School of Life – Men-Nature-Culture

A community project in the course of time

The School of Life – Men-Nature-Culture serves as a model for an innovative teaching and educational institution which offers the possibility of “community-based”, direct cooperation with nature and its relationships with the laws of life.

We’re all aware that life itself teaches us each and every moment…

Thus it was that in 1990/91 we were able to buy a little piece of Mother Earth (with barren monoculture) and transform the 10-hectare area into a wonderful nature reserve through careful restoration of the old buildings on the estate as well as by planting more than 1,000 trees, by buying out intensively used natural areas and restoring them to nature, and via cooperative engagement with nature and environmental and climate protection (“Climate Alliance” company) and the use of forward-looking solar energy technologies. This can now serve as a feature project (Styrian Landmark 2006, LOB project) for community cooperation for numerous individuals and as an inspiring “island of hope” for their own projects in the interest of future generations.

We live in important times. This is about the survival of humanity. Never before have humanity’s problems loomed so large! Thinking with one’s heart was swept under the rug in modern (moldering) society, and as a result truth, Unity and Oneness have sunken into separation, competition, illusion and blindness.

Now, the point has been reached where mankind must rise from its lower consciousness to a higher state of consciousness. Of course, this requires spiritual birth, this inevitable evolutionary step in the Aquarian Age, a responsibility-assuming maturity and the expansion of spiritual horizons.

“Community” is the theme of the Aquarian Age. What future generations urgently need are information and education, which strengthen their courage and confidence, as well as role models and examples of sustainable ways of life (at all levels). We can only give them this if we live out proper human relations in exemplary manner.

At the School of Life we attach great importance to the free development of one’s character, natural nutrition (at all levels) and the abilities of observation and perception. As a result, as we go about whatever our daily work brings us (dynamic creativity) we learn – contrary to old habits – to continually build bridges from I to WE, from selfishness to altruism, because this is the basis of all progress relating not only to the individual, but also to civilization, culture and consequently to one’s world view and spirituality.

 Together, we humans can accomplish magnificent things, because the sense and purpose of all life is to engender Unity. Each step in the direction of Unity and Oneness makes things possible which are impossible without unified co-action! We were able to repeatedly witness this here at our School in the natural motions of development. Unity and Oneness truly make us strong! Passing through periods of crisis together with one another, as a maturing process, and gradually developing a love of conflict are qualities that we learn collectively.

When we speak of the preciousness of the community, of cultural achievements and values, and become aware of our self-created surroundings, our illusory worlds, of the neglect and commercialization of culture and philosophy, we always return to the same point where cultural and ethical communities reassert themselves and must necessarily play a vital role in public life.

We are only able to regain proper balance when nature is accorded the same rights as human beings. The vital forces unleashed by communal, harmonious interaction according to natural laws could reduce the impact of climate change and see mankind assume its proper position, fulfilling its calling as caretaker of the earth.

 Nature is the link between heaven and earth and is the best teacher on the way to the one truth that we call UNITY or Love. Mankind and nature belong together, they are ONE. When we feel ourselves back in tune with nature we draw near to our own nature, the source of our origin, which is also the source of the formation of a new consciousness.

We cannot arbitrarily change the world, but we should be aware that we influence it for good or bad with our decisions, thoughts and actions!