journal] he waited until mid-August to tell me that he had decided to sell Goldberry's to two couples from the Toronto Zen Centre with no experience in the business. [My suspicion is that he got wind of my cigar smoking, and decided to clear the air. Or, could it have been Rolf???] In the meantime, Suzanne Morrison had appeared on the scene from Emerson College (she had spent a year studying and two years cooking there.) With a small inheritance she had offered to purchase Living Seed from me thereby making my down payment possible. However, since the sale fell through, she decided to stay on and help me here. I negotiated my renewal option at the same rent ($575/mo) and all seemed well.
Last week she told me that she will be leaving in September and, fortunately, yesterday Brian Patterson offered to step in and take her place sometime next August.

[The narrative of Living Seed ends at this point, and the notebook wanders off into other, non-seed matters. I want to thank all the wonderful people who stepped in, became "seedlings", and helped in so many ways to complete this adventure. Many, indeed, most, are not even mentioned here. Not to worry! Your names and deeds are irrevocably recorded in that great journal in the sky - the Akashic Record.
[To wrap it up quickly, Mr Altman died and his widow doubled my rent at the end of the lease. And the rest of the story is told in the booklet, Divine Intervention. The Living Seed was sold in late spring, 1978.

Langford Dixon - Our House Poet

"If,

by chance,

I should meet myself twenty-five years ago,

I'd be a furious

argument..."



Langford not only wrote poetry - he spoke it with body and soul. In school auditoriums and living rooms- and of course in our own bookroom - he really made the walls disappear...Some people found Langford to be a little "quaint". (One of his favourite themes was explaining how the removal of HM's coat-of-arms from postal vehicles was a serious error, causing permanent damage to our cultural fabric.) I, for one, was very grateful for his eloquence.



It is not well known that he was active in the founding of the Toronto Waldorf School. He was a serious student of Rudolf Steiner, and purchased quantities of the booklet "Love and its Meaning in the World" for distribution to friends and associates.



We have invited Langford to give readings a couple of times in subsequent years, but I have lost touch with him since he moved to Eastern Ontario. I would appreciate hearing if anyone has had contact...It is likely that he has crossed the threshold by now...

Bruce's Journal - Part 5

Mark McAlister who joined us last summer along with Tina Sherman has now left to attend the Rudolf Steiner Institute in Spring Valley. He has been a great help. William Snider who stayed on for the better part of our first year is now in Ottawa working with the Outdoor Learning Centre. They are having their financial troubles too.
In addition to the increased work load at Living Seed, last month I was appointed chairman of the Michael [Toronto Anthroposophical Members] Group and, in organizing a B-D conference here at the [Toronto] Waldorf School two weeks ago, I was asked to become its chairman (a job I accepted with great reluctance.) [Curiously, this was a very short-lived term of office. Michael Schuster, Mr Bio-Dynamics in the Toronto area, refused to let me have a copy of the members roster. He kept sending out the most embarrassing literature, complete with spelling, grammatical and factual errors under the name of the Bio-dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Southern Ontario. He just couldn't let go of the reins he had held so tightly for so many years. However...] we had a very successful conference, with John & Helen Philbrick, June 15-18, marking the 50th anniversary of Steiner's Koberwitz course on agriculture. [If I recall correctly, over 60 people attended.]
But getting back to a different of cultivation, the timing for the move of the Living Seed seems to be right:
1) increased rent coming up
2) George Wilson leaving for Europe for four months
3) Mark going to Spring Valley, followed by indefinite Oregon tour
4) Tina applying for a position at Camphill in NY or Penna.
5) Jerry Bain leaving soon for Waterloo University

Interestingly enough, it was Living Seed and Goldberry's that Gale Garnett praised most in her column [about Toronto health-food shops] in last night's Star. As to the destiny of these two impulses and my rôle in them I have as yet no idea. Who knows? Perhaps two years ago in planting the Living Seed we may soon reap the harvest of Gold berries.

REWINDING OLD THREADS

I often think of John Parkin and his young friend Don. They would show up regularly, on Saturday mornings I believe. They had immaculate manners, and almost seemed a little out of place in our somewhat bohemian setting. In a way, this pair is a symbol of what the Living Seed was all about. They had an "appointment" and they kept it with strict punctuality. Perhaps some of you remember John's observation that the youth fashion of wearing army fatigues was an indication that soldiers killed in the world war were now returning...and this in turn led to his statement that he would never go camping again...he'd had plenty of that in the army, thank you very much!

Another highlight was the "I AM" group. "Dean" is the only name I remember. On the surface, they were very "normal" and somewhat ironic people (the women wore heavy makeup and the -vegetarian -men had jobs that regularly took them into a slaughterhouse.) Yet they had a strong and unwavering devotion to the teachings from the great mountain in the west. They touched us, and I believe we touched them...I expect that this "conversation" will be renewed at some point in the future.

