Month: October 2023

As the seasons turn, Mother Nature herself undergoes a metamorphosis, while always covered in a blanket of softness and grace. The sweet songs of birds in the pleasantly cold mornings carry the promise of a new dawn, imbuing the sacred ashram atmosphere with a sense of wonder, awe and magic. In the sacred sanctuary that is the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, the onset of Navaratri reminds us of the spirit of the revered Mother Divine, inviting us to bask in her love and warmth.

Our ashram joyfully celebrates the Divine Mother’s presence and the transformative energy of the Navaratri festival. The festivities commenced with a morning puja at the Ma Tara temple, where the 9-day pujas began with Kalash-sthapana, Panchanga puja, Guru puja and a sankalpa for the 9-day non-stop 24-hour recitation of the Lalita Sahasranama (Thousand names of the Mother Divine). The mantra chantings filled the air, holding all in their loving embrace, and setting the stage for the 9-day celebrations.

The unbroken recitation of the Lalita Sahasranama chantings filled these 9 days and nights with countless blessings and resonating vibrations. These chantings are dedicated to the Divine Mother, who is Shakti Herself, and infused a fresh radiance to our days and a depth of silence to our nights.

With the blessings of the Mother Divine, we began our special retreat on “Cultivating the Divine Feminine” with Rabindra Sahu on the first day of the Navaratri. The retreat was dedicated to understanding and contemplating upon the 9 forms of the Divine Mother for each day of the Navaratri. We also spoke on how to cultivate and revere the feminine energy within ourselves and in others around us. During the retreat, we learnt how to properly recite the Lalita Sahasranama as well.

Rabindra ji inspired the participants to align, cultivate, and honour the feminine principles that are ever-present within us all and to nurture these divine feminine qualities within all of us.

During the retreat, many participants shared that in a world that often emphasizes competitiveness and harshness for material success, the value of gentleness is often not appreciated and is overlooked. As we all remember our dear Swami Veda emphasising the importance of remaining feminine in nature and loving all. The retreat offered much opportunity to reflect upon his teachings, “Your success as a commander in the army or your becoming a president or your becoming a millionaire, they are absolutely no worth so far as the perennial principles dealing with the essences of life are concerned and when you establish a society in which the entire  value is a political value and the entire value is an economic value, in  such a society there is no place left for two representatives of the  perennial essences, the philosopher and the woman.”

We learnt how the feminine principle encourages us to embrace softness, and humility. We learned how to cultivate love, beginning with our families and how we can extend these qualities into our interactions at workplaces, in social circles, and in our interactions with everyone else.

On the 9th day of the Navaratri, we celebrated Kanya Pujan, where we worshipped 9 young girls representing the 9 forms of Goddess Durga (Navadurga). They are considered as manifestations of Shakti, and offerings of mantras, food, clothes, and other gifts were made to them. After the offerings were accepted by the young goddesses, prasada or gracious remanent food is accepted by all others.

We pray to the Mother Divine for her continued blessings and grace upon us.

Editor’s Note:

Dr Swati Saharan is an initiate in the Himalayan Tradition. She was a student at the Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam during 2022-23 and is now offering her seva at the SRSG Ashram.

You may also want to read about the experiences of the Hungarian group during the Cultivating the Divine Feminine Retreat here.

The Grace of the Himalayan tradition is often subtle, and yet pervasive, and inspiration can strike us in countless ways. With Guru’s Grace, finally our Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam now has the opportunity to welcome international students beginning this year for the One-Year Residential Program in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition.

You will be delighted to know that on the auspicious day of the Vijayadashami we welcomed the second batch of the Gurukulam with six students. The group consists of three Indian students and three international students (on one-year student visas).

(From left to right: Vipul, Pt Deepak, Shrikanth, Samrat, Anna from Italy, Barbara from Belgium, and Indji from Egypt.)

The one-year residential program for the Gurukulam has been carefully designed and planned to encompass the teachings of the Himalayan Tradition as taught by Swami Rama and Swami Veda. The focus is to support and nurture self-observation, self-examination, self-purification, and self-pacification that leads to Self-transformation.

As the Gurukulam-Acharya, Rabindra Sahu, has shared his sentiments on the first day of the Gurukulam 2023-24, “The Gurukulam is a sacred pilgrimage of self-discovery, woven with the threads of ancient wisdom and unfolds a mystical journey within. This program, a tribute to the teachings of Swami Rama and Swami Veda, with the blessings of the Himalayan Tradition, calls upon seekers from all over the world to embark on a year-long pilgrimage of the self-discovery. The second batch of students, coming from India and beyond, began their program with a celestial Yajna, and now find themselves immersed in the depths of Sanskrit studies and meditative practices at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. Swami Ritavan, a guardian of the Tradition’s teachings, continues to offer countless moments of inspiration upon all seekers, inviting us to learn, practice, absorb, reflect, and surrender to the teachings bestowed upon them.

As the students tread upon this inner journey, I pray that they align themselves with the opportunities that will unfold throughout this year-long program and seek the blessings of the Lineage at every step of the way. The Gurukulam program echoes Swami Veda’s vision, radiating his light and love, inspiring the students to partake on this beautiful path towards the Self.”

