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SaUKTaa Sūktā Spring 2012

Inside this IssueArticle by Swaminiji

Gurukulam NewsGurupādukā Stotram Review and CD ReleaseParamahaṁsa Sannyāsa Dīkṣa, RishikeshSwaminijiʼs Public Talks in AtlantaOne Month Vedanta Course, EugeneA Summary of TattvabodhaValedictory CeremonyEkādaśa RudrābhiṣekamBalivihar Classes, EugeneReports from Eugene: GHS Groups, Sādhana Pañchakam Study, Lord Medhā Dakṣināmūrthi Worship

ReflectionsFor My Beloved Teacher, a Poem

Regular FeaturesSatsang with SwaminijiSwaminijiʼs Online Classes and Travel Schedule

arsha vijnana gurukulam

IntroductionThe 2012 winter Vedanta camps commenced in Rishikesh just a few days after Śivarātri. The four week-long camps, each focusing on a mahāvākya from an upaniṣad began on the 24th of February with over 250 students “packed like noodles in the lecture hall," to quote Pujya Swamiji. People from various cpramāṇaountries and age-groups participated. The hall was consistently filled beyond capacity, and eager jijñāsus crowding the hall did not seem to mind accommodating other campers practically in their laps. This was not all. As there was no room for other attendees, the overflow population of sādhakas comprising local sādhus, day-scholars, tourists, and brahmachārins

Mahāvākya Vicāra: Rishikesh Camps and EventsBy Swamini Svatmavidyananda

from other āśrams were directed to the old lecture hall upstairs to watch the live class feed projected on a big screen. Groups from Japan and Brazil entertained everyone each evening before satsang by singing bhajans, accompanied by the mandolin and mridaṅgam.Pujya Swamiji taught three classes per day. The morning and evening classes unfolded the mahāvākyas, while the mid-day class unfolded the brahmasūtra, specially given for the long-term course students from Nagpur in Pujya

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Swamiji's Satsang room. The rest of the people were able to watch the live-feed of the brahmasūtra classes on a screen in the lecture hall. Although these classes were filled with technical and Sanskrit terms, this was not enough to deter people, except the few faint of heart, from attending regularly, and the lecture hall remained nearly as crowded as during Pujya Swamiji's live presence. Beginning and intermediate Sanskrit classes were conducted daily by Swamini Svatmavidyananda

and Swamini Ramananda.“Tat Tvam Asi" was the topic of the first camp. Pujya Swamiji defined the term, mahāvākya, as a sentence revealing the identity of the individual and the Lord. Pujya Swamiji explained that such a sentence or statement is in the form of an equation, with the jīva (the individual) on one side, and Īśvara (the total) on the other.

Contrary to the popular belief of there being only four mahāvākyas, Pujya Swamiji clarified that the upaniṣads are filled with mahāvākyas, although the four mahāvākyas, namely tat tvamasi, prajñānam brahma, ahambrahmāsmi, and ayamātmā brahma, which were the topics for the four camps, are often highlighted as they each belong to one Veda. To watch Pujya Swamiji in action, a master at his craft, unfold the mahāvākyas week after week is something that bears no comparison. When asked to comment about the Mahābhārata war, Hanumānji said that it was nothing compared to the the war between Lord Rāma and Rāvana, which was exactly like...the war between Lord Rāma and

Rāvana. Likewise, Pujya Swamiji can only be compared to himself. Only Pujya Swamiji can handle the same topic in a myriad of ways, making the truths of the upaniṣad shine for each and every person present. The introductions to the mahāvākyas were extremely diverse and innovative, while maintaining the general focus on the universal human problem --a sense of smallness and finitude. Pujya Swamiji touched on salient issues to which everyone could easily relate.

A Notion is That Which Cannot be SustainedOne introduction diagnosed the basic human problem as being that of a sense of alienation from the whole, caused by self-ignorance, and emphasized the human need for being connected to the whole. Pujya Swamiji showed how one can discover this connection by the study of the mahāvākya, where the jīva, the individual, is equated with jagatkāraṇam brahma, Īśvara as the cause of the universe. Another introduction focused on notions that one has about the oneself (jīva), about the world (jagat), and about God (Īśvara). Notions have nothing to do with truth, for, as Pujya Swamiji declared, "That which cannot be sustained is a notion, whereas that which cannot be negated is truth." Freeing oneself from erroneous notions about the self is mokṣa. In yet another introduction, Pujya Swamiji raised the issue of self doubt as a universal and fundamental human problem. Anything that one assumes to the be the nature of the self --happy, sad, etc.-- is subject to doubt. Until one encounters Vedanta, one is perpetually in doubt about oneself. All contending philosophies about the self are

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products of self doubt. The quest for happiness, in which everyone engages, is also due to self-doubt. One cannot accept that one is sad, and one is in doubt about where happiness is located. Pujya Swamiji clearly revealed that happiness is neither a noun nor an adjective, but the very nature of the seeker. Exposure to the mahāvākya is the only way of assimilating this truth, and putting doubts about the self permanently to rest. The magnificent introductions left the audience spell-bound yearning to hear more. Consequently, many who had

intended to attend only one camp, extended their stay; a few left to attend to pressing engagements, only to return the following week, including some people from as far as Dubai.Having outlined the talks in each camp with deft brush strokes of wisdom and humor, Pujya Swamiji then commenced the more detailed and intricate work of preparing the minds of the listeners to

appreciate the vision of the mahāvākya. Here again, those who were fortunate enough to be able to participate in more than one camp could clearly see the creativity and ingenuity in Pujya Swamiji's presentation. Whether he was discussing the śruti as a pramāṇa, a means of knowledge, or the necessity for śraddhā, the śāstra came alive and danced in his hands. The term, śraddhā, was defined as the ability to trust that the words of the śruti -- handled by a teacher-- have

something beneficial to say. In one camp, Pujya Swamiji elaborated on śraddhā as the regaining of the very trust that was lost by the individual in childhood through the discovery of the fallibility, and the consequent untrustworthiness, of parents and care-givers. When the child is small, it tends to idealize its parents as Gods. The child's own helplessness and inability are compensated for by total trust in the people that brought it into this world. As the child grows, it begins to discern inconsistency in the words and actions of the parents. It also sees the parents as eminently fallible. Continued fallibility, broken promises, and displays of emotional instability on the part of the care-givers leaves the child disappointed and unable to trust. Consequently, as an adult, also, the person is unable to trust in anything. Pujya Swamiji pointed out that the reason why a growing number of youngsters refuse to get married in contemporary India is because of this lack of trust. When the person encounters the śāstra from this infrastructure of mistrust, the teachings will not deliver their message. Therefore, trust in the guru and the śruti-vākya is a crucial attitude to cultivate, for without the ability to trust the words of the teaching, one tends to look at the guru and the śāstra with the same suspicion and disenchantment with which one greets other things in life.In another camp, Swamiji unfolded the meaning of śraddhā as the dropping of resistance in knowing the truth. This is important because there are no options in knowing. Knowledge is without options, and is

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as true as the the object it reveals. Śraddha, therefore, is trusting the pramāṇa, the śruti as a means of knowledge. Pujya Swamiji also emphasized that as long as various options with regard to the nature of

the self are open to a person, such a person continues to to be ignorant, in spite of listening to the śāstra for a long time. Śraddha, therefore, is the closure of all options with regard to self-knowledge, in the mind of the student, other than the committed pursuit of Vedanta. Only then can Vedanta bless the endeavor.

The Entire Jagat is Just Words and MeaningsWeek after week, it became abundantly clear that Pujya Swamiji's repeated unfolding of the vision of the mahāvākyas --that the jīva, the one who suffers from notions of finitude and bondage, is indeed Īśvara, the cause of the universe-- was anything but a repetition. Here again, one could continually delight in the versatility, crystal-like clarity, precision, and creativity in Pujya Swamiji's thinking and presentation. In one camp, Pujya Swamiji showed how the entire jagat --including one's body, mind and sense complex-- is just words and their meanings. All things in the universe starting from one's body-mind-sense-complex to galaxies are just words with meanings. When we look into each thing, it is without being; it disappears, like even a shirt, which is nothing but fabric. When we say, "shirt is", the shirt, in itself, is without

being in the sense that there is no independent substance called shirt. It is a name given to a modification of fabric. Again, there is no such thing as fabric --it is but yarn. Yarn resolves into fibers, fibers into molecules, and molecules into particles. We proceed with the enquiry in this way to finally confront the observer of the particle, oneself. This conscious entity, who is conscious of everything from the shirt to the particle does not resolve into anything, for the "I" can never be negated. That which cannot be negated is satyam. Satyam is not yet another object; it is a term that denotes the truth of oneself, the subject. Satyam has no location, size or form --it is consciousness that is limitless, the name for which is brahman. Brahman means that which is limitlessly big, which has no boundaries. Brahman is ātman, the self, and lends its existence to everything that is described with the word "is." The "is" in phrases such as "shirt is, fabric is, yarn is, particle is,"belongs not to the thing itself, which is just word and meaning, but to brahman. The jagat shines in borrowed existence, lent by brahman --the name given to the locus of all names and forms, itself free of names and forms.

“Nāmni nāmāni” is a new phrase coined by Pujya Swamiji, which means, "In the one name resides the existence of all names." As the pot arises from its cause, clay, is sustained by clay, and returns to clay, so too, the jagat is non-separate from its cause, brahman. One cannot say that the jagat is existent, as its existence

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belongs to brahman; one cannot say that the jagat is non-existent, as it is available for objectification and transaction. Therefore, one has to understand the reality of the jagat as mithyā, a term used to denote a reality that is empirical, but which essentially is dependent on something else. Mithyā is not an object, but a term that denotes the reality of anything that cannot be categorically said to exist, or dismissed as non-existent, like a pot. Whatever the pramātṛ, the knower, confronts is mithyā. This includes everything that can be witnessed both within and without one's own body-

mind-complex. The only thing that the knower cannot confront as an object is oneself, the subject, because the svarūpa of the knower is satyam, limitless.That is why one needs a pramāṇa, a means of knowledge in the form of the words of the śruti, from outside oneself to understand the nature of the ātman. Pujya Swamiji said that the abiding confusion about Vedanta is because the terms satyam and mithyā are not properly understood. People often conclude that mithyā means delusion or illusion, and therefore, they think that they have to go beyond the mithyā to reach satyam. Whenever one is looking at mithyā, one is looking at satyam, as mithyā cannot exist without satyam. Mithyā is satyam, but satyam, being independent of everything is not mithyā.