And who could forget "Drink-a-water Don", the (very tall) ontological Emissary of Divine Light. He was deeply concerned about the way in which anthroposophists embraced the concept of reincarnation, fearing that we would become procrastinators..."Oh well, we'll have to take care of that next time around..."

Just what happened when people crossed from the store back into the bookroom? I sometimes feel those of us who were the visible hosts were just getting in the way...The first sentence in Bruce's training manual (no, Bruce never did give us a training manual which is probably a good thing) should have been: "Serve the tea and shut up!"

Bruce's Journal - Part 4

Monday, June 5 [at 10 AM]
Finally, after much preparation, painting, polishing, etc., on we opened our doors once again to the public. This time, however, we didn't have to rely on books alone to carry the load. The store area consists basically of three rooms. The front room is health foods, the rear room is a nice, quiet book-room, and the middle room is a bit of both.
Business has been consistently slow. Our average sales have been only about $2000 per month, hardly enough to classify it as a success. However, by cutting corners, luxuries and my own hair we have been able to survive with only a slight increase in indebtedness.
I just learned this morning that the man next door, McWhat Antiques, who opened a few weeks before we did, is now selling out. He says that for the past four months he hadn't made anything on the store. It's so sad. He always took such care with his window, kept it cheerful and friendly, and constantly answered my queries with "Things are going just great." This morning Bob was almost in tears.... [This building, attached to mine and a mirror image of it, then became the national headquarters for Guru Maharaji's Divine Light Mission. It is where The Living Seed now resides.]

St John's Tide, Thursday, June 27, 1974: On Thursday June 6 Eric Foskett called me to ask if I would be interested in buying his business, Goldberry's Health Foods. I had been up half the previous night worrying and praying for a way to continue with the mission of the books and still send enough money to Buffalo to help support Bruce and Valerie. My payments to date have been sparse and scattered. Eric's call seemed a godsend. By selling the Living Seed I would be able to pay him the required $10,000 down and, on a month-by month basis I would probably be able to pay him $500 a month until the remaining $18,000 was paid up.
Goldberry's, at 14 Wellesley St. W., is doing a business [according to Eric's verbal account] between two and three times greater than the Living Seed. The profit is good and there are still some rooms to rent to our friends.
When Rolf Zimmerman returned from Europe on Monday he heard about our prospective move and called me Tuesday Eve to discuss it. He does not approve of the move and said that if I sell out he will ask for an immediate repayment of the loan and consignment....a figure near $2500 dollars. Shock number two came yesterday morning when I took Shivram (a Sri Chinmoy disciple) to Jack Altman's to negotiate a lease. [At this point I don=t remember exactly why I went with Shivram. You can see why it's important to keep a journal!] Altman said he was raising the rent to $750 per month! He also indicated that I would have to pay that when, in October, I renew my option. This blow will obviously make the selling of this business considerably more difficult.
While discussing these problems with Randy Marks he indicated that [a] $2500 loan could be transferred to him thereby getting out from any obligation to Rolf. I'm checking with my lawyer this morning to see if I will have to pay the increase and/or if Shivram will be able to sublet from me. Another interested party is Anne Burton who, through many years of pure water campaigning, has earned the sobriquet of "Fluoride Annie."

The first time I was at the Living Seed

The Living Seed at 175 Avenue Road
(under new ownership since 1978)

Somewhere in my archive of photos I have some pictures from that period that I will post, but for now I want to reflect on some stories of those early visits, when my father would pick-up my sister Valerie and myself in buffalo and drive back to Toronto.



I recall some of the details of that first visit to the Living Seed Health Centre then at 181 Avenue Road as being surrealistic; the wonderful aromas when we walked through the back door (entering from the basement), as my father always parked out back. Then up those wooden stairs to the left into the expansive, high ceiling, white kitchen with its rear porch, then into the back book room and finally into the main store; a quaint, inviting place with wooden floors and shelves filled with a fascinating assortments of foods, books and items; the low hum of the display refrigerator against the front wall opposite the entrance. The general ambiance of the place overwhelmed me with a positive energy, a place of healing and solace against the backdrop of the busy city just outside the door. For many, this was no doubt a safe haven of tranquility and enlightenment, while for others no doubt, found it a curiosity.

One of the first people I recall meeting was Devraj, a jolly, gentle, yet humble Indian who in his spare time would use his hands and feet to weave rope belts and was, at least for my sister and I, our first introduction to traditional Indian Cuisine. One evening he cooked a curried rice and potato dish which as I recall, and my sister and I both agreed at the time, that it tasted more like cigar ash then anything edible like curry. We were dead certain that our father had somehow managed to recycle his ash tray into that evenings repast. Of course, now both my sister and I enjoy Indian food with great relish, having overcome that that early dubious introduction. I suppose, upon reflection, in the traditional Indian culture, women do most of the cooking, thus it is not outside the realm of possibility that our dear Devraj never really learned to cook, but he sure gave it his best efforts in any case.

...More stories and recollections later!