From September 5th - 16th 2023, I was student at the Temple of Consciousness in Aliyar, near Coimbature in the southern Indian state Tamil Nadu. There really a place exists called "Temple of Consciousness". Is this not AWESOME?

A Temple of Consciousness.

A place where consciousness (!) is taught.

A place where everyone has understood that consciousness is THE CENTRAL CORE in life and that it is the degree of consciousness only that determines how happy and free you are.

Thus, a place that is attracting me as strong as a 10-ton magnet.

When I heard from Ananthi in the Ayurveda Retreat that there is such a place (my infinite thanks to you for this hint!), it was clear that I ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY must travel there.

The temple was founded by Shri Vethathiri Maharishi (1911–2006), spiritual leader and founder of the "World Community Service Centre". The main goal of the center is to achieve world peace through individual peace. WOW! He also created a college for Yoga. You can do a B.Sc or M.Sc in SKY Yoga (SKY = Simplified Kundalini Yoga). On the following picture you can see Vethathiri (I think he looks pretty funny with his horn glasses and disheveled hair):

He was the son of a poor family of weavers, he learned to read and write on his own and had many different jobs in his life (textile entrepreneur, government agent, Ayurveda doctor). On January 9th, 1975, he gave an awesome speech in New York, USA, to the UN with the demand that peace in the world can only arise if mankind creates a value-based society through spiritual maturation:
“The development of spiritual knowledge only will enable mankind to share all the needs [food, shelter, clothes] with love, respect and responsibility.”

Link to the full speech

Training courses in the Temple of Consciousness

Beginners Foundation Course

You can attend various courses in the Tempel of Consciousness; the basic course for beginners is very suitable to start with and includes content such as Stress Management, Kundalini Meditation, Nutrition and breathing techniques. You will do many practical exercises and start and finish every day with SKY Yoga. A real anti-aging elexir! Also available as online course (link to the online course).

Introspektion I-III

In the Introspection courses you learn Purpose & Philosophy of life, Mind Management (Analysis of thoughts, Neutralization of anger), Blessings & Wave theory or Who am I. Numerous meditation techniques are taught, such as Agna or Thuriam meditation. Different speakers from all over India make the program very colorful and versatile and there are many opportunities to ask questions. A highly recommended program, also available as online course (link to the online course).

Books by Vethathiri Maharishi

One of my favourite places in the Temple of Consciousness was the library. There you can stick your nose into fantastic books and magazines. There is a great children's book series "Value Education for Health, Happiness and Harmony" (also suitable for adults 😉), where important topics such as love & compassion, relaxation, beauty of nature, healthy food and much more are explained in simple words. Here is the table of contents from Standard V:

At the old age of 87, Vethathiri has published the 1st Edition of the book "Logical Solutions for the Problems of Humanity" (2022). The book contains the entire life experience and wisdom of Vethathiri, a person who can be called a luminous figure (or perhaps even an enlightened figure). This is his summary on page 93:

“Now the time has come for mankind to understand the Values of Nature, Society and Self and live happily and peacefully. The world is one and all a born, live and die on the same earth. There is only one sun by which all life is made and maintained. […] All people are conceived and nurtured only by women. In every male female birth both genetic values are intertwined. What is the reason for dividing the people into groups by the concepts of religion, caste or race? All are arbitrary and prejudiced distinctions. […]

By turning the mind inward everyone will attain enlightenment. […] With all my experience of life from 87 years I have found the truth that as a human being I am a unit of the world community and a product of the Divine Nature. I request the reader to neglect the unacceptable points [in this book] and hope he may make use of the ideas he finds to be creative and worthy. I wish to share happiness with all of you, my dear friends.“

Let these words sink into your heart. We are all one, we are all connected, we are all part of nature, we are nature itself. This simple and profound realization is the key to a peaceful future on this earth.

A catchy tune: The World Peace Song!

Vethathiri initiated the recording of a song called the World Peace song by a singer in the local language Tamil; the song is played every day at the end of the meditations. The cheerful rhythm is highly contagious with an ecstatic finish and my toes always wiggle when I hear the song. In the video you can also see some pictures of the Temple of Consciousness.

Click here to hear the song

Vazhga Valamudan,

(that's what they always say in the Temple of Consciousness instead of Hello & Good Bye and it means "Be blessed by the Divine and live happily and in prosperity")

Your Salome