14 August 2015, Amritapuri

A mass ceremony was conducted at Amritapuri this morning. Vavu Bali, as it is locally known, is a traditional ritual where oblations are offered to departed ancestors. The ceremony is performed on Amavasi (new moon) in the Hindu month of Karkidaka.

About 1500 devotees personally participated in this special Yagna, joined by thousands of others present at the ashram. Swami Turyamritananda lit the lamp to start the event, and various ceremonies were performed simultaneously in the Ashrams Main Bhajan Hall and the Kali Temple, by Brahmacharis Tapasyamrita Chaitanya, Gurudas Chaitanya, and Shraddhamrita Chaitanya.

During the pujas, sweet rice was offered to all the departed souls, including forefathers and friends, as well as to animals and trees, along with the chanting of sacred mantras and prayers.

Step by step puja instructions were translated simultaneously into different international languages, allowing devotees from various parts of the world to participate.

After the conclusion of the ceremonies, the participants walked in a procession towards the shore to personally consign their offerings to the ocean. In this action, the fish in the ocean are also fed. Tharpanam, a ritualistic offering with water was also performed for the devatas (deities), rishis, and ancestors.

The ceremonies started at 7am and went on till around noon.

Later in the day, after the meditation session with Amma, one of the international devotees thanked all those who helped to conduct the Vavu Bali ceremony. In response Amma said, We always have a thought of only getting, never of giving to others. We grew up because our parents have been giving to us. Now whatever we may give, we cannot repay for what they have given us. Through this ritual, we are showing our respect, out gratitude, towards our departed ancestors. Giving verbal thanks only remains as words, and doesnt get translated into action. By partaking in this ritual, we are performing action spending some time for others, spending some money for them, and chanting mantras. We therefore get purified, creating positive vibrations.

The people who have died might have taken a new birth or attained moksha. Even the remote villagers get their mail properly if the address is correct. You are even able to call him by dialing the correct mobile number. Or if the email id is correct, it will reach him wherever he is. Similarly, if your sankalpa is pure, when making offerings towards departed souls, the result will reach him/her even if he has taken another birth. In addition, we also get the benefit of the mantras and the good actions we do.

Actually, we have to show our gratitude to our parents when they are alive. This ritual is part of Sanatana Dharma, which believes in the rebirth. Whether you believe in this or not, whether they are reborn or not, we get a punya (merit) for the actions we do.

For each action there are two types of results. Drushta Phalam and Adrusthta Phalam the seen and the unseen results. When we feed a hungry orphan, we feel the joy when we see him enjoying the food we have offered that is drushta phalam. The result is visible. By giving food we get some punya merit. That is the unseen result, adrusthta phalam. If you are a sadhak, all that you are doing is done selflessly, the whole world will benefit.

Stating the example of some of the ashramites, Amma concluded, If there is a Sannyasi in a family, three generations before and four generations in the future will receive the merit of his Sannyas.

Kannadi

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Ashram Archives - Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

New York Times

Alice Coltrane's Ashram Recordings Finally Have a Wide Release New York Times Surya Botofasina, 39, a keyboardist who lives in Brooklyn, has fond memories of growing up at the Shanti Anantam Ashram in Agoura, Calif., which was established in 1983 by Alice Coltrane, the jazz pianist, harpist and widow of the saxophone immortal ... Revisiting Alice Coltrane's Lost Spiritual ClassicsRollingStone.com all 2 news articles »

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Alice Coltrane's Ashram Recordings Finally Have a Wide Release - New York Times

