Steppps – Friedenspilgern

English und Deutsch (weiter unten)

11.11.2022
To all my dears, friends, family and supporters.

Its 7 1/2 month since I am back in Germany/Poland/Europe. Since then unbelievably no further post on my blog (www.steppps.net) and a lot (most) of you friends (who life in Germany and Europe) I have even not seen yet. How is that possible? – and somehow I don’t know.

A try to explain.
First I went to my mothers house and I got a great welcome back recieving, with most of my closest relative, around 20, present. I had in mind to come back more often back, to see my mother, but after the 3rd visit, I found out, she is in very good hands, has her own ideas of living life and is not really happy, with the ideas, how I wanted to enrich her life….. so I gained again some more flexibility…..and freedom.
I visited two close friend, Elisabeth and Sandra, who supported me by offering there space for me (and for the future). I have big gratitude towards them.

And I spent all together more then 5 month in Poland. More then 4 1/2 of it I served as a volunteer in the Vipassana center in Poland (cooking and garden).

Now
After being in Katowice and in the Beskides mountains in south Poland with Marcin and his family I am now in northern Poland at the Baltic (finally) and breathe in fresh ocean air and forest air, just 500m from my room away. Actually in Gdynia north of Gdansk (Danzig). I rented a neutral space in a hostel to meditate and clear my mind.
And think/feel about, whats coming…

Next
Even though I have a 4 1/2 volunteer service at the edge of my limits behind me, I still think of project to do next. And there are so many in the pipe….
Just to mention some
– Meditation until Liberation
– School in Nepal
– Clean up Moreh in Manipur/India
– Reforest a hill in Armenia
– Several big projects in Northern Germany, there are a bit on ice, because I did let go of them, until they maybe appear again
– Some people always say, I should write a book
– Slide show and report about the peace walk
– Several peace walks
– long cycling trips
– visiting Africa and maybe get active there
– …..and more more more
All has to do with spreading Love, Peace, Happiness in the world

How to manage that all?
And most of the projects need so much support and the involvement of many many people!

The good thing is:
All the doors are standing wide open.
The doors are illuminated by the same light.
I can go through any door, there is no obstacle…..

Still some Fears:
Will I get continuesly get enough support, also moneywise? Will I be able to continue live as a peace worker/walker?
Will I be able to have enough time and money to have a rest, like now?

Life is so short
How is that all possible?
What is planed for me?
How to fulfill all of this?

Answers:
1) All this 10 years I was blessed with support and money for whatever I needed to do. Why should it change?
2) At the 11.1.2020 at night I was sitting in my room in Moreh/India at the border to Myanmar (which was not open) and I asked: ‚So, what should I do now?‘ …..and the answer was by a silent voice: ‚You can do whatever you want!!!‘ (I spoke about the doors) – As most of you know, I stayed one year to clean up the rivers in Moreh before I came back to Europe.
3) Meditation is since years so important to me and for me, and it means more then 2 hours a day…. and it has to fit into all coming up things
4) Time will show, whats coming up and which doors have to be gone through….or none of them????!!!!
5) Now I definitely need some more rest – and its so hard, to allow myself to do so.

What was the coan on the peace walk?
And its still more than up to date:

Step by Step
Breath by Breath
In the Moment
Presence

I am so happy to see everyone of you again 🤎
And I love the planet and the nature on it soooo much
🤎🌍🌎🌏🙏🌳🤎

Thanks that you all exist and that I know you
Thomas

<Deutsch
11.11.2022
An alle meine Lieben, Freunde, Familie und Unterstützer

Seit 7 1/2 Monaten bin ich zurück in Deutschland/Polen/Europa. Seitdem unglaublicherweise kein weiterer Eintrag in meinem blog (www.steppps.net) und viel (die meisten) von euch Freunden (die in Deutschland und Europa leben) hab ich bis jetzt noch nicht gesehen. Wie ist das möglich? – und irgendwie unglaublich.

