Monthly Archive for January, 2008

Something to Think About

Published on January 15, 2008 in Something to Think About. 0 Comments

Items under this heading have been sent in by readers to share with others. If you have any quotations, poems or anything else which you would like to contribute, please send to Supriyā. We will be grateful to receive any item, large or small.

The following was taken from a card published by the Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Hyderabad, India.

Swami Vivekananda Ji on Divinity of Man”

Teach yourselves, teach everyone, his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activityIf the fisherman thinks that he is the Spirit, he will be a better fisherman; if the student thinks he is the Spirit, he will be a better student. If the lawyer thinks he is the Spirit, he will be a better lawyer.

My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and that is; to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.

Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it.

Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man.

The more our bliss is within, the more spiritual we are. Let us not depend upon the world for pleasure.

Recipe – Cleansing Salad

Published on January 15, 2008 in Recipes. 0 Comments

If you have any vegetarian, egg free recipes without onions or garlic which you would like to share with other readers of this magazine, please send them to Supriyā . Thank you.

This recipe was provided by Carol Ann Conneeley.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg grated carrot
  • 1 piece of chopped white cabbage
  • 1 chopped coxes apple
  • 1 sliced Banana
  • A handful of raisins and almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts

Dressing:
Ratio 3:1 Cider Vinegar to EXtra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon demerara sugar

Optional
Grated cheese/Cottage cheese

To help to cleanse, eat once per day for 6 weeks

Hidden Path – Vanessa Graham

Published on January 15, 2008 in Articles. 0 Comments

Vanessa is a member of the Patanjali Centre who has written a book about her spiritual journey, it is called Hidden Path and is on sale at the ashram for £7.00 (£2 donation to the ashram). She has been a student of Peter Harrison for ten years and is presently learning Sanskrit with him. She teaches meditation and yoga from her home in Henfield. For background formation visit her website www.oshadhimeditation.co.uk.
Hidden Path is about Vanessa’s personal quest for enlightenment from the beginnings of yoga and meditation to the search for teachers in England, Spain and Argentina.
It charts Vanessa’s growing spiritual awareness and covers everyday difficulties when trying to bring spiritual practise into family life. It highlights the usual and not so usual aspects of her life. The reader is encouraged to find its resonance in their own life and invites you to join Vanessa on her voyage of discovery. Comments from reader’s inspiring, moving, thought provoking, a book you can relate to.
It has been well received and is on sale at Watkins Books in London and also from her website, as well as other major bookshops including Amazon and Ebay (with Paypal).

Copies can be posted direct to you for an extra cost of £2 p&p, please contact Vanessa on vanessa@oshadhimediation.co.uk
Below is a chapter called ‘Being’ taken from her book:

I have had the great fortune recently to observe a young baby at close quarters. He was termed a miracle baby in that it took nine attempts at IVF to conceive him and on the final try when my brother and sister in law had given up hope it happened. I do not know if it was because he was so much wanted that inclined him to a delightful predisposition. He smiles and chuckles at anything and everyone. He spends most of his time in joyous contentment.
My guru had told me many times that a newborn baby is in bliss and that one could learn much by observing them and being in their presence. I paid lip service to this; I had brought up two children of my own and had cared for many others in my lifetime. Yes they were delightful, perfect, innocent, small human beings who have a charm all of their own but there were also the screams, dirty nappies, constant demands for food and attention. Caught up in the web of caring leaves little time to stand back and observe them objectively. They are loveable and mainly that is all that one sees. At the time when my children were very young, I did not understand what meditation was all about, let alone identify if they were indeed in a meditative state themselves.
Spending time with my nephew has aided my understanding of what the bliss of Being is in reality. At the time of writing he is six months old and sitting upright with support, his eyes take in everything he sees. He is fascinated by the way I eat and watches every movement I make. He constantly watches my reactions and is ever ready to catch my eye and make me smile. He really appreciates the attention I give him and he stares deeply into my eyes. There was one point when our eyes interlocked that I became aware that these were not just a young child’s eyes looking at me but something more. Big blue eyes but they contained a beckoning to what was beyond them; I sensed they were a window to Being or at the very least his soul. It was like the shutters were open, the window was open, the curtains were open and it was there for me to see – the space of eternity. I stumbled to find the right words to encompass it, as in Tao terms it is the unspoken of, when it is spoken of, it loses its essence, it is not meant to be captured in mere words.
This was a puzzle I had pondered over many times since I started on my spiritual journey. The words Being and consciousness were brought to me but if you have never experienced them for yourself how to you know what they mean. You just have to take them on good authority that they do exist and hope that one day they will be revealed to you. I took it on board in the vedic tradition that we were all part of a whole, that there was no separation between us and Being, we were all part of the same thing. To try and get it clear in my mind I likened it to a big teapot full of tea. Being was the tea and it got poured out into different cups, in our planet be it animals, flowers, humans etc. When each died the tea got returned to the big teapot and then it was repoured into something different. Being was changeless in its various forms. Although this is an over simplified example it has helped me grapple with this unknown quantity. It was all part of the whole and nothing was separate. Often God is separated from us and is perceived as something outside oneself to be worshipped. To be told you are God, God is you is a conundrum. It is the same as being told you are consciousness/Being and that you do not have to seek it, as you are it. I did question why I had not found it sooner if I had it all along. Why was it so elusive to find?
The mind-boggling even got larger when I was told that the world I lived in was not the real world but an illusory one called maya, that Being was in fact the reality. All I can say is that you sit tight and slowly all will be revealed. Just looking into the baby’s eyes, I could start to begin to understand what was being said. I knew from my mediation experiences that I was not my mind or body, that I was something beyond. In those same states I could feel myself disappear, there was no person called me. I did not need to breathe or have bodily functions as there was no actual body. I cannot say I was ether, it was more of a nothingness. It was not an empty nothingness but a space containing all. In this realm the mind does not exist so there is no thinking, no brain to grapple to try and understand it. Just acceptance of what was. I now have a clearer picture that this would be Reality (another word for Being or consciousness) and that what I see in my life is the unreal. Saying unreal does not mean that it is not real but that it is a manifestation of the Real. Trees, houses, people even furniture are all manifestations of Being. There are multifarious forms of Reality filled with the same Being.
Just when I get an inkling of what is said, I am presented with the image of an empty house, each room is an empty space, so if that house was demolished, what happens to the empty space where does it go? It does not go anywhere because the space is still there. So it is with Being, it is always there. We are surrounded by it, it is outside and within, there is no separation between the two. The Being that I have within myself is the same Being as the person next to you has, it is one of the same we are made of the same stuff. Our problems arise because we do not recognise or acknowledge that this is the case. We highlight individuality which focuses on our differences, when we do this conflict arises and disagreements occur which lead to disharmony. We seem to thrive on this environment even though it leads to great unhappiness. We alienate each other although underneath this lies a yearning to become whole with another. We pair in partners to ward off the feeling of isolation and disconnection, yet all the time the thing that would satisfy us most is right under our noses, if only we chose to look – unity.
I return to looking, looking into my young nephew’s eyes where a whole vista of understanding arose but that window of opportunity gets slowly obscured as a child develops. Not totally though, as you can catch a glimpse of it in any adult’s eye. My greatest joy is seeing that flicker still alive in an adult’s eye. It is a moment when you say ‘yes’ that’s what it is all about. I really saw it, it was really there. Such moments cast away the doubts and Being shines through, which helps to propel oneself further on the spiritual path. As with anything a spiritual journey has its ups and downs and it is never easy

Report on PYC Guru Puja Spiritual Retreat – Avril Kirk

Published on January 15, 2008 in Activities at the Ashram. 1 Comment

27-29TH JULY 2007
This retreat was almost fully booked when I asked Swamiji if it would be possible to participate on this most auspicious occasion. So it was with eager anticipation that I secured the final place as Jenny Newman was bringing a group of eight of her students. Therefore, apart from Raj, Jenny and of course Swamiji, all the other members of the group were unknown to me but we soon became a family.

I was the last to arrive at the Centre but I was just in time to join the group for the introductory session. I know from past experience just how important this first session is as it sets the theme for the whole of the retreat. The emphasis on this occasion was Guru Puja and the significance of the Havan Yajna. The group learnt to chant the introductory verses that precede the actual Havan Yajna ceremony (these are not normally chanted at the monthly Satsangs) and we were also shown how to purify the body before the sacred fire is lit.

As mentioned above this was the theme for the whole weekend so it was very spiritual and of course special. Jenny took the morning asana sessions and as Swamiji was unavailable for the first morning session on Saturday, the morning chanting was also led by Jenny.

After breakfast on Saturday Swamiji recapped on the previous evenings chants but although we didn’t light the sacred fire on this occasion we did chant all of the verses.

Throughout the whole of the retreat guests/members of the Centre also participated. Lynn Power (Life Member and Trustee) visited us on Saturday. The weather had cleared after breakfast and so when we returned from our walk it was lovely to see her. Premanand Ji also came that day and stayed for the rest of the retreat.

