Gathering of the Sangha

ahymsin newsletter, issue - 17, February - march 2010

Gathering of the Sangha

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh
1-12 February 2010

From February 2007 to February 2010, for three years the entire AHYMSIN family undertook the observance of reciting a special mantra:

ity-uktā sā tadā devi
gambhīrāntah-smitā jagau
durgā bhagavatī bhadrā
yayedam dhāryate jagat

The meaning and the purpose of this mantra was explained at that time – to bring stability, to bring stability to our individual hearts and minds, stability in our spiritual practices; thereby stability in our emotions; thereby stability in our body language, verbal language (voice, tone), all manner of our communication, and through that, stability in our relationships, in our families, in our communities, and through that stability, expanding its circles, stability in our spiritual family.

"I have been delighted and gratified that so many participated in this observance, and I have seen,

Swamiji reciting 1000 names of Shiva on Shivaratri

witnessed the stability it has brought to our spiritual family, the results of which are visible in the satsanga, the gathering of the aspiring souls of the sangha, of the fraternity that came together here at Swami Rama's Sadhaka Grama from February 1 to 12,” Swami Veda explained before introducing the new practice.

“Brothers and Sisters” was the way that AHYMSIN President Dr. Mohan Swami referred to Guru family members at the Gathering of the Sangha and perhaps those words capture the feeling of sangha that many experienced. He reminded us that Gurudeva Swami Rama taught us love.

People from around the globe filled SRSG to explore the idea of and to experience sangha, to discuss AHYMSIN, to elect a new Executive Committee, to celebrate Shivaratri, to have the purnahuti of the Ityukta mantra, and to be initiated into the new spiritual practices for the years 2010-2013…and in this

process of sharing, there was much laughter and many loving actions as well as a deepening of community.

Zia Rawji eloquently likened sangha to a human body, where the various parts all work together as an expression of one body.

And in the small and also the large group discussions, old and young shared, male and female shared, all colors shared, all religions shared, many countries shared. And this sharing reached into deep personal areas with a trust that allowed the sharing of the pleasant and the unpleasant, the perceived successes and failures, current perceptions and concerns…

Pre-event letters had been sent to leaders of affiliated centers asking for nominations for the AHYMSIN Executive Committee. Those nominated were asked to either accept or not accept the nomination. When this process was completed, there emerged a list of candidates, and the AHYMSIN family confirmed these individuals as the new Executive Committee.

AHYMSIN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2010

Spiritual Guide: Swami Veda Bharati
President: Dr. Mohan Swami
Executive Director, AHYMSIN (ex officio): Rajah Indran
Senior Vice President: David Hume
Vice Presidents: Atem Ramsundersingh, Shi Hong
General Secretary: Sadhana Mishra
Assistant Secretaries: Jean Tan, Linda Billau, Sonia Van Nispen
Treasurer: Narindar Pushkarna
Elected members: Chander Khanna, Daniel I. Jalba, Feroze Nasrullah, Idriss Raoua Ouedraogo, Jim Nelson, John Barry Stutt, Iida Fuku, Willem Meijer,
Winthrop Harewood, Wolfgang Bischoff
1 Representative TTP, Chuck Linke
1 Representative DMT, currently Bhola Shankar Dabral
1 Representative Himalayan Institute Kanpur, H. P. Manchanda
1 Representative SRSG, currently Adhikari Bhoi
1 Representative Adhyatma Samiti, currently Carolyn Hume

Swami Veda reminded us that there is no Executive Committee, there are no officers, there are only initiates…a family of initiates.

The Executive Committee reconfirmed the mission as it came forth from the meeting in Port Dickson, Malaysia, in 2008.

Our Mission

To liberate ourselves and others and demonstrate pure spirituality and love in all our action (not in-action);
To make available the knowledge and teachings of Swami Rama and the Himalayan Tradition
To reach out to a large number of people
To ensure continuity, evolution and sustainability of the Himalayan Tradition by developing the capacity of the next generation of teachers and masters in the AHYMSIM family
To provide charity and solidarity services to those in need

In addition to the meetings, there were daily meditations, hatha yoga, and fire ceremony with punctuations of music and dance. SRSG residents worked and worked as well as being active delegates.

Into the fire was offered the Ityukta practice.

Swamiji introduced the new practice,

“Now it is time for us to go further, to seek wisdom and the wisdom of enlightenment by the grace of the Guru. Our next gathering of this kind will be from February 25 to March 11 [2013]. Part of that time, nine days, will be satsanga in total silence, the rest of the time for other contemplations and deliberations. Imagine 300 people in silence on the sacred grounds for nine days, silently devoting their bodies, prana, hearts and minds to a merger with infinity, with the serenity of the Divine Being! What energy it will generate, not only for the participants on location to feast upon, but what rays will go emanating from it to the entire sangha on all continents wherever our Gurudev's disciples meet in meditation!

The mantra for this time, for this period is two mantras: The first part is the akhanda-mandalākāram mantra, to seek the grace of the Guru, to seek the awakening of the Guru Chakra so that we all may become linked with that endless chain of the lineage which may confer upon us an open door through which we may enter the portals of wisdom. The second part will be an expanded version of the Gayatri mantra.”

For the 2010-2013 practices, please visit: http://www.ahymsin.org/main/index.php/Initiates/2010-2013-practice.html

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