Ich versuche zu erklären.
Zuerst bin ich zu meinem Elternhaus und ich hatte einen grossartigen Empfang, meine Mutter und die meisten meiner nahen Verwandten, etwa 20 waren gekommen. Ich hatte mir fest vorgenommen,  öfter zurückzukehren, um meine Mutter zu besuchen, aber nach 3 Besuchen fand ich heraus, sie ist in sehr guten Händen, hat ihre eigenen Ideen das Leben zu leben und sie war gar nicht so begeistert von meinen Ideen, ihr Leben zu bereichern….. so bekam ich ungeahnt mehr Flexibilität…..und Freiheit.
Ich besuchte 2 Freundinnen, Elisabeth und Sandra, die mich mit ihren Wohnangeboten und Einladungen unterstützt haben (auch für die Zukunft). Ich bin sehr dankbar, danke danke.
Und ich war zusammen mehr als 5 Monate in Polen. Mehr als 4 1/2 Monate davon half ich als Volunteer/Server/Helfer im Vipassana Zentrum in Polen (Küche und Garten)

Jetzt
Nachdem ich in Katowice und in den Bergen der Beskiden im Süden Polens mit Marcin und seiner Familie war, bin ich nun im Norden Polens an der Ostsee (endlich) und atme frische Meereslust und Waldluft, grad einmal 500m von meinem Zimmer entfernt.
Momentan in Gedynia nördlich von Gdansk/Danzig. Ich hab einen ’neutralen‘ Raum (Space) in einem Hostel um zu meditieren und meinen Geist zu klären.
Und denke darüber nach…..

was als nächstes kommt
Obwohl ich gerade ein 4 1/2 monatigen Service an meiner Belastungsgrenze hinter mir habe, denke ich schon über die nächsten Projekte nach. Und da sind jede Menge wartend…..
Nur um einige zu erwähnen
– Meditation bis zur Befreiung
– Schule in Nepal
– Müllprojekt in Moreh/Manipur/Indien
– Wiederbewaldung eines Hügels in Armenien
– Verschiedene grosse Projekte in Norddeutschland. Ich hab sie vorübergehend mal losgelassen, bis sie evtl sich wieder melden
– Manche meinen ich sollte ein Buch schreiben
– Dia Schau und Bericht zur Friedenspilgerreise
– Diverse Friedenspilgerwanderungen
– Lange Fahrradtouren
– Afrikareisen und dort ggf aktiv werden
– und mehr mehr mehr
Alles hat damit zu tun, Frieden, Liebe und Glück in der Welt zu mehren

Wie das alles meistern?
Und viele dieser Projekte brauchen soviel Unterstützung und die Beteiligung von sooooo vielen Menschen!

Das Gute ist:
Alle Türen stehen weit offen.
Die Türen leuchten alle im selben Licht.
Ich kann durch alle Türen gehen, es gibt kein Hindernis.

Noch ein paar Ängste
Werde ich weiterhin genug Unterstützung haben, auch Geldtechnisch? Werde ich weiterhin in der Lage sein als Friedenspilger oder -arbeiter zu wirken?
Werde ich genug Zeit und Geld haben, um mich auszuruhen, wie jetzt?

Das Leben ist so kurz
Wie kann das Alles möglich sein/ werden?
Was ist für mich geplant?
Wie kann ich das Alles umsetzen?

Antworten:
1) All die 10 Jahre war ich gesegnet mit Unterstützung und Geld für all das, was ich brauchte. Warum sollte sich das ändern?
2) Am 11.1.2020 saß ich nachts in meinem Zimmer in Moreh/Manipur/Indien an der Grenze zu Myanmar (welche geschlossen war) und ich fragte: ‚Und was soll ich nun tun?’….und die Antwort, eine leise Stimme sagte: ‚Du kannst machen, was du willst‘ (Ich hatte ja schon die Türen erwähnt) – Die meisten von euch wissen, ich blieb ein weiteres Jahr in Moreh, um den Müll aufzuräumen, bevor ich nach Europa zurückkehrte.
3) Meditation ist seit Jahren so wichtig für mich, was bedeutet, mehr als 2 Stunden am Tag…. und das muss mit all den anderen Dingen zusammenpassen
4) Die Zeit wird zeigen, was kommt und durch welche Türen ich gehe oder zu gehen habe….oder keine von ihnen????!!!!!
5) Jetzt brauche ich ganz gewiss etwas mehr AusruhZeit – und die Umsetzung ist gar nicht so einfach.

