Four global elders, one sacred mountain and a shared memory of wholeness

In celebration of KFBG’s 70th anniversary, four respected elders and lifelong teachers of KFBG gathered on the sacred mountain of Kwun Yum Shan. Together with 100 participants, they shared a day of deep connection, contemplation and dialogue.
Guided by the theme ‘Awakening of Memory’, the day invited participants to reconnect with the deeper wisdom within each of us - and the ancient understanding of how to live in harmony with nature. From the morning mist on the peak to experiential sessions across the mountain slopes – meditating on the summit, walking with ancient trees, indigenous song and dance, and storytelling beneath the banyan tree. The gathering culminated in a transformative dialogue hosted by Andrew McAulay.
Together, the elders explored indigenous ecological wisdom, the energetic memory held within living beings, and what it truly means to live with unconditional love for the Earth.
Full Archive Dialogue: Awakening of Memory with Andrew McAulay & Four Visiting Elders
The complete afternoon dialogue was recorded live at the Kadoorie Centre. Immerse yourself in the shared exchanges, collective playfulness and resonant teachings.
Voices of Wisdom & Core Insights
Satish Kumar
Satish Kumar is a renowned Indian-British activist, author and speaker known for his lifelong commitment to peace, ecology and social justice. He has been visiting KFBG since 2009 and inspired an education approach with head, heart and hands… View full biography

|
Insights on Sacred Soil and Trusteeship (rather than ownership): The words human, humus (soil), and humility share the same etymological root. Arrogance causes modern society to measure nature solely by its utility for economic growth, whereas recognising ourselves as temporary trustees restores our reverent bond with the living Earth. |
Insights on Cyclical Wisdom and the Myth of Efficiency: Modernity treats nature through an industrial, linear lens ("take, use, waste"), breeding ugliness and rushing in the name of speed. In contrast, nature embraces "inefficient abundance" – a cyclical rhythm rooted in beauty, slowness and lasting regeneration. |
Jhon Kwano
Jhon Kwano is a messenger of the Lani tribe, from the highlands of New Guinea, where he and his people still live as their ancestors have for thousands of years, in harmony with nature. His first visit to KFBG was in 2016…View full biography

|
Insights on Asking Permission and Living in Kinship: In ancestral life, nothing is extracted without communion; whether cutting wood, building a dwelling, or preparing food, one sits, talks and prays with that being first. Because we are nature, whatever harm we cause to a river or mountain is directly inflicted upon ourselves. |
Insights on Everyday Mindfulness in an Urban World: Even if people in urban centres like Hong Kong do not witness the physical devastation of forests and mining firsthand, the spiritual ripples are shared across the planet. True environmental awareness requires examining the origin of everything we consume, apologising to the elements when harm occurs and keeping gratitude present. |
Claire Elouard
Claire is a French biologist and ecologist, having conducted research across Asia and now leading Energy of Nature workshops, teaching intuitive connection and communication with nature worldwide. She has been teaching at KFBG since 2007…View full biography

|
Insights on Somatic Perception and Intuitive Trust: While the intellect consciously perceives around 2,000 things in an hour, the human body perceives over 400,000. Rather than relying solely on cognitive analysis, listening to physical sensations – noticing whether the body feels at ease or unsettled – allows us to access authentic intuition and realign with our inner sacredness. |
Insights on the Compassion and Living Channels of Trees: Trees fulfil physical ecological roles, but they also possess a subtle spiritual capacity: a yearning to help living beings awaken to their inherent sacredness. By consciously cultivating gratitude and love with them, we activate a healing, quantum bond with the energetic whole. |
Colin Campbell
Trained by African healers, Colin developed a deep understanding of animism, and his practices aim to take people of all nations into a restored and reconnected relationship with the wider natural world. Colin first visited KFBG in 2024…View full biography

|
Insights on the Memory of Water and Totality: Like a water droplet carried inland from the sea that yearns through hiraeth to return home, every living being carries an existential pull toward totality. Water carries the memory of ancestry – the deep continuum of life connecting humans to animals, trees, stones and the cosmos. |
Insights on Love and Gravity as Forces of Coherence: Just as gravity physically binds celestial bodies in space, love psychically binds consciousness. Both are mysterious, ubiquitous forces whose ultimate objective is the return to wholeness. Through restorative relationships and sacred storytelling, we reawaken to this underlying unity. |
Join the Conversation
How does the wisdom of Kwun Yum Shan and the four elders resonate in your daily life? Share your personal reflections in our YouTube discussion forum or tag us on Instagram using #KFBGAwakeningOfMemory.