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Some of you might remember Robert Grosch, who passed away last Monday after many years with a crippling and degenerative illness.
Robert was a great supporter of Bhante Analayo while he was still living in Germany. He also translated many of his books into German and organized retreats.
Robert also supported all monks who came to Hamburg like Ajahn Brahmali and Bhante Sujato. Myself, Bhante Sujato and Ayya Sabbamitta met him last during our stay in Hamburg in 2019. He came for an evening talk but had to lie down as sitting up for long periods of time was already too hard. It was the last time we saw him but we did not expect it was going to take another 3 years.
He was also instrumental in establishing Tilorien Monastery but was unfortunately already too ill to ever come and see it.
He dealt with his disease and pain with such a great level of love, dignity and optimism, living in the present moment and enjoying each moment he was still alive. He was a great example of kindness and caring, always ready to help others, even when he was already quite ill. His wife told me he died with a smile on his face.
May you be well and happy, Robert!
With love for the whole world,
unfold a boundless heart:
above, below, all round,
unconstricted, without enemy or foe.
I got to know Robert in 2013, when I first organized events for Bhante Sujato in Germany and other places in Europe. It was the first time I did such a thing, and I was very unsure how all this would work out.
One station on Bhante’s trip would be Hamburg, and at that time I didn’t know anybody there. I managed to host Bhante with the Buddhist society of Hamburg, but they did not have a driver to pick him up from the airport. So I asked among those who had subscribed to our retreat if there is someone from Hamburg who could do this. Someone volunteered, but said he has no car, so we had to rent a car.
And then out of the blue came an email by a guy I didn’t know, who was not on the list of retreat participants (he couldn’t participate because he had to work), but who said, “I’d be happy to pay for the rental car”! This guy was Robert.
This is how I got to know him.
And ever since I’ve known him as equally kind and helpful. In 2014, when on the occasion of Ajahn Brahm’s visit I came to Hamburg myself for the first time, Robert and his wife hosted me in their house, just to mention one other example.
May he harvest the fruits of his kind deeds—I am sure he does!
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Ich lernte Robert erstmals 2013 kennen, als ich Veranstaltungen für Bhante Sujato in Deutschland und anderen Orten in Europa organisierte. Es war das erste Mal, dass ich so etwas tat, und ich war recht unsicher, wie das alles funktionieren würde.
Eine der Stationen seiner Reise sollte Hamburg sein, und damals kannte ich dort niemanden. Ich konnte Bhante bei der BGH unterbringen, doch sie hatten niemanden, der ihn vom Flugplatz abholen konnte. So fragte ich unter denen, die sich für unser Retreat angemeldet hatten, ob jemand aus Hamburg dabei wäre, der das tun könnte. Es meldete sich auch jemand, der aber leider selbst kein Auto hatte; also wurde beschlossen, ein Auto zu mieten.
Und dann kam aus heiterem Himmel eine Email von jemandem, den ich nicht kannte und der nicht auf unserer Teilnehmerliste stand (er konnte am Retreat nicht teilnehmen, da er arbeiten musste), der sagte: „Ich möchte das Leihauto bezahlen“! Das war Robert.
So lernte ich ihn kennen.
Und seitdem habe ich ihn immer als genauso freundlich und hilfsbereit erlebt. 2014, als ich selbst anlässlich von Ajahn Brahms Besuch zum ersten Mal nach Hamburg kam, haben er und seine Frau mir in ihrem Haus eine Unterkunft angeboten, um nur ein weiteres Beispiel zu nennen.
Dass er die Früchte seiner Freundlichkeit ernten werde – ich bin sicher, das tut er!