The Immediate Meaning of the Words "Tvam" and "Tat"The entire purpose of the teaching of Vedanta is śokanivṛtti, the removal of samsāra, characterized by sorrow. Like the sage Nārada,

who was well-versed in all disciplines of knowledge, but was still subject to sorrow, one can be very knowledgeable about mithyā without knowing satyam. Nārada approached the teacher Sanat Kumāra for the teaching as he had heard that the knower of the self crosses sorrow. When the teacher asked him what all he knew, Nārada listed practically every discipline of knowledge from the Vedas to the art of warfare. Sanat Kumāra told Nārada that all he knew was "a heap of words" without knowing their content--the one thing, knowing which everything is as well known. Pujya Swamiji emphasized that the removal of sorrow does not take place just by knowing that one is consciousness. One has to understand the nature of this consciousness as both being free of all limitations, and as being manifest as the cause of the universe. The mahāvākyas unfold an equation between the jīva, who like Nārada, feels finite, and brahman as Īśvara, the cause of the universe. Like a

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mathematical equation, the equation between jīva and Īśvara is also a matter of understanding, not belief. If an elementary school teacher were to say to a student, "5 + 4 = 20 − 11", the young student might be initially perplexed by the single digits and the plus sign on one side of the equation confronting the double digits and the minus sign on the other side. How can the two sides be identical? A similar question can arise when one looks at the equation "prajñānambrahma," which means that the one who obtains as the conscious entity that is behind the operation of the sense-organs, the prāṇa, the mind, and is the invariable content of every cognition, is indeed brahman, the cause of the universe. The apparent differences between the jīva, the individual, and Īśvara, the cause of the universe, are obvious. The jīva,, characterized by self-ignorance, identifies with everything finite, such as the body, the states of the mind, etc., and therefore suffers from a notion of bondage. This is known as tvam-pada-vācya, the immediate meaning of the word "I." By contrast, the tat-pada-vācya, the immediate meaning of the word Īśvara is one who is all-pervasive, almighty, and omniscient. In every camp, Pujya Swamiji stressed the fact that unlike other theologies, the upaniṣad does not present Īśvara as an entity separate from the jagat, situated in a place called heaven.

Such beliefs are contrary to reason and common sense, whereby "God," who is without limits and all pervasive, cannot be separate from everything else, or located in a specific place, much less have a gender. The various laws that comprise this jagat are not mandates, but manifestations of Īśvara. The sun, the moon, the air that we breathe, are all Īśvara. The physiological laws that govern the functioning of the body are also Īśvara. Therefore in the tradition, it is possible to invoke Īśvara in any form, or as the presiding deity of any law. Even the functions of the body and mind are manifestations of Īśvara --kidneys are Īśvara, pancreas is Īśvara. The psychological

order is Īśvara, and the so-called disorder within any one order is also Īśvara, because the so-called disorder in one sphere is an intrinsic part of the manifestation of another order, usually the order of karma. Therefore that which is infallible is Īśvara. Any disturbance in any part of the order can be nullified or mitigated by invoking Īśvara in the form of the devatā, the presiding deity of that particular order. This sophisticated understanding as there being not one or many gods, but all that is there is god is not available in any tradition. Even if some of the indigenous traditions in the past had some understanding of the sacredness of everything, it has been mostly lost as it was not backed by the sampradāya, the teaching tradition.The tvampadavācya and the tatpadavāyca have meanings

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that are apparently contradictory. The immediate meaning of the word "tvam" yields the helpless, hopeless individual, the jīva, who struggles to be free form a sense of bondage and limitation life after life. The immediate meaning of the word "tat" is the all-powerful and limitless Īśvara, the cause of the universe. How can the two be identical? Just as in the mathematical equation, we have to see past the apparent contradictions of the single and double digits, the plus and minus signs, to arrive at the non-difference between between the two sides of the equation, so too in the mahāvākya, we have to look at the implied meanings of the words tvam and tat, tvampadalakṣya and tatpadalakṣya, to understand that all that is there is one indivisible brahman, the whole.

The Implied Meaning of the Words "Tvam" and "Tat"The implied meaning of the word "tvam" is that which is invariable in every cognition, that because of which the eyes see and the ears hear, that which obtains as the witness of everything, but which itself does

not need a witness to establish its existence. This is the self-existent self, the ātman, the conscious entity upon which the entire Vedanta śāstra is based. The self is not established by a means of knowledge, on the contrary, all means of knowledge can exist because the self is self-evident. The self, as it were, associated with a particular body-mind complex, as though appears limited, but the so-called limitations belong to the upādhi, which is mithyā, and not the ātman, the self, which is satyam. It is just like how the red cloth placed behind a quartz crystal ball makes the crystal appear to be red, when, in reality, it is not so. The ātman is brahman, one non-dual consciousness, that obtains as the subject, the witness. If an burning oil lamp is covered by a clay pot with several holes, the single flame appears as many, without really undergoing any change. The one consciousness likewise shines through various cognitions and various bodies, much like the reflection of the sun seen simultaneously in many pots of water. The implied meaning of the word tat is also brahman, consciousness, which alone exists limitlessly, and which is nothing but knowledge. Like the individual lends his or her existence to the dream, and the dream is nothing but a manifestation of the individual's knowledge, the jagat is a manifestation of Īśvara. The dreamer projects

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the dream by covering the waking state, and undergoes no change whatsoever as a result of the dream. The dream is an model example to help assimilate that the creation is projected exactly like the dream, by veiling the non-dual oneness, without brahman undergoing any change. Brahman as the cause of the universe is Īśvara. Pujya Swamiji further illustrated this point with the story of the wave and the ocean. An elderly Atlantic wave was very sad. As it lapped helplessly back and forth on the shore, reminiscing the glorious bygone days when it was a tsunami and a breaker, it noticed a tiny wave nearby that was very cheerful. The Atlantic wave asked, “You seem to be new. Where are you from?” The small wave replied that it was from the Indian ocean. The Atlantic wave persisted, “Why do you look so cheerful?” The Indian wave responded by saying, “Why do you look so sad?” The Atlantic wave then launched into a story of how great it used to be in its erstwhile years, and now it was at the end of its life, a small useless wave biding its time till it was gone. The Indian wave replied by saying the that the Atlantic wave was not a wave at all; in fact, it was the ocean. “What?” said the Atlantic wave astonished. “You cannot say that. That is blasphemy. The ocean is god; I am at best just odd. I came from the ocean so it is the cause, whereas, I exist because of the ocean. The ocean is all, but I am so small.” The Indian wave persisted and asked the Atlantic wave, “What are you made up of?”

The Atlantic wave replied, "Water.” “What is the ocean made up of?” asked the Indian wave. Again the Atlantic wave replied, “Water.” "You see," said the Indian wave, “You are the ocean. Ocean tvamasi. All of you is water, and the entire ocean is nothing but water. The same water with a name and form is known as the wave, and with another name and form is known as the ocean.” The Atlantic wave became enlightened. Both wave-ness and ocean-ness are statuses of water.

Water alone, in terms of this example, is satyam. Likewise, both jīva-ness and Īśvara-ness are mithyā upādhis superimposed as it were on brahman. Brahman as jagatkāraṇa is the total, and brahman as the self-existent witness obtaining in the body-mind complex comprises the individual. Not knowing this is a costly mistake, as due to this ignorance centered on the self, one takes oneself to be what one is not, and is subject to grief and other afflictions. As Pujya Swamiji put it, “not knowing the infinite is an infinite error. It is because of this one becomes an infinite seeker, instead of being a seeker

of the infinite.”In this way, the precision and clarity of Pujya Swamiji's teaching left nothing to chance. The mahāvākyas came alive in a manner whereby their message was easy to assimilate. Pujya Swamiji focused on healing from a sense of alienation by connecting to Īśvara. He stressed that discovering Īśvara in one's life is an important precursor to assimilating

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the message of the mahāvākya. Without this crucial step of healing the basic sense of disconnection of the individual from the whole, one's understanding would be half-baked and incomplete. It was clear from the questions posed to Pujya Swamiji at the nightly satsangs, that it was a seasoned audience, many of whose members had been exposed to Pujya Swamiji's teachings. The satsang questions, for the most part, were of a high caliber. A definite highlight of the satsangs was Pujya Swamiji leadiing bhajans in his incomparable voice. Much to the delight of all, Swamiji taught “śantākāraṃ bhujagaśayanam”, among many other bhajans.

Other Highlights and EventsDuring the camps there were a record number of bhaṇḍāras, nearly one every other day. Two students from Brazil, Bruno and Maria were fortunate enough to have their wedding conducted on the banks of the Gaṅgā, and blessed by Pujya Swamiji. A traditional vaidya, Dr. Vasudevan, visiting from the Arya Vaidya in Coimbatore delivered an afternoon talk on the basic principles of Ayurvedic healing. Baba Ram Dev visited the ashram one afternoon during the bhandara, and interacted with some of the students. Drs. Hiren Joshi and Pratima Tolat gave a power point presentation of their work at the Shyamalaji rural and tribal hospital in Gujarat.Pujya Swamiji addressed the 5th annual International and Interfaith Conference of the The Council of Elders that met in Haridwar in the middle of March. This is a large gathering of indigenous religious leaders, many of whom know Pujya Swamiji, and respect his contributions to the field of interreligious harmony. In his short address, Pujya Swamiji emphasized on the need for coalitions and networking on part of endangered religious leaders and groups, as this was the only way to overcome alienation from oneself, one's cultural and religious heritage. He said that it was through the formation of conscious networks alone that one could resist religious and cultural encroachment on the part of aggressive religions. At Pujya Swamiji's invitation, a group of forty-five delegates from the conference visited

the āśram on the last day of the conference. They were primarily Romuvas, who live in Eastern Europe, and claim Hindu heritage. They have been able to keep their practices despite the spread of Christianity. Pujya Swamiji honored them with shawls. The group visited the temple, and participated in the Gaṅgā ārati. During satsang time, the delegation members performed some of their ethnic songs to the accompaniment of the “kokles”, a Latvian stringed instrument similar to a dulcimer. Their leader later presented Pujya Swamiji with a CD of their songs.During the camps, Pujya Swamiji released some books. These included the Malayalam translation of the Muṇḍakopaniṣad, and two excellently illustrated and designed pūja books published by the Arsha Vidya Tirtha, Jaipur, entitled “Namaḥ” and “Pūja Stuti Ratnam." Pujya Swamiji also released a CD containing a series of talks on the Gurupādukā-stotram given by Swamini Svatmavidyananda.

