Vedanta Camp with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati March 8 - April 4, 2008

To be in the presence of Pujya Swamiji is to feel a freedom and gentleness from him that is unlimited, every expanding, vast and so deeply grounded in knowledge that thoughts of any issues or problems melt away as the snow in spring. This thawing of the heart is so difficult to articulate since the intergration of wholeness, remembrance takes it time like a garden whose life is welcomed in stages leading to a blooming that leaves one speechless in the greatness of life.
The three camps were attended by many people from all over the world including Indian nationals from the various states. In camp one we focused on one verse from the Bhagavad Gita, in camp two we focused on two and in camp three we focused on ten verses. They were all a surprise for us and Pujya Swamiji who prefaced and shared his toughts before leading into the study and deep meaning of each of the verses...
The day's began with the invitation to attend the temple for morning puja followed by meditation lead by Pujya Swamiji. Breakfast was at 730am and the first class of the day was from 830am-930am. One had the choice to then attend a yoga class before the next morning class held from 1130-1230pm. Lunch was then served and the afternoon had Vedic Chanting and Sanskrit classes available in various levels. From 5-6pm the next class with Pujya Swamiji was held and evening puja and aarti for Mother Ganga was 630-715pm. Dinner was served at 730pm and the evening would end with Satsang and Bhajans from 830-10pm. The days were fruitful to say the least...
Each camp would end with a Guru Puja to Pujya Swamiji. This event saw the gathering of every in the hall after the last morning class. A couple would be selected to perform the ritual of washing the Guru's feet and making offerings to him in gratitude for the teachings shared with all. Donations were accepted so as to continue to fund the ashram and all it's charitable works spearheaded and nurtured by Pujya Swamiji.Pujya Swamiji would then give prasad to everyone when the crowd individually offered pranams of gratitude and the gift of their donation.
There were a few days where a Bandaram was also held leading up to the end of each camp. This was an event when all the Swami's and Sadhus in the area and around, joined together until a huge tent set up in the open space between the temple and the lecture hall. Here they were all given blessings of Pujya Swamiji, served luch by the ashram staff, given a new shawl and money from Swami Suddananda who is the director of the ashram. It was an amazing to see the rainbow and hue of orange among the hundred or so who came and witness the clear depth in their eyes, foreheads covered in sacred ash and various puja markings symbolizing their life of renounciation...Rishikesh itself is the home to so many who slept under Mother Moon with the rushing Ganga as their host and neighbor...
During the closing of the second camp Pujya Swamiji inquired about me while I was offering him my pranams and accepting his darshan. After I answered his questions and had a photo snapped of us, I moved on with my day greatful for those precious and intimate moments. Later, Swami Aparokshananda approached me to say that Pujya Swamiji had asked about me and that I should meet with him. This was moving for me and I immediately wondered what the karma was in this relationship. It was during the closing of the third camp that I had the courage to create a puja offering for him and request a meeting. This was a special time and we talked about a few things I had on my mind with such a clarity and gentleness received from Pujya Swamiji...
Pujya Swamiji left the day after the last camp and I am profoundly grateful for all that I have received. I will meet him in May in Coimbatore for another two month camp of Vedanta studies which I am immensely joyful about...
xoxo
Om Santi Santi Santi Om
Jennifer

Maha Sivaratri at Sri Swami Sivananda Ashram .... March 4, 2008

Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar (that is, the night before and day of the new moon). The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil.
Here the evening began with leaving the Dayananda Ashram at around 630pm for the alnight celebration. We climbed out of the ashram at the gates to enter Sivananda Ashram. Through the gates and up, up, up the stairs to the temple at the ashram. The charming, clanging and drone of the bells rang throughout the night preceding the chanting of a few hundred people gathered in the temple. Surrounded by flowers and two gaint banana plants which formed an entrance to the inner temple (the banana plant is auspiciously used to symbolize prosperity), the gaint marble temple was surrounded with pictures of Sivananda in all his glory...
Throughout the night bhajans and devotional hymns to Siva were shared and the melodies between the musicians had that magical quality of other worldness about them. The priests in the inner temple with the deities of Siva, the Siva Lingam, Krishna & Radha, Ganesha and others were intoxicated in chants that had been going since the evening before. Flowers and offerings, aarti and the chiming, the ringing of the giant bells took place numerous times with an intense rhythm and sound that reverberated throughtout every cell of one's body.
The lines would then form so as to give individual offerings and receive prasad from the temple priests. This carried on and on until the final celebatory offerings at 430am with the wave of joy, the requests of prayers and wishes to be bestowed on each and everyone's intimate request to Lord Siva - to destroy all that in one's life that is preventing the evolution and growth towards the fullness of life and the reaching of one's potential...
Next the lines cued to the dining hall where a full, and I mean full, prasad of food was given. Tali plates were heeped with various dishes and I did my very best to consume it all without waste and the understanding of this precious gift...
Manisha, Subash and I walked back from Sivananda Ashram to Dayananda Ashram and the 25 minute walk was a reprieve from the night's activity with time to settle the beauty shared by all...
I look forward to next year already.......
xoxo
Om Namah Sivaya
Jennifer