Newsletter • July 2023

"There is in the human being a thirst for limitlessness."

-- Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

Let Us Move Together

free monthly program on Zoom

Taking a break for the Summer.

See you in the Fall!



Join our spiritual community events!



Visit our website!

Ananda Seva Activities

Ohio

The Ananda Seva Ohio meditation group Led by Ac. Giriisha remains active.

Regular Saturday meditation for new people continues at 10:00 am ET with music and a discussion of a spiritual topic. 

Contact Ac. Giriisha for more info.



Oregon



The Dharmalaya Community in Eugene, Oregon holds weekly dharmachakras (in person & on zoom) and monthly Sadhana Shivir programs as well as a monthly potluck on the 1st Sunday of every month after dharmachakra . Contact Madhu if you would like to be added to the local email list.

In June Dharmalaya hosted the Solstice PROUT Gathering and 2 events showcasing the work completed thus far on the Community Recovery and Transition project (CDRT). (See reports below).

See full video of the CDRT presentations here.

The Dharmalaya community came together with trucks and chainsaws to help salvage downed trees in the neighborhood and secured a lot of firewood for Dharmalaya for the winter.

Seva

Big Thanks to Bert and Tara and Samudra who talked to the concerned parties and arranged the work party!. And everyone else who helped!

Evening Kiirtan

The evening kiirtans are taking a break for the summer and will resume again in the Fall.

Meanwhile, Kirana, Ac. Anandam and Gayatri are working on creating and performing concerts as fundraisers for Ananda Seva service projects

.

Stay tuned for upcoming

House Concert announcements!

Ottawa

Ananda Seva Ottawa, led by Ac Chandranatha, is now having in-person group meditations in addition to the regular guided mediations on Zoom. People from California, Oregon and Montana are joining the online weekly Wednesday class.

Follow Ottawa Meditation on facebook for all events and classes.

Contact Ac. Chandranatha for more info.



Weekday Morning Kiirtan & Meditaiton

Every weekday morning at 7:35 am PT Ac. Gayatrii and others lead kiirtan, meditation, kaoshikii and a morning check-in to connect and support each other on our spiritual journeys.

Join by Zoom

passcode: Baba



East Coast Dharmachakra

Ac. Govinda and Ac. Sandeep host East Coast Dharmachakras on the first Sunday of each month. More info here.

They are also offering two more opportunities to join a community meditation on Mondays at 6:00 pm ET and Wednesdays at 6:30 pm ET both on Zoom. Contact AC Sandeep to get on the email list for those programs.



West Coast Dharmachakra

Join us for our weekly Sunday morning group meditation. This event is free and open to everyone. The program includes singing uplifting devotional songs, yogic dance, chanting, meditation, a discourse, and group discussion.

The first Sunday of the month program is followed by a sattvic vegetarian potluck..

more info here.



New on the PROUT Café

The latest initiative by the PROUT Café is called "PROUT Bites". These are short videos that illustrate a bite-sized PROUT concept.

Check out the newest PROUT Bite here!

Visit the PROUT Café for interviews and other PROUT "snacks".

Here is a photo of the incredible feast of Indian food prepared for the Solstice PROUT Gathering by Neelam Kanwar..

PROUT

The Solstice PROUT Gathering was held at Dharmalaya in Eugene. It was attended by 16 people in person and another 8 people participated on Zoom. All who came were dedicated to creating a new society that equitably supports the physical, mental and spiritual development of all, while protecting the Earth.

Programs featured included:

Green Island’s Initiative to Empower the Blessed Unrest Movement

Presentation by Green Island’s Niels Holck

Talking Stock of the Current Political–Economic–Environmental Situation

Discussion led by Clare Strawn of the PROUT Institute

Intergenerational Conversation

Discussion led by Daniel Chesney

How to Talk About PROUT

Presentation by Dada Maheshvarananda of the PROUT Alliance

Cascadia Bioregional Quiz (for fun)

Quiz given by Ravi Logan

Economic Democracy as a Unifying Demand for Progressive Change

Presentation by PROUT Institute President, Jason Schreiner

Forum on the Community Driven Recovery and Transition Initiative

Discussion led by CDRT founder Alberta Pedroja

Weekend PROUT Gatherings are held every four months. The next one will be in October.

Philosophy Study Group

Please join us every two weeks on Zoom to discuss Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's writings. We choose 3 to 4 discourses, (currently from "Problems of the Day) and discuss these in a congenial setting. Participants are free to share what they found relevant, interesting, and meaningful which will deepen our understanding of the material and make them relevant to the progress of our spiritual lives. Participants must have access to the Electronic Edition compendium of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's writings. 

