Meetings with Remarkable Men

Ashoks meet here to test the power of our art. This valley is unique. Only a

sound of special quality will make its tones vibrate. He who can produce this

sound will be the winner.

What does Nashok learn to play? His father. And he, where did he learn? From his father and so

on back. How far back? Where is God just now? God just now is in Sarikamish. What is God

doing there? He's making double ladders. On the tops of them he's fixing happiness. And

why is God doing that? So that people and nations can go up and down. So your family want you

to become a priest. Yes. But I am interested in science. And study medicine as well. Body

and soul depend on one another. Become yourself. Then God and the devil don't matter. That is

too small for both of us. One of us must die. You're right. They must fight a duel. Yes, a

a duel. A duel. A duel. A duel. A duel. A duel. Walk away. Well it's difficult to find pistols

but it's easy to find cannons. The only trouble is you've decided that one of you must die. In

a duel with cannons both of you might die. If you'll take the risk then it's the easiest

thing in the world. If you're killed we'll say you went to collect copper and lead and didn't

know they'd be firing today. To be here anymore. We die, Fad. There's nothing left. Some people

say we have a soul that goes on living when we are dead but I don't believe this. And yet

I'm certain beyond all doubt that through certain experiences we can develop a very fine substance

in ourselves. When we die, this substance does not die at the same time but much later.

What is it? He's a Yazidi. He can't get out of a circle. Professor, can I ask you something?

Of course. Come, sit down. Have a vodka. What is it you want to know? Why can't Yazidis get

out of a circle? Probably because they've taken a vow. Never to go out of a circle. It's not that

they can't. They don't wish to break their vow. Yazidis are devil worshippers. So of course

the devil leaves them alone. But he limits their freedom so that no one should guess they're

his servants. I'm sorry. Intelligent people still believe in such rubbish. Give them a bottle

of vodka. He'll get out quick enough. Dr. Ivanov, Your Excellency. Yes? What do you

think? It's simply hysteria. Hysteria? Yes. Hysteria. Oh. No. We won't do now.

What? Hysteria. Have you ever seen a hysterical man? I am running a man. Hysteria. I am running

a man. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria. Hysteria.

The night and royal receiver. Yes. Ah. I'm Sarkis Bogossian. I've just come from Kars. Your father

asked me to give you this. Thank you. Have you anywhere to stay? No. The town's full. Stay

with me. I'm here to finish my studies. And in two years I'll be ordained as a priest. Is

that what you want? My faith is very strong. But a priest? To become a priest? My father

says if you want to lose your faith, make friends with a priest.

Nothing convinces me either.

Science proves one thing.

Religion another.

And both seem equally true.

So what?

I've read every sort of book.

New, old.

I've seen marvels which I can't explain.

And I'm more thirsty than ever.

What are you looking for?

I want to know why I'm here.

Why I'm here?

Can any of us know that?

There's a group of us all shattered by that question.

Nothing will stop us until we find an answer.

This is Yelov.

Hello.

He's an Isor.

You know what that means?

Huh?

Boil seven Russians, you get a Jew.

Boil seven Jews, you get an Armenian.

Boil seven Armenians, you get an Isor.

What do you know about Isor?

An Isor can make good business out of anything.

We're trying to understand the power of vibrations.

We're working in the dark.

This collection is unique.

It gives the mathematical basis of studies in the old monasteries.

I knew it had to exist somewhere.

What do you want, Bobakshin?

What do you want?

Five.

No.

He wants five rubles.

Impossible.

Bobakshin, what do you want?

Really?

What do you want?

Do you want mlans?

I don't want to pay attention.

You don't want any...

But you don't want anything...

Don't want anything...

You don't want anything.

I don't want anything...

Don't want anything on earth.

Also I know what you want to pay attention.

No.

How much?

Five rules.

I'll tell you.

Nor this.

To be letters from one monk to another.

We have at last succeeded in learning the truth about the Samung Brotherhood.

Samung?

I've seen that name in one of the books.

Here.

Samung.

The most ancient of all the secret schools.

It was founded in Babylon in the year 2500 BC.

But after the sixth century disappeared without a trace.

Go on.

The Samung Brotherhood exists.

In the valley of Izrumene, three days from Nifsi.

It may still be there today.

We must go.

It's a dangerous region.

There have been massacres.

It's not important.

It's forbidden to foreigners.

The frontier is closed and it's heavily guarded.

I must find this school.

We haven't the money.

I'll make some.

I'll try it on the devil's back if necessary.

As long as I get there.

Anyhow, we can't all go.

I'm coming with you.

These letters delivered secretly.

You'll be paid each time.

Here's the list of priests who help our movement.

I have a letter for you.

My friend is very ill.