Wie lautete der Koan für die Friedenspilgerreise?
Und ist immer noch so aktuell:

Schritt für Schritt
Atem für Atem
Im Moment
Präsenz

Ich freue mich schon so, euch alle wiederzusehen  🤎

Und ich liebe diesen Planeten und die Natur so sehr 🤎🌍🌎🌏🙏🌳🤎

Danke, dass es euch alle gibt und dass ich euch kenne.
Thomas

ROUNDING UP MY JOURNEY

English/Deutsch weiter unten
In about 3 month I am travelling home (home is actually for me everywhere on the planet) to Germany.

After 10 years steppps peace walk on foot from Germany to India/Myanmar, after 24.000km walking, crossing 16 counties and 1 year in Moreh/Clean up paradise.

I will land in Frankfurt in the evening of 31. March 2022.

The last three month
Until 29.12 Imphal
30.12.-8.1.22 Moreh
9.1.22 Imphal
11.1. ✈ Imphal – Bodhgaya
12.1.-23.1 Vipassana retreat 10 day
26.1.-3.2. Vipassana STP 9 day serve
9.2.-12.3. Vipassana 30 day
15.3./16.3 ✈ Bodhgaya – Imphal
17.3.-29.3. Imphal / Moreh
30/31.3. ✈ Imphal – Germany 🇩🇪
1.4.  🚆 Train to Reckenfeld, reaching mothers house/relatives

MEINE REISE ABRUNDEN

Deutsch
In etwa drei Monaten reise ich zurück nach Hause (zu Hause ist für mich tatsächlich überall auf diesem Planeten) nach Deutschland.

Nach 10 Jahren steppps peace walk zu Fuss von Deutschland nach Indien/Myanmar, nach 24.000km pilgern, durch 16 Länder  und einem Jahr in Moreh/Aufräumen im Paradies.

Ich werde in Frankfurt am 31.3.2023 landen, abends.

Die letzten 3 Monate
Bis 29.12 Imphal
30.12.-8.1.22 Moreh
9.1.22 Imphal
11.1. ✈ Imphal – Bodhgaya
12.1.-23.1 Vipassana retreat 10 Tage
26.1.-3.2. Vipassana STP 9 Tage Assistent
9.2.-12.3. Vipassana 30 Tage
15.3./16.3 ✈ Bodhgaya – Imphal
17.3.-29.3. Imphal / Moreh
30/31.3. ✈ Imphal – Germany 🇩🇪
1.4.  Ankunft per 🚆 Zug in Reckenfeld und Besuch Mutter und Verwandte

I could sent this donation request to some of my friends on WhatsApp, but until now, it feels like begging, or being misunderstood as a beggar.
I had so many support through my friend during the last 9 years.
I just cant sent this around.

The peak
Earlier I spoke about ‚a peak‘.
I guess, its hopefully the tension peak. Because I can’t really stand more than that tension.
It was an unspoken tension in the air. A tention combined from many factors. A lot to do with the (unknown) past, people dont know where to put the trash, also ignorance. A tention before a solution, which will hopefully now last long.
To the same time I developed a tention inside of myself, which is not really gone, I take care of it. This feels like a somehow karmic tension, which has now the chance to transform.

A peak, also, in the sence, that my time here is coming to an end or preparing for an end.
I am guided, so my mind does not always know, what comes next, but I can interpret the things happening around me.
It feels, there is still lot to do here, while a change already happened.
It feels a bit like, I have to be here another while, with my presence, to help the solutions enfold. To witness and stabilise the enfolding solutions to come.

I love to be guided and to be an instrument.

Thank you
Love Thomas

This I posted today on facebook.

Day 120 🌳 2.6.
Clean Up Khujailokh river
Moreh/Manipur/India/PlanetEarth

A call for donation.

I am excited.
WATAM is on the way to bring there service to another level by offering step by step to more and more streets a door to door service.
WATAM is transforming his waste management service with a tractor towards a real truck, which can more easily go to also smaller streets. …and can reach quicker the dump area.
WATAM now has about 2.7 Lakh together, to make this dream come through. There was a truck available for 2.5 Lakh, somehow in a good condition.
But there came a better offer around the door, for a nearly new truck, build in 2020, which was barely used because of Corona. It’s 4.7 Lakh. This truck could serve Moreh for about 10 years…. Because of his young age there is little repairing to expect and he needs also less gas than the older version.

