The high Alps above,
turquoise lake far below,
in between is Paxmal; life-work of a single person.
Karl Bickel spent 25 years of his life and all his money to express his feelings for peace, at a time when most of the world was doing very much the opposite. From 1924-45, he designed and built this monument to peace, this Pax Shrine. Not a place of ritual or worship or private refuge; but rather a place for other people to gather, to sit quietly, to contemplate, and to reflect on our own lives. To reflect on the different stages of our own development, the different stages of our private life. Karl Bickel seems to have contemplated these human questions during his time of TB and recovery here in this high mountain place. The result seems to be his intuitive understanding that all of us are on the perfect journey from private desire to complete and perfect liberation of the human spirit.
The above words are: Cycle of life. Man. Woman. Lovers. Embracing. Conception of new life. New baby. In many of his pieces we see these themes of ordinary desire for ordinary happiness for ourselves. But in other works, he presents something quite different. Now it is the passion for the rising-up of the human spirit, the passion of creativity to build a society that does not accept war as a choice. The passion for the awakenment of the human spirit. Here at Paxmal on the right wall,we can see this rising-up of human dignity,
Imagine sitting on this bench, looking at the mosaics on the left wall of a life of private love and family; a life we all know is all so true. For me, reflecting on this is actually quite embarrassing sometimes.
And the mosaics on the right wall: a life of awakening the human spirit and becoming creative and compassionate members of society.
Sitting here, we are forced to see the contrast between the restricted life of the self and one's own happiness, and the open and border-less life of compassion and creativity for other's happiness. Sitting here between these two walls is like sitting between the choice that lies in front of us every moment: repeating the same experience again and again, or finally entering into a world of human and spiritual development. Or maybe it is not choice. Maybe it is part of the process that all members of society must go through. A step by step journey that each of us is making. Mr. Bickel worked as a designer of stamps for the Swiss Post; then as designer of this monument.
The scale of his stamp designs and and this Peace Shrine is completely different. Certainly he was an optimist at a very pessimistic time in our history. Certainly he had faith in people to reflect and to choose a life free from aggression and territoriality. Certainly he chose a place of great tranquility and contemplation. Or maybe this place chose him. At this place of great natural beauty, Karl Bickel discovered something of great importance for all of us, and he devoted much of his life and maybe all his money to share that with all of us. Evi and Ueli and Hiromi and I offered "A Bowl of Tea for Peace into these Four Great Directions." With feelings of Kansha and Gratitude. More about Mr. Bickel, I do not know. Perhaps you do.
Just a perfect place to offer "A Bowl of Tea for Peace."
In Switzerland,
"where the cows are happy."
