THRILLER: The Galilee Plot: (International Biological Terror, The Mossad, and... A Self-contended Couple)
Page 13
In the streets of Zurich there were gigantic posters of the Dalai Lama with his humble and innocent smile. The current Dalai Lama does not insist on a sacred dimension or on enlightenment, but on his status as a Tibetan Buddhist from birth.
The Swiss are proud of their long-stemmed horns, virtually identical to the Tibetan Rag-Dung, which settles the argument over the origin of the Swiss. Of course, this is the opinion of the gown-wearers, male as well as female. I did not hear any other opinion expressed, despite the deafening peals of bells on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The visit of the exiled Dalai Lama to Zurich passed off quietly. What the future holds for the exiled Dalai Lama and for his European acolytes – is not easily foretold. Anyway, there was a flood of visitors to Zurich from states neighbouring Switzerland, not to mention neighbouring cantons, especially the German-speaking ones. On Buddhism in general and on the Dalai Lama in particular, I have written extensively in my previous books. In a nutshell, as I put it – Buddhism is nothing other than comprehensive suicide, of the body, the spirit and the soul. Recently, a fervent Buddhist responded with the claim that those who believe in God and turn to Him are nothing other than despicable cowards, from which it follows – he who spurns and dispels God is the fearless and heroic one, and not the reverse. Without wishing to stir up the sticky morass of claim and counter-claim too energetically, the kind of stirring that invariably and inevitably results in something very malodorous, it could be said, in writing of course and without entering into argument, of which Lao Tsze declares: “Arguing is not high-minded, and the high-minded do not argue” (Tao Teh Ching) – that I prefer to remain on the high-minded plane, as Lao Tsze has helpfully defined it.
Anyway, the Swiss authorities applauded the visit of the Dalai Lama to Zurich, which gave an added impetus to tourism, external and internal, an important and profitable sector of the Swiss economy, supplemented this time by the manufacture of gowns, Tibetan style, also useful in the bathroom and turning a handsome profit when sold at the same price to all (merely conjecture).
Appendix B
Every year, Zurich is decorated by puppets illustrating a certain theme. Two years ago these were colourful benches, this year bears appeared. King bears, bears in the costumes fashionable at the court of Louis XIV, astronaut bears, mountaineering bears, police bears, construction-worker bears, chocolate bears, etc. etc. Dolls, drawing the attention of tourists, clicking away with their cameras, especially tourists from the Far East, and providing national entertainment, uniquely Swiss, for the Swiss residents of the place.
In a central location, in a corner of the Bahnhoff, opposite the central railway station, stands a gigantic caricature of Einstein, dressed as a bear, and beneath it the caption: “Monsieur Al-Bear Einstein”.
It is painful to see an eminent scientist, one of the greatest thinkers of the Twentieth Century, reduced to a laughing-stock for the benefit of yokels.
In my native country, the national poet, Yaborov, wrote a poem in praise of the Armenians. The emotional Armenians asked for and received from their government, permission to erect a memorial statue to Yaborov. At the base of the statue was the inscription: “To Yaborov, from the grateful Armenians.”
Einstein, who carried the name of Switzerland from one end of the world to the other, was proud of his studies in Zurich and never had anything but good to say about Switzerland. And now, when everything has gone sour and Einstein is dead and buried, the manufacturers of chocolate and cuckoo-clocks are trying to give him the customary make-over.
The Swiss are in favour of integration and prepared to engage in incisive debate with all who oppose it, in any way. But, like other members of the family of German-speaking nations, they feel their skin crawling whenever conversation turns to that Jew who was indeed proud of his Swiss nationality – and yet this pride was not enough to turn him into a Swiss in their eyes.
About the Author
Shlomo Kalo was born in 1928 in Sofia, Bulgaria and was active in the anti-Fascist underground from the age of 12. At the age of 15, he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. At the age of 18, he won a prize in a poetry competition. He Studied medicine in Prague where he also worked as a journalist. As an overseas volunteer for the newly established Israel, he was sent to train as a pilot in Olomouc and in 1949 immigrated to Israel. He was awarded M.Sc. in microbiology by the Tel-Aviv Univ. and Became director of medical laboratories in Israel's largest health care service.
The sharp turn in his life which occurred in the first week of 1969 has been reflected ever since in his creation. 80 titles of his were published in Israel: fiction and literary non-fiction written in a variety of genres. His works have so far been translated and published in 17 countries.
Some fiction titles written by Shlomo Kalo's that are available on Amazon (Links lead to Kindle format editions):
THE CHOSEN trilogy:
Book I: THE YOUTH An Epic Novel based on the Biblical story of Daniel
Book II: THE PROPHET
Book III: A MAN MUCH LOVED
LILI A novel of Love Suspense and Redemption of the true kind
ATHAR a Holocaust Memoir
FOREVERMORE Gripping documented stories from Jewish history
ERRAL An autobiographical novel
THE DAY IS COMING
THE TROUSERS – Parables for the 21st Century