I thank Sri Swami Paritustananda for sharing his photos, and Sri Kayesh for delivering them to me in a timely manner. Thanks are also due to Ms Donna Blasko for her detailed notes, which helped me write the section on "Other Highlights and Events."

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Gurupādukā Stotramby Harinder Kaur Khalsa

Gurupādukā Stotram is a stotra which guides the student just like the satellite based navigation system GPS (global positioning system), the pun is intended, as Swaminiji says. Swaminiji unfolded this beautiful stotra in Eugene during her visit last fall and also gave her blessings

for the production of a CD for those who did not have the opportunity to be there.

Understanding the word “stotra” itself lends a deeper

understanding of the Gurupādukā Stotram. There are

some words in Sanskrit that take the suffix –tṛ like we find in

“stotram”. It is the short form of the root verb trai meaning ‘to protect’.

For example, one can say trāhimam ‘protect me’. Some other words that

take this suffix are mantra, mananat trāyate iti mantrah, meaning, that which

protects upon repeated contemplation. Also, śāstra, which is that which protects through śravanam. The first part of the word stotra comes from the root verb stu, in the sense of to praise. Therefore, stotra has the meaning of that which protects through praising. This protection and praise is different from when, for instance, one spouse praises the other which is done so the marriage works smoothly. In this teaching, we see that the whole stotra is about a particular way of praising and protection which brings in the vision of Vedanta - that one is the whole, complete, just exactly as one is.Life is full of mistaken identities. I say, “I am somebody’s wife; mother; employee; a good employee; a bad employee; etc.” It is like the village locksmith who plays Rāma in a play. When he is in the

role of Rāma everybody touches his feet but when the play is over, it is life as usual. Some people are born with palaces and jewels, some with nothing. Everyone plays a role. If one just looks at it, there does not seem to be a problem with it, nothing to be bothered about - one may not even need Vedanta. However, one eventually sees there is something wrong with the picture, why? It is because one becomes identified with the roles one plays. When, upon arrival of Lord Yama, it is time for the jīva to leave the roles behind, one is not always ready to do so. Therefore, it is up to the children of those who are left behind to use their good karma to clear and purify the passage for the departed jīva so that it does not hang around because of attachment to all the roles it played. Incidentally, the meaning of the Sanskrit word for child, putra, is the one who protects by purifying. Having this understanding of the meaning behind the word stotra we go back to Gurupādukā Stotram. What is this “pādukā” about? Pādukā means slippers/shoes, which mostly have negative meanings attached to them. They are not hygienic and are a symbol of status, of ego, and so one leaves them outside upon entering a temple, an abode or residence. But here we have a song to praise the shoes of the

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teacher. Does that mean we have a song to praise the ego of the teacher? No, we need to understand that the ego is not at issue for the teacher, the ego of the teacher is the same as the “I”ness of Īśvara. Instead, in praising the pādukās of the teacher, the guru, we learn about the surrender of the misidentified “I”. With a lot of grace, the “I”, that is as though conditioned by the body-mind-sense complex, thinking of itself only as good as the body-mind-sense complex, comes upon the teacher. With even more grace, listening to the teacher the misidentifications dissolve and in the process, one discovers that one is everything, one is the whole. Thus, we learn that ignorance is removed only by knowledge as taught by the teacher; this knowledge doesn’t come on its own. The only thing that comes on its own, uninvited, and with an abiding presence, is ignorance. Ignorance is the nature of jīva. Māya, the śakti, which makes the jīva all ignorant is the same śakti that makes Īśvara all knowing. Māyā being in the middle is the terrible ocean that needs to be crossed. The guru’s pādukās are a raft that one can cling to as one makes that journey. The Gurupādukā Stotram instills in the student an attitude of total surrender. This series of classes has been turned into a beautiful CD thanks to the extraordinary work done by Lida Van Geest. When I was sitting at the feet of Swaminiji, who always sits at the feet of Pūjya Swamiji* in her kuṭia, she asked me to read what she has written for the CD cover of Gurupādukā Stotram**. I started reading and my eyes came to the following lines, “in the Vedic tradition, the guru is worshipped as the very embodiment of brahmavidyā, self-knowledge that sets one free. The feet of the guru represent the foundation of this teaching. The guru’s sandals, therefore, become a tangible altar of surrender for the śiṣya desirous of crossing samsāra by

knowing the self as brahman”. I could hardly hold my tears. Tears coming out of pure joy, gratitude and amazement to see how immensely we are blessed by the guru paramparā. Sobbing, I said to Swaminiji, “You have no idea, Swaminiji, how blessed we are to be sitting at the feet of a teacher like you who is sitting at the feet of her own teacher and teaching us. There is an ever so subtle golden thread holding it all together. There is nothing like this!” Swaminiji, of course having a far better idea of what it means, smiled at me kindly

and full of compassion as she always is, replied, “there is security in that”. We then went on looking at the project, talking about how to bring the CD to fruition.The word “security” Swaminiji used stayed with me to reflect upon. Why did Swaminiji use this particular word? Thus far we had referred to it as artha and talked about how one falsely bases one’s sense of security in money, in one’s possessions, in one’s relatives and relationships, etc. What is it that is different about this security? It is still unfolding in my head and what comes is that it is the kind of security that comes from knowing that

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one doesn’t need anything to feel secure. One has the living example in the paramparā, which passes from teacher to student to teacher and that lineage is always alive. It always shines like gold and is never subject to decay. The teacher, unassuming and uninvolved just like the sandals sitting there being worshipped, knows exactly what the student is going through. Not only that, the teacher also knows exactly how to respond to any situation the student is “as though” in. In this way a sacred thread is spun between the guru and the śiṣya. The teacher who knows himself or herself to be the whole has a unique position. The student, who is discovering he or she is the whole, begins to see there is no differentiation between him or her and the teacher, is also in a unique position. There is the greatest of security, which comes through that discovery. It is one that allows you to love, and to live life without fear, accepting all that comes as guru’s prasād. I bow to the sandals of my guru.

Om Tat Sat. Sat Nam

*For those who haven’t been there yet (in Eugene, OR), there is a beautiful and very big picture of Pujya Swamiji on the wall at Swaminiji’s kūtia, under which Swaminiji sits.

**If you wish to obtain a copy please mail a request to: harinderkhalsa@gmail.com.

For My Beloved Teacher Sri Gurudevi Pujya Swamini SvatmavidyanandaBy Harinder Kaur Khalsa

I bow to the Gurudevi who knows the meaning of the point where all endings begin and all beginnings end

I bow to the Gurudevi who eternally dwells in the knowledge of the four Vedas

I bow to the Gurudevi who unfolds the truth of oneself with great clarity

I bow to the Gurudevi who recognizes in an instant where her students are in this journey where one discovers there is nowhere to go

I bow to the Gurudevi who sees her students through all resistances

I bow to the Gurudevi who gives a kind loving hand to take them out of ignorance

I bow to the Gurudevi who always communicates with infinite compassion

I bow to the Gurudevi who sees the grace of her own teacher in everything she does

I bow to the Gurudevi who knows that none of this is a person’s doing

I bow to the Gurudevi who devotes all action to Bhagavan

I bow to the Gurudevi who herself is Bhagavan

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Paramahaṁsa Dīkṣa, Rishikesh, 2012

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Paramahaṁsa Sannyāsa Dīkṣa in RishikeshBy Julie Carpenter

Sannyāsa is a committed lifestyle of renunciation, which symbolizes the ultimate human end, mokṣa. This pursuit is unlike the pursuit of other puruṣārthas. In all other pursuits, one addresses many and varied desires, but mokṣa is the gain of a single desire --to be free of desiring the finite, of being a wanting person. Sannyāsa a privilege given by the teacher, the guru. This very fact underlines the blessing

bestowed upon one who has been given sannyāsa. What can be said of having this initiation bestowed upon one by a guru such as Pujya Swamiji, except that it exponentially multiplies the blessings – something that it is indeed worthy of praise and thus worthy of mention.Sannyāsa is frequently seen as “giving-up” everything. Really

speaking, however, it is stepping fully into a lifestyle that is committed to self-knowledge, and to living the vision of Vedanta – a vision understanding which, one is totally content with oneself. Such a step is indicative of one's commitment to the pursuit and the śraddhā the student has in both the teacher and the knowledge. It is these very qualities that the teachers I have been blessed to study with exhibit, no matter where they are or what life brings.

Swaminiji's commitment and śraddhā are seen in each action and word that we, as students, have been blessed to witness. The words, “it is not possible", do not fall from her mouth, unless it is something that will inhibit a person’s growth, or cause harm to a living being. It is from seeing Swaminiji with Pujya Swamiji that I have learned what it is to have śraddhā, as is it expounded in the śruti, in one’s teacher.To witness the occasion of her initiation into the lineage of sannyāsins ordained by Pujya Swamiji was an honour that one dreams about. The officiation itself is not a public event, and is totally closed to non-initiates. What is known is that one is letting go of all that can be a distraction to the unswerving pursuit of knowledge – one could call it, letting go of that which one has outgrown, like old clothes, and ways of being that no longer serve one's pursuit. Does this mean that one will no longer be in contact with those that one has grown up with? Does it mean that one no longer cares for those who have assisted one along the way? Not at all. The release is from the pursuit of desires and duties, so that one can have the privilege of freeing oneself from being identified with the sense of being a doer (kartṛ) and an experiencer of the results of doing (bhoktṛ). Being tied to these notions is the hallmark of a samsārin, and leads one to be a contender for all kinds of finite ends. Sannyāsa is, therefore, a "dropping out" of artha -kāma pursuits, and is sanctioned by the Veda as a lifestyle for those desirous of abiding in self-knowledge. It represents a gentle and non competitive life, with an absolute commitment to ahiṁsa, to living freely, to living a life of harmony with, and non-injury towards all beings.The initiation rituals began the day before Śivarātri. In the peaceful setting of the Rishikesh ashram the flow of the Gaṅgā could be heard from area above the river. In the morning, the initiates met with Pujya Swamiji before

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beginning nearly 24 hours of meditation, homas and japa. Prior to this, there was a head shaving ceremony, in which the initiates' hair is ceremoniously shaved off, and offered into Gaṅgā. Do not expect to see a clean-shaven Swaminiji, when she returns, for women only a token tuft of hair is removed! After this, the initiates were with the priest who performed homas beginning with homa for Gaṇeśa for the

process to go smoothly, and without obstacles, and one for invoking the blessings of the ancestors of the initiates, as no major rituals in the Hindu tradition are complete without getting the blessings of the ancestors.

