Damanhur -- Temples of Humanity

Beautiful!!!

This is the first in a series looking at the multifarious groups and organizations around the world that have been inspired to envision in their own way the Teachings Bahá’u’lláh loosed upon the world in the 19th Century. Bahá’ís not only consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness, but seek especially to connect with like-minded people who seek to inculcate these ideals for the betterment of the planet and its inhabitants.

By accident I ran across a large picture-book at my local library entitled Damanhur – Temples of Humanity, and I was intrigued. The story goes that in 1978 a group of artisans and visionaries led by one Oberto Airuadi gathered around a campfire near Turin, Italy watched a meteor leave a trail of stardust in its wake. They took this as a sign to begin turning the dream they’d harboured for some time into a reality and forthwith picked up their shovels and picks and began to dig. For the next 13 years the subterranean building went on in secret, all by hand tools, in 8,500 cubic metres on 5 levels, joined by hundreds of metres of corridors, inside a seam of mylonite.

In 1991 the secret was leaked, and only upon threat that the mountainside would be exploded if they refused to reveal the location of the temples, beginning four years of a predictable dogfight with political and religious authorities and ensuing court battle.

This self-contained kibbutz-like community of 800 people sports its own laws, constitution, and currency, considers itself a “template for a sustainable world with a permaculture future,” and the temples as a modern-day Noah’s Ark. Their philosophy attempts to be universal and inclusive, but is based heavily on ancient pagan traditions, especially from Mediterranean cults, with tarot, astrology, meditation, spiritual healing, and other occult sciences (including time travel). Added to this are ecology, a concentration on the arts, and an overarching New Age sensibility. All this might suggest that they are a hermetic commune, but their doors are open to visitors and those who would learn from the courses they offer, and they are making efforts to collaborate and co-operate with large worldwide organizations. They produce publications and have hosted festivals.

I should leave no doubt that their ideals are high but not all of its esoterica is in line with Bahá’í teachings, rather in its ideas of unity of religion and humanity, commitment to the environment, and harmony of science and religion. But what really got my attention is the phantasmagorical artwork. Murals, sculpture, mosaic, and stained glass of astonishing skill and inventiveness adorn the walls of the Blue Temple, Hall of Water, Hall of the Earth, Hall of Metals, Hall of Spheres, Hall of Mirrors, and adjacent smaller spaces. A maze of illuminated pathways called the Labyrinth is dedicated to the harmony and union of Divine Forces; in it are contained 35 stained glass windows, each in honour of a spiritual tradition, from ancient to modern, representing all parts of the globe, each one with a central image surrounded by what they term Sacred Language ideograms. All this can be best viewed in the book: Ananas, Esperide (2006). Damanhur: Temples of Humankind. New York: CoSM Press. ISBN 1-55643-577-0, but a fairly good peek can be had at: http://www.damanhur.org/temple/ -- click on the images and follow the slide show.

Here is part of an e-mail I sent Esperide Ananas (Silvia Buffagni) :

You might be interested in knowing of the Baha'i Faith because you share many of its ideals and purposes. From its inception in Iran in 1844, its avowed one thousand year mission is to effect the organic unity of the entire human race, and has been given the tools and method to actually achieve this. The Founder, Baha'u'llah (Glory of God), stated, "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established." Furthermore, He derived His authority from the same source as Jesus and Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna , Abraham, Moses, and others who have been sent by God to educate humanity, and His claim is that He is the Promised One foretold in all the Scriptures of the past, the One who will usher in the Golden Age.
In 164 years, the Faith has spread all over the planet, its 6 million believers spread like a thin veneer over the surface of the globe. Already in its short history, the Baha'i Faith has an intimate connection with Italy in that the marble for the buildings on the "mountain of the Lord" (Mount Carmel in Haifa , Israel), was transported there from Italy .
I am sure that the promotion of Damanhur and its vision occupies your entire life and being, its model offering a spiritual alternative to the downward spiral of the crumbling civilizations of humanity. I encourage you to investigate the Baha'i Faith as a like-minded partner in the building of a new World Order.

She answered me back within minutes, telling me a government official had recently informed her about the Babaji [sic] Faith, figuring the two had compatible aims and beliefs.