Namaste,
This month's theme, Meditation and Practices, is a reminder to be disciplined and consistent in our desire to go deeper inside ourselves. There are different techniques that can be used as tools to help focus and quiet our minds. Ma always came back to the breath as a tool to connect us to our deeper selves or to God when meditating. Watching the breath or counting the breath coming in and out was Her most simple practice for us. This practice brings us into the flow of life and returns our minds back to the silence.
"Practice meditation. Like everything else, meditation must be practiced. Just take five minutes in the morning and five at night. Chant, say your mantra or simply watch your breath."
Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
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Ma's Birthday Celebration
May 26th is Ma's birthday. She was born in 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. Of course, this is the holy land and Ma loved her birth place and its rich history. Ma would always say that each birthday was the most special one of them all. There was her touch of humor in this, and we treasure all of Ma's birthdays.
In performing a fire puja, we invite the deity to be available; for Ma's birthday fire puja, we will feel her with us and Kashi will be ablaze with her love.
"The outside cannot call you louder than the Mother. My love finds you in every moment, my breath and your breath breathe as one." Ma Jaya
Join us on Ma's birthday celebration on Saturday, May 23rd. I can guarantee the best Prasad in addition to our joyful time together.
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Remembering
Ma's Laugh
Remember when Ma made us laugh? Or one of us would make her laugh? She laughed at our jokes and even harder at her own jokes. In these moments of levity - sometimes called "speed check" - were some of her more profound teachings. Laughing to the point of tears, she would say "I just love me" - and we love you, Ma. As we got caught up in her infectious laughter, there was always that "aha" moment when we would get the lesson in the laughter. That is the Ma I choose to remember. I remember her laughter and try to catch the lesson. For me the lesson is to love myself and not take everything so seriously. And when I get into the sad and angry place, I try to remember the first words she said to me - "Stay in your heart" and she is always there, laughing at me. |
Highlights of Pandit Mukesh Desai's
Sound, Breath and Chanting Workshop
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Here are just a few of the comments pouring in from the weekend:
"Life changing!"
"It was perfectly profound and magically mystical."
"As I continued to relax, I was able to find my voice coming from my chest and heart, which felt so liberating and filled me with happiness."
Stay tuned for the 2016 Sound Immersion dates!!!! |
Ma's Birthday Fire Puja Sponsorship
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On Saturday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm we will be celebrating Ma's Birthday with a fire puja at the Baba Temple. Ma would always say what an auspicious time this was and we look forward to honoring Her with this very sacred ceremony.
If you are interested in sponsoring this fire puja in remembrance of Ma's birthday, please call: 772.589.1403 ext 100
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The drawing for Mata Ram's quilt was held on Mother's Day at the Kashi Sunday Market. The lucky winner was Barbara Sherman from Sebastian. All together Mata Ram's quilt brought in over $700.00. Thank you, Mata Ram, for your time and effort in making such a beautiful quilt and for your dedication and devotion to Ma and Kashi. |
Radhe earned her Ph.D in Mathematics Education from Florida Institute of Technology. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Eastern Florida State College where she teaches mathematics and mathematics courses. "Much love and pranams to everyone who provided me with an immeasurable amount of support during this life-changing endeavor," said Radhe Schiff. Radhe graduated from the River School in 1987. |
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Chun Receives His Masters Degree |
On May 20th, Chun will be graduating with his Master's of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. Chun has already begun interviewing with several organizations, his first choice being the Equal Justice Initiative. Chun's focus is racial and social justice, specifically within the US criminal justice system. Chun is extremely grateful for all of the love, compassion, and support he received throughout this program. He was a student at our River School.
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Govinda Jaya Receives His Masters Degree
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Govinda Jaya Wasserman graduated from Northeastern University with his Master's in Computer Science (Information Technology) on Friday, May 8th. He has a GPA of 3.83. At General Dynamics, Govinda was recently promoted to Senior Engineer II and has applied for a position at Google.
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Jewel Lotus Receives Two Awards |
Jewel Lotus Blakeslee received two awards this year from the Theatre Arts Department at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. She won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Maureen in RENT and the Francine Krutchield Outstanding Junior Drama Award and Scholarship. She will receive her BFA in the spring of 2016.
