Vision

In Buddhism, the Bodhisattva Avalokitheshvara is the symbolic embodiment of compassion. He is often depicted with many hands. With the help of these 1000 arms and hands it is possible for him to help all beings everywhere at the same time. 

Avalokitheshvara stands symbolically for our mutual support, our constant connection to all other people and beings. In today’s fragmented world, we need these 1000 hands that we offer one another. This is the reason why we founded this association. It is not about personal gain, but about the benefit for the community. We hope to achieve non-profit status in the near future. 

We want to create rewarding work together and share our lives. We do not divide the world into the helpless, those in need who need a “strong hand”, and the helpers, the “good ones”. All we do is share our experience by acting, working, being together. Our goal is to create a place where we can live together in an all-encompassing way, i.e. work, eat, drink, cook, clean, celebrate and develop spiritually in community. 

Due to the Corona situation, we have rethought our concept. We turn our concept idea around and start right away with our housing project, but in the countryside instead of the city, as this seems to be more wholesome. You can find more information about the our housing project itself under this link.

The housing project should be an open space where all kinds of people can meet, with a café and other community spaces such as rooms for treatments and events, where we can holistically implement our idea of “1000 hands”.

The plan is to produce organic bakery products and foodstuffs for our café and also sell them to other cafés, health food stores, supermarkets and so on. In addition, our products can be ordered directly in the online shop.

The project aims to enable anyone who is willing to try this to work together with people in difficult life situations, for example former homeless people or prison inmates. If required, we also offer them the opportunity to live in the community house.

Such concepts are not new and are already being implemented successfully, especially in the USA. Examples include the Greyston Bakery in New York (the sole supplier of brownies to “Ben & Jerry’s” ice cream), the Laughing Bear Bakery in St. Louis, which helps former prisoners re-enter the job market, and Father Gregory Boyle’s “Homeboy Industries” in Los Angeles, which assists young people in leaving criminal gang environments through training and work programs.

Another important part of our community life will be a platform for dialogue with scientists and practitioners, in order to carry the importance of contemplative practice and spirituality back into society and public discourse. The first event took place in the fall of 2020, on the topic of “Connectedness and the Microbiome” with Univ. Prof. Dr. Gabriele Berg of Graz University of Technology and psychotherapist Dr. Beatrix Teichmann-Wirth. A video recording of the lectures is available in our archive (German only). Symposia on the topics of “Connectedness and Quantum Physics” and “Alternatives to Prison Sentences” are next on our agenda.