Sometimes I feel like I live on pooh corner. Except there is no Winnies or Kangas only piglets and sad eyed eeyores wandering about.
We were unable to complete a house purchase. The paperwork of India destroyed us. In the end they wouldn't give us a loan because they were nervous we would default.
We held a wonderful artist retreat in the Yeshu Ashram. It was beautiful and we generated many artworks!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
So Long School of Hindu Studies
Well it has been a bit o time since the last blog... that is the state of my faculties during School of Hindu Studies. Even before SHS I was at wits end and now after SHS I feel like I am still runnign pillar to post to get other duties finished. That will come to an immediate end with the departure of myself and Arjun to USA for the month of May!
Here is a short photo montage followed by an update...
School of Hindu Studies: A shelter for the psycho-spiritually challenged!
School of Hindu Studies began in early January and ran for 12 weeks. We had a variety of teachers on worldview, culture, music, communication, prayer, worship, satsang development and even a week on developing authentic Indian spirituality at a Catholic ashram.
Each morning of the ashram spiritual retreat weeks the students and staff of the School of Hindu Studies were immersed in a practical application of our lectures. We rose just before the sunrise and took our places in the mandir, a type of temple for the ashram. The mandir was constructed in Hindu style with a simple representation of Christ on the cross to the side, incense, flowers and an oil lamp signifying his being the light of the world.
Evenings we would retreat to the meditation hall, or dhyan bhavan, for teaching on Christ as Guru (spiritual teacher), as Swami (spiritual master or lord), and as the supreme Yogi (the one who leads you to spiritual union). One of the more touching illustrations the teacher gave that week was that 'Jesus wants us to let down our nets in the deep waters'. Students would sit in padmasana, which is universally known as the lotus position, and spent deep times of interiority, prayer, yoga and communication which generated a depth of intimacy with Christ in Indian style.
It is hard to imagine that our modern day universities were often birthed out of places like these in the West where monks spent time in deep contemplation, meditation and learning. Likewise it was hard for us to slow down our busy lives and become silent, listen, and pray to Christ silently without our mind wandering! We also had excellent times of wild bhajan singing where we expressed our love to God through loud singing, drums and great emotion!
At the ashram there was ‘a shelter for the psycho-spiritually challenged’, so we knew we were in the right place! Actually it is for those with psychological disturbances and those who have been attacked by evil spirits. The inmates are brought by Hindu relatives and left at the ashram as a last resort before being committed to the state mental hospital facilities. Some of the patients have returned to normal through prayer, worship and loving kindness.
So many stories could be told for each of the weeks but eventally all good things come to an end and the School of Hindu Studies concluded at the end of March with 13 graduates. The graduation message was given by Jai’s former mentor and co-founder of the School of Hindu Studies, Dr. M.A. Raju, now a neurologist with a nearby hospital, the very same person out of whose house Aarti and Jai were married 7 years ago! Jai and the area director of a local organisation, Narendranath Tiwari, handed out the certificates.
Gurukulam Training Programme
Aarti is excited to develop the upcoming Training programme here in Varanasi. It will be very close to the approach of the School of Hindu Studies. Much more times of teacher student interaction and one on one spiritual development times rather than lecture. It will be called the ‘Gurukulam’ which is a Sanskrit word for ‘school’ or place where the Guru resides to teach the disciples. Apt huh? This will begin mid January 2009.
The Ashram
You may remember that we were able to purchase a property to use as an ashram. This 250 year old heritage building is the reason and motivation behind Jai joining INTACH and it has now been running smoothly for over one year! We were able to host an Indian music concert (bhajans, tabla and violin) in the ashram on Easter weekend which also fell on the Hindu holiday of Holi so we also used as an opportunity to share of Sadguru Yeshu's death and ressurection in relation to Holi, as that holiday also has redemptive links in that direction. It was attended by many neighbours and all of our School of Hindu Studies students and staff. We even got a mention in the local newspaper!
