9. Встречи на мексиканской земле На англ. яз

Yuriy Gorbunov

Chapter 9. Mexican Meetings


My second meeting happened imperceptibly. When I was saying goodbye on my first trip, after my lecture presentation under the chairmanship of the University of Seven Rays, the vice-president Mary Ann Casalino told me, that a Canadian lady had transferred a sum of money to the University, which was to allow me to attend the next University Conference. The lady had asked me not to call her by her surname. Through that grant, I was able to come to San Diego a second time. Mary Ann Casalino had introduced me to this Canadian lady on the first day of the Conference. I already knew the Christian and surname of this good, likable lady from Canada. All her family studied esotericism in earnest. She had a fine daughter, who knew many languages and was a musician. She had, by the way, learnt the Russian language at University.
Out of the grant left to me by Margaret, I ordered many books, and Mary Ann Casalino sent them over to me. To her I express my deep gratitude. As a bonus from Jack;s mother in 1997 and material help from other participants of the first Conference, came some equipment and furniture for my office. This book has become a reality, only through the help rendered to me by the Canadian lady. She promised to help me acquire an airticket to USA the next year. She approved the plan and purpose of our journey with Jack through California and Arizona.
The aim of the trip was, of course, not as a tourist. Our aim was to meet with American esotericists and healers. Many books have been written about journeys to the East, but not a single one about journeys among American esotericists. It isn;t easy to write about esotericists. Who would be interested? My task, as I had formulated it to myself, was the study of esoteric organizations, in education, and theosophical training in America, where natives from the East have long been able to open various courses, schools, institutes, and construct monasteries. It has been precisely here, on American soil, that the Theosophical Movement has arisen. American funds have financed many journeys to the East, in particular the expedition of Nicolas Roerich. Rich countries have also allowed themselves to sponsor scientific-esoteric research. It is precisely this that I wanted to narrate to my compatriots. Jack understood, approved and helped me fulfill this task.
During our journey through California, we twice crossed over into Mexico. The first time was to Mexicali. Two towns – El Centro in America and Mexicali in Mexico – extraordinarily symbolized so clearly two economic systems, two cultures, two ways of thinking, two systems contrasting one from the other in their paths of development.
The boundary between the towns is a high netting fence. On one side of the fence is a rich country with a prospering economy; on the other the reality is poverty-stricken and squalid. Dust and poverty. It is long forgotten when last they repaired the poor roads. There is unemployment. One can see straight away it means everything, and it becomes clear why Mexicans, by any way possible, run off to the USA, finding a way through the long border. And those who have succeeded in crossing over, carry out dirty work, and happy that they have it, work as waiters, cleaners or builders.
On the trip we were accompanied by Charles Sommer, a Catholic priest and esotericist. He had close connections with the Temple of Light and the Mexican healer Margarita in Mexicali. That is where we headed.
Charles is the author of several books on spiritual subjects. He is a likable, young looking pensioner-priest. Ever cheerful, he never puts anyone down. He isn;t able to say 5 words, without twice joking about things. We traveled with jokes and funny, witty remarks. From the conversation, I understood that Charles had old and enduring connections with the Temple of Light.
Mother Margarita was an obese, elderly lady. Her healing method appeared unusual to me. She is a female-priest. The Temple was built by the hands of her relatives and friends. Inside the long hall of the Temple, it is clean, lighted and comfortable. Benches stand in two rows. In the front, is a small platform with the figures of the crucified Christ and Mother Mary on the wall. Before beginning the service at 9 o;clock in the morning, Mother Margarita with some helpers leads the reception of the ill in the small room. The patients arrive at the reception by 7 o;clock. After 8 o;clock in the morning Mother Margarita enters the hall and heals several patients in the view of all who have come for the morning service.
She was an efficient and strong healer. Her efficiency can be explained, in my
opinion, in the following way. Firstly, Mother Margarita has an innate skill in working with energy. Many women of her kind have become healers. The transference of the inherent healing ability, means the opening of the channels, through which the energy of the healer heals the patient. Through the ritual of dedication and receiving, such capabilities are able to be given to any person, as for example with the Reiki system.
Secondly, any temple in time can accumulate the positive energy and create the field, in which the chakras automatically begin to purify themselves in all those, who are open to the heart of God. Collective prayer and singing is a variety of meditation. Meditation also facilitates the reconstruction of the aura, filling the etheric body with fresh energy, as is directed in part through the channel of Mother Margarita. Healing happens thanks to the energetic renewal of the organism, occurring during the various rituals conducted in the Temple.
