Thinking that I will start a podcast, I have not been blogging lately in hopes the podcasts would start soon. I will keep you posted.
I was up until a bit past 4:00 a.m. last night watching Trump and Modi speak at the stadium packed with 120,000 people in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The streets on the way to the stadium were lined with thousands of people. The whole event was very inspiring. I could not help feeling it marked a positive phase transition in global events.
Mahashivarathri at our temple was beautiful. It too somehow had the feeling of a positive global phase transition.
We are planning a number of upgrades here at Mt. Soma including the dining menu and regular hours for telephone answering. We are looking forward to warmer weather when families come to Mt. Soma, visit the temple, play outside, go for walks to Ganga Park, Hanuman, etc. It is very heartwarming. It makes me feel like a Vedic Walt Disney, offering Mt Soma for everyone to enjoy with their families!
Also, hoping this spring or summer to offer Advanced Techniques phase 2 via the Internet…
Jyotish was most challenging for several years now, but it appears to have turned the corner!
Hoping to be chatting with you via the podcast airwaves soon!
Dr. Michael Mamas started this school in August, 1994. So, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary at Mount Soma. We’ll be doing a special blessing for the school in commemoration of the anniversary at the Havan for Sarvadevatas on Thursday, August 8. Congratulations to Michaelji and everyone through all these years who has helped make this possible!
I spoke of this movie in the recent California class. It is a beautiful true story. Personally, I got choked up several times while viewing it. I am not sure if all people would react the same way I did, but I do believe it is a movie that you would like to watch.
At Mount Soma, in the past, we have seen rocket launches such as the below in the eastern sky:
“People across the mid-Atlantic may see a rocket fly through the sky on Saturday morning as it blasts off from Wallops Island, Virginia.
“An Antares rocket is set to launch from the Wallops Island Flight Facility at 7:37 a.m. EST Saturday, 11/11/17 in a mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).” – Accuweather
Mount Soma and Sri Somesvara Temple will be featured in a segment of North Carolina Weekend on UNC-TV. It airs at 9:00pm tonight, November 2, 2017. The segment is also available on YouTube – see below. Enjoy!
Perhaps my favorite comment about the Advanced Techniques came from a student who said it is as if they don’t even ‘do’ the Advanced Techniques anymore. Rather, it is as if the Advanced Techniques have transformed their meditations. That is perfect. Really, the Advanced Techniques just happen naturally. However, learning them and ‘doing’ them for a while opens the door to the universe of consciousness and its potential.
Having said that, it is still a good idea, from time to time, to ‘feel into’ one of the techniques of your choice when you sit down to meditate, before you actually start your meditation. That tends to facilitate the experience of that technique. Yet, once done, the meditation goes in whatever direction it goes. It is all an effortless practice.
Generally, my meditations go into Phase 2 or 3 of the Advanced Techniques. However this morning, it was all Phase 1 and it was wonderful. What the Advanced Techniques do for a person’s meditations is marvelous. I am so excited to teach Phase 1 this winter to more students! I hope all students can attend!
I am thrilled to teach Phase 2 to the Ashram and staff this winter and to the Phase 2 students this upcoming summer! And then onto Phase 3 the following year! It is such a great adventure! The ultimate frontier! The exploration of the unbounded universe of consciousness!
We have begun broadcasting live on YouTube. Initially, it was done only for the Advanced Techniques Course follow-ups. However, it has been so enjoyable that we are also going to be doing broadcasts for everyone. The first broadcast for everyone will be this Saturday, September 30th at 11:30am EDT. It will be the final gathering of this year’s Mother Divine Retreat at Mount Soma. You will be able to watch the recording after the live showing, so no need to be concerned if you are busy at the time of the live broadcast.
If you are watching live, you can email in questions to doug@mountsoma.org. If you have your own YouTube channel set up (instructions here), you may also use the chat feature to ask questions.
The format will, as usual, be freeform. Among other things, the question of how to attain clarity in the complexities of life will be discussed. Enjoy!
We really enjoyed talking to the Advanced Techniques students and look forward to doing it again! We also look forward to video streaming with the entire student body as well as the public at large.
Because it is Shravan Maas (Shiva month), Shani Shanivar (auspicious Saturn day during Shravan Maas), and Pradosham – Maasa Shivarathri (auspicious day of the month for Shiva), today’s auspiciousness is considered equal to Mahashivarathri (Great Night of Shiva).
The Shani (Saturn) Puja just finished, after that a Rudrabhishekam, and there will be a Rudrabhishekam this evening at 5:30 pm at Sri Somesvara Temple. We hope you can join us!
This Sunday at noon, we’ll be doing the first follow-up video stream for those who took the Advanced Techniques Course, Phase 1. If you took that course, you will receive an email right before it starts with instructions.
At Mount Soma, in the past, we have seen rocket launches such as the below in the eastern sky:
Perhaps my favorite comment about the Advanced Techniques came from a student who said it is as if they don’t even ‘do’ the Advanced Techniques anymore. Rather, it is as if the Advanced Techniques have transformed their meditations. That is perfect. Really, the Advanced Techniques just happen naturally. However, learning them and ‘doing’ them for a while opens the door to the universe of consciousness and its potential.