We would love to have you join us!

— Ac. Jayadeva



If you have questions and wish to join, please email Jayadeva at:

 Jayadevaasm@hotmail.com. 

Community Driven Recovery and Transition

What Happened?

It was June 24th and the culmination of Community-Driven Recovery and Transition (commonly known as CDRT). The project used scenario planning centered on a flood in California's Central Valley that caused an influx of 10,000 men, women and children to migrate to Lane County. Five sectors---food, housing, governance, the economy and wellbeing---delivered a framework for creating a resilient, just and sustainable future that embodies the values developed by the New Era Convergence---regeneration, cooperation, equity,and decentralization.  

There was a team of 14 that delivered a peak performance! It wasn't until June 10th that we knew whether there was something to present, but the presentations were uniformly outstanding so we offered it to the community, and we had 41 people in attendance! Special guests included Jess Alvarez-Parfrey, the Executive Director of Transitions US, and Daniel Chesney for asset mapping support.

What's next?

Thank you so much for your interest in Community Driven Recovery and Transition (CDRT). Whether you were new to CDRT in June or worked with a sector team, offered donations of support, or served on the coordinating committee, know that you were important to the on-going commitment to disaster preparedness and transition to a more equitable, sustainable world, driven by community participation.

We are ready to launch the CDRT Coordinating Committee (CC) 2.0. This group will analyze lessons learned and identify next steps. It will be a weekly meeting through August or a bi-weekly meeting through September, calendars permitting given summer fun.  

Coordinating Committee 3.0 is an action group, tasked with the implementation of next steps. That is to say that 2.0 is visioning and strategic thinking. 3.0 is community action.  

Please indicate your interest in CC 2.0 on the google form linked here. There is a space provided for "not sure, but keep me in the loop" and space is provided to offer suggestions, comments, contacts, resources, or anything else.  

Thank you again for your participation!  

Ananda Seva Finland



Click on the photo above.



Andanda Seva in Maharliika



Click on image below for video

Ongoing Service Projects in Maharliika (Philippines)

Ac. Atma Jyoti works tirelessly in Maharliika with a tribal population that has, by and large, been forgotten by the government and large aid agencies. If you would like to support these ongoing efforts, please make a tax deductible donation via our website. Choose "support for Maharliika service projects" in the drop down menu.



From the Blog

Getting Started with Meditation:

Can Being in the Moment Help with Healing the Earth?

by Ac. Govinda

click on photo below to read article

Ananda Seva Educational Opportunities

Transformation Education

Fall 2023 Class Schedule

Upcoming Classes:

Human Society is One and Indivisible

Instructor: Ravi Logan

Description: 90 minute class

Date/Time: Sept. 16th at 10 am PT

Opportunities to learn at your own pace and time:

NEW ON TEACHABLE

Our Transformation Education Teachable site gives you the opportunity to take on-demand courses at your own pace. We now have 16 classes up on the platform covering a variety of topics.

Featured Class this Month:

With the defects of democratic political systems becoming painfully evident — particularly in the United States — this two-class series on PROUT’s political system offers timely understandings of how political systems can be progressively reformed.



This course explores topics such as:

• economic democracy vs political democracy
• selectoral-electoral system
• compartmentalized democracy
• strengthening the electorate
• planetary confederation
• the archetype of moral leaders
• sector-based representation
• the core rights undergirding political constitutions

These classes give a vision of the political system needed for a new era in which political institutions serve people, communities and the planet, and in which leadership is drawn from the best of humanity.

This course is taught by Ravi Logan

"The artists or writers, before holding their brush or pen, should look around and assess the direction in which society is moving and the basic causes of its weakness. What are the “isms” that have supplied impetus to evil ideals? It is not enough to look around; they may also have to take a firm stand against the apparently irresistible forces of destruction.."

– Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

Abhimata, The Opinion, 14

Artistic expression has always been integral to human evolution. The artists spark the imagination and pave the way for new ideas to flourish. Can you imagine a revolution with no songs to rally the people? The energy stirring beneath the earth now calls us to connect with that Divine Source and draw inspiration to birth a new society. How will you use your creative energy to support that flow?



Self Portrait by Dacé Willow

Click on image below to listen to an original composition

of the English translation of Samgacchadhvam

by Ac. Gayatri.

SUPPORT OUR OUTREACH AND SERVICE EFFORTS