Christoph Koelle attended the weekend seminar for meditation instructors in Bensberg:

“Final stop Bensberg. Outside, the sun shines and shines through the dusty windows of the tram. I grab my backpack, which still has a clean shirt, another pair of socks, my toothbrush and the letter from Sita with the invitation to the meditation instructor seminar, and get out. Outside the station are two witnesses, Jehovah “Representative,” who advertise with the booklet “Truth of Life” and “God is the Answer.” For a brief moment, a thought shoots through my mind: The big question mark of life can be found everywhere, including here at the final stop. Somehow, the two do not look as if they were flooded with the joy of life and the love of God. But who knows? Maybe the sky is gray. I look around and look for some orientation. Then I make my way towards the castle.

What awaits me on the course? Can I really teach someone to meditate, me who has so many endless questions even after years of meditation? My stream of thought is interrupted again and again by the breathtaking view over the Rhineland. Then cloud towers, which are like the giant, changing structures of the sun counter-storm. And the endless blue of the sky! I stop for a moment and take a deep breath, the castle is already visible in front of me. At the hotel I put my things in the room and rest for a while. Hotel rooms always have a peculiar appearance: they give you the feeling of privacy, you can feel at home for a brief moment. But you still feel that the place does not really belong to anyone, it has no identity, no real soul. A small leaflet, a pack of gummy bears on the bed, the television as black box silent. I open the windows and let the refreshing, woody air of the castle garden flow into the room. Then I take off my socks and lie down on the bed. It feels very good to be barefoot after the long journey. First stretch and relax. I come here to rest and feel how I arrive.

It’s five to six, and the letter says Karl-Ludwig Leiter wants to hold the greeting at six in the evening. So shoes on and go. I enter the attic of the meeting rooms. Most participants are already there, Karl too. It’s a heartfelt reunion, and Karl beaming at me with joy: “Hey, nice that you’re there!” Besides me, there are eight other participants in the room. The most diverse people from the most diverse worlds and lives, but all with alert, questioning eyes. I notice at the beginning that probably nobody really knows what to expect. My neighbour and I are jokingly a bit joking: “I hope this is not an assessment center!” “Did you read the page So and So from” Wie vor Was “, as it was in the invitation window? Hopefully that will not be queried ?! “” Nene, do not worry, Karl himself has no desire for such a stress! ”

We introduced ourselves, giving us a little insight into our lives. “Why are you meditating? What’s your story? “Unbelievable to hear how meditation, as a silent companion, runs like a thread through people’s lives. Everyone in a different way, and it seems to me that everyone has managed to make meditating a natural part of their lives. Then Karl tells us what we will do this weekend. He explains in his own words once again the correct way to bring a person closer to the technique of meditation. Then role-playing games should begin, the leap into the cold water. The situation always consists of a participant who would like to learn to meditate and a teacher. The instructor is sent out of the room and the rest of the group looks at a character together, which the instructor will then meet on the return to the room. I think the idea of ​​roleplaying was great and I got in touch immediately. I play a devout Catholic who shows some interest in meditation. My role seems to lie to me, and as extra preprogrammed shoot me scenes from my childhood in my consciousness, which I immediately flow into my role. My father was an organist all his life, and as a child I had to go through quite a few church services, so now was the moment to make something productive out of my childhood traumas. The situation seems to be with me, because in the middle of the Unterweisergespräch the church tower bells of the castle begin to sound. My instructor is doing well. With endless patience and clear direction she makes it clear to me that meditation does not add to my “faith”. Meditation is an exercise, a path that is possible for everyone, no matter where you come from or what you believe in. After a while I trust her composure and calm. Although I play a role, I find myself ready to open and let go. We meditate for a moment before the exercise is over.

During the day, there are countless other great encounters and crazy characters. You could actually write a book about it alone. But one thing is very clear to me: Every instructor explains the meditation in his own way, although one explains the same exercise. I feel that everyone is explaining from the very bottom of their hearts. They also tell the story of their own lives, directly and clearly. We all agree on one thing at the end of the seminar: We all have abdominal muscle hangovers and are totally happy to have had such great moments together as a group. The journey continues, you also get to know yourself better in this direct encounter that takes place when you pass on the meditation technique. There is no concept that you could write before, no roadmap, how it will work. There is a counterpart, a big question mark hovering in space, and the big wide room. I once entered a room, never meditated. Complete openness, the pencil touches the blank sheet of paper for the first time. How exciting, how crazy! I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. Somehow, right at that moment, a phrase from Chögyam Trungpa comes to my mind:

The bad news is:
We fall endlessly through immense space. Without a parachute and without anything to hold on to.

The good news is:
There is no ground!

Many thanks to Karl and Susanne for making the seminar possible.”