Who can donate or contribute some or more Rupies, Dollars or Euros? Or give a credit? So still 2 Lakh are missing, means 2.745 $ or 2.242 €.

Please contact Thounaojam Shekharjit Luwangcha or sent to my account in Germany, if from Europe/International. Any $/€ helps.
Thomas Heinrich Schmöckel
Bank: Kreissparkasse Steinfurt
IBAN: DE46 40351060 0077526473
BIC: WELADED1STF
The money goes to 100% to WATAM. Any bank fees from my account to India I will cover.

Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
🤎🌍🌏🌎🤎
🌳🌲🌴🌲🌳
🤎🤎👋🤎🤎
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Today I complete the circle of 9 years (108 month) steppps peace walk. Germany to India (Myanmar just now out of political reasons not possible).
16 countries
About 24.000 km

I wanted to finish officially the peace walk. I felt a kind of vow I had given. I liked to be free of the vow.

Here I am.
Full moon tonight.

Here in Moreh/Manipur/India/PlanetEarth, at the border to Myanmar, I started a river clean up. Since 3.2. I just started, as reported, at the bridge of Khujailokh river close to the bazar in Moreh.

I report every day about the Clean Up on Facebook (Thomas Heinrich Schmöckel) if you like to follow. (Today day 84)

It is a lot to do.
And there is some progress.

In the mean time Khakhai builded me a house at the Lamlokh/Lailokh river. Since I moved in here, I feel day by day better and better to be here.
I even started a tree nursery yesterday. (I just feel to do so, so why not starting it, even while not knowing how long I stay?)
The Lailokh/Lamlokh river is a beautiful oasis of nature. Here, where I live now, its so fresh and pure (little further down the pollution starts)

Tomorrow, 28.4.2021, 9 years after doing the first steppps of this long journey, I will plant about 9 trees.
There, where I plant them, it’s a very complicated place. It was a total rubbish place. Everything is cleaned up now. Even though there is one water tank left, which the people (miss)use as a fire place. I clean that place up every day I am there.
People want change, but everyone sees the impact of ‚dramatic‘ change. Everyone need to change with there habbits, not to throw garbage eather in the river or to burn it.
And people also need really help, support from outside, living in such condition and surrounding.

Anyway, I am looking very much forward to plant these trees tomorrow.
The Forest department is supporting me with the sablings (as many as I wish to have).

The peace walk
I have the feeling, the peacewalk/peacework will not be finished. It just continues.
I just love this work/walk so much. And I love to continue.
I do not know (a little bit I know) where and how it continues. But its beautiful and I love to follow ‚It’s‘ plan.

I even dont know, how long I will stay here in Moreh (to my Mother I promised to come visit her end of June/beginning of July).
But signs are showing maybe other plans?

I love to follow my hearts advice.
I love to be with this work.
I love to be.

Thank you so much for supporting me all the years.
(Also post-walk news will be updated here)
Steppps is still alive and continues its work.

With Love
Thomas

Myanmar???
Finishing the Peace Walk in April????

Its not clear, if I can enter Myanmar at all.
If I can, I would like to walk until Yangon. But now, with the wish to complete the Peace Walk in the end od April it seems, even when the border opens, impossible. Yangon is at least 1.200 km away.
If I could enter Myanmar very soon, I could prolong the walk one or two month to reach the goal or end up in another place. Both possible.
(I guess a 2 weeks quarantine is needed by entering Myanmar)

Or, if the border does not open, I am also very fine to finish my peace walk here in Moreh with the clean up. So that would be maximum another 2 month on the project.

I am happy to announce, that I am happy with both options.

(But, if leaving to Myanmar, I would like to finish the clean up beautifully)

Love

Thomas

Dear friends.

I am still in Moreh/Manipur/India, border town to Myanmar.
Until the end of January I stayed in my room, somehow retreating.
It was a surprise, that the need of relaxation, relaxing, rest, just doing really nothing, was so big.