The homa-śala, the fire-ritual hut, where the rituals all took place, is located approximately 50 ft from the Gaṅgā. Throughout the day the fasting initiates had been given tea, and milk, along with fruits and juices, enough to provide nourishment for the body to participate in the rituals. As the wintry night settled in, the initiates, sitting by the fire performed the Gāyatrī homa that lasted all night long. Once the chanting started, Swaminiji did not stop chanting until the following morning when the priest came to perform the final homa of the ordination. Throughout the night, one or two of the initiates at a time could, when necessary, go and take tea, coffee, fruit, juices and, of all things, ice cream! I was told that the repeated chanting by the fire for extended periods in this manner heats the body from inside out and so from time to time ice cold refreshments are made available to help cool the body, despite the winter cold outside.

In the morning, the initiates met with Pujya Swamiji in the initiation cave by the Gaṅgā, built specially for this purpose, underneath the āśram. After this meeting, everyone emerged from the cave, and

proceeded towards the river for their ritual bath. From the vantage point I had, I could see Swaminiji clearly as another initiate repeatedly poured the winter cold Gaṅgā water over her head and body. Turning to another student who was with me, I said, “Watch – She will not flinch one muscle when the water is poured over her.” Of course, she did not flinch. I will add that prior to this, Swaminiji, along with another initiate, had started to walk across some rocks to find a place to immerse, herself, a place where the flow of the Gaṅgā was deeper. As this

is thought to be dangerous at this time of the year, she was called back by a gurubhai, and directed to a less torrential area of the water.

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Emerging from the Gaṅgā, Swaminiji was still absorbed in japa. After changing into the new bright orange sari given by Pujya Swamiji, Swaminiji took her old clothes down to Gaṅgā and threw them into the flowing current --another symbol of releasing what is not needed for the pursuit. The initiates then went back into the cave, where Pujya Swamiji was still awaiting them, to complete the rituals of sannyāsa. After everything was finished, Pujya Swamiji emerged from

the cave along with the new sannyāsins, and ascended the steps from the river bank to enter the Gaṅgādhareśvara temple. They were ceremonially greeted by the temple priests, while excited ashramites and visitors crowded around, eager to meet the sannyāsins and learn their new names. Pujya Swamiji proceeded to the sanctum of the

temple along with those he had just ordained Each name was announced as the person emerged from the sanctum, the womb of the temple, symbolizing a new birth, and a release into the world, where they would lead a life, spurred by the desires of the common good. The new sannyāsins then were taken to the doorstep of Pujya Swamiji's kuṭia, where everyone could ceremonially greet them, and get their blessings by offering pranams and dakṣina.

Following this, the new sannyāsins peformed pada pūja, and offered guru- dakṣina to Pujya Swamiji. To see the devotion in the faces and actions of the newly initiated sannyasins towards Pujya Swamiji, one understands the devotion of a disciple to the guru. As they bathed and anointed Swamiji’s feet with chandan and kumkum, and performed ārati, there no sign in our beloved teacher’s eyes that not only had she not slept all night, but had instead participated in intense rituals. The morning of Śivarātri had arrived, along with our newly named Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati, the one who limitlessly revels in the knowledge of the ātman as oneself.

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Swaminiji’s Public Talks in Atlantaby Ramakrishnan Natarajan

We were blessed with another enlightening satsang with Swaminiji in Atlanta on January 14th, 2012. This day was also the auspicious Makara Sankrāṇti day. We had around 60 people attending the morning as well as the evening sessions including some who drove all the way from Albany and the Valdosta area to listen to Swaminiji.The morning session was on a famous mantra from Muṇḍakopaniṣad,

parīkṣya lokān karmacitān brāhmaṇo nirvedam āyāt nāstyakṛtah kṛtena,

tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam brahma-niṣṭham.

Swaminiji began her talk with the definition of the word ‘Upaniṣad’. She called it ‘UpaniSHED’ since it gives us the knowledge of Self to ‘shed’ our ignorance. We got two more definitions from Swaminiji,

‘knowledge that uproots the seed of sorrow’ and ‘knowledge that leads us to brahman’. The question is, ‘Is this knowledge worth our while?’ Yes, it is. If we ‘examine the daily grind/experiences – parīkṣya lokān, we find that it is full of surprises – things keep dropping in unexpectedly like an atithi. When

Upaniṣads refer to atithi devo bhava (guest is Bhagavān), guest is a metaphor for ‘surprises’ and this knowledge helps us deal with these surprises. How do we go about gaining this knowledge? If we examine every gain (karmacita), we realize that the self-satisfaction that we are seeking is not there. So, either the end to be accomplished (sādhya) or the means (sādhana) must be wrong. Let us look at the end, sādhya, first. What is our sādhya then? The cause of human birth is ignorance (avidyā) and our sādhya is to remove the ignorance. To help us understand ignorance, Swaminiji beautifully explained the genealogy avidyā.

Ignorance (avidyā)

Desire (kāma)

Action (karma)

Results of Action (puṇya pāpa)

Rebirth (due to avidyā)From the above, it is clear that karma is not the right sādhana to remove the cause. i.e., avidyā, since it only perpetuates the avidyā-kāma-karma chain. Action only leads to finite ends. Even heaven is only a finite end. So, should we stop doing actions? No, we should stop seeking, not doing. We should realize that only knowledge of the self (that which is infinite and not a product) can remove the cause and we cannot gain that through a product (finite and result of action in this world) – akṛtaḥ kṛtena. Following this path, we gain a certain dispassion (nirvedam) towards the finite. After this, we should approach a guru for the sake of fully understanding the self (tad vijñānārtha) and listen (śravaṇam) to the guru. Can this not be gained through self-study? No, because the pramāṇas (means for gaining knowledge) - pratyakṣa, anumāna, upamāna, arthāpatti and anupalabdhi, will not

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work for the gaining of self-knowledge. It has to be unfolded by a guru who is a śrotriya - knows this through tradition (paramparā) and is brahma-niṣṭha - lives this knowledge. A guru can be selected based on the first criteria, i.e., śrotriya. It is very difficult, and maybe not needed, to apply the second criteria, i.e., brahma-niṣṭha. Finally, we should approach the guru with an attitude of surrender (samit-pāni) who will then lead us to self-knowledge.The session was followed by prasād from Swaminiji, a sumptuous potluck lunch and a lively Q&A session interspersed with pleasing bhajans. Swaminiji’s answers to the questions helped bring further clarity to our understanding.The evening session was on yet another famous teaching from Kaṭhopaniṣad – the the chariot imagery (ratha kalpana). The Kaṭhopaniṣad is a dialogue between Lord Yama and Naciketa.Swaminiji nicely transitioned from the morning to the evening session by saying that the best place to learn the brahmavidyā is through Lord Yama because he knows the finite very well. Once we know the finite we also get to know what is not finite i.e., the infinite. If the truth is aham brahmāsmi – I am Bhagavān (the infinite) and the śāstra also confirms this, how is there some part of us that can’t believe this? Because there is fear, sorrow and we feel subject to so many limitations. Although there is only ONE – brahman, who is this other one who is the doer (kartṛ), enjoyer (bhoktṛ), keeps complaining and lamenting? In fact, the Muṇḍakopaniṣad also talks about two birds (dvi suparna) – the actor bird that is addicted to the fruits of action (karma phala) and the witness bird that watches - lending existence through its very presence. Are there really two birds? No. This is just a metaphor - there is only one bird, the actor bird that is actually only a projection on the witness bird. Similarly, the Kaṭhopaniṣad refers to the metaphor of two drinkers of the karma-

cocktail entering the dark cavern. The wise ones know these two as nothing but light and shadow – meaning that there is only ONE, but seen as two. Why is ‘ONE’ seen as two? Because we do not understand mithyā and satyam (sat) clearly. Sat is that which non-negatable, self-evident and invariable in all periods of time. Mithyā is dependent reality and that which cannot be dismissed as existent or non-existent. Due to ignorance we see mithyā as real and sat is not seen, as a result. Even our body and mind are mithyā. How can we see only sat as real and not be confused into seeing mithyā as real? The Kaṭhopaniṣad

provides us with ratha kalpana to make a metaphorical journey from mithyā to sat. The jīva or indweller is the owner of the chariot, body is the chariot, intellect is the driver, mind is the bridle and the horses are the sense organs. If the horses (the sense organs) are not disciplined by the mind, they go after the sense objects and can easily lead the chariot to a ditch. Whereas if the horses (the sense organs) are trained to obey the mind (purifying them by converting binding desires to non-binding desires), the journey will be smooth. Again, an impure mind, which is under the control of rāga-dveṣas can easily lead the non-discriminating intellect and the chariot on a detour away from the goal. An intellect (buddhi), when used correctly, is the inner Bhagavān that will lead the mind and the chariot to its right destination. In

summary, when the owner of the chariot (jīva) has Bhagavān as the driver (discriminating intellect) he or she sets the goal for pursuit of the infinite, and with the reins under control (mind free of rāga-dveśas) and disciplined horses (restrained sense organs) is able to successfully reach the end of journey from mithyā to sat.The session ended with a short Q&A session and prasād from Swaminiji. A delicious dinner concluded this day of public talks and satsang with Swaminiji in Atlanta.