Bring him in.

You are very welcome.

You've lived here all my life.

There's never been a school like the one you described.

Not here.

What did you say it was called?

Sarmun.

The year before last, a man quite unknown to me came and asked me to show him a map I possess.

How could he have known I had it?

I have no idea.

I inherited it from my grandfather.

The man was so persistent.

I thought, why shouldn't I let him see it?

He looked at the parchment and immediately offered me 200 Turkish pounds for it.

You might like to take a look at it.

He said it was a map of Egypt before the sands.

I didn't wish to part with it anyway.

I didn't need the money, so I refused.

The next day he came to offer 500 pounds.

Now I was tempted.

But this proved to me it must be very valuable.

It must not be let go too cheaply, so I refused again.

He then explained to me he was a Russian prince who needed it for his collection of antiques.

And if I wouldn't part with it, would I let him make a copy of it for 200 pounds?

Just think.

200 pounds for a copy of a parchment.

He's gone.

I must go to Egypt.

Don't worry.

We'll pay the price.

You're a fool not to wrestle.

Why?

I love work.

I'm beginning to understand why I like working with my body.

It stops me from being swept away by all my idiotic dreams.

You're right.

Bogostian, it's Egypt!

Are you ready?

We are there.

I'm not going with you.

Please understand.

I'm staying with the ship.

We'll not lose touch with one another.

But I want to go on learning about machines.

You.

Help me with these.

Of course.

Hey, gravedigger.

Prince Lebovetsky.

Are you still collecting the dust of people who died long ago?

Why not?

At least it's real.

Not imaginary, like your life's work.

Where did you get that?

Are you the man who gave 200 pounds to an Armenian priest to copy this map?

Yes.

I am that man.

We need to speak to one another.

Ever since I was a child, I had a feeling that something is missing in me.

I felt that apart from my ordinary life, there is another life.

A life which is calling me.

But how to be open to it?

This question never gives me any peace.

And I've become like a hungry dog.

Chasing everywhere for months.

You should be happy you've had that experience.

When I was your age, I was only interested in myself.

I was always concerned with satisfying my needs and those of my family.

Suddenly my wife died in childbirth.

I could not recover from the shock.

Life had no meaning anymore.

One day an old dervish came to the house and asked for me.

We talked together for a long time.

And as he spoke, I experienced something far greater than all the impulses I normally obeyed.

When the dervish left me, the experience vanished.

But I knew what I was looking for.

For that help was needed.

Fortunately, I had the means to travel.

I went to Africa, India, Afghanistan and Persia.

I organized special expeditions to places where I thought I might find an answer.

I lived in monasteries and met many people with interests similar to my own.

How can I meet such people?

I need to know.

What do you need to know?

I want to learn.

I want to understand.

Be careful.

What do you call learning?

If it means storing up experiences and beliefs, it will tie you like a cord and prevent you

from knowing.

Knowing happens directly when not even a thought stands between you and the thing you know.

Then you see yourself as you are, not as you would like to be.

I have learned how difficult this can be.

Dear young friend, I will do everything I can to help you attain your aim.

The dervish bogger added me.

You wish to ask something?

What exercise can help me feel myself in a new way?

I have been in Upper Bokhara, where I met a most interesting man.

We came here together.

This old man is a member of a brotherhood from the heart of Asia.

He is living not far from here.

Go and see him.

Talk with him about the questions which interest you.

This may help you to become clearer about what it is you seek.

Be so kind, father, and explain to me what you think of breathing exercises.

After breathing in the air, I hold it a certain time, then slowly exhale.

Let God kill him who does not know, yet presumes to show others the way.

All breathing exercises taught today can do nothing but harm.

Our organism is very complicated.

We must either change everything or nothing.

Otherwise, instead of good, you might do harm.

My advice to you is stop all your exercises.

You think well here.

You are Russian.

Yes.

I am glad to speak to someone from Russia.

I have been in Russia.

Ah.

But that is not the point.

Go, go.

How do you know that name?

Only my mother and my nurse ever called me by it.

And that was over 40 years ago.

You have worked and suffered all these years.

But you never knew how to work.

How to let the desire of your mind become the desire of your heart.

Who are you?

How do you know me so well?

Does it really matter who I am or what I am?

Isn't your curiosity one of the chief reasons your life has come to nothing?

Is it so strong that even now, we are your mind?

Does it really matter who I am or what I am?

Isn't your curiosity one of the chief reasons your life has come to nothing?

Is it so strong that even now, all you want is an explanation of who I am and how I know you?

Yes, Father.

I have seen many miracles and tried to explain them.

But it has brought me no real understanding.

Yes, I'm empty.

It's too late.

I do not truly want to know what I just asked you.