Then there was a rumour, that the border maid open at the 1.2.2021. That was the day of the coup in Myanmar. Finally I heard some days ago, that the border remained closed, not because of the coup, but still because of Corona.
Now there is a new rumour, that the border now maid open at the 1.3.2021. But I not really believe it.

CLEAN UP at Khujailokh River/Moreh.
At the beginning of February I started to clean up the Khujailokh River here in Moreh. I started at the bridge, where the main road bridges the river. Its quite in the center of Moreh, just 100m away from the main market.
Moreh town is somehow dusty, and even at my first day in Moreh I had the feeling, that people dont care about there town.
But surely I have also learned, that there are a lot of nice people, who like to have a better situation for Moreh.
Anyway, at that specific bridge people used to put there garbage directly in the river or to the side of the river, followed by making fire. So the place was somehow a dump for that surrounding area.
On the bridge is maybe 5 or more cm of dust, lots of sand… and the bridge is even a little bit broken. On the bridge and on other places close by there are rest of contruction material, like sand and stones. The whole area looks somehow like a mess. Every time a bike, car or truck drives by, a big wave of dust makes the main road unbreathable (but its paved) Luckly in this times we wear masks, so I have a protection.

So I made that place my starting point. Before I checked, if the town has a dump. I learned, they make fire there sometimes, so I walked towards the dump, to learn, that the dump is on Myanmar ground. At that time no fire to see, the dump area was visible, but I could not go very close.

Physically I clean up the river and area around since the 3rd of February. I learned that Shekharjit founded a clean up group, called WATAM, and works since 2016 for a cleaner Moreh. He is super engaged and there is still a long way to go, to change the habbit of the people. Since Corona times, there was not so much more done.
The press got interested and reports where done in several media, including TV stations, even in the news. ‚A German man started cleaning up the historic Khujailokh river in Moreh‘
Its a sensitive topic not only for the state of Manipur, but for all India. Everyone would like to have a cleaner surrounding and its so difficult to make it happen, because people are used to through everything whereever and citizens like to make fire to burn all the trash.
Several people from different organisations came to help me, for example Surjit from the reforestation hill area in Kakching / Binay (Binay Kumar Shahu), a Paracyclist and engaged for tree plantings (Give me trees) / Valentina, 9 year old girl, who became a award for taking care of trees and is now the Green ambassador of Manipur / Dimbeshwor, from Imphal, socially and environmentally envolved in many projects….
And many more. Officials got involved.

The neighbourhood looked sceptical in the beginning. Its not the first clean up, after a while they got more and more interested and want to be partly envolved, to keep the situation after my leave stable. Kids helped here and there and once in a large group.

These days I speak with a principal of a nearby school. I am also invited to the college of Moreh. Also some other meetings. In the background Shekharjit is working continuesly to organize volunteers and he speeks with officials to get support for changings and laws with fines…. He also arranged all the media at the end of the first week.

And one princip is, not to talk to much, but do every day something. To take every day bags and bags of collected trash out of the river.
Until now, three weeks after starting, there is a strech of 50-70meter done, but 3 more intence places in this area still need attention.
A tree area of 4, who stand and hang somehow with there roots and stam at a kind of wall close to the bridge. This tree roots and stams are full of trash, from the time people where throwing even more trash in the river.
On the other side of the bridge, on a higher level, there is an area, also from earlier times, where people threw garbage down. It has a level of 1,5m in height. Hard to reach.
And another area has to be worked with a rag through. That maid take another 2 or 3 days for one person. Also about 1m high.

At one side, there is a little place, really small, some tree saplings where already there and we planted two more.
The idea is to make this place a little bit cosy. Two or 3 benches are planed.

I have the feeling, that people quickly feel, that you want something from them, by cleaning up. Sure, they appreciate the clean up, but changing habbits, not to burn and to bring the trash to a collection point let the feeling of uncomfortableness rise.
By giving not only nature back, but providing something beautiful, like a relaxing area, could help, to see the positive side of changing habits….

Some days ago, some big frogs layed there eggs in front of us at the cleansed strech of the river. Such a joy. And they came so close.

The idea now is to clean the river towards the source and to see, where the trash enters the river. Which side arms are dry in the dry season and will spoil the garbage into the main river during Monsoon.