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One-Month Vedanta, Sanskrit and Vedic Chanting Course

Report by Harinder Kaur KhalsaThe One-Month Vedanta Course in Eugene started on January 10th. Prior to the course, on January 9th, Swaminiji Svatmavidyananda conducted āvahanti  homa at Lord Medhā Dakṣiṇāmūrti Shrine for the successful completion of this endeavor and for the knowledge to be

fully understood and assimilated by the students. The homa was followed by an orientation meeting. The study curriculum included weekday and weekend classes both during the daytime and evenings. The curriculum was planned in such a way that the students could pick a track and bring the their course to a completion. For those who wish to have an idea about how the schedule looked, the texts and class timings are given below:

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon, Tattvabodha, Every Tuesday afternoon, Taittirīyopanishad (an ongoing class), Every Tuesday and Thursday evening Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 15, Every Wednesday evening, Chanting Class for Bhajans and Vedic Prayers, Every Thursday afternoon, Intermediate Sanskrit, Every Friday evening Beginning Sanskrit, and Every Saturday morning, Meditation and Gurustotram

Nearly fifty students (including “live” online students) attended  the course. Of these, 23 received a certificate of completion at the glorious Valedictory Ceremony held at the end of the course on February 11, 2012. The Texts:Tattvabodha: Tattvabodha is the only text in prose among the ones we have studied with Swaminiji so far. Bodha means knowledge and tattva is reality, truth. Tattva is the truth which lies behind all names and forms that we misidentify ourselves with, in our daily lives. It is the truth, which shines on its own without depending on anything external; I am that. It is a basic but very rich text in the form of a dialogue between the teacher and the student. The dialogue format ensures that what is presented is not a matter of belief, but one for understanding. Like many other texts, it is attributed to Ādi Shankara. Pujya Swamiji taught this as the first text built into the āśram curriculum. Through the study, understanding and proper assimilation of the knowledge presented in this text (as is the case in all the texts we study) one is able to look at everything objectively, “as is”, free from rāgas (what I want) and dveśas (what I do not want based on what I am afraid of) which are both a product of the ignorance about who I am. The opening prayer states that this book is for the mumukṣu, the one who seeks to stop seeking. The audience of the book is the adhikārin, the person qualified to receive the knowledge, the subject matter, viṣāya, is tattvabodha. The purpose, prayojana, is to be free from the sense of being a limited

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person and the sorrow that it brings. Here a connection, sambandha, is made between prayojana, and viṣāya. The book is revealing my nature and is giving me the path to freedom so I am able to see myself as limitless, as the truth of everything. The teacher initiates the dialogue by saying “We (collective pronoun referring to the paramparā) will explain to the qualified ones endowed with the four-fold sādhanas (qualifications) the mode of discrimination (viveka) which is the means of liberation.” From this point on the text flows in a concise question-answer format finally concluding that the knower of ātman, I, crosses the ocean of samsāra to understand oneself as brahman, as revealed by the śruti.Taittirīyopaniṣad Brahmānandavallī: This is an ongoing in-depth

bhāṣya class, which started nearly two years ago. In the part we are studying currently we see that Taittirīyopaniṣad reveals the truth of oneself as brahman using the śākacandra nyāya, which is the logic of seeing the moon through the branches. Supposing that we are to explain to a being, who has never seen the moon before, we try to guide him or her to see it through the branches of a tree step by step. We say, “Look at the left branch of the tree, is that the moon? No. Now look at the

right branch of the tree, is that the moon? No. Now look in between those two branches and you see a round shiny object. That is the moon.” Brahman naturally is not an object visible like the moon, so the teacher, using śāstra, guides the student to see the brahman as him or herself. The particular teaching methodology used here is the pañcakośa (the five loci of error) prakriyā where the teacher

systematically shows the student the errors in identifying oneself, one by one. Just as by negating what is not the moon the one who has never seen the moon before comes to recognize what is moon, so too the students sees what she or he is. The five loci of error are:

1. a modification of food (body) – annamaya kośa 2. a modification of prāṇa – prāṇamaya kośa 3. a modification of mind – manomaya kośa 4. sense of doership – vijñānamaya kośa – 5. sense of experiencer – ānandamaya kośa

Taittirīyopaniṣad classes were very well attended by both online and Eugene students during the one-month course. More will be reported about these classes in upcoming issues of Sūktā.

Gurustotram is a praise of the teacher who ever so gently takes the hand of the student who comes to him or her relating to the student as one who understands exactly what the student is going through. The self is known enough to make a mistake about it by taking oneself to be what one is not (I am as good as this body, etc.) and by not taking oneself for what one really is. This is like the cataract, which comes in the way of seeing clearly what it

there. Like a careful

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doctor, the teacher removes the cataract (the self-ignorance) by the help of the śruti, which is likened to the ointment coating the needle. Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 15. This is the chapter of the Gītā, which is traditionally chanted before meals. This chapter contains the verse, which is interpreted in many different ways that lead to a dualistic interpretation of the truth about oneself. The first line of Verse 7 of chapter 15 says:

म"व$शो जीवलो* जीवभ,त: सनातन: ।

mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ:

मम mama - My; अ#श: एव aṁśaḥ eva - only a part; जीवलो+ jīvaloke - in the individual’s world; सनातन: sanātanaḥ - (is) eternal; जीवभ1त: jīvabhūtaḥ - in the form of a jīva

In the individual’s world, a part of Me alone exists as the jīva, which is eternal.

The word aṁśaḥ is the cause of such interpretation. Jīva is “part” of me. Here we need to clearly understand that aṁśa doesn’t mean a fragment. Jīva is not a product, and the creator, created division is never there to begin with. Like me and my arm and hand jīva is an extension of me Bhagavān says. Jīva is anything that is alive, anything that has sentience. It is like the sun reflected equally in twenty pots of water, which seem like twenty different suns, but it is the same sun in each pot. Until I know I am Īśvara, I pray and I surrender. I tap into the grace of Īśvara. When I know the truth (what is sat, what is mithyā), I can enjoy the experience without being taken by it. We ask at this point, how is it that I got separated from Īśvara? Somehow there is this separation people cannot figure out. Please understand, in Vedanta there is no fall from Grace or any separation/banishment/disobedience/punishment. Separation is only notional, and it comes and goes. That notion is nothing but avidyā, ignorance.

Beginning and Intermediate Sanskrit. These are ongoing classes with Swaminiji. The wonders of passive voice were discovered by the students in the intermediate Sanskrit classes. There really is nothing passive about passive voice in Sanskrit!

Vedic Chanting Classes. In this class we have learned various Vedic mantras in the traditional style with all svaras as well as some common prayer mantras. Swaminiji took the students through each mantra carefully explaining the meanings as well. Swaminiji was so impressed by the

pronunciation and ability of her students that she says they can easily find jobs in temples! Chanting the mantras the way they are intended makes a

huge difference. Even if one may not understand the meaning one can see that somehow the chemistry in the brain changes; a certain clarity intended by the mantra and the way it is chanted comes forth and aids the student to see what the teaching says more easily and more clearly.

It is truly amazing to see how this one-month course was so carefully designed, tapping into all the aspects of the teaching, from the texts, to the proper chanting of mantras, and eventually understanding what they mean through the study of Sanskrit, it all served to

carry the student to the proper understanding of what he or she is. If you wish to have access to the links for all the classes taught during the course, please email harinderkhalsa@gmail.com

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A Summary of the Tattvabodha from an Online Student of the One-Month Vedanta Course

By Charu ShivakumarThe one-month Vedanta Course was held in Eugene and although unable to be in Eugene in person, I managed to attend the morning classes “live” online. The one-month course included: the Tattvabodha text, the on-going Taittirīyopaniṣad classes, meditation, unfolding of Gurustotram, Vedic chanting classes, as well as beginning and intermediate Sanskrit.The Gurustotram was beautifully rendered in its entirety, with meanings and explanations by Swaminiji. We also chanted the Gurustotram during the valedictory function. But it was the ‘Tattvabodha’ classes that attracted me the most because, so succinctly explained by Swaminiji, it helped to clear my mind of various doubts and misconceptions. The Tattvabodha of Sri Ādi Śankarācārya is the very basics of Vedanta and is specifically for beginners like me.The text begins with an invocatory prayer “vāsudevendra yogīndraṁ natvā jñānapradaṁ guruṁ, mumukṣūṇāṁ hitarthāya tattvabodhaḥ abhidhīyate”. Having saluted ‘Vāsudevendra”, the king of yogis and the guru who is bestowing the knowledge on us, the text expounds in a simple yet profound way, the knowledge of truth (tattvabodha) to us seekers.First the anubandha catuṣṭaya is presented which explains four requirements that make a text worthwhile. There must be an adhikārin, for whom the text is meant, viṣaya, a subject matter, prayojana, the purpose of the text and sambandha, the relation of the text to the purpose and the intended audience. Next, what the seeker who wishes to study must be endowed with, the sādhanandacatuśtayam, the four-fold qualifications is given. They are viveka, vairāgya, śamādiṣaṭkasampatti, (the six-fold accomplishments, śama, dama, uparati, titikṣā, śraddhā, samādāna) and mumukṣutvam, the intense desire to attain mokṣa. The gaining of these four-fold qualifications is dependent upon one’s desire for knowledge – only

when there is an ardent desire for mokṣa gained by inquiry into the truth of what is, will one approach the guru and thereby learn the meaning of the qualifications. What then does this Truth of Reality really mean? It is the firm conviction that “I” is real (sat) and everything else is dependent on sat(mithyā). Brahman, “I”, alone is sat. That jagat is dependent on brahman and hence is mithyā.Therefore what is this “I”? “I” is that which is: (1) other than the gross, the subtle and the causal bodies, (2) beyond the five sheaths (annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, vijñānamaya and ānandamaya), (3) witness to the three state of consciousness (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and (4) witness to the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Limitlessness.Our body, perceived through our senses, is nourished to its present size by food. It is made up of the five great elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space) and born as a result of actions (karma) of the past. The body is subject to six modifications: jāyate (born), asti (is), vardhate (grows), vipariṇamate (matures), apakṣīyate (decays), vinaśyate (dies). “I”, on the other hand, is neither born nor dies. “I” is the witness to all these modifications of the body. Knowing the truth of “I” one is liberated from all sorrows. The knowledge of the “I” can only be known by listening to the teacher of the śāstra, for which the mind should be relatively free from rāga-dveśas, subtle and single-pointed. By reflecting, and meditating upon the teaching, one gains clarity and the knowledge becomes firmly rooted in the mind.Thus far we studied who the individual is and what truth is. Our next discussion was on the universe, jagat. In the Tattvabodha, 24 factors that constitute the world are given. They are the five gross elements (space, air, fire, water, earth), the five organs of perception, the five organs of action, the five prānas and the four thought modifications, (manas, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, citta). How has the jagat come forth from these 24 factors?