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 2: The murti of Swami Atmaram and Mahatma Prithvi Nathji were unveiled in a grand function, at the Swami Atmaram Ashram Gosain Gund, Camp Tomal, Bohri near here. A large number of people, including social workers, activists, intellectuals etc., participated in the anaavaran puja. Among the participants were Ajay Bharti MLC, . H L Jad, Kashmiri Lal Bhat, H L Bhat, Pradeep Koul, Brijlal Bhat, G L Kaath and a host of other dignitaries. The anaavran puja, conducted by Makhan Lal, was performed by senior trustee Arjan Nath Hangloo on behalf of the Trust. Disclosing the details, Dr R L Bhat President Swami Atmaramji Vedanta Ashram Gosain Gund Trust said that the Murtis had been got made from expert murtikaars of Rajasthan, with the cooperation of the family members of late Mahatma Prithvi Nathji, through Manoj Bhat. along with late Mahatma Premnath Ji, Mahatma Prithvi Nathji had established the Gosain Gund Ashram camp at Bohri with great effort and sacrifice. Dr. Bhat also disclosed that the Vedant Ashram Gosain Gund had land and building assets at Gosain Gund Doru, where an ancient Shiv Mandir also exists. Dr. Bhat and his team including Pawanji Pandita, Ashokji, Sanjay Bali, M K Bhat, Rajesh Koul, Sunilji, Aditya Koul, Kumarji, Sahil Dhar and others have put in great efforts to maintain the Gosain Gund Ashram and its traditions. He also said that all this had been made possible with the support of the trustees appointed by the late Mahatmas, Prem Nathji and Prithvi Nathji. A Mandli was held on the occasion, well known artists Munnuji Bhat, Indarkala and their party built up an ambience of Shrada and Bhakti with their exquisite bjajans. Kashur tuhr was served as Prasad on the after the anaavaran ceremony.

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Murti Sathapana at Swami Atmaram Ashram - Daily Excelsior - Daily Excelsior

STATE TIMES NEWS JAMMU: The Murtis of Swami Atmaaram and Mahatma Prithvi Nathji were unveiled at a function held at Swami Atmaaram Ashram Gosain Gund, Camp Tomal, Bohri. A large number of people, including social workers, activists, and intellectuals participated in the ceremony and performed prayer. Ajay Bharti MLC, H.L Jad, Kashmiri Lal Bhat, H.L Bhat, Pradeep Koul, Brijlal Bhat and G.L Kaath were also present. The Anaavaran Puja, conducted by Makhan Lal, was performed by senior trustee Arjan Nath Hangloo on behalf of the Trust. Disclosing the details, Dr R.L Bhat President Swami Atmaaramji Vedanta Ashram Gosain Gund Trust said that the idols were prepared by the expert sculptors from Rajasthan with the cooperation of the family members of late Mahatma Prithvi Nathji. He said that Manoj Bhats contribution in preparing the idols remain laudable. Late Mahatma Premnathji and Mahatma Prithvi Nathji had established the Gosain Gund Ashram at Bohri with great effort and sacrifice, he said adding that the Vedant Ashram Gosain Gund had land and building assets at Gosain Gund Dooru where an ancient Shiv Mandir also exists. Dr Bhat along with his team comprising Pawanji Pandita, Ashok, Sanjay Bali, M.K Bhat, Rajesh Koul, Sunil, Aditya Koul, Kumar and Sahil Dhar has put in great effort to maintain the Gosain Gund Ashram and its traditions. A Mandli was held on the occasion in which well known artists Munnuji Bhat and Indarkala, and their party presented Bhajans.

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Installation of idols held at Atmaaram Ashram - State Times

PUNE: Vinod Khanna's two-year stint at Pune's Osho International Meditation Resort, colloquially known as the Osho ashram, was a turning point in the actor's life.

That was when Khanna, who was at the pinnacle of stardom, decided to quit the film industry out of love for his guru, Osho.

The ashram's spokesperson Ma Amrit Sadhana shared a few fond memories of the actor with TOI. She recalled an interview she did with Khanna, when she was a young disciple herself.

Describing him as a friendly and simple man with a penchant for meditation, Sadhana said: "He was good-natured and a deep meditator. I once had the opportunity to interview him for the April 1994 issue of Osho Times. He talked at length on the subject of spirituality, life and death," she said.

