The Base of Congress60

The fifteenth  session of 60^th  round of the Academy Branch Workshops was held on 6 December, 2017 at 10:05 a.m., this meeting was held by Master Dezhakam as the master of ceremony and Mr. Amir as the secretary. The weekly agenda was "The Base of Congress60".

Master Dezhakam: I am glad to be here with you today. I am fine and hope you are keeping well. Last week, I told you that I deny the promise I had made many years ago to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of my birthday. It is a bother for me to go from one city to another; that is why I do not celebrate my birthday and let this opportunity go for those who want to celebrate their first anniversary of getting liberated from addiction, because they need it more.

Today's agenda is the "Base of Congress60" and it is important to speak about it; because we have passed a special path with each other's assistance and God's willing. We could pass this special path because its movement was appropriate and the Base of Congress60 planned very well.  Since the foundation was well placed and organized, the next matters will be well set. If the first brick of a building is not well placed, it will go up crookedly. That is why Congress60 could continue its way for almost 20 years and work in  20 cities. We have a lot of requests to establish different branches in different cities; however, I have resisted; because I do not want to develop Congress60 without plan and [required] quality. I have allowed establishment of new branches as far as we could control them and employ decent members, because it (addiction treatment) is a very delicate and sensitive matter. With each other's assistance, we could solve a problem which was not accepted by other groups (to solve) or even if they accepted it, they could not solve it. Addiction was considered to be a stealthy, chronic and progressive disease; however, in Congress60, it was revealed that addiction is a curable disease, its cure was discovered and the question of the addiction was resolved.

From the very beginning day, Congress60 was not established in inhospitable places, first, we sent  scientific articles to universities. Before the establishment of Congress60, an article on the "Question of Addiction" was sent to a (national) medical Congress. After a while, another article on "non-detoxification" was submitted to Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and then, other articles were sent to other seminars.

The number of liberations from addiction by the end of 2017 reaches 24000 individuals. By the end of 2016, the number of liberations was 2000 individuals and by the end of 2017,       it will reach 24000 individuals. In the next year, we will have 4000 to 5000 liberated from addiction. Many individuals have been educated in Congress60. The important thing is not merely liberation from addiction (although the number of liberations is great); if we imagine that one percent of this number could die as a result of addiction, we would reach a great number; therefore, Congress60 has saved a great number of lives.

Another important point is that the path (of liberation) has been marked and today this path is like a Highway and completely marked. Today, Congress60 has good reputation. All people and authorities know Congress60 and they have positive attitudes towards it. They all support Congress60 irrespective of their religious and political categorizations and Congress60 has always been appreciated by them. Nowadays, if they want to hold meetings about addiction, they invite Congress60 to attend those meetings.

Congress60's manuscripts are very advanced. The book of "Crossing the Zone of 60 Degrees below Zero" is now in its 29^th edition. The book of "Love" is in its 9^th edition and the book "Edmond and Helga" was written within two or three years and all its copies were sold. I have several books which are unpublished yet, because there must be required awareness so that I can publish them.

We have good monetary status now. When we started working, we had a hard time and situation. 20 years ago, when we wanted to prepare Iftar [meal served in Ramadan], [since we had not enough money], we split a piece of cheese with bobbin thread [so that it can be served to all the members]. However, now we just call Mr. Ashkezari to buy 10 gallons of cheese. Now, we buy 500 or 600 kilograms of rice. We are not in short of money now. We have bought a very good building. Just few NGOs are capable of doing so. All Congress60 members are independent (of the public). All Congress60's members in all cities come to Congress60's help, because they have realized what they are doing here. They identify the Right Path and this comes from Congress60's education.

Congress60's members try to be righteous people, they try not to lie, not to cheat or overprice. They not only cure addiction, but also they try to act humanely. Congress60 does not train them to mealy cure their addiction, but rather to do many other [righteous] deeds.

If I want to talk about Congress, I have to say many things, but it is not possible to tell where we were and now where  we are. Nothing was possible without your assistance. First of all, with the help of all the Didebans (Watchers) and then with the assistance of my family, we could pass difficulties and reach this position.

If I wanted to celebrate my birthday, I think we were in short of place for gathering of 10000 members. I want to spend my time and energy on education. I think it is better to write articles and plan [for future] than to go to other cities to celebrate my birthday.

By the way, I am glad to be with you and enjoy. It is enjoyable to live with you. Putting aside the compliments, we are together now a family. We do not tell lies and we do not compliment: we see you more than our family members, I might have seen my own sister living in Tehran two years ago or I may see my brother twice a year, but I always see you and if we do not see each other, we miss each other.

We have no blood-kinship here [we are not each other's family members]; however, our kinship is spiritual, [i.e. since we have the same interests; we have come together]. Birds of a feather flock together", we laugh together, we joy together, and we weep together. We are all linked together. We are important to each other. One of the hardships that people are now suffering from is that they are alone. We do not experience such a thing [because in Congress60, we are all living happily together]. If some of you depart from Congeress60, you will miss Congress60 and you will be sick. By the way, today is the date (6 December 1997) on which the Base of Congress60 [Mr. Hossein Dezhakam] got liberated from addiction and the seed of Congress60 was sowed in the history and we always honour this day and we value it.  

I won't speak more, because we have lots of liberations today. If want to speak about Congress60's memories and past, it will be a voluminous book [taking much time to retell].

Transcribed by traveler Ahmad Sharifian

Photographer traveler Sirous

Translated by Elahe