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Brahman is satyam. Satyam alone existed before names, shapes, forms and qualities of the jagat were. Therefore, satyam alone must be the cause of this world. However, satyam is changeless, it is sat-cit-

ānanda, so how can the ever-changing and finite jagat emerge? To explain this, the Vedas postulate the concept of māyā, a creative force - that which is not, yet appears to be, is māyā. From the standpoint of satyam – there is no jagat, and yet we experience it! This seeming contradiction is reconciled by the concept of māyā, which is indeed interesting, intriguing and also difficult to comprehend. Māyā has two powers: (1) āvaraṇa śakti (veiling power), and (2) vikṣepa śakti (projecting power). This creative power of Īśvara, māyā is worshipped as Śakti. The power of māyā is

unfathomless. It makes the impossible seem real. It has no separate existence from satyam. Māyā is endowed with three qualities, sattva (knowledge), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia) from which, by permutation and combination, the entire creation comes into being. When the three qualities are in balance, they are unmanifest. However, once the balance is disturbed, the process of creation begins. In that

creation, jīva is the reflection of brahman through avidyā, the cause of identification with the gross body, whereas Īśvara is the reflection of brahman through māyā. This false identification of the jīva with the gross body is deep rooted and has been the cause of endless births. Jīva, as we know it, is finite, with limited knowledge, limited strength, insignificant and deluded by avidyā. Helplessly entangled in actions (born of desires) that have results (phala), the cycle of birth, death and sorrow (samsāra) continues. Īśvara, on the other hand is infinite, omniscient, all strength, all pervasive, the wielder of māyā and totally unaffected by results of action. Hence the doubt arises as to how the finite jīva can be one with the infinite as the mahāvākya, “tattvamasi” tells us? There are two ways of understanding tvam, the jīva – one is the literal or direct meaning, and the other implied or indirect meaning. Jīva identified with the gross and subtle bodies is the literal meaning. The implied or indirect meaning is brahman manifest as jīva and Īśvara because of a combination of avidyā and māyā in the case of jīva and māyā alone in the case of Īśvara. Therefore, when a qualified student listens to the teachings of the Vedanta and to the words of the guru, (who is well versed in the scriptures and well versed in the truth) he or she will realize that the “I” in him is the “I” in all, which is satyam alone. Therefore, “I” am the infinite reality. Such a jīvanmukta, blessed with this understanding of the vision of Truth or Consciousness is liberated while still in the body. Such a person transcends both kartṛtvam and bhoktṛtvam (sense of being a doer and an experiencer). He or she sees brahman in all. He or she is free from bondage of all karma, his or her entire capital of sañcita and āgāmi karmas become null and void, and he or she no longer begets results from action. prārabdha karma that is manifesting in this life, having already begun to unfold, continues until it is exhausted, marked by the fall of the body. Thus the jīvanmukta crosses the ocean of samsāra to attain mokṣa.Samsāra is the entire realm of time, space and objects - that which is forever changing. It is ignorance, full of limitations and the reason for sorrows and fears etc. We have to know what is mithyā and what is

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satyam, something that can only be known with the help of a guru. that ignorance can be removed and the truth that “I” am that brahman be known. Śraddhā, (faith pending understanding) should be directed towards one’s guru as well as the śāstra. The teacher is non-separate from the teachings, being the knower of Truth he or she becomes the Truth itself. In reality, there is no becoming- one has always been of the nature of sat-cit-ānanda - even while one was ignorant.Thus in conclusion, Tattvabodha prepares the seeker with the basic knowledge, who will then have the mumukṣutvam to study further the Upaniṣads and gain brahmavidyā. It is with this knowledge alone, that one crosses samsāra, so affirms Śruti and on “gaining knowledge he or she is liberated”- so asserts Smṛti too.

Reflections on the One Month Vedanta Course, Eugene, Or

Adele Berlinski: Swaminiji’s students were treated to a one-month intensive course recently that allowed us to delve deeply into the knowledge of Vedanta. In January and February, students focused on several texts – Tattvabodhaḥ, Gurustotram, Taittirīyopaniṣad, and Baghavad Gītā, Chapter 15 – as well as chanting and Sanskrit. The āśram in Eugene was turned into “Vedanta Central” with the coming and going of many students each day to hear Swaminiji impart the knowledge with her usual patience and good cheer. In addition, students from all over the United States and Canada participated online. The sheer number of classes provided a unique

opportunity to immerse ourselves in Vedanta concepts and vision. One of the greatest gifts of having frequent classes was to observe how so many of the texts overlap, repeat, and reinforce each other. Many times Swaminiji referred us back to a text we had studied the day before to illuminate the day’s coursework. It became easy to see how the threads of Vedanta are woven together and familiar patterns emerged.Another gift of the month-long study was the focus it engendered. Week to week, it is easy to tune into Vedanta classes and tune out again as one goes about one’s daily business. Self-growth is put on the back burner as kids, chores, and careers intervene. But attending several classes

each day put Vedanta concepts in the forefront of our lives and allowed us to more intentionally incorporate them into our thoughts and actions.

The month ended much too quickly as Swaminiji left for India. We are blessed to have her in our lives and this mumukṣu, for one, eagerly awaits her return. Om

Ann White: I was so blessed to have the privilege to attend Vedanta classes offered this winter in Eugene; Oregon. Having grown up in a Christian community I had no prior knowledge of these life-altering teachings. Swaminiji's teachings were peppered with wonderful humor and puns, which kept me at ease during some of the deeper teachings. I am sure she saw that puzzled look on my face until I got that moment of understanding.

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Also, for me learning prayers that have been passed down though the ages is very comforting. I am looking forward to attending several new classes lead by other devotees in the Eugene community.

Gordon Hennesy: First let me express my gratitude to our Swaminiji, for taking the time to come to Eugene and offer this series of courses. Also to my fellow students, for your commitment to coming to the classes, devoting time to make things work for both the classes and the

Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣeka pūjas. It makes the experience of learning a far greater one. To those students who devoted time to making things work, both the classes and the Rudra ceremonies. We are all of us still unfolding the positive fallout from this unique event.The one theme that impressed me from all of the teachings I attended was the explanation of the role of the Vedanta teacher, the guru, in gaining this knowledge. After you

get over the first hurdle, early on upon hearing the teaching of Vedanta, "Tat tvam asi", you can intellectually assent to the fact that you are, in fact, not separate from the whole. However, that registering of this profound reality is no giant step along the path, without removing the ignorance about our self-identity.Getting from that first glimpse into the reality of self-identity to the dropping of all illusion about who one is, is a process of some magnitude. In fact that is why the teacher is so important. As Swaminiji expressed it, the teacher becomes a stand-in for the Infinite, for Bhagavān, and ultimately, for oneself. As we are coming to terms with

dropping the illusion of our self as separate from the Whole, it is helpful to have a target of focus toward which we can direct our devotion. This is where the teaching of January's classes began to have a great impact on me.It is difficult to bow down before another human being, especially for someone who has been raised within this skeptical Western culture, which has seen its share of spiritual leaders who demand worship from their followers, all the while feeding either their egos, or their pockets, or both. It was enlightening to me to have it framed for me in the following manner: that the true teacher neither needs nor requests gifts or bowing, but that these are tools with which I, the student, am able to progress spiritually by offering my śraddhā, my devotion, to the Infinite, as a first step toward becoming imminently aware of my identity with the Infinite.All acts of devotion, apparently directed toward serving the teacher, are efforts which have as their ultimate goal the understanding of ourselves as Īśvara. It is much easier to do when we recognize that we are serving ourselves, by serving the teacher.

It also makes it clear that a true teacher will not be seeking the student, as Swaminiji has repeatedly said, and that a true teacher will not be asking to be served, or asking for presents from her or his students. It is sometimes surprising how delightfully detached a true teacher can be from all the efforts directed toward them.But make no mistake. A true teacher is not detached from serving the students. In fact, they make the sacrifice of serving each one of us, by offering us this object of devotion, so that we may make progress toward the final goal of seeing ourselves as one with the teacher, and finally also with Īśvara.There were many things I learned from all the other lessons I attended, which I will no doubt feel the impact of in the coming weeks and months, but this was a profound shift in my way of looking at my own progress along this path of Vedanta.

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Valedictory CeremonyOne Month Vedanta Course

Eugene, Or

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Valedictory Ceremony in Eugene.By Nilendra Deshpande

The Valedictory ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of one month Vedanta Course was held in Eugene on the 11th of February. It turned out to be much more than a valedictory ceremony. It was a large gathering of the community, a coming together of those with spiritual interest. The ceremony started with garlanding of Swaminiji, a truly beautiful garland made by Dottie. Then we had chantings and bhajans sung by the young children of Balvihar. I saw at least twelve children, all accompanied by their mothers, and in some cases fathers too. Balvihar was started last December with inspiration from Savitriji and Swaminiji. The mothers have done a remarkable job of teaching the children numerous short bhajans. It was no surprise that bhajans to Lord Gaṇeśha dominated the selection. However the children also sang the Gurustotram. It was a fine start to the ceremony, and set the right mood for the occasion.Swaminiji then addressed the gathering. She spoke about the importance of seeking the infinite, rather than leading a life of constant seeking, seeking, seeking. She complimented those who had completed the course by participating for a full month. This was no small accomplishment when there are so many demands on one’s time. She praised people in Eugene for welcoming this knowledge,

and how the participation of the younger generation bode well for the future. Swaminiji then explained the meaning of the valedictory chant from the Vedas. Speak the truth, follow dharma, study one’s Vedas,

lead life consistent with ecological considerations, don’t neglect Īśvara who is the truth of yourself, welcome guests (or anything that drops in unannounced) as a gift from Īśvara. When guru is unavailable seek advice from the elders.Prasād was then handed out to the children in the form of beautifully wrapped gifts. Certificates were handed out to those who had completed the course, both those in Eugene, and those who took the course online. The participants were invited to share their thoughts. This was indeed a very moving occasion, when many shared their experiences of what they had learnt from Swaminiji. Faith expressed it very well when she said that it is a great puṇya that knowledge came to Eugene instead of us having to go to Rishikesh. The greatest gift to Swaminiji would be for us to imbibe this knowledge. Harinder composed a beautiful poem dedicated to Swaminiji, which appears in this issue of Sūktā. Mayaskari gave the concluding remarks. A line that stands out from what she said was her journey from a confused psychology professor who did not know what she did not understand, to someone

who could understand the knowledge even though she came from a western background. All together it was a wonderful day.

