(Symposium on different interpretations of genesis of the world, organised by CAS Logos in the frame of Forum Orient-Occident, Ljubljana, May 2003)

A fiendly Good morning to each and everyone of You!

We all have had the opportunities for the first greetings and that initial ¨”How are You doing?”, so it is time for a heartly welcome on behalf of all those who are hosting the fourth formal get together of this friendly group which is also the third meeting of the forum Orient-Occident. This time we are gathered under the title The beginning of things and the Logos members are delighted to have the opportunity of hosting this symposium and anxious to organize a pleasant exchange of thoughts.

Welcoming You on the behalf of KUD-Logos means also using this opportunity to thank the Union Hotel for its hospitality and especially Mrs. Dubrovka Štojs, who has been helping us for the last two years with the monthly organization of Philocafes in the Café of this same hotel. We thank You all for Your presence, special thanks to all those among You who have prepared the contributions and all those who are eagerly awaiting the possibility to take part in the discussion. Painter Matej Metlikovič and dancer Eva Stramšek have prepared an introduction to the symposium and the Coreography of the beginnings – a dance against the setting of Metlikovič’s paintings – will bring us into the right mood for the theme. Thoelogist Ivan Štuhec will comment on it.

Today’s theme: The Beginning of things, especially with the subtitle: Different Understandings of Genesis, is of general interest, always modern, it has challenged and is more or less constantly challenging practically everybody. Goimg through the programme and looking at the faces in the audience, I dare say that we have all experienced its challenge in many different ways: in the rich diversity of everyday’s situations as well as in the depth of fundamental questions. The programme and above all the discussion promises to deal with many different points of view and – let’s hope – also to confront some of them.

The sharp thinkers and experienced lecturers, who will take us to ever challenging and often also frightening world of presentations, thoughts and convictions about the Beginning of the beginnings will – I am sure of it – skillfuly avoid the pitfall on this way, which is often so well concealed. The one namely, which tries to present partial victories and defeats on this long journey as the final triumph of a conviction or as a decisive disaster of another point of view.

When talking about the Beginning of the beginnings the cautious steps of the human mind in the sense of proofs based on positive science are above all a very humble walk in the persuasion that human intuition can reach the areas that are not accessible to the scientifically logical human mind.

If the final answer is per definitionem out of reach for the natural sciences, we must not give up hope to make any logical common sense statements at all. But if we travel through this same land carried on the wings of art, intuition, admiration and vision, we are rewarded by far more complete answers, which engage our whole being, make us feel as if we are really there, but they are of course less provable and therefore less obligatory for everyone to consider.

In this case the question:”Do you see?” usually gets the answer: “No, but I feel it!” or even: “No, but I believe it!” While on the other hand, when discussing theories and proofs in the first case, one usually ends up with:”No, I do not see it, try and explain it again!”

There are situations when either of the two ways of becoming familiar with this topics fascinates us! Let it be so! As long as we are fascinated, we look forward to the next step, to the next vision! In this mood I am asking Nike Kocijančič-Pokorn who will preside the morning session to take over, but first of all I am inviting Eva Stramšek to dance in the Coreography of the beginnings in front of the paintings of Matej Metlikovič.