A Gay-Friendly Spiritual Community

Welcome! My name is Swami Mahavirananda, a.k.a., Brother William. I founded Ashram West in 1997 and incorporated it as a non-profit, 501(c)3, corporation in 2001 to inspire and guide spiritual aspirants to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. The teachings of Ashram West are based on traditional Hindu Tantra that encourages the integration of all aspects of life with spirituality, including sexuality. Tantra teaches that our essential nature is pure, perfect, and divine, and one specialty of Tantra is a vast body of spiritual technologies for developing greater awareness of the our true divine Self.

Ashram West's adaptation of traditional Hindu Tantra for gay-identified persons is called Gay Tantra. Gay Tantra recognizes the special needs and unique advantages of those who have developed a gay identity. Most gay-identified persons have grown up in a culture that views gay love as unnatural and immoral. These false notions about gayness often get internalized leading to feelings of shame and unworthiness. Most traditional religions contribute to the psychic and spiritual wounding of gay persons by promoting these notions. Many gay persons rightly reject traditional religions as a result, perhaps substituting work, compulsive sex, drugs, or a combination of these. Gay Tantra can help gay persons develop a well-integrated gay identity that can be a positive asset in spiritual life.

Ashram West offers private, individualized instruction in meditation and other spiritual practices to all sincere seekers regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Instruction is given by appointment. Individual and couple counseling is also available by appointment. There is never a charge for these services. A tax-deductible donation of $35-$100 per session is suggested. Give according to your ability and desire. No one is ever turned away for inability or unwillingness to donate. Donations are an important source of support for the work of Ashram West and can be made conveniently on-line using PayPal.

Call or e-mail to make an appointment with Brother William for individual instruction or counseling. Those who live an inconvenient distance from Los Angeles can get instruction via e-mail. We also offer groups. It is recommended you read the Introductory Essay before making an appointment or asking for e-mail instruction.

Ashram West publishes a periodic e-mail newsletter that usually contains a short essay on some aspect of spiritual life and occasionally announcements. To subscribe to the Newsletter please enter your information in the form below.

There are three basic levels of membership in Ashram West, Student, Supporter, and Resident:

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Gay Tantra - Ashram West

New Delhi, Jan 29:

Even as the sanitation issue is garnering much attention, a toilet gallery created out of Mahatama Gandhis vision at a historic Harijan ashram in the city to spread the message of social empowerment, remains a picture of utter neglect.

Located in north Delhis Kingsway Camp area, in the front yard of the over 80-year-old Harijan Sewak Sangh, the gallery instead of getting its due recognition, ironically has been dishonoured as many passers-by choose to relieve themselves on its boundary wall.

Gandhiji saw sanitation as a road to social empowerment.

He saw creation of toilets as a means to abolish untouchability as sanitation work was something which the society thought should be done by low caste people.

And, therefore he envisioned this Shauchalaya Pradarshni (toilet gallery) in the ashrams campus to educate people about sanitation and its positive effects on society, Secretary of Harijan Sewak Sangh Laxmi Dass told PTI.

Though Gandhi could not live to see his vision brought to fruition, his work was converted into a tangible form at this gallery later by well-known sanitation activist Ishwarbhai Patel, he said.

Patel, driven by the Harijan Sanghs vision, had already played a major role in establishing the Safai Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad (now Environmental Sanitation Institute) in the 1960s.

And, later as envisioned by Gandhi, Patel got the toilet gallery established in Delhi at the ashram later in the 1960s.

Gandhiji wanted to show the people how the building of toilets around the country was changing society and also how to use excreta manure for biogas production among others, he said.

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Mahatama Gandhis historic toilet gallery a picture of neglect