Reflection/Reviewby Marleigh Fansler I’ve been going to the kid’s retreat for two years now, and I have to tell you, it’s awesome! Not only do you get to learn about a beautiful way of life, but each day you get to go down to the American River for some nice fun in the sun. I enjoy the teachings of Vedanta …
“…Oh, for an Ounce of Practice!”
SRV Summer Retreat
by Mahesh Madhav
Swamiji asked us all to give forth one ounce of practice. We certainly partook in more than an ounce during the American River Retreat! I felt the balance of meditation, class, housework, and river play was a perfect mix to each day. We all had a chance to participate in these four activities, which I mapped onto raja, jnana, karma, and bhakti yogas. The retreat really showed us how to live a divine life by bringing these four yogas into practice each day.
Chapel Libraries Need Books
Prior to starting up Vedanta classes, most of the five Oregon prisons that Babaji and sangha volunteers visit had no books on Vedanta, except, perhaps a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. Now, each prison’s chapel library has a small selection of books that SRV has donated from its own stock. But there are important books missing that are beyond our current ability to give without help from others.
Nectar of Nondual Truth: A FEAST!
Nectar #25 (Winter 2010) is underway and promises to be a feast of universality in the spirit of all-inclusive Advaita – Nonduality. Here’s a look inside:
Dharma Doorway of Nonduality, by Robert Thurman
Emptiness & Compassionate Action, by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
God Who Cares, by Swami Aseshananda
Invitation to the Path of Love, by Sheikh Muzaffer Effendi
Comprehending Nonorigination, by Babaji Bob Kindler
Rationality & God – What’s the Problem?, by Larry Herzberg, Ph.D.
Ramana Maharishi & Buddhist Nondualism, by Lex Hixon
Jainism: Part 2, by Swami Brahmeshananda
The Tao — The Way of Life, by Beverly Daggett
Ever Free, Never Bound, by Paravasta
Plus, Nectar of Advaitic Instruction, Wisdom Facets, Nectar Reviews and more…..
Thakur’s Antaranga
In the person of Swami Shivananda, one of Sri Ramakrishna’s direct disciples as well as the second President of the Ramakrishna Order, we see a towering figure of spiritual illumination and tireless service to humanity.
Born into an influential Brahmana family in Bengal, he was blessed with parents who had material means as well as a great yearning for God realization. After losing her first son, the Swami’s mother devoted herself to austerities and devotion at the Shiva Temple near Tarakswar. Soon afterward the Swami was born and named Tarak, after the temple at which she had worshipped.
As a young man, Tarak had a yearning to explore and understand the nature of samadhi, and questioned many people, but no one had sufficient knowledge of this state of spiritual absorption in which union with God is achieved. Through a friend, he learned that Sri Ramakrishna had experienced this rare state, and Tarak’s spiritual longing led him to the feet of the Master whom he immediately saw as one who had achieved God realization. He quickly felt a deep attachment to Sri Ramakrishna and felt that he had already known him a long time.
Tarak, filled with the faith and certitude of a child, surrendered himself to the Master and went to see him often, either in Dakshineswar or Calcutta.
Wisdom in Practice
Choice Garments by PrashantaprakashaWhen asked if I could write something for the newsletter’s ‘Wisdom in Practice’ section I thought, “ok, sure.” An attitude of optimism; such has been my response to opportunities that have come during the past few months. I’m not absolutely sure, but I think the reason for my openness is because they have all been opportunities to …
Book Review
“Days in an Indian Monastery” by Sister Devamata Although the title, “Days in an Indian Monastery,” nicely conveys the spiritual dignity of the book, it does not do justice to the expanse of treasures tucked within. As an American Ramakrishna nun, Sister Devamata had the gift of spending two years (1909 -11) in the company of Sri Ramakrishna’s direct disciples, …
Seeking Volunteers
Karma Yoga and Creativity SRV Associations is announcing part-time staff positions in a variety of important, creative, and inspiring activities. Some require just a few hours a month, some ask for a few hours a week. Some positions can be done from wherever you live and do not require living close to an SRV center. Please open up the links …
SRV Publishing Needs New Monitor
The large Sony 20″ monitor that Babaji and Loke Ma have used for 8 years to create Nectar and layout his/SRV’s books has finally broken down permanently. The new flat screen monitors are long, but too short to show a whole page at the size required, so he needs to have a rather long screen, about 26″ or longer. We …
SRV DATABASE and EMAIL LIST Manager Needed
We are looking for a volunteer to streamline and maintain the various lists we use. Skills Needed: Knowledge of database formats, querying records, creating reports for Excel, and merging data for labels. We currently use Alpha 5 version 6 in combination with Word Perfect for labels and Excel for reports. Internet skills: manager may need to pull addresses from our …