Family News and Tidbits
Aarti will have her hands full with directing the upcoming Gurukulam project but she has also expressed her desire to help local poor women in sustainable job development through the ashram. We need to see how that can work out practically. She will also be involved in hosting a Bhajan Music seminar next fall with the ashram.
Jai has been interested to enter more into the fabric of society, to incarnate himself in service to Hindus and continue his learning in a variety of areas, so he is trying to enter Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which is distance education towards a BA in the area of Social Work. He also has been trying to get an artist workshop of the ground to paint on the issue of ‘Pollution of the Ganga River’ in September with the ashram.
Arjun now 3 years old has been going to ‘Fun & Learn Play School’ down the street from our house. Each day Jai walks him there and Aarti picks him up. His Hindi is great and he can quote a few English and Hindi poems and songs. He is pretty excited to travel all the way to USA with papa in the month of May 2008!
Our family has hosted tons of guests this winter and spring and has been growing in a depth of understanding of our part here in the city. As a family we have been persevering in prayer to purchase a small house in the centre of the city as well. Jai will head out to USA with Arjun for a month in May this year and Aarti will go to her hometown in Gujarat with a friend.
With love
Jai, Aarti & Arjun
Here is a short photo montage followed by an update...
School of Hindu Studies: A shelter for the psycho-spiritually challenged!
School of Hindu Studies began in early January and ran for 12 weeks. We had a variety of teachers on worldview, culture, music, communication, prayer, worship, satsang development and even a week on developing authentic Indian spirituality at a Catholic ashram.
Each morning of the ashram spiritual retreat weeks the students and staff of the School of Hindu Studies were immersed in a practical application of our lectures. We rose just before the sunrise and took our places in the mandir, a type of temple for the ashram. The mandir was constructed in Hindu style with a simple representation of Christ on the cross to the side, incense, flowers and an oil lamp signifying his being the light of the world.
Evenings we would retreat to the meditation hall, or dhyan bhavan, for teaching on Christ as Guru (spiritual teacher), as Swami (spiritual master or lord), and as the supreme Yogi (the one who leads you to spiritual union). One of the more touching illustrations the teacher gave that week was that 'Jesus wants us to let down our nets in the deep waters'. Students would sit in padmasana, which is universally known as the lotus position, and spent deep times of interiority, prayer, yoga and communication which generated a depth of intimacy with Christ in Indian style.
It is hard to imagine that our modern day universities were often birthed out of places like these in the West where monks spent time in deep contemplation, meditation and learning. Likewise it was hard for us to slow down our busy lives and become silent, listen, and pray to Christ silently without our mind wandering! We also had excellent times of wild bhajan singing where we expressed our love to God through loud singing, drums and great emotion!
At the ashram there was ‘a shelter for the psycho-spiritually challenged’, so we knew we were in the right place! Actually it is for those with psychological disturbances and those who have been attacked by evil spirits. The inmates are brought by Hindu relatives and left at the ashram as a last resort before being committed to the state mental hospital facilities. Some of the patients have returned to normal through prayer, worship and loving kindness.
So many stories could be told for each of the weeks but eventally all good things come to an end and the School of Hindu Studies concluded at the end of March with 13 graduates. The graduation message was given by Jai’s former mentor and co-founder of the School of Hindu Studies, Dr. M.A. Raju, now a neurologist with a nearby hospital, the very same person out of whose house Aarti and Jai were married 7 years ago! Jai and the area director of a local organisation, Narendranath Tiwari, handed out the certificates.
Gurukulam Training Programme
Aarti is excited to develop the upcoming Training programme here in Varanasi. It will be very close to the approach of the School of Hindu Studies. Much more times of teacher student interaction and one on one spiritual development times rather than lecture. It will be called the ‘Gurukulam’ which is a Sanskrit word for ‘school’ or place where the Guru resides to teach the disciples. Apt huh? This will begin mid January 2009.
