|
|
Sugata
left his body early Sunday, 20th May morning. He died in the new
annex of his hutte, ('Shangrila'), which is where he wanted to be.
A
simple ceremony was held for Sugata on Saturday June 30th, full
moon, conducted by Rev Dhammaratana from Stockholm, in the Annex
of Sugata’s hutte at Shangri-la. Symbolising the transfer of the
spirit, we emptied water from a jug to a cup, which in turn we emptied
over a silver birch tree growing outside the hutte. Resplendent
in monk orange against a dramatic sky, Rev Dhammaratana led us up
the mountain. Gunilla, his daughter, carried Sugata’s ashes in his
silver-fox rucksack on her back up the hill, and once suitably high
enough (and far enough away from habitation to obey Norwegian law)
she scattered Sugata’s ashes on the Hadangervida (‘Europes largest
uninhabited plateau’ as Sugata was fond of reminding us). See Shangri-la
Hallingdolen
newspaper artical
.....................................................................................................
 |
2005
In Sugata's footsteps, Norway July
Back
to Voss, where he was first stationed, to Roisheim, where
he befriended Norwegian people, to Roros and Fjeldheim, from
where he made his escape to Sweden where we met Leila, the
daughter of Axel the Lap, and across that boarder, where we
found the son of Knut.
2005
Hordaland
.................................................................
|
 |
2004
Kathmandu book lanuch and Patan Exhibition
Sugata,
whose story this is, was born in 1911 in Germany. His long
life has been an odyssey through his own and the last century's
dark ages. He railed against his time and place, a protest
that culminated in his war-time betrayal of Nazi Germany,
when he risked his life and effectively ensured his rootlessness.
His search for root as well as freedom took him to the East,
first to India and then Nepal where he became a Buddhist monk.
Returning to live in his adopted country, Norway, he gave
lectures evangelising Buddhism, and at the same time he began
the process of unravelling the suffering of his past life,
an unravelling that continues to this day.
Bird
of Passage can be purchased from Rachel
Kellett directly.
Photographs
of the book launch in Patan museum, Kathmandu November 2005
2004
Hallingdolen
2004
Buddhist Chanel (Interntional)
.................................................................
|
|