We invoked the blessings of Lord Ganesha—who provides strength and stability, while eradicating all obstacles from one’s path. Students paid homage to the Tradition by chanting the Ganapati Atharvashirsha and offering flowers, fruits, and sweets at both the Initiation Room and Meditation Hall. We later walked by Mother Ganga to reach the seat of Gurudeva at Sadhana Mandir to receive the blessings of the Lineage. The students offered garlands at the Meditation Hall and Swami Veda’s Silence Hall, culminating the visit with a brief meditation session.

At the orientation session, Acharya Rabindra ji highlighted the importance of self-introspection and encouraged the students to remain receptive to unseen grace.

The daily schedule for the Gurukulam students begins at 5 AM with a Yajna, followed by the ashram prayers, joints & glands practice, hatha yoga, and guided meditation classes. Currently, the students are immersed in Sanskrit studies and refining their sitting posture, breathing, and understanding the foundations of meditation and its practice. For the first month of their study, they would also be studying the writings of Gurudeva Swami Rama through his books—Living with the Himalayan Masters, Choosing a Path, and Inner Dialogue.

Swami Veda held the Gurukulam program very dear in his heart and emphasized the importance of passing down the teachings of the Tradition through long-term studies at the ashram. As we embark on another year of Gurukulam, we are both humbled and grateful to carry out his vision.

We continue to seek the blessings of the Lineage and pray for our own self-purification, so that we may succeed in this endeavour. We are confident that the Gurukulam will provide a space for learning, practicing, and embodying the teachings of the Tradition.

Our gratitude extends to our DMT trustees, AHYMSIN family members, all the teachers, ashram sahayakas, and our well-wishers who continue to support this vision.

We (15 members from Hungary) participated in the recently concluded Cultivating the Divine Feminine Retreat during the 9-days Navaratri celebrations at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama.

“Given the current state of the world, there could not have been a more relevant topic for us than the celebration of feminine qualities within” – this is how the sentiment of the small Hungarian group can be summed up about the ashram’s Navaratri celebrations. “If the world was led and guided by a mother, there would be no wars, no starving children, and no destitute people” – the members of the group quote the words of the retreat’s teacher – Rabindra Sahu.

“I come from an environment that places strong emphasis on material success. What I experienced last week helped me perceive the various manifestations of the Divine Mother’s qualities clearly. Chanting 1000 mantras together was a new experience for me. Through persistence and dedication, I suddenly felt touched by something, and I was able to join the collective process, recognizing the feminine qualities within myself,” Krisztina recalled of her recent experiences.

Bea, working as a doctor, stressed that the practice of masculine qualities is essential for making quick and decisive decisions in his field of work – “Due to the demands of my profession, it was challenging for me to slow down and forced me to confront the fact that, I must consciously cultivate feminine qualities at my work”.

Some members pointed out that, as Hungarians and Europeans, they are not accustomed to participating in extended celebrations. For some, the community-building force of the 24-hour mantra chanting was the most memorable aspect, while others were captivated by the diversity of the festival. However, everyone agreed that we were part of a very well-structured series of events that provided a high-quality intellectual stimulation through the lectures. But above all, it was an emotionally profound event that facilitated personal transformation and brought hidden values to the surface. Too bad that it’s over.

At the end of the celebration, we also understood why Swami Veda is called a mother, that he is the spiritual mother of all of us. We also appreciate that his kindness, love, understanding, and patience stem from his great inner strength, stability, and his intimate relationship with the Divine Mother.

Editor’s Note:

The Hungarian Group was led by Dr. Tamás Imre Margittay. Other members included – Paula Jékel, Dr. Beáta Bakos Törökné, Dr. Zsolt Török, Judit Andrea Pólya, Katalin Kálmán, Ágnes Baji, Krisztina Törös, Katalin Andrea Szilágyi, Nikolett Kotálik, Eszter Haraszti, Nóra Gyócsos, Erika Némethné Szász, Mónika Herke, and Ágnes Gilyén. They all are connected with the Budapest Center of The Himalayan Yoga Tradition led by Ilona Dioszegi.

In the abode of Rishikesh, an ashram, a face:
Called Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, an exhilarating place.
The sun floods its hills with light divine,
For each person’s beauty, bodies of shrine.

The food they serve is healthy and pure,
Nourishing meals that keep the body secure.
Meals that won’t make you feel hunger,
Meals that can only make you stronger.

The weather here has shifting delights,
From wind to rain to the sun’s pretty light.
And schedules to maintain adrenaline sensation,
With yoga and breathwork and silent meditation.

Teachers there are smart and wise,
To share their knowledge is a wonderful prize.
The Swamiji as well, with so much more knowledge,
Than humans like us ever acknowledge.

Cottages full of heavenly delight,
With beauty that makes your heart take flight.
To rest in nature is simply a blessing,
More active humans, I’m confessing.

And kindness to animals more healthy than true
Of clean, weatherous cows that simply go “moo!”
An active schedule that’ll keep you awake,
And body-mind health more true than fake.

Swami Rama is a special name,
Who brought so much love and lit the flame
And Swami Veda, who gave us this place,
For pure divinity and joyful solace.

Editor’s Note:

This poem was lovingly offered by the 12-year-old poet, who visited the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Ashram with her father.