"I asked him about his tryst with Osho and how old he was then," Sadhana said. "He said that he was just 25-26 years old when he started listening to Osho's discourses., back in 1974. He told me Osho's words had introduced him to an eternal truth: death. He said that four of his relatives had recently passed away, including his mother and sister, which had shaken him to his very foundations. One thought that went through his head was, 'I too will die one day, but I do not know anything about my real self'."

Thus began Khanna's spiritual awakening. He decided to pay Osho a personal visit, after which he was initiated as a disciple. He was christened Swami Vinod Bharti.

"Vinod was very unpretentious," Sadhana said. "He would work and meditate with us. He stayed at the resort for a couple of years after which he went to the US with Osho. They stayed in Rajneeshpuram, a commune that Osho had built in America. After two years, the guru-disciple duo returned to India. While Osho returned to Pune, Vinod went back to his family in Mumbai. But he remained Osho's disciple. Being a disciple does not mean one has to forsake one's family and friends," she said.

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Osho ashram stint was turning point for Vinod Khanna - Times of India

Dr. Yogendra Patel, Posted On : April 28, 2017 1:37 pm

Anuben Thakkar

Powered by the vision of his late co-founder Anuben Thakkar, Dr. Vikram Patel is visiting several cities across the United States and Canada to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of Muni Seva Ashram over the past 30 years, with a message about the great potential that lies ahead. The MSA has a longstanding reputation for its excellence in the areas of education, health care, alternative energy, social services, and agriculture, all with a keen eye towards social empowerment.

Dr. Vikram Patel

But it all started with one hut. And its journey was fueled by the desire to respond to need. When the village parents of Goraj needed a safe place to send their children while they worked, Anuben Thakkar set up a hut to watch those children. When those same children needed medical care, Anuben recruited medical students like Dr. Vikram Patel to volunteer their time to give free exams. And as those kids got older and looked towards their own future, Anuben created quality schools and provided education. The immense growth of Muni Seva Ashram snowballed from there, now becoming one of the best cancer treatment & research hospitals in India, a safe haven for the mentally disabled, a loving community for the elderly, and source of employment for many who otherwise would have no means, including the creation of a sustainable clothing factory.

Recovering patient 888 major surgeries each year

All this can be experienced by visiting MSA. It also offers unique volunteering and learning opportunities at a clean, tranquil and serene place in the heartland of rural India.

Vanprastha at Muni Seva Ashram

The goal of Dr. Patels visit to several cities across U.S. and Canada is not only to share the successes of MSA, but its vision. A number of projects are planned for the next 5 years:

(1) The current cancer research hospital has the capacity to hold roughly 150 beds. With increasing demand for services, the expansion of the hospital building to add 200 beds is underway. Also advanced treatments such as Bone marrow transplantation unit and neutropenia care will be added. This expansion will provide state of the art quality medical services to thousands of more people over time.

(2) With the growing population of India, the number of children in Goraj and the surrounding villages is growing rapidly. In its true responsive fashion, MSA has set out to build a new campus for the elementary and high school. The current English medium school has 250 students. The new English medium campus will be able to house 450 students, and have a fully equipped science laboratory, a state of the art sports complex, along with living quarters for teachers and staff.

(3) Over the last few years, MSA has seen an increasing demand for a vocational training facility. Once again, MSA set a plan in motion. MSA intends to build a new facility to house 500 vocational trainees. MSA will provide superior 4-6 month vocational training courses to approximately 1000 students each year at this campus.

From Houston, TX to Calgary, Canada and everywhere in many cities in-between, Chairman-Dr. Vikram Patel will share the inspirational story of how MSA continues to thrive & transform the lives of people through education, healthcare and vocational training.

CALL TO ACTION: BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS AMAZING STORY. MAKE THE NEW EXPANSION A REALITY. The combined funds needed to fulfill these 3 projects is roughly 110 crores rupees. There is 89 crores rupees still unfunded. Please donate now. Choose your passion and earmark funds for that project. Or donate generally, and support the entire initiative.

Muni Seva Charitable Foundation USA (MSCF) is a non-profit registered under article 501(c) 3 of the US IRS code.