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Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣeka, Eugene, OR

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Eugene Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekaby  Bidyut  Das

My humble salutations to my Sadguru, Amma. Oṁ namaḥ Śivāya.Whether we admit it or not we are truly puppets in Divine hands. When I received the request for sending an article for the Rudrābhiṣekam, it was a Monday, which is Lord Śiva's day. So I thought, "How can I say no to this request?" This is actually lord's will, so I've tried to put a few words together. After all he is the one - Devādi Deva, Mahādeva, The Great Lord.Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekam was truly a divine blessing for our community - people and all the other species who live here. When I first came to know that we were going to have this ritual from the 21st through the 29th of January, I was not that excited about it for many reasons. I thought some of the temple devotees are in India, the weather would not be so good, etc., but it had already been decided. So, accepting that this is a Divine will, we felt we just had to do our best to support the decision.Number eleven is very special to me so I was very happy that the ritual was going to be for eleven days, with eleven items for the abhiṣeka. Interestingly enough every single day there were at least eleven people at the shrine each day the abhiṣeka started (with more people joining later on).I thought there is no way I can attend the ritual waking my whole family in the wee hours of the morning. So I prayed to the lord and the goddess to guide me and help me to find a solution to this dilemma. Swaminiji had advised me that I just had to try to slip away quietly and attend at least the very first and the last day's ritual. I thought to myself, “you all are going to chant the Śri Rudram every single day and here I am in my

house doing nothing but lying awake and restless and not participating in the ritual”. So I prayed to lord and said “all right, I will do my own ritual beginning at the brahma muhūrta time and whatever they are going to

do at the shrine, I will do it at my own home and observe a similar fasting (with light food) for the eleven days”. But as always the lord and the mother goddess are very kind and merciful to their devotees. Out of those eleven days, I was able to participate for six days. Later I realized these numbers (six and eleven) are both meaningful and significant to me. I do not really know how that happened.The very first time I went it was the third day of the abhiṣeka. I reached there at four o'clock in the morning. It was so peaceful and quiet in the brahma muhūrta - the most auspicious time - it had a great feeling. At that time when the whole world is sleeping, even the birds are not yet up for their daily job - hunting or food gathering, it is the perfect time for us to meditate at the shrine. It is difficult to describe the whole experience in words. I arrived at four o'clock in the morning every time I went there and did what little seva I could. It was a lot of fun and the most

beautiful experience.Watching the lord being bathed with so many things, and by so many people with so much śraddhā, was

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really very touching. Especially with the powerful Śri Rudram and Oṁ namaḥ śivāya chanted by Swaminiji so beautifully, it was exhilarating and heart uplifting. Every single day the deities looked so happy and so did the devotees. The eleven days of different decorations on the liṅga by Swaminiji and the decoration of the goddess by other devotees were exquisite. Both Mūkāmbika and Mahādeva looked so gorgeous each day; beyond comparison.

Though I was not able to be there all eleven days, I felt the divine energy even staying at home. One day due to some other plans, I had decided not to go, but I had a beautiful dream that night. In my dream, I was giving bath to Mahādeva with many dravyas, so I

cancelled my other plans for that morning, made prasād with eleven things and went to the shrine. The very last day there was a grand ceremony. It was so nice to see so many devotees at the shrine. There was so much prasād that was offered to lord that his whole face was covered with all those delicious offerings made by devotees.Even after the Rudrābhiṣekam ritual was complete, for the next week, I was still up at the brahma muhūrta time and wanted to go to the shrine. I wished the ritual was for twenty-one days instead of just eleven days.Another līlā I want to mention: I had promised to the Lord that I was going to chant Śiva's names 1,000 times on those eleven days. But I am

so used to doing my Devi Arcana everyday that I was having a hard time chanting Śiva's names. So I prayed to Śiva and then from the third day on, everything was okay. For the rest of the nine days I got excused by the goddess so I could just focus on Mahādeva and not get confused--somehow I had misplaced my Devi Arcana book during that time. My special gratitude to Swaminiji for performing the Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekam and for guiding the community.I also thank all the people who participated in this auspicious event and those who helped organize the Rudrābhiṣekam in Eugene.

Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekamby Saumya Campden

For eleven days in January, 2012 - January 19 through 29, an Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekam was performed. This is a very powerful and sacred ritual in the Vedic tradition. Under the guidance of Swaminiji, Vedanta students and members of the community of Eugene participated. We met at the Mūkāmbika Mahādeva Shrine, daily, at 5:00 a.m. and chanted the Śri Rudram eleven times. Each round of chanting, had eleven offerings of various liquids (dravyas); once the liquid was poured, we then adorned the Lord with a tilak, flower petals, and offered ārati. After this, each item was washed away with water, and the whole order was repeated with the next item. At the end of the eleven recitations of Śri Rudram, the Lord was thoroughly bathed, dried and decorated with vibhuti, chandan, and placed on the altar in the shrine. A mālā and other flowers were also given at this time along

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with fruits and sweets. Then the one hundred eight names of the Lord were chanted, offerings were made to all of the deities, and ārati was offered.

During these eleven days, the opportunity to develop an appreciation for ones relationship with oneself as well as with the Lord and the creation, became very evident. Arriving at the shrine with the anticipation of several hours of turning ones attention to the Lord, as well as participating in such a ancient, yet present ritual was very beautiful. One morning, about half way through the eleven days, it was very cold. The earth was so still, the air so cold and brittle, the only sounds were of Vedic chanting and a bell ringing with each ārati. It felt as if we had always performed this sacred ritual; time had ceased to be, it was only now. It was eleven days of blessings, blessings for us all.

The Ekadasha Rudrābhiṣeka in Eugene Oregonby Matura Nath Das

It is a great boon to encounter a vibrant spiritual community so close to one's home. For that reason I was very delighted to recently visit the Mūkāmbika Mahādeva Shrine here in Eugene last month and participate in the eleven day ceremony conducted by Her Holiness Sri Swaminiji Svatmavidyananda Saraswati.The Ekādaśha Rudrābhiṣekam ceremony is an extremely powerful and sacred eleven-day ritual from the Vedic traditions of India. It was observed for the first time here in Eugene by the devotees gathering each day at 5am in the Mūkāmbika Mahādeva Shrine. Every morning during the bramha muhūrta (sacred time preceding the dawn), the assembled devotees assisted Swaminiji in the chanting of the Śri Rudram eleven times for eleven continuous days, accompanied by 122 daily baths of the shrine’s śiva liṅga, with eleven sacred dravyas, or auspicious substances such as such as milk, honey, juices, yogurt, flowers, crushed pineapple, applesauce, sandalwood, kum kum and Gaṅgā water.

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Swaminiji impressively chanted the Śri Rudram from memory throughout the services and beautifully and artistically decorated the śiva liṅga with wonderful flower and leaf arrangements and auspicious sandalwood paste markings such as the swastika and tilak of three horizontal lines

with a red dot. Sometimes a crescent moon or trident or other auspicious symbol was artistically added as well.The Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣeka has the power to mitigate the negative effects of karma, alleviate chronic illness, remove blockages to material and spiritual gains, and purify the heart of guilt and hurt as well as remove negative samskāras from the mind. Samskāras are impressions derived from past experiences that form desires that influence future responses and behavior and perpetuate the binding effects of karma upon the jīva.The local community of devotees were very kind and welcoming and I was impressed by their ability to sing and chant classical Sanskrit stotras and mantras in the correct meter with authenticity and sincerity.

The chanting of the 10,000 year old sloka from the Ṛg Veda known as the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra also figured prominently in these ceremonies:

oṁ tryambakaṁ yajāmahesugandhiṁ puṣṭivardhanamurvarukamiva bandhanānmṛtyor mukṣīya mamṛtāt

We worship the three-eyed one, the fragrance of life that nourishes and causes us to thrive. Free us from death with the ease of the cucumber disengaging from its vine, but withhold not, from us, immortality.

In this way the Ekādaśa Rudrābhiṣekam carried on day after day, in the early morning hours and culminated in an impressive total of 1,331 pūjas over the course of 11 days. From my personal perspective it was an extremely enlivening and uplifting experience. I had several spiritually powerful and lucid dreams during the week as well as a noticeable brightening of my consciousness.In the Bhagavat Purāṇa it is stated, “dharmasya

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tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhayam”, the Truth of dharma is hidden in the heart. The ritual bathing of the śiva liṅga is in itself a powerful practice, but it is the community of spiritual aspirants that truly uplifts and purifies. When a community aspires towards spiritual realization it becomes sādhu saṅgha, or holy association. Sādhu saṅgha and service to aspiring devotees is something sacred. It is an expression of honoring the parts as they contribute to the well being of all, by rendering service to the whole. Sādhu saṅgha leads to bhajana kriya (spiritual activities) which in turn brings about anartha nivṛtti (the falling away of negative habits) and niṣṭha (deepening of conviction). Because the devotees or sādhus carry the conception of Truth in their hearts, one is always benefited and brightened by their association. Their holy association leads the soul further on the path of mokṣa (liberation) and prema (divine love).Sādhu saṅgha has the ability to uplift the members of such an august assembly beyond what they would normally be capable of individually, and when you add the presence of a guru or saintly teacher, the potential for inner growth is greatly maximized for everyone involved. The Upaniṣads tell us:

tad vijñārtham sa guru eva abhigacchet samit pāṇi srotriyam bramha niṣṭham.

In order to know the truth of oneself, may one approach, with an offering of fire-sticks in hand, a teacher who comes from a sound lineage, and is committed to brahman.

