Matters of Life and Death

At times, people may threaten you because they are on the side of death. For instance, during one of our workshops, a Swiss man entered with a cat tucked in his pocket. He released the cat into the group.

He said, "Yesterday, I went to the cemetery with a gun in my pocket, intending to kill myself. Then I saw this kitten and decided not to do it." So, what did I do? I said, "Come with me to your room and give me your gun." He handed me the gun. This was a matter of life and death. By giving up the gun, he lost his power; he could no longer use death as a threat. Now, death was on my side, and I was not afraid. The next day, he came in and said that a line from a poem had come to mind: "Death is a master from Germany."

The man was Swiss, and I am German. Everyone laughed. You see, sometimes to reach an extreme, you have to go right to that limit. Therefore, work like this can only be done if you are fearless and have no specific agenda. Have I made myself clear?

Extracted from “The Path of Family Constellation (DVD)

- 2002 Hellinger Supervision Course Recordings”