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| anniekin
I here your words, I have found the same to be true in a couple "hindu" places I have been, many "christian" churches, a seminary school, etc,,,, I find my peace among the commoners more then I find it among the self proclaimed leaders. My current instructor says I ask tough questions, what he does not know is that I have not asked the tough questions yet. People will tell you to ask, but when you open up they then change their face. I have been told I am very intelligent, but once I start asking questions i then become very dumb in their eyes. ashrams are just like churches, the more stylish and cool, the more people go there, but who really wants the truth?
One time I went to a church, the pastor wanted me to be the youth pastor. He liked me a lot and tried to take me under his wing. he told me I was on my way to finding the truth. then I started to question and he got mad. I looked at him and told him, "there is someone out there that is smarter then you and understands these types of things better then you, I am not saying I am that person but can you tell me with all certainty that I am not/" I enjuyed that conversation, it was fun.  |
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| As an afterthought I looked up Sri Whachamacallit on the internet and forwarded him a copy of the post to see what he would say.
"Greetings,
Thank you for sharing this forum. It is interesting to see different peoples perceptions of the teaching at the ashram. Though I wish we could please everyone, it is not possible both because not everyone can tune to the tradition of the ashram and sometimes the teachers can not escape from the negative influence of their own egos. Though the experience of the blogger was quite vague, I imagine that her experience reflects a combination of those influences. I can assure you that most of our guests have a very positive experience of their stays and that both the backgrounds of our staff and our guests are very diverse. Prejudice can be found everywhere, but I the very core of our philosophy is based on the ideal of "Unity in Diversity", and I think this helps to keep prejudice of all sorts to a minimum. I hope that you will take a chance and come to see for yourself.
Yours in service, Srinivasan"
These words immediately plunged me into a deeply blissful state of enlightenment. But just because I know first hand that there is no racial diversity there (except for the occasional, very, very special teacher from India), I decided to cater to that which I already knew to be true about him.
"This is encouraging! I am half black, half puerto rican, originally
from the Bed Stuy area of New York City. Which is why the post was the
cause of some alarm when I researched your ashram! : D I am planning
to come there on a work- to stay- and study- basis. Will I find many
others like me?"
Just for the record I am not half black, half puerto rican, originally
from the Bed Stuy area of New York City, but what if I was? I would probably be closer in appearance and circumstances to those people that actually created Yoga.
Sadly, as of yet, silence has been the only response... |
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| Two hours north of Mumbai in India is Ganeshpuri. Here is the Siddha Yoga ashram. I have been practising for 12 years. It is an non-dogmatic form of chanting and meditation. It is supported by all the ancient texts.
I went there three years ago for a Retreat of the heart. It was 12 days. I loved it. It was very hard but blissful at the same time. Unfortanatly you have to have been practising siddha yoga for some time they have guidelines for accepting people there. They dont want spiritual tourists going there with no idea what they are getting into. In that sense I'm sure it woud turn people off but I completley understand where they are coming from. |
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| what ever happened to peace, love, and happiness? |
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Ashram
