The Knight´s Legacy

Lhasa-Tibet

20 KM WEST OF LHASA

TIBET

1939 WINTER

Dieter Knopf dropped from the heavy wagon pulled by oxen and approached tiresome the outbuildings that the monastery had earmarked for the German scientists and their Tibetan  auxiliaries. Except for the rooms reserved for the heads of the expedition, Ernst Schäfer and Bruno Beger  -who at the moment were on an hunting excursion and travelling in Germany respectively- the rest of the rooms were little more than pigpens. Dieter had just returned from a visit to remote villages in the Himalayas in the course of which, while he was studying the geophysical environment of the settlements, the ethnologist team members performed hundreds of anthropometric measurements to the villagers, particularly the chieftains of the various communities. These measurements were made on the head of the individuals subject to study including different cranial and facial angles, determining the dimensions of the skull, in particular its volume, as well as the basic measures of the person: height, weight, length of limbs, etc. In addition, with permission from the local authorities, they performed exhumations in cemeteries, particularly the older ones. Some skulls of interest were preserved by the expedition members for subsequent shipment to Berlin, where they would be handed over to the Ahnenerbe Society, now annexed by Heinrich Himmler to the SS. The thesis that was to be proved was that the current inhabitants of Tibet belonged to an intermediate race between the Aryan and the Mongol, and that the Aryan traits were increased among community leaders. The basic guidelines of the racial theories had been outlined long ago by Karl Haushofer, ideological mentor of Rudolf Hess and of  Hitler himself on racial issues, and an old Swedish Professor named Sven Hedin. The hypothesis to be tested was that both the Turanian  -formed by the Turkish, Hungarian, Mongolian, Manchu, and other Siberian ethnic groups- and the Aryan races had common ancestors who had lived in remote times in the suggestive scenery of the Himalayas.

At the same time the expedition scientists concentrated on objective physical characteristics of Tibetans other members, including intended clairvoyants, were taking contact with the monks and explored the caverns, in search of the elusive Vril, hidden power which the ancient precursors of the Aryan race supposedly possessed, and that would have been lost in the subsequent historical evolution, particularly due to mixing with other breeds which would have produced the physical and spiritual degeneration of the characteristics of the Aryans.

Since his arrival three months before from Antarctica, Dieter resignedly took part in these experiments, although he had great doubts about their veracity and usefulness, doubts that he had learned to hide, since his fellow Nazis were convinced, and in general, initiated in these esoteric theories. He applied all the advices that had stubbornly been transmitted to him by his friend Horstmann, whose wisdom and balance indeed Dieter missed.

These activities were carried out in Tibet under the protection of a complex geopolitical plot. Threatened for centuries their independence by Chinese emperors and mandarins Tibetans had been  seduced by the Japanese, who at that time were forming their Manchukuo Empire, with areas they had occupied in Manchuria and Outer Mongolia, and were  trying to attract Tibetans and other races that historically had been subjugated by the Chinese and their Manchurian emperors. As part of this approach with Japan and its allies, the Tibetan leaders had signed agreements with the Nazis, allowing them to carry out the referred studies, in whose results they were not really interested. Their support was not limited to these pseudo-scientific purposes, but the Tibetan Regency Council – that exercised power in the absence of a Dalai Lama in functions- recognized Adolf Hitler as head of all of the Aryans, support that was shared by the upper castes in India.

Knopf found one of his colleagues in one of the concourses of the monastery; the man showed an upset air because he had been trying for weeks to get permission for a group of German members of the expedition to enter in the forbidden city of Lhasa, the access to which was forbidden to foreigners of any nationality, although some had managed to enter, disguised as Tibetans. Given Dieter´s height and contexture this was unlikely to happen.

“Well, Horst, have we got any news?” Inquired Dieter.

“Not yet. We still have not been able to meet the Regent, who is who grants the permissions. But we will keep trying.” Said the man in a not very convincing tone.

After bathing and taking the meager collation that was served in the monastery Dieter met with colleagues in a formal gathering, the main purpose of which was the exchange of experiences and the elaboration of consolidated reports for Berlin. After this stage, they moved to the dissemination of news from Germany, which included a good dose of propaganda, as well as provisions made to prepare the next expedition. It was then when Knopf learnt about his next assignment. He was being transferred -along with several colleagues- to the Gobi desert, under whose sand the existence of ruins of mythical lost cities is postulated was  postulated. The role of Dieter in this expedition, given his status as geologist, would be to determine those sites where in ancient times could have been given conditions for support for human existence, in particular today disappeared waterways.

Upon leaving the meeting Dieter approached the neighboring monastery, for one of his regular lessons with an old monk who was introducing him to the study of Buddhism, particularly in its Tantric variant. The repressed mind and spirit of the German -whose beliefs until his arrival in Asia were exclusively based on his scientific training and his Lutheran family tradition-  were however receptive to that teaching so far away of all Western mind.

A young monk led him to the presence of the superior called Lama Narayan. Every time he was in the monk`s presence Dieter felt that his concerns were replaced by a peace that had been lost since the start of the war and even further back from his adolescence.

Narayan resumed his lessons from the point where he had left them days ago. He gently explained Dieter that the universe, in appearance as real, is only the manifestation of a divine power, which we must ritually channel to be used in our personal microcosm, in forms that liberate us of our ties, not only in the spiritual field, but also in the physical and material. In soft and persuasive tone he said:

“.. .every one of us is an expression of that power; all we need in our lives for our material and spiritual sustenance is already in our interior, only we have to recognize it and find the access to it...”