Muni Seva Ashram is located at Goraj Village, 35 kms from Vadodara in Gujarat. To find out more details about how to help the development of MSA please visit http://www.greenashram.org

For your tax-deductible donation, go to http://greenashram.org/donateusa For volunteering and learning opportunities for your young relative, go to http://greenashram.org/volunteers

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Holistic approach to social empowerment: the story of Muni Seva Ashram - newsindiatimes.com

By Reena Kumar

Travellers often arm themselves with a concoction of pills in a bid ease symptoms of the dreaded Delhi belly if it strikes, but it was baked beans for Ringo Star who took a tin with him on his sojourn in India back in 1968.

Accompanied by fellow Beatles, Star visited Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogis Rishikesh Ashram in a bid to seek spiritual enlightenment when the pop stars where at the height of their fame.

The trip was to significantly influence their music and open up Indian mysticism and music to the West.

Leading music historian Philip Norman spoke to Eastern Eye about the strong relationship the Beatles forged with the Maharishi and the effect the trip had on their lives.

For two or three years, theyd been the most adored band in the whole world, and with that theyd had every sort of success and received every sort of reward and they got bored and started wondering and feeling there should be something more to their lives, Norman said.

He will be speaking at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival later this month in conversation with Indian journalist Ajoy Bose, and will reveal the story of the Beatles in India.

It all started when George Harrisons wife at the time, Pattie Boyd, saw an advertisement for a talk by the Maharishi about his transcendental meditationtechnique in London which John, Paul, Ringo and George attended.

The Maharishi, who often laughed in TV interviews and was sometimes referred to as the giggling guru, then invited them to a weekend retreat in north Wales.

While they were there, they discovered that their manger Brian Epstein had been found dead in London. He was supposed to go with them, they were suddenly without him and the Maharishi was very comforting. They felt that he really helped them, they were attracted by this idea that death was less terrible than they thought it was, explained Norman.

The close knit quartet were looking for another mentor and the spiritual leader filled that role at the time, explained Norman who has penned Shout!, a definitive biography of the Beatles, first published in 1981 and which has sold more than one million copies.

The allure of the spiritual world greatly appealed to the Liverpool lads who were made to work inhumanly hard in the fleeting industry. Little did they and those around them know that their music would last the test of time.

What the ashram did was give them a rest, they didnt have to rough it and they had a nice healthy diet and it did them good, but Ringo Star was so afraid of foreign food that he took a tin of baked beans with him. George really went for life on a spiritual level.

During their time there, their creativity flowed and they penned around 40 songs, including some featured on Abbey Road and The White Album.

Norman told Eastern Eye that the prestigious journey was a fantastic advertisement for India in the west.

It (Indian culture) went into the pop culture, it was all very chic suddenly, and influences were in the most commercial music suddenly, it was in the hip parade. Even Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones played the sitar in quite an early Stones track. People suddenly new Ravi Shankar and wanted to appreciate his music.

Shankar famously taught Harrison to play the sitar, and it was during this period that the English musician began to be noticed in the band.

George was the one who really took it on and he became a disciple of the transcendental meditation movement and was a donor to the cause, said Norman.

The Beatles in India: The Rishikesh Trip will take place on May 20 at 11:30.

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Home Entertainment Philip Norman: The Beatles' 1968 trip to Rishikesh ashram was fantastic advert... - Easterneye (press release) (subscription)

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to transfer money directly into the bank accounts of students studying in ashram schools for purchasing the items of their daily needs.

The move is aimed at checking corruption in the contracts awarded to provide stationery and other daily use items to the tribal students of the residential ashram schools.

Representational image. Reuters

The students can use the money to buy items of day-to-day use on their own instead of the government allotting contracts to private firms to provide these things, an official from the tribal development department said.

A pilot project in this regard will be started from the upcoming academic year in 133 government-run ashram schools, he said.

There are over 500 government-run ashram schools in the state where nearly 2.4 lakh students are enrolled.

The government provides items of daily use to the students by allotting contracts worth around Rs 700 crore per year.