I sincerely beg your pardon.

Perhaps it is not yet too late.

If you feel with all your being that you really are empty,

then I advise you to try once more.

If you agree to one condition, I will help you.

The condition is die consciously to the life you have led until now.

And go where I shall indicate.

Aleykum Asalam.

I'm looking for the dervish, Bogaedin.

He has returned to Bahara.

a cheat all my life used to steal from my mother i forged banknotes i'll try to help you professor

skridloff this is my friend solo give the prince has gone away i know what now at last i am on the

track of something really important i have learned that under the sands of the gobi desert villages

and even entire cities they buried the information has been handed down from father to son

under the vow of secrecy i think i can find the site of an ancient library can you imagine

a secret scroll that might still be buried there i'm preparing an expedition

would you like to come we need men we can trust i can bring some friends

i don't think you'd reach us in time no did we you had to cross me i'm mudaria there were afghan

guards and british soldiers everywhere so yellow got hold of the uniform of a british soldier and

passed himself off as an officer from india what are those poles that is something i'll have to learn

about there are many dangers but we found some extraordinary solutions they may save our lives

our thoughts alive i'm learning to better ask you to go any further must separate again till one of us

finds a way let's go to buhara i can't go back now me with you what you are looking for i have found

nothing i don't know how to search there's never any answer what can i do now i'm desperate you will

never find the answer by yourself alone a man can do very little his only hope is to find a place

where real knowledge has been kept alive i advise you to try to find the salmon brotherhood go up the

amudaria good words kafiristan it is a dangerous undertaking you will be risking your life but at the

right moment there will be a guide can i take my friend with me i think you may if you can vouch for

his honor i think that you are foreigners please do not be alarmed i don't want to know who you are or

why you're here it would be pleasant for me to talk with a european my name is father giovanni long

ago i was a christian missionary then accidentally i came in contact with members of the world brotherhood

who were striving for what i dreamed of all my life i was admitted to their brotherhood since then

i've never wished to go anywhere else you are welcome father giovanni how can you stay here

instead of returning to italy and giving the people there something of the faith which you are now

inspiring in me our professor you do not understand man's psyche as well as you know archaeology

faith cannot be given to men faith is not the result of thinking it comes from direct knowledge

for example if my own brother were to entreat me to give him a tenth part of my understanding i could

as he has neither the knowledge nor the experience which i have acquired in my life

this would be like wishing to fill someone with bread merely by looking at him

there is a law the quality of what you understand depends upon the quality of the person speaking

in our order we have two very old brethren the one is called brother al the other brother says they

constantly travel from one monastery to another preaching there once or twice a year they come to us

this is always when brother says speaks it is like the song of the birds in paradise brother al's speech

has almost the opposite effect he speaks badly indistinctly the stronger the impression made by brother

says the quicker it evaporates until there is nothing left brother al makes almost no impression

but what he says penetrates into the heart and remains there so we all came to the conclusion

that the sermons of brother says came entirely from his mind

and acted only on our minds whereas those of brother r came directly from his being and acted on our being

thinking and knowing one must strive to know this alone can lead to our lord god father giovanni

has consented to take me under his prediction i'm going to stay here i have the feeling

i have nothing more to see you your guide is waiting i must ask you to take a solemn oath never to

reveal to anyone the place to which we will lead you the place my son you come like a lamb but don't

forget you have a wolf in you as well look can you find the force to enable these two quite opposite

lives to live together in yourself listen carefully this will not happen by itself it is not enough

just to think about it to dream to wait at any moment the wolf can devour the lamb and you must learn

what it means to become responsible this is an exact science and that is why you are here i will not put

you into the hands of someone in whom you can feel complete trust go and look and see what is

happening in the courtyards there are movements exercises dances afterwards come and tell me

what you have got from them i will then be able to tell you what to do next i thought i'd lost you

forever i'm happy that you got here by yourself without my help it proves that during this time you

you haven't been asleep are you ill

Everyone in the monastery learns the alphabet of these movements.

They are exactly like books.

We can read in them truths placed there many thousands of years ago.

I understand, of these movements.

They tell us of two qualities of energy moving without interruption through the body.

As long as the dancer can keep in balance these two energies,

he has a force that nothing else can give.

Call to the patriarch.

He told me that I have only three years to live

and advised me to spend them in the Ulman monastery on the northern slopes of the Himalayas

in order to accomplish what I have dreamed of all my life.

He said he would arrange everything to make my stay there productive.

I agreed to set out at once.

Oh, God.

There is no better way to finish my life.

Perhaps I shall be able to make up for all the years I lost senselessly.

The reality of your being that nothing can destroy.

And there you will measure yourself constantly with forces which will show you your power.

You, you, you, you, you.