In this presentation on the life of Swami Ramakrishnananda, two sources have been used extensively: God Lived With Them, by Swami ChetananandaSwami Ramakrishnananda: The Apostle of Sri Ramakrishna, by Swami Tapasyananda We encourage everyone to read these full accounts of this dedicated disciple of Sri Ramakrishna to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for undeviating service to …
Spring/Summer 2013
Babaji’s Classes from April to August, 2013 Dissolving the Mindstream Mindfulness is one thing, but what about taking up the mind and possessing it, mastering it? If one renounces Nature and that is as far as one goes, then one gets abhava, formlessness. But man and Nature remain separate. What kind of oneness is that? But if one renounces Nature …
Spiritual Director Message
Namaste to the SRV friends and devotees, and to all the smiling heads that encircle Mother Kali’s beautiful neck. May Her Munda Mala always aid and inspire. As the unforgettable Summer of 2013 ends, leading into Autumn, we all are preparing for and looking forward to the October retreat at Windwood Waters and all that it has to offer us. …
And Mother Claps Her Hands…
It is always a wondrous phenomenon to witness how the Master and Mother draw their spiritual children into their embrace. The SRV sangha was recently blessed with the addition of a new sangha sister. Carol Stockwell of Canada received initiation from Babaji and was given the name Savitri. Savitri, who was born in California, moved to Canada at the …
Wisdom in Action
The Yoga Armor: Applying the Teaching of Yoga and Vedanta in Daily Life by Joshua McDaniel For one new to the spiritual path, comprehending and practicing the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta in daily life can be very difficult. Animalistic and worldly samskaras can obstruct, for example, adopting the Yamas and Niyamas or obtaining the four qualifications of the spiritual …
Retreat on Hawaii Island
Join us for 3 full days at our beautiful Hawai’I ashram overlooking the Pacific ocean. Surrounded by lush vegetation and the tropical sounds of frogs, birds, and the native chuckling gecko, we will dive deeply into the nondual Wisdom & Devotion that transcends the beauty of nature and leads to abiding peace, contentment, bliss, and realization of our birthless, deathless …
The Superlative Practitioner
Friends, students, devotees, and disciples: To all those who are actively and consciously living a spiritual life in the world, and even to those who are merely attempting to do so, I offer my profound salutations and the eternal support of my tradition and lineage gurus. Over recent days my mind has been dwelling on the theme of perseverance, teamed …
And Mother Claps Her Hands…
The Portland SRV Sangha now has a new Sangha brother. Andrew McDonald received from Babaji the name Svabhava which translates as “one’s essential nature,” meaning the essence of Brahman. Born in Toronto, Canada to first-generation Irish immigrants, Svabhava and his family eventually moved to Southern California where he grew up. He was raised in a Protestant culture and went to …
Winter 2013, India Pilgrimage
View our slideshow here (and you must click on the center of the screen to view the captions.) During our pilgrimage in India Babaji gave several classes. Below are a few notes: To become aware of one’s thoughts is to become aware of prana. Prana is a lot like our attention span. When we study, we focus for an hour and do …
Retreat 2013: Vivekananda & Qualification
Vivekananda & Qualification — Spring Retreat in Seattle [Last February, we gathered with Babaji in honor of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary to study the nature of spiritual qualification in the aspirant through the lens of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and statements. Using Babaji’s chart, “Qualification is King,” as a foundation outlining essential concepts in seven philosophical systems (Sankhya, Yoga, Vedanta, …