To Friends in the Sadhaka Grama Community,Sponsors, active helpers, leaders and guides in various meditationgroups:
Dear Friends,
Kindly circulate this information to as many ofyour friends and members as possible, and give any suggestions as towhat other explanations may be needed in the futureversions.
Please see the Question and Answer at the end ofthe Attached information.
I can provide that service only if I am freed ofother considerations.
I am hoping that this would be possible in thefuture years, as I am yet young!!
Thanking you,
Yours in service of Gurudeva
SWAMI RAMA SADHAKA GRAMA
Virpur Khurd Village, Virabhadra Road,
P.O.Pashulok, Rishikesh (Uttaranchal State)249203
India
The Village of Sadhakas, those aspiring to leada guided spiritual life, in accordance with the tradition of theHimalayan Masters as interpreted by Swami Rama of the Himalayas.
The Village will serve those who
a) wish to stay for a few months at a time toundertake intensive spiritual practices,
b) those who wish to take temporary breaks fromthe worldly life to replenish themselves
c) wish to spend most of their time living in acombination of solitude and spiritual community, because
i) they have not yet created major ties in theworld and wish to train themselves to lead a spiritual life whileliving in the world in the future after this initial confirmation and affirmation,
or
ii) those who have already completed their karmicduties and wish to lead the life a vanaparastha, married preparingfor renunciation, or, when deemed ready, the life of a sanyasin(i),renunciate totally dedicated to spiritual life andservice.
The Sadhaka Village residential facility isopen only to those who are initiated in the tradition of Swami Ramaor are planning to be initiated.
Along with spiritual practices assigned, therewill be opportunities for karma-yoga, practising an interior lifewhile performing acts of service, which may consist of
a) helping with the work of the larger spiritualmission, and
b) maintenance of the Village.
Approximately five hundred metres away from theHoly Ganga (not visible from our campus but within walking distance),also about five hundred metres from the famous ancient holy shrine ofVirabhadra, right on the little Kali river, surrounded by theShivalik Hills at the footsteps of the Himalayas, the eight-acrecampus is located four minutes drive away from Sadhana Mandir Trust,Swami Rama's Ashram, on Virabhadra Road in Rishikesh.
It will help supplement the plans and activitiesof Swami Rama's Ashram including that it will solve the accommodationproblem for the existing Ashram during the heavily booked study andpractice programmes.
The campus is divided into four sections:
a) Thirty-two cottages partially sponsored by thewould-be residents. The cottages of the sanyasin(i)s are placedclosest to the yagya-shala complex
b) The yagya-shala complex that consists of
i) the sacred area for intensive practices of fireasceticism,
ii) the meditation hall where over a hundredpeople can lie down for shavasana practices,
iii) library, research and office as well asresidential facility for the current and the future acharya,spiritual guide and director.
iv) Staff quarters for the office and researchstaff.
c) A very small (due to unavailability of moreland) Institute for the training of monks and brahmacharinswho
i) will be taught the ancient scriptures with ameditational interpretation
ii) will be trained in guiding the future sadhakasworldwide, with a broad cultural perspective so that they may be ableto teach the aspirants in a variety of world cultures.
d) Residences owned privately by initiates of theTradition on the land contiguous to the main campus. These privateowners are also part of the Village.
The criterion for being a member of the Villagecommunity is not the ownership but commitment to sadhana.
e) Other additions, like the workers quarters,Knowledge Centre, main office etc. are all being planned or alreadybeing constructed.
The establishment of Sadhaka Grama has been madepossible through the hard work of a few committed devotees in Europe,SE Asia, USA and India. The project has cost approximately five crorerupees (approximately 1,118,459 US dollars) and has been financedthrough
a) partial sponsorship by the would-be sadhakasfor their individual cottages, available for their use during theirlife time,
b) very generous donations of a very small numberof patrons, and
c) money orders sent by Swami Veda Bharati'sMother through the intercession of his Gurudeva's Grace.
The land for the sanyasin(i)s Training Instituteas well as a major portion of the construction cost is a donationfrom a single devotee in the memory of his honouredmother.
The present deficit (December 31, 2001) betweenincome and expenditure is approximately $434,537.
This does not include continued improvements andadditions.
The future management and maintenance will be theresponsibility of the Residents Council as the members of the VillageCommunity will share the responsibilities equitably.
The Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama will serve as theworld headquarters of the Association of the Himalayan YogaMeditation Societies (International).
This is a fraternal association of an everincreasing number of Centres dedicated to the teachings of Swami Ramaof the Himalayas, each an autonomous organization working in its owngeographical area under the guidance of Swami Veda Bharati (forexample, the Meditation Centre in Minneapolis) OR under the guidanceof other disciples of H.H. Swami Rama (for example the HimalayanInstitute in Germany directed by Wolfgang Bischoff) in friendlyassociation with SVB.
These Centres and informal meditation groups areactive in North America, South America, the West Indies, Europe,Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia and India.
In addition to the long term
(a) spiritual guidance for the residents,
(b) training program for the future internationalteachers (sanyasins etc.),
the regular Teachers Training Programs, seminars,retreats and so forth will be continued with the help of ourinternationally active teachers.
Some of these teachers are already undertakingextensive world tours to disseminate the knowledge in their variousareas of expertise.
Of course, the success of the plans depends ontheir financial viability based on available support.
It is planned that the Village will also serve asa base for production and distribution for the audiocassettes, CDsand printed books and booklets etc. on spiritual topics.
Question:
When there are already so many missions trainingsanyasin(i)s and others into ancient scriptures, why is there need toestablish a small Institute to offer the same.
Answer:
The texts like the Vedas, Upanishads,Bhagavad-gita and the Yoga-sutras are being taught commonly as worksof philosophy whereas they are actually records of the experience ofand guidance into the meditative states of the highest order.
Here, in our Tradition, the expertise is availableto teach the texts in such a meditative context, revealing theirmeditational content--an area of knowledge not normally available,accessible only to the higher degree initiates of the HimalayanTradition.
It is this knowledge that will be passed on atSadhaka Grama to the next generation of teachers.
Yours,
in service of the Guru Lineage