Mother Margarita does not charge money for her work. On the platform stands a money collection box. Those attending and patients throw into it small sums of money ; as much as each can afford. If not money, they bring bread, provisions or gifts. All such things are likewise varieties of energy.
Not all inhabitants of the town welcome the activities of Mother Margarita. Already three times, fanatics have tried to set on fire the Temple of Light, at times so as to try and close it down, at times imagining them to have deviated from the Catholic faith. But the sick come to her everyday, and she tries to help them all, to some with broth, to some with energy, to some with traditional folk remedies. As far as I am aware, there are no similar temples in the Russian Orthodox Church with Slavic babushki (old women). The official church would clearly have found the strength and means to eliminate such sects. In a democratic country the church is not able to accomplish such actions, and so if not by word, then in practice they would be separated off from the main Church.
The second trip to Mexico was no less interesting.
Tijuana and San Diego are also separated by a high iron fence. Though no-one ever calls it the "iron curtain", since you are able to cross the American-Mexican border, if you have registered documents of the proper kind, and then no-one minds.
We traveled to Tijuana to visit Mexican students of Meditation Mount. This small town is different from Mexicali, in that it is cleaner and appears richer. Some of the quarters have been built as American projects. Of the new Mexicans who have settled down here, there are two social population groups, a young prosperous class, and an intellectual class. Both of these cultures are educated. Both have spoken English since childhood. Both have close links with American capital or work in USA. Both try to receive American citizenship. Many already have it, though they prefer to live in Mexico. They do not call themselves by any special classification; they are Mexicans and are proud of it. They clearly see the deficiencies in the American style of living, with its psychology of a consumer society. At this time they are arming themselves with all things useful and effective that are available in American society, so to help them be established in business and to build a new country --- Mexico of the 21st Century.
In the evening we were invited to dinner by an elderly lady, who it turned out was a teacher in Theosophy and the works of Alice Bailey. Once a week a small group from the local intelligentsia, who were interested in esotericism and self improvement, arrived at her place for conversation or an evening lecture. It could be called a school for the group of local esotericists.
Her name is Refugio Paddila. How does she appear? Short and frail. Very energetic and merry. Good and wise. She has lived a long life with all her burdens and deprivations. For a long time she has reached out to Theosophy, esotericism and higher spirituality which become the requirements for every deeply believing person. She has skillfully mastered the English language, in which many of the theosophical and esoteric works are written. She expounds upon these works in Spanish, the native language of the listeners.
The difficulty in the study of esotericism has throughout the ages lain in language and esoteric terminology. All esoteric teaching makes its beginning from a single source - the Ageless Wisdom. Through translation there is lost some of the manner and style of thinking. The translator always superimposes upon the contents of the translation through his understanding of the text and through his worldview. Refugio, or Cuca as she was lovingly called by her students, was able to reduce the loss through translation to a minimum. The students have mastered English, however without help from Cuca they would hardly be able to find the ability to independently master the difficult esoteric texts.
For dinner, only Mexican food was served. This is significant. The new Mexican middle class loves everything national and adopts only American methods of conducting business. Respecting wealthy America and even receiving American citizenship, they remain Mexicans and emphasize this before foreigners.
Cuca belongs to that category of people, who without any special effort become your friend, if you would like them to be. We became friends with her, though we had been together for just several hours.
A lengthy conversation began straight after dinner, when we together with some guests meditated. During the joint group meditation it was possible to feel and understand its tuning in of energy very quickly. The energy of all participants in the meditation was pure and good. It drew us together more strongly and quickly than during the meal. I turned out to be the center of attention. There were many questions: about Russia, about Agni Yoga, about Russian esoteric schools.
A few days later we again met with our Mexican friends at the Conference at Meditation Mount, where without fail they come every year. This is what many disciples are doing, who believe in the esoteric ideals of Djwal Khul and Morya. They have all grown up as esotericists at Meditation Mount. They each feel themselves to be a small part of this pure spring of spirituality.