The Ashram
You may remember that we were able to purchase a property to use as an ashram. This 250 year old heritage building is the reason and motivation behind Jai joining INTACH and it has now been running smoothly for over one year! We were able to host an Indian music concert (bhajans, tabla and violin) in the ashram on Easter weekend which also fell on the Hindu holiday of Holi so we also used as an opportunity to share of Sadguru Yeshu's death and ressurection in relation to Holi, as that holiday also has redemptive links in that direction. It was attended by many neighbours and all of our School of Hindu Studies students and staff. We even got a mention in the local newspaper!
Family News and Tidbits
Aarti will have her hands full with directing the upcoming Gurukulam project but she has also expressed her desire to help local poor women in sustainable job development through the ashram. We need to see how that can work out practically. She will also be involved in hosting a Bhajan Music seminar next fall with the ashram.
Jai has been interested to enter more into the fabric of society, to incarnate himself in service to Hindus and continue his learning in a variety of areas, so he is trying to enter Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which is distance education towards a BA in the area of Social Work. He also has been trying to get an artist workshop of the ground to paint on the issue of ‘Pollution of the Ganga River’ in September with the ashram.
Arjun now 3 years old has been going to ‘Fun & Learn Play School’ down the street from our house. Each day Jai walks him there and Aarti picks him up. His Hindi is great and he can quote a few English and Hindi poems and songs. He is pretty excited to travel all the way to USA with papa in the month of May 2008!
Our family has hosted tons of guests this winter and spring and has been growing in a depth of understanding of our part here in the city. As a family we have been persevering in prayer to purchase a small house in the centre of the city as well. Jai will head out to USA with Arjun for a month in May this year and Aarti will go to her hometown in Gujarat with a friend.
With love
Jai, Aarti & Arjun
Monday, January 14, 2008
Happy New School of Hindu Studies
2007 has come and gone in a flash. Now 2008 is upon us and the fourth School of Hindu Studies programme is in session. The students of this batch are interesting and diverse, each with a harrowing, and at time heart-rending, story to tell. The violence that some new believers in Christ are subjected to is absolutely, hands down, demoralising and demonic. It makes me want to run out on the streets and say to the Hindus 'Are you crazy??? What are you thinking??? Why are you doing this??? I will stand against you!!!'
I would do this if it weren't for small but very meaningful verses about 'turning the other cheek', 'remaining in the place where you were called', etc. Also, a small but important fact that Christians (I must include myself amongst this sorry lot unfortunately) have been missing all along, the fact that asking a Hindu to leave his birth community is devastating to the family members and is akin to rejection of everything to do with the way that they raised their child which cuts deep into the core of their Hindu worldview. Add into the mix, the change of name, which the parents gave with love, and perhaps not a good bit of finances to the astrologer, as well as a public baptism, shaming the family before the rest of the community legally,(though this is never the intention of the initiate or preceptors)as an offical conversion is neccesary in India to become a 'Christian' (which in this case is understood as a social community as opposed to the biblical concept of not needed to discard culture and community to embrace the good news of Sadguru Yeshu.
Here's to a great year in 2008, a year of long suffering for justice, for turning the other cheek to those who hurt you, for loving Hindus as Sadguru Yeshu would have if he were incarnated in their community.
jai
I would do this if it weren't for small but very meaningful verses about 'turning the other cheek', 'remaining in the place where you were called', etc. Also, a small but important fact that Christians (I must include myself amongst this sorry lot unfortunately) have been missing all along, the fact that asking a Hindu to leave his birth community is devastating to the family members and is akin to rejection of everything to do with the way that they raised their child which cuts deep into the core of their Hindu worldview. Add into the mix, the change of name, which the parents gave with love, and perhaps not a good bit of finances to the astrologer, as well as a public baptism, shaming the family before the rest of the community legally,(though this is never the intention of the initiate or preceptors)as an offical conversion is neccesary in India to become a 'Christian' (which in this case is understood as a social community as opposed to the biblical concept of not needed to discard culture and community to embrace the good news of Sadguru Yeshu.
Here's to a great year in 2008, a year of long suffering for justice, for turning the other cheek to those who hurt you, for loving Hindus as Sadguru Yeshu would have if he were incarnated in their community.
jai
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