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"Meditation brings you a great awareness of every individual. When you can relate to another on the level of love, everything in your life changes for the better. Just to discover in meditation that you are not separate from God brings such happiness to the heart. Find the reality in yourself by sitting each day and meditating. Find a small place that you can call your own and sit. After awhile you will not be able to tell where your breath lets off and God's breath begins."
Love, MA
To purchase Ma's audio CDs, please go to:
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Join one of our satsang gatherings via phone. The evening includes a recording of Ma Jaya teaching. Global Live is held on the second Saturday of each month. For more information, click here. |
Pasta with Un-Clam
Sauce
Namaste, At many of Ma's Birthday celebrations we serve an Italian menu and Italian is Ma's favorite !
Click Here for Pasta with Un-Clam Sauce recipe.
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Fruit Trees Click Here Pressure Cleaner
Desk Top Computer Windows 7
Sinks for Laxman Kitchen
Music System for café and dining hall
For more Information please contact:
772.913.5184
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Support Kashi Through Amazon Smile Simply choose Amazon Smile Kashi Church Foundation as your charity of choice and 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to Kashi. |
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Jaya Dassi on the Cover of Yoga Journal |
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Shankar Shiva and Baba Hanuman |
After three years of mourning for the loss of our Ma's loving company, her L.A. Satsang gathered at the new Ashram to celebrate her Mahasamadhi with food, kirtan, fire puja and many personal stories from gurubais who had sat at her feet, as well as several who had received her darshan afterwards. We had Krishna on drums and Elizabeth on harmonium leading kirtan. It was the first time for several of the devotees to attend the celebrations since Ma's passing. It was a night of sharing, laughter and healing as each told their story around the dhuni fire. Plenty of Prasad followed, and Ma was felt by the many who attended.
Love, Swami Laxman Das
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The Eco Project's super goat, Velvet, gave birth to a boy and a girl on Earth Day. Seconds after they popped out, Velvet licks them completely clean to hide any scent from possible predators. The babies have to start walking within minutes and find their way to her teats to get their first drink of milk. Thank you, Kwang Mae, for your love and profound caring for these beautiful goats and chickens that live on Kashi.
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Upcoming Event at Kashi Atlanta |
The Golden Thread of Satsang: A Kashi Community Fundraising Celebration
Join us in a joyful celebration of the bhakti essence of our lineage and ashrams. The Kashi Ashrams are coming together to host a heart-filled community gathering. Honoring the lineage of Ma Jaya, please join the swamis, monks and long-time residents of the Kashi Florida Ashram who will be coming to celebrate Ma's Kashi Atlanta and raise money for our ashrams.
Friday night we will host a Full Fire Puja, led by Swami Bhagavati Das, the Head Pujari of Kashi Ashram. A Fire Puja is an ancient Vedic ritual done to burn away that which we do not need and to ignite the fire of truth within us. The fire ceremony will be followed by an informal community gathering, where Yashoda will open a Silent Auction, we will hang out, have chai and an array of dessert prasad, which is food that has been specially blessed.
Saturday we will do yoga, Yashoda and others will address the community and we will hear Ma speak. We will provide a luscious Middle Eastern lunch. Then, we reconvene for a Swami Panel Discussion and Q&A on the sacred essence of satsang. We will close the day with an informal hang-out at Atlanta's Ashram houses with, of course, more prasad and entertainment. Please join us in this Kashi community celebration of our lineage and our hearts.
Friday, June 26 begins at 6:30 pm
Saturday, June 27 all day
Sunday, June 28 ends at 2:00 pm
$108 recommended donation
Please call 404.687.3353 for more information
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May's Joke I went to the cinema the other day. In the front row was an old man, and with him was his dog. It was a sad, funny kind of film, you know the type. In the sad part, the dog cried his eyes out, and in the funny part, the dog laughed his head off. This happened all the way through the film. After the film had ended, I decided to go and speak to the man.
"That's the most amazing thing I've seen," I said. "That dog really seemed to enjoy the film."
The man turned to me and said, "Yeah, it is. He hated the book." |
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