Funeral Service – Appenzell – Säntis – Lake Seealpsee – The time has come when I must go without a friend!
The Alpstein, with its striking peaks, wide alpine meadows, and the still waters of Lake Seealpsee, is a place of profound presence. Between rock and sky, water and wind, the transience of life becomes tangible – as does its quiet depth and beauty. As a funeral officiant, Abbot Reding of Nigredo Monastery designs farewell ceremonies in the Alpstein individually, with dignity, mindfulness, and deep respect for nature. Each ceremony follows the wishes of the family and honors the life and path of the deceased.
In this farewell, the ceremony was held in the Brother Klaus Chapel, a place of silence, prayer, and inner gathering. Afterwards, the ashes were scattered in Lake Seealpsee, whose calm waters receive and carry the transition with quiet strength.
The gathering following the burial took place at the Mountain Inn Forelle, where the funeral meal was shared. In this space, memories were spoken, stories remembered, and human closeness gently restored.
Prayer and Meditation in the Alpstein
O you saints and wise ones
dwelling in the ten directions,
merciful and all-seeing,
endowed with loving compassion and protecting power,
come to this place through the strength of mercy
and receive this offering, both material and spiritual.You compassionate ones,
you possess discerning wisdom,
loving action, and protecting strength
beyond all forms of imagination.I now leave this world for the other shore.
Leave the world – nothing remains but to die.
Alone, without companions, without outer refuge,
with uncertainty and without firm ground.The light of my life has faded.
I step into another reality,
move through darkness, through dense forest,
through unknown terrain.Driven by the winds of consequence,
I wander without solid footing.
Images of fear arise,
thoughts unsettle me.O compassionate ones, be my refuge,
for I have no refuge of my own.
Protect me from the great darkness
of the intermediate realm between death and birth.Guide me safely past the storm of death,
guard me from fear and disorientation.
Let no being fall
into the power of harmful actions.Accompany me on this long journey
and lead me onward in peace.
The Alpstein grants a unique dignity to farewell. The openness of the mountains, the clarity of the water, and the silence of the heights help us to let go while remaining deeply connected.
Here, death is not denied, but consciously received – as part of life,
as a passage, as a quiet calling into new responsibility.
May your journey be gentle.
Rest in peace.