The government makes available stationery items like text books, note books, school uniforms, pen-pencils, slate and also things like bathing soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, raincoats, blankets, coconut oil, etc.

"However, the government has now decided to pay the students by directly transferring money into their bank accounts so that they can buy their own stuff," the official said.

The tribal development department officials have worked out an average yearly expenditure for the students of classes I to XII.

The students studying in classes I to IV will be given Rs 7,500 each annually.

The students from classes V to IX will be given an annual amount of Rs 8,500 each, the official said.

Those studying in classes X to XII will be eligible to get Rs 9,500 each annually, he added.

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Maharashtra govt to directly pay ashram school students for their daily expenses - Firstpost

Written by Garima Mishra | Pune | Updated: April 28, 2017 1:45 pm

Sometime in the mid-1970s, during a meeting with the spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh, superstar Vinod Khanna asked him, Abhinay mein kaise safal ho sakte hain? (How can one succeed in the acting world?) To which Osho replied, Jeevan ko aise jiyo jaise wo abhinay hai aur abhinay aise karo jaise wo jeevan hai. Phir tum dono mein safal ho jaoge. (Live life as if you are acting and act as if its your life. Then you will succeed in both. These and many such words of wisdom stayed with the late actor and left a great impact on him. From the time he came in contact with Osho, the actor gradually came to shed his celebrity status and never behaved like a star, said Swami Chaitanya Keerti, editor, Osho World magazine.

Khanna was initiated into Oshos neo-sanyas in the late 1970s. He would frequently visit the Osho Ashram (Osho International Meditation Resort) on weekends after wrapping up his film shoots and indulge in meditation. In 1975-76, he even stayed there for a long time. Though initially when he started visiting Osho Ashram in Pune, he was an introvert, seeking answers about life. Gradually, with deep meditation and sharing knowledge with Osho and other fellow travellers at the ashram, he was at peace with himself and transformed completely, said Keerti, adding that at the ashram, he was friendly, easygoing and someone who laughed a lot and didnt carry his star status with him. At the gate of the ashram, the auto-rickshaw drivers would often stop him, requesting an autograph or a photo, and he would happily oblige them, he adds.

In 1982, when Khanna was at the peak of his film career, he shifted to Rajneeshpuram at Oregon in the US to be with his guru. As per the tradition of the ashram, all the disciples were assigned a task which they were supposed to perform daily. And Khanna, who was named Swami Vinod Bharti by Osho, was given the job of a gardener and had to look after the upkeep of the garden that involved watering, pruning, trimming, planting etc.

Vinodji meditated deeply and worked as a gardener in Oshos garden till 1985. Work itself became his meditation, his worship. He flowered into a spiritually evolved human being and a kalyan mitra to fellow travellers on the spiritual journey, sharing his insights and wisdom, said Keerti.

Later, even after Khanna joined politics and became the Member of Parliament, he did not lose touch with the thoughts and philosophy of Osho. Till two years ago, he would often visit Osho Nisarga, situated in Dharamsala in the Himalayas. Deep within his heart, he remained a sanyasi throughout his public life, says Keerti. Among many of Oshos discourses, the one that influenced Khanna deeply talked about devoting oneself to sakshibhav (witnessing consciousness) and shraddhabhav (trust). Such was the impact of the discourse that Khanna went on to name his son and daughter Sakshi and Shraddha, respectively.

Keerti said that after Khanna stopped coming to Osho Ashram, people would often question him if he had quit following Osho, and he would show them the wooden bead mala given to him by Osho, which he always wore. He would tell them what Osho told him once, The whole world is meditation.

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Khanna was Swami Vinod Bharti, a gardener, at Osho ashram in the US - The Indian Express

I think it was the poet Marvin Bell who advised my freshman English class as to overcoming writers block. Lower your standards, he said.

Let me tell you, Ive made a career out of Mr. Bells counsel, and see no reason to stop now.

