Although we do not have any paid employees or organise any fund-raising events, there are always recurring expenditures on the upkeep of the property, rates and other bills. However, we have so far felt that our Members and Visitors to the Ashram are so generous that we need not launch a fund raising scheme. Some of us even go beyond our limitations and donate as much as they can on various occasions. These donations have proved a great help to us in implementing the old and new Projects for the Ashram as well as to provide facilities to Visitors.
The sources of our income are various programmes such as regular Yoga classes, Seminars and Retreats which are now conducted by Shirley with the help of our Teacher Members at the Ashram. We also have visiting teachers who teach day or weekend courses and Centre Mart sales. Some of the expenditure is saved by our Members who do Karma Yoga as and when it is necessary. Also, appeals to our Members and Friends on various spiritual and other occasions such as Easter, Guru Puja Day and Christmas.
Also, donations come to us through various sources.
a) When they visit us at the Satsang (our Monthly Meetings), either they donate or put in the ‘Offering Box’,
b) On visits for their ‘Birthdays’, Anniversaries’, ‘Auspicious Occasions‘ and various other functions.
c) Our own Members, who put in a lot of effort to help serving the cause, donate to us more on regular occasions.
d) Our overseas Members and Friends send us some donations from time to time.
e) Non members who receive our ‘Complimentary’ copies of the Magazine, send donations to show their closeness to the Centre/Ashram.
Deed of Covenant/Gift Aid Members provide a constant financial help to the organisation. A number of our Life Members are also donating regularly through the Deed of Covenant/Gift Aid.
However, we would request and approach those Life Members and others who have not yet embarked on this route, would consider regularly donating, as much as they can afford, through Gift Aid using a standing order, which will undoubtedly increase our regular income. If you will consider this, ask our Secretary or Membership Secretary to provide you with an appropriate form; thank you. Please see contact details on last page of magazine.
Receipts for the ‘Donations’ are sent to all but in case we have missed it, we apologise to them but their money has been safely deposited to our Bank.
We pray to the Lord to bless all these noble souls
And shower upon them manifold.
Donations
TOTAL DONATIONS RECEIVED BY THE ASHRAM FROM DECEMBER 2007 TO AUGUST 2008 IS £2031.
The following is an extract from a previous magazine and is what Swami Indrananda Ji had to say about donations:
I thought it would be useful to explain the significance of the word donation. The Sanskrit word donation is “Daan”. The book, “Practical Sanskrit Dictionary” by Arthur Anthony MacDonnell was presented to me in August 1983 when I retired from the Post Office as well as from the BT/PO HQ Yoga Club which I had started several years earlier. The presentation was done by none other than our Brian Down who, along with other members of the Club, was dedicated to the cause of Yoga.
It will perhaps surprise you that in the dictionary this word has 3 different descriptions and carries about 10 to 12 meanings, as a number of other Sanskrit words do. The first meaning given in this dictionary is “giving away a daughter”. Although the dictionary does not explain it, the Sanskrit words for this are “Kanya Daan”. One can imagine how much sacrifice is being made by the parents by giving away their daughter to another party. When a girl is born in the family, it is called the Goddess Lakshmi i.e. the Goddess of Wealth has arrived in their home. Also, according to scriptures, every girl, when growing up, is looked upon as “Mother”, and is addressed accordingly by the saints, sages and others.
The word Daan is also known as “Daana Dharma” which carries several meanings – sacrifices, abandonment of life, gift, present, charity, generosity etc. Any selfless work done for charitable organisations, temples and other religious places, come under ‘Daana’.
We must now know that any selfless action done by us, from time to time, comes under the category of ‘Daana’. Hence it is our moral duty to continue donating physically, mentally and spiritually as much as we can afford and quoting, once more, the saying of the great Master, Swami Vivekananda Ji “the more we give for the right cause(s) we will get back many fold”.
You perhaps know that we receive a number of donations from our members and friends from time to time or through ‘Deed of Covenants/Gift Aid’ which help the Ashram to provide facilities to those who visit us and stay here either for the courses or to be immersed in peace and tranquillity. They also participate in selfless work for the Ashram to give benefits to others who will visit after them.
We pray to the Lord to bless us, according to one of our hymns in our ‘Havan Yajna’ book. It says:
“O, Lord give me so much that I can feed my family, and any guest or stranger who will come to my door.”
May the Lord bless them all with manifold return to help the deserving causes.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om
Vanessa is being taught Sanskrit by Peter Harrison and she would like to share the knowledge she has gained so far. She is offering regular sessions after the Saturday lunch at each satsang. Everyone is welcome. The sessions started at the February satsang.