Dieter  dipped in his own interior in a whole new insight for him, and often remained in that state of subjugation in complete silence for hours. This time the sound of one of the large tubes of the monastery which was called one of the religious services took him out of his dream. The lama excused and left to address one of the monastery´s rituals and Dieter remained alone still for a time in a meditative state. When leaving he met one of the young monks, relieved of the religious service which was in course due to his cleaning tasks.

“Shamar.” Asked Dieter. “Can I visit Anil today?

“I think that she is waiting to you with anxiety.”  Replied candidly Shamar.

Shamar did not ignore the reasons for the German interest in his sister. However instead of our automatic association of the relations between the two with sin, there are in certain parts of the East a firm conviction, also of religious origin, about the high and even divine character of the relations between woman and man.

Dieter and the beautiful and sensual Anil -Sanskrit name which means air or wind- were in the girl bedding. They had the comfort of knowing that no one would bother them. Anil was wrapped in subtle veils that the  man was slowly removing since both avoided to get carried away by anxiety or the pure animal instinct. Tantrism believes that s*x has three separate purposes, and that all three are respectable and even sublime: reproduction, pleasure and liberation, as a form of ritual ecstasy. Anil guided Dieter through the subtleties of the ritual, with its purifying and preparatory steps. After an ecstatic embrace began reciprocal caresses, anticipatory of the moment of the intimate union of both, in which they would dissolve in each other and both in the cosmic consciousness, and in which the Kundalini serpent would rise to achieve the physical combination of Shiva and Shakti, male and female principles respectively, whose energies are melt in a joined field.

After a time, their bodies slipped one over another and erection which was painful gave way to a sublime ecstasy in penetration and ejaculation after which the lovers remained united in silence for an indefinite period.

These sensual perceptions would be part and parcel of the psyche of the German in the future.

CHAPTER 10.1

ALASHAN PLATEAU

GOBI DESERT

BOREAL WINTER 1939

Dieter Knopf and his fellow travelers came down from the old Mercedes Benz truck that had attained the feat of driving them from the snow capped peaks of Tibet, passing through innumerable cornices and skirting dangerous precipices to the dusty basin of Alashan, in the west part of the Gobi desert limited to the North by the Altai Mountains and to the Southwest by the Filian range and on the Tibetan plateau.

The Gobi, in the geographical center of the Asian continent is the fourth desert in area in the world, and owes its aridity and dryness to the fact that the enormous mountain range of the Himalayas prevents the passage to the winds from humid monsoon blowing from the Indian Ocean.

The camp had been already established by a small group of German soldiers and Mongol auxiliaries several weeks before but was still precarious for the contingent of scientists and varied characters -some of them quite eccentric-accompanying them.

After bathing and taking a hot meal and prior to their installation in the site the newcomers were assembled in a sort of natural amphitheater where some chairs had been placed, insufficient for the score of people who were there. Knopf and other young members of the expedition simply sat on stones.

“Now comes the time of harangues.” Thought annoyed Dieter, who unlike in his previous fate shared with Heinz Horstmann, now had even no confidant whose loyalty was certain. Indeed, as if  to confirm his fears a small man dressed as a former College Professor came up to a kind of improvised podium and with a microphone commenced to explain the purpose of the expedition and its stay in the Gobi desert.

“From research you have been doing in Tibet you are already familiar with theories about the connections between the proto-Aryan and the Turanian races, the latter ancestors of the Mongols. You also know that carrying out an on sit check of these theories is of great interest to the Third Reich and to our beloved Führer. They already have been previewed by clairvoyants whose perception extends through the eras of humanity and the pre-human stages of history. The mission that brings us to these deserted steppes is to obtain archaeological finds to confirm these theories, central core of this Aryan conception of history…” The little man showed a genuine and growing fervor as he progressed in his explanations.  “ …since it is under the sand and gravel of the Gobi where lie the ruins of the lost cities of Agartha and Shambhala.”

A compact silence followed these words. In fact, the men were impacted by the mention of these mythical cities of which they had heard vague comments escaped of closed circles. No one dared to cut the atmosphere of mystery and excitement that had been created. The speaker was obviously proficient in creating a magical moment to communicate his deep beliefs to those men without violating them intellectually. No doubt, tired from the long trip, torches that surrounded the camp and distant snowy peaks were part of the magic.

“ But it is not only derelicts from the distant past that we come to look for at these wildernesses.”  Continued the speaker. “ …the survivors of this super race are still living, perhaps mixed among the nomadic shepherds of this region and share their way of life, or perhaps hidden in underground caves formed by the prehistoric rivers which watered these now barren fields and that allowed the existence of great civilizations. These survivors every so often take contact with common mortals, including some Europeans such as the Swedish Professor Sven Hedin who toured the area in the decades of 1920 and 1930. They have a simple material life and a higher spiritual life. They are the reservoir of humanity when the Age of the Wolf arrives. Our species counts with them as guides to move to a new stage of its evolutionary development.” The little man uttered this last sentence in a high tone no doubt well studied to officiate as c****x of the speech. Without adding anything else he got down from the stage, leaving the audience silent, trying to digest the explanations received.

Dieter rose after the meeting, reluctantly impacted by the dense climate created by the speaker. Although he was not aware of this process he had suffered an internal transformation since his arrival in Tibet, and it was still in course. His previous cold and skeptical attitude was now complemented and even replaced by a deep spiritual search product from his initiation in Tibet in the above mentioned traditions of Buddhist origin, particularly those Tibetan. Although the Nazi racist harangues didn't dent in his mind and spirit and produced him the same rejection as  before, some oriental exoticism that permeated certain layers of the German society, even the Nazi circles, had seeped into him and flourished upon his arrival to the East. In summary, Dieter had experienced an awakening of some numb part of his psyche in the East.