Sunday followed a similar pattern to Saturday but this time Swamiji led the early morning chanting. As this was a very auspicious occasion Swamiji asked us to forgo our breakfast porridge (we all ate this just before we were about to depart for home) and just to eat fruit. Our numbers swelled significantly as Shirley brought two guests and other members of the Centre also came to participate in the event. Phil and Premanand Ji each provided musical recitations. The retreat concluded with a short question and answer session followed by a meditation.

I really enjoyed every moment of my stay at the Centre and particularly on this very auspicious occasion as it more than fulfilled my highest expectations. I hope that this short report has whetted your appetite and that you will come and support Swami Indrananda in any future retreats/courses that are being held at the Ashram.

Activities at the Ashram

Published on January 15, 2008 in Activities at the Ashram. 0 Comments

Our Geoffrey has always got something to do at the Ashram.  Apart from his own work, he never neglects the maintaining of the Ashram and its surroundings.  If there is someone to help us, it saves his time and travelling, otherwise he is always prepared to help us as and when it is needed.  If the weather is nice, he would, while he visits the Ashram for one reason or another, try to see that all is in order.  I feel that we will be lost without his services to the Ashram and Centre as a whole.  We pray for his long life, health and strength to continue serving the organisation.

Obituaries

Published on January 15, 2008 in Articles. 0 Comments

Mary Power

It is with great sadness that we announce the death, on 5th September, of Mary Power, the mother of our dear Lynn Power. Although Lynn’s mother had been ill for some time, it is still a great shock and sadness when a loved one leaves the mortal body. We send our heartfelt love and blessings to Lynn, her father Ron, sister Dawn and brother John.
Lynn would like to thank Swami Ji’s family and all friends at the Centre for their kind thoughts and words of condolence at this sad time.

Dean Muggleston

Dean, husband of Sheila, passed away in September. Following a series of strokes, Sheila had cared for Dean for many years with great devotion. Both Sheila and Dean have been Life Members of the Centre for many years and ill health had prevented them from attending regularly in recent times. We pray for the departed soul of Dean and also for Sheila and their family.

