Tasakaalu raamat. Vestlused kogi tarkadega

by Lucas Buchholz

We all need help centering ourselves to serve ourselves and our world. In this small, beautiful book, the Kogi—a remote and ancient tribe in the mountains of Colombia--offer their learnings. They pose nine provocative questions to help people around the planet to spiritual peace.

“Just as we are both sitting here and talking, this is how we can live well. All of this you will write in the book.”—Mama Jose Gabriel, a spiritual guide of the Kogi tribe, to author Lucas Buchholz

For centuries, the Kogi have lived in seclusion in Colombia’s remote Sierra Nevadas, known as “the heart of the world.” But in recent years, concerned by the environmental degradation they have experienced in their villages and forests, a few emissaries from the tribe emerged to bring an urgent and loving message to the West—advice on how to live in harmony with the earth.

Buchholz was invited to their home to receive and transcribe this message. A Book of Balance takes us on a journey into a startlingly beautiful landscape and into a sacred space: the traditional fireside circle held regularly by the tribe. In this circle, members consider key questions essential to their community.

In this slim volume of spiritual introspection, they ask us to share in their practice, posing nine questions that focus our minds and hearts on who we are, who we can become.

Throughout we hear the words of the Kogi elders, wisdom that offers revelations, inspiration, and direction for our everyday lives.

A beautiful book to own, to share with friends, and discuss in community.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

286 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Bekki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sehr inspirierend! Die Beschreibung der Kultur der Kogi war zwar teilweise etwas schwer zugänglich, umständlich geschrieben und für mich persönlich etwas zu tief in die Spiritualität, allerdings ist ihre Lebensweise und Mentalität sehr beeindruckend. Sicher können wir viel von ihrem Selbstverständnis, ihrem Miteinander und ihrer friedlichen Art lernen. Vor allem die Beschreibung solcher Möglichkeiten am Ende des Buches fand ich spannend.

[Iluta Jakubovska Solovjova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kogi ir indiāņu tauta Kolumbijā. Viņi dzīvo nošķirti no pārējiem, savās teritorijās. Šai tautai ir pilnīgi atšķirīgi dzīves uzskati par mums-Jaunajiem Brāļiem. Sevi viņi dēvē par Vecākajiem Brāļiem,kuri vēl nav aizmirsuši savus pirmssākumus,savu uzdevumu uz Zemes. Mēs savukārt esam to aizmirsuši, esam aizmirsuši ieklausīties dabā un esam apmaldījušies.

Kogi nav rakstības, viss tiek nodots mutiski.Bet viņi vēlējās nodot ziņu mums un palūdza vācieti Lukasu Būholcu uzrakstīt šo grāmatu.

Uzreiz saku,ka grāmata nebūs viegla. Es izlasīju un joprojām daudz ko nesapratu,kaut gan dažas vietas pārlasīju vairākkārt. Šobrīd man ir lielāka izpratne par kogi,bet prasītos grāmatu vēlreiz pārlasīt,lai jau esošās zināšanas apvienotos ar tām,ko uzreiz neizpratu.

Grāmatā ir izklāstīta kogi dzīves uztvere,kura būtiski atšķiras no mūsējās. Viņi ļoti ciena dabu un dzīvo līdzsvarā ar to. Kogi uzskata,ka viss ir saistīts.

Šo grāmatu var lasīt,lai iepazītu labāk cita veida kultūru. Var lasīt arī ar domu pieņemt kaut ko no viņu domāšanas. Te būs daudz labu lietu,kuras rietumu pasaulē cilvēki ir piemirsuši.

Kaut vai dabas izpratne. Viņi vēro dabu un ir izcili lauksaimnieki,kuri neizmanto nekādu ķīmiju. Mani pārsteidza tas,ka,ja viņi nojauta,ka būs insektu invāzija, tad ražas sēšanu pārlika uz pāris dienām. Tādā veidā insektu un ražas attīstīšanās cikls atšķīrās un ražai netika nodarīts liels posts.

"Slimības rodas tad, kad kaut kas nav līdzsvarā. Cilvēki saslimst ,jo viņi nav līdzsvarā ar sevi un ar pasauli."

"Mēs vienmēr zinājām, ka ikvienam visa pietiks un par ikvienu tiks gādāts.To jūs esat aizmirsuši,jūs domājat,ka jums vajag vēl un vēl vairāk."

Par Zemi un derīgo izrakteņu iegūšanu: "Lielā Māte teica,ka mēs nedrīkstam neko ņemt no viņas vēdera vai iekšām,bet mēs,cilvēki, to neievērojam,mēs velkam ārā visu,ko vien atrodam. Kad cilvēks tiek operēts,pēc operācijas viņš vairs nekad nebūs tāds,kāds bija pirms tās,pārmaiņas paliks uz visiem laikiem."