Its complex and still is fun, when I feel, nature is breathing again.

Every day through this period, I write a post on Facebook: ‚Thomas Heinrich Schmöckel‘

Dear friends.

You know, that I stuck at the border to Myanmar.
I found a lovely house, where I stay now since end of November 2020.
All together I am in Moreh/Manipur since the 22.11.2020.
It is not clear, what will happen.
Will the border open again?
Will I get help by some officials, diplomats or members of the Myanmar government?
Mainly I am fine with the situation and quite calm.

I am still clear, that the peace walk, I have started, has to end this year, best would be end of April, 9 years after I started in Germany (plusminus 1 month).
So its clear.
Today is the 11.1.2021.
The border is for sure closed until 31.1.2021.
Supposed I could enter in the beginning of February (but not clear at all) I had to be another 2 weeks in quarantine on the Myanmar side.
Then it’s already mid of February (most ideally)
Walking to Yangoon/Myanmar (1.200-1.400km) would take me about 4 month.
I would reach Yangoon mid of June.
So it seems, I maid have to let go of the final destination?
Anyway, its wise, at least to think about that option.

So, what whould be the alternates?

I do not have the real answers yet.
Yes I have some ideas.

So yesterday at around midnight, I just asked a question, into the room, to God….. ‚What should  I do?‘ ‚What do you want me to do?‘
And immediately I got an answer:
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT

I am holding the energy to complete the Peace Walk since I knew about this walk, since I was 26/27.
I am holding the energy to fulfill my commitment since I started the peace walk.
It was said: You will walk from South Germany to India when you are 50 (years old). Later I added Tibet (did not work out) and Myanmar because of some deep insides.
And in September 2018 there was another information coming through saying: If you go visit your mother next summer (2019) you can walk all the rest (of the way) in one row.
So, here I am, totally crossed all India from West to East…. not knowing, what will happen.
Somehow open, if thats ‚Gods will‘, to round up, finish the walk, here, where I am —— and also still open, if thats ‚Gods will‘ to wait a little longer, to see, if I can enter Myanmar…..
….and receiving last midnight the message
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT

This YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT is something!!!!
It makes me feel realising, that I do whatever I want …. so long already. On a very overviewing observing level of my life at least since I grew up. Even more observing from a much higher level since I choosed to be born in that family, I was born to. (Including all the struggles life has to offer)
This sentences makes me feel so free. Releases some tension in my system also.
Its freedom pure.

YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT

Border/Visa issue

All together I am pretty calm about this issue. I do not to much about it, and when, only the things, where I have an impulse to do so.

In the beginning I was busy with the Immigration officer here. 10 days ago I contacted the Myanmar embassy in New Delhi, but also not with a real positive result, except that they have been really friendly.

In the moment, I think, the only possibility is, because the border is closed because of Corona, that I get connected somehow to someone important enough from the Myanmar government or high ranged Diplomat from Myanmar embassy. So I started a call on some media in the hope to find someone who knows someone, who can connect to someone, who can solve the issue

This I published:
‚MYANMAR VISA
CALLING OUT FOR HELP

Who has connection to Myanmar foreign ministery, Myanmar embassey, Myanmar officials or others who could help me with my Myanmar Visa during this time.
I am since 5 weeks at the border (which I have used for relaxation) to Myanmar in Mohreh/Manipur/India and I would like to cross the border on foot.
In 2012 I started the Steppps Peace Walk in Germany. In the last 8 years I crossed 16 countries on foot and walked more than 23.000 km. My final country on this peacewalk is Myanmar. I like to walk until Yangoon. This is another 1200-1400 km.
After completing the Peace Walk I plan a 4-6 week meditation retreat in or clise to Yangoon.

I have the feeling, especially in this time, there is no other way to get a 6-month Visa, except with some direct connection to Myanmar government, embassey or other officials.
Who can help?

Please contact me here, by PM or WhatsApp +91 7807254511‘

I must say, I am really impressed by the kind way, Indians responded on the ‚Call‘ and the willing to help. But in this case, not so much can be done, except by high ranked people….. but there is now something on the way…. lets hope and wait…..

Yesterday I heard, that the border will be closed until 31.1.2021. Further order comes before the end of this order
……
……
……