The name Śiva in the sanskrit language means auspicious one. In the Śaiva tradition of Hinduism, Śiva is seen as the master of the cosmos as well as its destroyer at the end of its manifest phase, and is the personification of the totality of all souls in conditioned material existence.

Śiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of a śiva liṅga, sacred oblong stones often taken from the holy Narmada river in India. In images, Śiva is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the tandava upon apasmāra puruṣa, (personified ignorance) in his manifestation of Śiva Natarāja, the lord of the cosmic dance. He is also the father of Gaṇeśa and Murugan.

The Sanskrit word Śiva is an adjective meaning auspicious, kind, and gracious. As a proper name it means, The Auspicious One, it is also used as a name for Rudra, the destructive aspect of Śiva, or that which transforms and evolves us. Ādi Sankarācarya in his interpretation of the name Śiva, in the Viṣṇu sahasranāma, (the thousand names of Viṣnu), interprets the holy name of Śiva to

have multiple meanings: The Pure One, or the One who is not affected by three guṇas of prakṛti - sattva, rajas, and tamas - or the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His Holy name. By gaining the favor of Lord Śiva, and the saintly aspirants who adore Him, one attains auspiciousness, overcomes negative karmic reactions and ultimately receives the boon of prema - the highest attainment of deep, devotional selfless Love for DivinityOṁ namaḥ Śivāya!

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Balavihar Classes in Eugene, Orby Maheswari Chattaboina, Roopa Praveen and Lena AjayOur InspirationIt all began when on the request of Swaminiji Smt. Savithri Mani visited Eugene to conduct a three-day Balavihar session for the children.

When we saw how much the children gained from a three-day session, we realized that having regular sessions would be greatly beneficial to their development. So with the blessings of God, the best wishes of Swaminiji, the encouragement of Savithri auntiji and the support of our local Indian community our first session was held on 2nd December 2011 and we have been meeting every Friday since then for one hour.Our main goal is to instill, foster and promote Hindu cultural and spiritual values amongst the children, and to help expand their awareness of our heritage and traditions, leading them to develop self-esteem and sense of personal identity.

Our ClassesEach session starts with the lighting of the lamp, chanting of three 'omkāras' followed by "sahanāvavatu", śānti mantra. The children chant slokas, sing bhajans learned in the previous classes and learn new ones. We impart

character education with stories from the Pañcatantra, Jātaka tales and other moral stories, followed by the art projects and activities related to the stories. We conclude each session with a few

closing prayers, ārati and prasād. Our Programs The children also participate in the celebration of Hindu festivals. Till date, we have celebrated Saṅkrānti, where the children recited all the slokas they had learnt and along with parents demonstrated how the festival is celebrated in different parts of India. We had an audience of about 50 people who were amazed at how much the children had learnt in a short period of time.At the Mūkāmbika Mahādeva shrine in Eugene, they actively participated in Sarasvathi pūja by chanting slokas and

singing bhajans, and at Mahā Śivarātri they performed abhiṣekam along with their parents. They participated in the Valedictory Ceremony of the Vedanta course conducted by Swaminiji, where along with the slokas and bhajans, they also chanted a few stanzas of the "Gurustotram" which they had learnt in just 2 days. Since that program was telecast live on the internet, they were extremely excited to see themselves on screen and performed with great vigor and enthusiasm!

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They took part in the Interfaith prayer service held in the First Christian Church in Eugene by chanting guru and Gaṇeśa slokas and bhajans.

Our children are curiously looking forward to participate in more upcoming activities.Our HopeChildren attend classes with an eagerness to learn new concepts and they sit patiently till the end of the session. The idea is to provide spiritual awareness through fun and play, stories and bhajans. The children are encouraged to be responsible, alert and disciplined. We believe that just as the strength of a wall depends on the quality of each brick, so too the health of a society depends on each individual.“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."We hope our efforts to provide an atmosphere of spiritual growth that will inculcate in our children an understanding for our ancient culture. We hope to inspire them to live up to our cultural heritage and thus grow up to be well-balanced individuals who become sensitive and contributing members of society.For more information please contact eugenebalavihar@gmail.com

Report on Gītā Home Study Group nearing the end of Chapter 18By Mayaskari Rothbart

Eugene’s first Gītā Home Study Group (GHS) now 8-years old, is nearing the end of its reading of Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 18 and Śri Pujya Swamiji Dayanda’s verse-by-verse commentaries. Our meetings have continued over a period of tremendous growth of Vedanta in Eugene, and during these years we have been graced by Swaminiji’s visits to our group introducing each of the Gītā chapters and her illuminating answers to our questions. My own response to GHS and Swaminiji’s teaching has been one of personal transformation.During her last visit to Eugene, Swaminiji truly rescued our group, which had become bogged down in our reading of Chapter 18. She gave us the teaching that was at the heart of the chapter, and we have continued our meetings with new energy. We are very pleased to send words of blessing and encouragement to the new GHS group that will be meeting regularly on Fridays. This is a tremendous opportunity for Eugene students to receive the teaching of the Gītā from the very beginning. Just reading Swamiji’s Introduction to the Commentaries will convince you that you have the time to set an appointment for yourself each week in reading Gītā and learning Vedanta in the new GHS.

New Gītā Home Study GroupReport by Harinder Kaur Khalsa

The Valedictory Ceremony upon the completion of the 1 month course was very encouraging for everyone. It showed that despite the extremely busy life one may have (especially here in the US), when there is commitment to the knowledge of self, which liberates one from all worries and sadness, one is still able to do all his or her duties and make room in the heart for that knowledge to come and sit. Such dedication and commitment of all students inspired the community members to initiate a new Gītā Home Study group lead by Vanaja Manda and Mrudula Bobba on Friday evenings. The new GHS started on March 2, 2012 (6:45-7:45 p.m.) at 2940 Crescent Ave, Eugene (Crescent Club House) and will meet at the same time and place on a regular basis.

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Swaminiji Svatmavidyananda sends the new GHS the following wishes and prayers from India: "I wish the enterprise my best and pray for its success. May all come and learn at the feet of the Gītā, the Goddess Incarnate of knowledge, and revel in her glory. Om"Many people are grateful for this opportunity including the more recent participants of the ongoing Monday evening Gītā Home Study at Mick and Mayaskari’s home. The ongoing GHS group is getting close to completing the 18th Chapter. If you need more information about the new GHS, please send an email to harinderkhalsa@gmail.com. Place: 2940 Crescent Ave, Eugene 97408 (Crescent Club House), Time: Fridays, 6:45-7:45 p.m.

Sunday  Study  and  Worship  Satsang  in  Eugene,  Or  by  Harinder  Kaur  Khalsa

Sādhana Pañcakam StudyAfter the completion of the 1 month course and Swaminij’s departure for India, we have started to watch Swaminiji’s previously recorded classes (4-5 pm) on Sādhana Pañcakam at Gordon and Harinder’s house (835 E. 36th

Place, Eugene 97405). The first class of Sādhana Pañcakam was held on February 19th, and they will continue until April 8th. These classes will be offered on a regular basis when Swaminiji is not in town.

Swaminiji encouraged us to watch the classes on Sādhana Pañcakam because it is a good way to continue what we started during the month long course. It is also a good way of practicing contemplation, nididhyāsana. In the first class of this series, students are encouraged to write a synopsis of the class based on their memory and their notes. Upon this encouragement Harinder, Mayaskari, Kanchan and Desh have started a project by simply sharing their notes and getting feedback from other participants of the class. This is a work in progress for writing an article on this text. Sunday Evening Puja at Lord Medhā Dakṣiṇāmūrti ShrineAn evening pūja is held at Lord Medhā Dakṣiṇāmūrti Shrine on Sunday evenings. This is an ongoing time of worship and is open to all who wish to come (5:00-5:45 p.m. 835 E. 36th Place, Eugene 97405). For more information about previously recorded classes, please contact harinderkhalsa@gmail.comPlace: 835 E 36th Pl. Eugene, OR 97405, Time: Sundays, 4:00-5:00 p.m.For more information about Sunday evening worship, please contact gurushrine@gmail.com. Place: 835 E 36th Pl. Eugene, OR 97405, Time: Sundays, 5:00-5:45 p.m.

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Satsang with SwaminijiHow should we understand the words that make up the phrase “antaḥ karaṇa śuddhi”? What is its importance?Antaḥkaraṇa means "inner instrument" which includes the mind, the ego, etc.

Śuddhi means cleansing. The mind is "unclean" only due to the presence of the rāga-dveśas, strong likes and dislikes which inhibit the assimilation of the knowledge of the self as whole and limitless.

Therefore through Karma Yoga, a lifestyle committed to the gain of knowledge of oneself, the person uses all relationships and events for priming the antaḥkaraṇa for knowledge --the person consciously uses all disappointments, sadness, etc., to grow emotionally and mature to gain the knowledge. Every sorrow and every loss, properly managed, brings with it the gain of a mind uninhibited by limitations.

Antaḥkaraṇa śuddhi, therefore, is the most important thing for a seeker of self knowledge to work on, for without it, there is no growth. Non duality cannot abide in a heart cut up by all kinds of inhibitions and restrains.

Swaminiji’s Teaching and Travel ScheduleOnline  Classes  To see the current schedule for online classes, please go to www.arshavm.org.

To access the online classroom from www.arshavm.org click on second button on the left hand side and sign in with your name as a guest.

Travel  Schedule

April 27-29: Keynote speaker at the 1st annual north American Hindu Priests Conference, Pittsburg, PA

May 4-5: Monthly seminar: 9-12 noon on Upadeśa Saram at SSVT, Latham, Maryland. For  more  details  please  contact  Charu  at  charun@cox.net  

May 18-20: Weekend Family Vedanta retreat at Forsythe, GA. For more details please contact Ramakrishnan at vn_ramakrishnan@yahoo.com

May 21: 7-8 pm meditation at the Interfaith Initiative

June 10th: Speaker at the Interfaith Conference in Milwaukee, WI.

June 10-17: Vedanta talks in Milwaukee, WI. For more details please contact Venkat Kodak vkodali@kodali.com

Sūktā Editorial Board Julie Carpenter, Mayaskari Rothbart, Kanchan Deshpande, Harinder Kaur Khalsa, and V. Viswanathan.