Tiek apskatīta problēma, ka cilvēkiem nekad nav gana, mēs nejūtam mēra sajūtu un vienmēr gribam vēl visu ko. Nemākam pateikties par to, ka ir jau gana un baudīt to, bet gan censties iegūt vēl un vēl un tā bez apstājas.

Kogi iestājas par mieru un ļoti uztraucas par klimata izmaiņām. Šobrīd viņi pārdod kafijas pupiņas un par iegūto naudu atpērk zemes. Tā izdevās iegādāties piekrastes zemi un atgriezt tajā dabu, kur bija paredzēts uzcelt ogļu iekraušanas ostu.

Grāmatā ir autora apraksts par indiāņu dzīves uzskatiem un arī pašu kogi pārstāvju stāstījums un domas. Viņu runāšanas stils atšķirsies.

Ko kogi vairākkārt izceļ-mums nav jābūt tādiem,kā viņiem. Mums ir jāatrod savs ceļš,mums blakus vienmēr būs tehnoloģijas un to nevajag mainīt. Bet jāmaina domāšana,lai nedarītu dabai pāri un atrastu savus patiesos dzīves uzdevumus.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important read for all who wish for humanity and the Earth to thrive together

I am very grateful this book has come along to help guide and reorient humanity during the most misguided and disorienting of times. Thank you to the Kogi and to the author for bringing these thought-provoking questions, information, codes down off the mountain so that we may all start to contemplate new possibilities.

[Christine Erion · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is really hard to get through. The whole basis of the Koji’s thoughts, beliefs, and actions are based on myth and legend. There is nothing in this book I found applies to the world outside an extremely secluded area. He talked about essentially humanity being destroyed because of humans not taking care of the earth. I’m guessing the Koji are ignorant of mass extinctions throughout history that had nothing to do with humans. Another thing that got me was talking about vaccines and medicines being poisons and all you need to heal is from the earth. I think anyone with diseases like typhus, TB or malaria would disagree. The Koji don’t experience disease because they are secluded, not because of a mythical balance with the earth. Yes, we should all treat the environment better, but a lot of the ideas here stem from ignorance. And I’m not disrespecting them or their way of life, it’s just that they are ignorant to the rest of the world and history and science, which is a problem in the application of their ideas.

[Ana Maria Venegas Bernal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.

This book is truly inspirational, deeply thought-provoking, and a powerful mind opener. It invites you to step beyond your usual way of seeing the world and enter a completely different perspective—one that challenges, expands, and reshapes your understanding of life.

To fully receive what this book offers, you need to approach it with openness. Set aside what you think you already know. Read it like a child discovering the world for the first time—with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to be transformed. That’s where its true value reveals itself.

It honestly surprises me that it only has a 3.9 rating on Goodreads. In my eyes, this is a gem—one of the most meaningful books I’ve read, if not the most meaningful so far. It holds a kind of wisdom that feels deeply relevant, not just personally, but for humanity as a whole.

[Lucas MacKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plant only what you need, take only what you must, and live in a small pocket of the world you tend as it's guardian.
Wouldn't that be nice?
This works if you live in a remote, hard to reach region without contact to others and have resources near at hand suitable to your needs.
A reality for very few.
Still a nice read and the idea of living in harmony with each other and nature makes me envious for what, we as a society, have forsaken in pursuit of the all-mighty dollar.

[Sandra Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love it! should be a mandatory reading for anyone. and mostly those who believe that the world can still be a balance place for everyone including all beings in nature and nature it self. the teachings are just reminders of ways of living and being that we should have never forgotten and abandoned. but I still believe in the future

[Ronda Canary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[Anneli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Küsitakse ebamugavaid küsimusi, nagu kelle mõtteid me mõtleme või miks me disainime oma elukeskkonna ebatervislikuks.
Tõlge pole just parim.

[daanno_o · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most inspirational and thought-provoking books I have ever read. It delves into a culture that is so different from all we know, highly connected to nature—a culture that still works in an almost perfect balance with nature and remembers how to take care of the animals, the trees, and the humans. Almost all our perspectives on the psyche and on health, on how to deal with nature issues, seem almost childish when compared to the way the Kogi deal with this. They possess some of the wisdom keys for some of the most challenging issues of our time. Worth reading, and if you are not a German native speaker, I saw that this was translated into Spanish as well. Maybe there will be an English version at some point. This has to become a hype; thoughts of the Kogi as a hype, and the world would be a better place within weeks...