Just the other night, I was having a drink with a writer in Sag Harbor, and we have in common the good fortune to have made our way around India a few times. Talk about stories! Between the poets guidance and Indias limitless capacity to present surrealistic imagery and experience, I could write about those journeys for years to come. Perhaps I will.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was nearly crushed against a stone wall on the banks of the holy Ganges, on a hot summer afternoon in Rishikesh?

How was I to know it was high season for pilgrimage to the places sanctified by Paramahansa Yogananda and the saints and holy men he described in Autobiography of a Yogi? I knew next to nothing about any of it, but (here I go again) the Beatles had studied meditation at an ashram there in 1968 and, bored after nearly a month in Ladakh, in the remote, eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir State, I wanted very much to explore.

I had been led to believe that the ashram, by then abandoned, was across the Great Ganga (also the name of a hotel, near the Ram Jhula Auto Stand in Muni-ki-Reti) from my accommodations, a self-styled chalet in Tapovan, offering stifling heat and exotic spiders for 150 rupees, around $3 at the time per night.

Beatles ashram? Id asked the keeper of the chalet. Do you know where the Beatles ashram is? Across the Ganga, was his answer.

It was midafternoon when I set out to cross the Lakshman Jhula, a 450-foot suspension bridge, into Jonk, to walk down the banks toward the ashram.

Here, where the Ganga leaves the outer Himalayas and flows into the plains of northern India, the river was muddy, engorged, and bursting forth. The air was thick and moist, the Lakshman Jhula thicker, with chanting, saffron-robed pilgrims, tourists, and the occasional beggar. I was sopping with perspiration long before reaching the other side.

The ashram was said to be far down the banks of the Ganga, and on and on I walked, stopping at temples along the way, photographing depictions of Hanuman and Vishnu and many other of Hinduisms colorful deities.

The sun bearing down and the ashram nowhere to be found, I was drenched and dizzy, pouring the remaining supply of water over my head for relief. When someone passed on the narrow path, I begged for an answer: Where is the Beatles ashram? I was losing hope that I would find it that day.

Where is the Beatles ashram?

On the other side, a man said.

Disappointed, but more than ready for potable water and a cold shower, I turned back. But now the Lakshman Jhula was completely packed, all of us jostling to stay upright as people crossed in both directions. This was going to take a long time.

Finally nearing the far banks of the Ganga, beyond which lay the chalet, the sea of humanity was too thick, those still on the bridge unable to move forward as the riverbank, bordered by a very tall stone wall, was itself jam-packed, some people trying to get onto the bridge, others continuing in either direction. The point where the bridge met the land was hopelessly choked.

After 20 minutes, during which Id traveled perhaps 20 feet, I was off the Lakshman Jhula, but now between a rock and a hard place the stone wall and a steadily intensifying crush of people. That was when the worry began. How many times had I read, back in the relative safety of Brooklyn, about such situations, usually in developing countries, and the resulting inevitable mass casualties? There was literally nowhere to go but up. The wall, however, was far too tall to scale.

As is His custom, however, Sri Krishna was with me. Inching along the wall while trying to keep myself from being crushed against it, a most improbable scenario presented itself. A bicycle leaned casually against the wall, somehow untouched and unbothered by the passing legions. If I could climb onto it, and stand on its seat, and reach toward the sky, perhaps I could pull myself up and out of the crush.

Standing atop the wall, sweaty and filthy but elated by the narrow escape, rather than return to the chalet I resumed the expedition. Beatles ashram? I asked passersby. One pointed the way, and I was jubilant. Id survived and would soon find the focus of my own pilgrimage.

But when I reached the site, something seemed amiss. It looked nothing like the photographs Id seen. Is this the Beatles ashram? I asked a very nice old man.

No, was the reply. This is the Vithal ashram.

In the locals accented English, Beatles and Vithal sound very much alike. Because of this presumed misunderstanding, I was back where Id started, on the wrong side of the Holy Ganga, having traversed the dangerously overcrowded Lakshman Jhula twice.

I would have to make the crossing again. But that would have to wait for another day. And that is another story.

Christopher Walsh is senior writer for The Star.

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