China

Why China?

What do you do in China?

How come you work in China?

These questions immediately pop up when people hear that I often go to China -all be it currently via Zoom in these days of travel restrictions.

Had some fortuneteller told me some time before 2015 that I was to work in China, I would have had the same question mark on my face as I often see on others, when I tell people that in the past five years, I have been fourteen times in this immense country that is playing itself more and more in the picture these days.

Was that really me?

Added up, I lived and worked in China for over a year.
I have experienced different big cities like Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Xian, Nanjing and Beijing of course. And my hosts have kindly showed me around in rural areas and a variety of interesting places that represent the national heritage. I walked on the Great Wall, visited the terra cotta Army, have been overwhelmed by the dimensions of all this, as well as by the drive and speed of the current economic development. I was exhausted by the pollution, suffered on behalf of the trees, all covered in grey dust along the ten lane wide motorway; and I met many wonderful people. Organizers, interpreters, hosts and students who always made me feel more than welcome and very much appreciated .

But when you ask me: “do you feel you know China?”, I have to admit: “No…, China still is a many layered mystery for me”. Nevertheless, China and I developped a strong connection! So much so, that even the pandemic couldn’t stop our projects.

I feel:

the future, -at least my future- is coming from the East.

One can question: why? what is this all about? I never felt attracted by the far East and being there, I didn’t recognize what I met. What karma is at work here?

China connects me with what I see as “the big issues of our time”: the challenge of bridging the gap between East and West, the gap between holistic and linear thinking, the male and the female; restoring the wholeness of Yin and Yang.

This bridge -that wants to be created in every single person- can help overcome not only the difficulties between people, but also the cultural and geo-political tensions. Those tensions that play us apart and create confusion, anxiety and misunderstanding, where we need trust and love to grow towards the real (worldwide) brotherhood of mankind, that will -in the long run- be able to save our very existence, our national habitats and the Planet altogether.

Becoming aware of my possibility to contribute to this issue through biography work, for me is the great gift of China. Biography Work lifts us up above and beyond cultural differences. In biography work both Host and Visitor -as we named the (professional) guide and client- enter a realm of general humanness, where one can meet in mutual respect and appreciation, that builds this brother/sisterhood between people.

In the words of the ancient Persian poet Rumi (1207-1273):

  “Far beyond thoughts of justice and injustice, is a field.
   I will meet you there.”

Meeting like this brings healing. Many Chinese students have expressed this experience in their personal words of gratitude.

Biography Work has the potential to work towards this inner wholeness, that is a deep longing for all mankind and badly needed for the world.

Would you agree with me that it is an honor to bring this work, that is rooted in Anthroposophy, to China?
I feel blessed because China invited me in.

Into her holistic wisdom of Yin and Yang, into a language of pictures and metaphors, into I Ching, the book of Changes and into the world of the Flying Dragon and the Roaring Tiger.

It was Sherry Yang who -in the Worldwide Biography Conference June 2015- called upon us to come to
The Sleeping Giant, whom she granted the possibilities of Biography Work.

And here we are: truly inspired by the East, confirmed in our task from the West and profoundly grateful for the wisdom of Life itself, that brought Sherry and me together, sitting next to each other at the opening ceremony of that Conference in Dresden, Germany.

Sherry wanted us to bring an education program for professional Biography Workers, so in essence she called forth what we now know as the BPBC: Basic Practice Biographical Coaching, developed and executed in cooperation with my colleagues from the Dutch Institute for Biography. Over 50 students from 3 different groups graduated from this program and the fourth group is underway. Meanwhile a vision on advanced learning and developing the Chinese community of biography work takes shape. First steps have been taken.
It is great to witness what gradually grows from what has been sown!