April • 2024

“Mysticism is the never-ending endeavor to link the finite with the infinite.”

-- Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

2024 Year of Spiritual Practices Program

We have known for some time that things are heating up, figuratively and literally! How can we be sure we are available to step up when the situation calls for it? 

By honing our spiritual practices!

The program involves leveraging our connections to support individual growth and collective resilience.

Spring is here!

(at least in some places)

Enjoy this new asana video from Ac. Kaverii.

(Click on photo below.)

More videos coming. Visit out YouTube account.

Summer Retreat in New Hampshire

Ac. Krsna is hosting a summer retreat in New Hampshire

June 7 - 9

The retreat will be using Krsna's house and a friend's house up the street, so there will be no retreat charge other than covering the cost of food.

Space is limited. If you wish to attend, contact Krsna below.



Let Us Move Together

free monthly program on Zoom

The next program will be:

April 6th

9:00 am Pacific



The Let Us Move Together program features:



Prabháta Samgiita Program

presented by Andy Douglas

Join us for Iowa City author Andy Douglas (Alok) as he reads from: Songs of the New Dawn: Selected Song-Poems of Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar"

"Andy Douglas's stirring 'transpirations' echo a world of transcendental beauty. These poems bring to an English-speaking audience some of the 5018 Bengali songs composed by Shrii Prabhát Ranjan Sarkar between 1982 and 1990, songs that came to be known as Prabháta Samgiita, Songs of a New Dawn. An extraordinary spiritual master, Shrii Sarkar once defined mysticism as 'the never-ending endeavor to find a link between the finite and the infinite.' Each song glows with this spirit of ceaseless search, and Douglas's renditions beautifully capture the delicacy of feeling and simplicity of the original Bengali."

- Dr. Ayesha Irani, Assoc Prof of Asian Studies, UMass Boston



Andy Douglas is a writer and musician, and has been a student of P R Sarkar's teachings for 40 years. He holds an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from University of Iowa. He is the author of The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga, and Redemption Songs: A Year in the Life of a Community Prison Choir.



Join our Spiritual Community Events



Visit our website

Ananda Seva Activities

Ohio

The Ananda Seva Ohio meditation group is led by Ac. Giriisha

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 is having Movie Night on:

Saturday, April 13th

This month's movie is :

Children of Paradise

(click on photo below for trailer)

• Gather at 6:30pm
• Movie starts at 7:00pm
• Bring your own popcorn
• Everyone is welcome

Ananda Seva

Spring Retreat

at Dharmalaya

Ananda Seva held an inspiring Spring Retreat in March on the theme of Resilience. Programs were given on personal and collective resilience, and fantastic meals were prepared by the great chef Helder from Ottawa (the capital of Canada). Participants from Ottawa, Vermont, Ohio, California and Oregon came together at Dharmalaya.

Anandam, Kirana and Gayatri gave a rousing evening performance from their "Wings on the Story" fundraising concert series.

Personal resilience was enhanced with morning asanas led by Kaverii and afternoon asanas by Tara.

A community house blessing for Ammadevi brought together the Ananda Seva community with her neighbors for a lovely ceremony.

The retreat concluded with a high energy Akhanda Kiirtan and deep sharing in the closing cirlce.

Dharmachakra (group meditation) every Sunday

10:00am - Noon

On the first Sunday of the month a zoom option is available.

Click here for more info and a link.

On the 1st Sunday of the month Ananda Seva Eugene hosts a potuck after group meditation

Next potluck: April 7th

Community Yoga classes starting in April

at Dharmalaya

(drop in, by donation)

Wednesdays 10:00 am

with Kaverii

Fridays 4:00 pm

with Tara

Reply to this email to let me know if you want to be on the yoga class email list. You will get notified if classes are cancelled any given day.



Ontario

New events are coming up in Ottawa:

Ac. Chandranatha is hosting an event on Saturday April 6th:

Yoga, Sound & Bhakti Journey followed by Kirtan & Veg Potluck

Check out the Ottawa Meditation

facebook page for all classes and events.

Follow Ottawa Meditation on Facebook

Click on image above for more information.

Upcoming :

Open Community Meditation

and Potluck:

April 14th

What's happening with CDRT?

Check out the new website!

Weekday Morning Kiirtan & Meditaiton

Every weekday morning

at 7:35 am PT

Ac. Gayatri and others lead kiirtan, meditation, kaoshikii and a morning check-in to connect and support each other on our spiritual journeys.

Full Dharmachakra on Thursdays

Join by Zoom

passcode: Baba



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 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.



East Coast Dharmachakra

To connect with the community in the Washington D.C. metro area please write us on our contact page at https://meditationeast.org/ .

The Wednesday program includes singing uplifting devotional songs, yogic dance (kaoshikii), chanting, meditation, a discourse, and group discussion.



Philosophy Study Group

Please join us every two weeks on Zoom to discuss Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's writings. The group chooses 3 to 4 discourses and discusses these in a congenial setting. Participants are free to share what they found relevant, interesting, and meaningful which will deepen understanding of the material and contribute to their spiritual progress. Participants must have access to the Electronic Edition compendium of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's writings. 

We'd love to have you join us!

— Ac. Jayadeva



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

Jayadevaasm@hotmail.com. 

Ananda Seva in Finland



Click on the photo above to see what is happening in Finland.



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

"The Individual and the Collective"

click on photo below to read article



NEW ON TEACHABLE

opportunities to learn at your own pace and time

Transformation Education Teachable site gives you the opportunity to take on-demand courses at your own pace. We now have 19 classes up on the platform covering a variety of topics.

Featured Class this Month:

PROUT's Ecological Views

class by Ravi Logan



PROUT’s value base is neohumanism which holds a reverence for all life. Neohumanism provides a deep cure to environmental destruction, but there is need to work out its practical expression in certain arenas. This class examines PROUT’s position on a number of questions exploring the relationship between human society and the natural world.

What are you reading?

Madhu's recommendation:

Vasumati's recommendation:

Ananda Seva's recommendation:

Ac. Govinda's recommendation:

"I am reading a new translation of the Illiad of Homer (Emily Wilson), which is an exciting read. It’s sort of amazing to commune with someone from the 8th Century BCE."

- Govinda

If you are reading something that inspires you, please email your recommendation to Madhu for next month's newsletter.



"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

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?



Excerpt from:

4014

VASANTA ESECHE KISHALAYE SEJE

Spring arrives, brimming with tender leaves,

And the earth goes delicious with color.

The scent of sandalwood hangs in the air,

Dismantling the idleness of winter.

The young buds beam with joy,

Softening my heartache.

Whoever you are, listen:

Today, let's just smile and love each other.

Don't stay inside, come out of your houses!

It's no prison out here, it's an open garden.

Forget your grudges, abandon your spite.

It's a new day; speak with new intention.

Elixir Kiirtan by Liilamaya (Mark Benson)

click image above

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