Sri Chinmoy

Internationally renowned spiritual teacher and ambassador of world peace, Sri Chinmoy, passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning, October 11th, 2007, at his home in the small suburb of Jamaica, Queens, New York. The cause of death was a heart attack.
Respected and loved worldwide, Sri Chinmoy manifested his philosophy for world peace through a wide array of activities, including literature, art, sports, music, drawings and paintings, and most recently, weightlifting. The universal nature of his philosophy embraced people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities, inspiring them to work together for a more harmonious world.
Hailed as a modern-day renaissance man, Sri Chinmoy wrote over 1500 books of prose, questions and answers, plays, humour, tales and poetry, and interviews with luminaries and personalities around the world. He composed nearly 21,000 pieces of music, and offered more than 750 Peace Concerts worldwide – all free of charge – in venues like the Royal Albert Hall in London, and New York’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He was an avid runner and tennis player, and in recent years, a champion weightlifter.
President Mikhail Gorbachev wrote in his condolence letter: “My long-time close friend Sri Chinmoy has passed away,” adding, “this is a heavy loss for the whole world. In our hearts, he will forever remain a man who dedicated his whole life to peace.”
Sri Chinmoy propounded the philosophy of Self-Transcendence: Going, beyond, beyond, into the ever-transcending beyond. For him nothing was static. We could always do more; life was a continuous trend of growth and newness. Old age was simply a new page and that there was always more room for Self-transcendence. We compete, not for the sake of defeating others, but for the continuation of our own growth, our own inner progress. Many of Sri Chinmoy’s students have swum the English Channel, climbed mountains, done triathlons and other enduring feats in the spirit of this philosophy. Ashrita Furman, one of his students, holds the Guinness Book of Records own record for having the most number of Records as an individual.
Sri Chinmoy also founded the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, which is a leading promoter of races, ranging from The Sri Chinmoy Runners are Smilers two-mile races, to the Self-Transcendence two-mile races and ultra-distance races, sponsoring events to include marathons, 24hr races, and the world’s longest footrace, a 3100-mile run.
Sri Chinmoy’s humanitarian service organisation, The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles, has to date collected and distributed millions of dollars’ worth of medical, surgical, pharmaceutical, school and other technological supplies throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Dedicated to service, alleviating suffering, and inspiring others to a more abiding and inwardly fulfilling life, Sri Chinmoy once wrote, “My Lord, do give me the capacity to wipe every tear from every heart.”
Sri Chinmoy was born on August 27, 1931 in a small village called Shakpura, in Bengal, India. Orphaned at the age of 11, he went with his six brothers and sisters to a spiritual community in South India, where he spent the next 20 years in intense prayer and meditation. Heeding an inner call, he travelled to the United States where he arrived on April 13th, 1964, and began to work at the Indian Consulate. Others who very quickly realized that he had a spiritual message to offer encouraged him. He consequently made New York City his home, while serving other truth-seekers on an international scale.
In the 43 years since his arrival in the West, Sri Chinmoy became a model of the potential of humankind, opening Sri Chinmoy Centres throughout the world for inner peace. This he did by incorporating a programme of prayer, meditation, spiritual practices and selfless and soulful service to humanity at large. He himself tirelessly travelled the globe to share his inspiration and goodwill.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote of Sri Chinmoy’s passing: “Sri Chinmoy was a great man. God is smiling to know the immense good he has accomplished and encouraged in others. In a world of suspicion, hostility and conflict, he worked tirelessly to bring the different faiths together and inspired many to emulate.”
A champion of interfaith harmony, Sri Chinmoy was beloved by religious leaders of all denominations. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama celebrated Sri Chinmoy as a true servant of God. “I am so pleased with all the good work you are doing for world peace and for people in so many countries,” wrote Mother Teresa. “May we continue to work together and share together, all for the glory of God and for the good of man.” Sri Chinmoy was invited to open the Council For a Parliament of World religions (CAPR) in Chicago in 1993, and again in Barcelona in 2004.
Sri Chinmoy was an ardent supporter of the United Nations. Since 1970 he served as the Leader of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, an association of delegates and staff he founded with the support of the third UN Secretary-General, U Thant. “The outer message of the United Nations is peace. The inner message of the United Nations is love. The inmost message of the United Nations is oneness,” said Sri Chinmoy.
Javier Perez de Cuellar, the fifth UN Secretary-General, said in 2005, “I am receiving the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy, who is actually, I would say, the Heart of the United Nations. In all the years I was Secretary-General, and even before I was Secretary-General, he was always with us.”
Sri Chinmoy has always used all practical channels at his disposal, as a medium of manifesting God’s light here on Earth. To him, it was not the physical, but the inner Light working in and through the physical, and the physical became an instrument of this Higher Source. “In my case, he said, everything I do is 100% God’s grace and God’s compassion”.
“I have learned from Sri Chinmoy that the size of the arm does not make the man; the size of the heart makes the man,” said five-time Mr. Universe and Best Built Man of the 20th Century, Bill Pearl. “Nobody on earth has done what Sri Chinmoy has done.”
Just before his passing, Sri Chinmoy read out the following aphorism: “My physical death is not the end of my life. I am an eternal journey.” A man of God who lived and died with what he called Love, Devotion and Surrender to God, it is only fitting that this Eulogy ends with these words:

“My Lord Beloved Supreme,
You took the responsibility of my life,
And now You will be taking the responsibility of my death.
In life and death You give me the shelter at Your Feet”.

For more information, contact Sri Chinmoy Centre, London. 0208 876 6049 or 0207 222 1314

This obituary was forwarded by Manatita for inclusion in the magazine.

Brother Daniel Faivre 1929 – 2007

Sadly died following a heart attack on September 10th 2007. He was the founder of the Westminster Interfaith movement in 1986. He worked tirelessly for integration amongst the faiths and for peace. He arranged many activities; the most prominent being the yearly Pilgrimage, attended by members from all over Britain.

Neville Lindsell-Stewart

We have heard from his wife Monica, that Neville died on 5th March 2007. Her letter says that he was 87 and suffering from a blood disorder which was only helped by regular transfusions. He was not making white blood cells so he inevitably went down hill with any infections. He valued all of his friends in yoga and talked of them to her. Last year, Neville gave his life long collection of yoga and spiritual books to the ashram. These were gratefully received and are available for visitors to read.

Mrs Vera Williams

Avril Kirk has let us know that her auntie and Godmother, Mrs Vera Williams died peacefully in her sleep, aged 90, on 22nd June 2007. She had been admitted into Kings Lynn hospital in April. Unfortunately her body deteriorated and she succumbed to pneumonia.

MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.AND PRAY TO THE LORD TO GIVE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO THE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES TO GO THROUGH THE PAIN AND SEPARATION.

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM