Interview with Aanya 11/07/19
How long have you been at this Ashram?
I’ve been participating since the spring of 2017.
What has your role been at this ashram?
I come with a background of self-inquiry and meditation and I’m also interested in scripture study. I share from that foundation in our spiritual interactions. I also enjoy kirtan and share chants and songs when appropriate.
What is your sadhana now?
My sadhana is a commitment to spending time in silence and stillness which is my practice that’s essential to this body/mind. The rest of my sadhana is family-oriented in that I’m supporting an aging partner and an aging mother, and my goal is to enjoy their company, accepting the necessary losses of aging. I also prioritize expression of the Divine in music and have been recording a new CD of spiritual music I’ve written.
What is your daily life like?
Well I would say happily that I don’t live in my mind anymore. My days are very much just a rising and emerging and being in the flow. They don’t have a lot of shape, except that I try to be here on Sundays.
Do you mean structure?
Yes, there’s no real structure. I’m a retired person, and I don’t have a job to go to. What my day looks like- I start each day with an hour or so of abiding in silence and stillness; true nature. And I end each day chanting ten shanti mantras from the Upanishads. Most days include cooking prana-full food, doing some exercising, and taking care of a small feral cat colony in my neighborhood.
What is your inner or outer challenge that you are facing here?
I would say that my inner challenge being here at the ashram is continually opening to people whose paths are very different from my own. And to lead with the heart, and really embrace the diversity of how human beings and ashramites are moving in their spiritual journeys. Many here are much more Bhakti oriented than I am, but there is room for all!
Interview with Devashish 10/27/19
How long have you been with this organization?
Since 1995.
How did you get involved?
I heard Lew talking about a spiritual master in Silver City, giving talks on the Bhagavad Gita. And at first I didn’t believe there was a master here. But after a couple of stories, repeated stories, I figured there was something going on up here. So I came, and was amazed at the energy being transmitted by the master. So I was going through the dark night of the soul at the time. I couldn’t experience any spiritual or subtle energy. When I was listening to this master speak, I could feel energy entering my system. So I knew he had profound spiritual power and another thing I noticed was that every question that came to my mind, he was answering within 5 minutes or so. He would directly answer my question even though the rest of the group there didn’t know what was happening.
Over time what have you found your role is with this organization?
I never thought about it. I never thought about what my role would be. I was just interested in spiritual growth. The reason I was there in the beginning was that I wanted a mantra. That worked. Because I was going through this dark night of the soul, I received a mantra from Amachi. And the mantra worked for a few weeks, but then it stopped working, because there was some opposing force that shut me down. So I was looking for a master that would basically smash this opposing force, to restore this divine connection I once had.
What would you say is your Sadhana?
Staying linked so I can work for theForce.
What is your daily life like?
Doing scientific work, doing Sadhana, eating, sleeping. And also working for Swamiji.
Do you have a specific routine you do when you wake up?
It varies from time to time, but, sometimes it usually begins with Hatha Yoga, and then it might be followed up with meditation. And that might be followed up with a Solar Practice, when the sun rises. And then it’s my normal routine of getting ready for work.
What inner or outer challenge are you facing with your Sadhana?
Stabilization in a new technique.
Do you have any advice for people on the spiritual path?
Sure- be true to your practice, or, if you have a spiritual practice, do it regularly. And do it as an offering to the divine.
Interview with Betty Victoria 10/20/19
How long have you been with this organization?
Since 2001. So that’s 18 years. Right after 9/11.
How did you get involved?
My friend Judy, who lives down in Reno. She said there was a Guru up in Silver City who she heard was really good and asked if I wanted to go with her up here. So we went with her. As soon as I met him- at that time I was working, or going to school, and a lot of stuff- and my mind was very crazy. But as soon as he came in the room, my mind became very silent. It was very strange. I didn’t know what he was talking about or anything, but we enjoyed the feeling of it. So we kept coming back every night, every time he was going to give a talk or see people. So both of us eventually ended up getting initiated the next year in 2002.
Over time what have you found your role is with this organization?
I don’t have one! (Laughs)
Well, you do gardening.
Well I used to, I don’t do that anymore. Over the years, I do a lot of traveling, especially with Devashish, we’ve gone around to different places. We used to go down to Sacremento, when we had a center down there. Just general things. Just coming every Sunday to the ashram. Trying to keep everything up, like the grounds, and buildings clean.
What would you say is your Sadhana?
Life is my Sadanna.
What is your daily life like?
I do a sun technique in the morning. I’m retired, so then the rest of the day, I’m doing chores, buying groceries, and I cook dinner every night. Devashish lives next door to me, so I cook dinner for him and me. Of course I have a cat now.
What inner or outer challenge are you facing with your Sadhana?
Well the inner ones are just what everyone else has I suppose. Keep the mind quiet, try to not get affected by everything. You know, the vital gets easily disturbed- so you have to watch it all the time. That’s what I mean “in life.” There’s no barrier there, everything comes at you. So Sadhanna has to be life, because you’re trying to apply yogic principles to everything you do, so you don’t get attached or identified. Try to get rid of the ego.
Do you have any advice for people on the spiritual path?
If you’re gonna come on the spiritual path- commit yourself. Don’t do it halfway.
Interview with Karen Hairfield 9/30/19
How long have you been with this organization?
Since January of 2019, but I’ve known David (Devashish), since about 2014.
How did you get involved?
David and Betty invited me, and I’d always wanted to come to an ashram. I’d never been to one. And we did the Bhagavad Gita class, for the veterans and some of my other yoga students. I invited them to come, and be a part of it, because I felt it was important. My veterans were always asking metaphysical questions and I didn’t feel that I was qualified to answer them. Then I met David, and I decided that’s the route I wanted to go, because maybe that would provide some inner answer for themselves. And most of my veterans are Vietnam veterans.
Over time what have you found your role is with this organization?
It’s too new, I don’t feel like I have a role yet. I’m busy learning, and all the members here are my teachers.
What would you say is your Sadhana?
Definitely living the Bhagavad Gita, and then, doing the meditations that Swamiji suggested and also what David has suggested for me, because David is my guru.
What is your daily life like?
I do yoga all day long, because that’s how I earn my living. And I would say, every time before I have a class, I always have the class set their own individual intention. We have moments of silence and quiet. We do some pranayamas to settle the body, and then I always set my intention for the class, and what I will teach them, or what I hope to teach them to practice. Practice on my awareness, and also, seeing the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita come to life. Because it’s living scripture, and being able to be aware.
What inner or outer challenge are you facing with your Sadhana?
Managing time, and managing energy, and not getting physically and mentally worn out, because of my full schedule. Also, creating more time for myself that’s productive to your spiritual practice.
Do you have any advice for people on the spiritual path?
No (laughs). Well, I do; follow your heart, and learn as much as you can about yourself.
Interview with Roger Duncan 7/26/19
How long have you been with this organization?
I believe I’ve been here since 2000.
How did you get involved?
I had a Budhist group at my house, and I was facilitating. And Devashish, who was a long time friend of mine, showed up at my house to meditate. And he said he had a meditation at his house, and being courteous to my friend, I said I would go and meditate with him. They taught me the world peace meditation and immediately I connected to that meditation. What I connected to was universal, it was for the world, and not for the individual.
Over time what have you found your role is with the organization?
Basically I’ve been on the Divine Mission Board for a few years. I’ve done a lot things for the Divine Mission, with Devashish. Now pretty much my thing is to be a spiritual person and be in the world. I see people everyday, and there’s no separation between my spiritual practice and what I do in the world. I don’t see any separation. That’s how I move through the world. I start each work day out by offering that days work to the Divine Mother, knowing that she is the doer anyway.
What would you say is your Sahdna?
Everything I do, there is no seperation between my life and my Sadhana.
What is your daily life like?
I get up and I meditate every day. And get ready for work, and by offering my day to the Divine Mother.
What is your inner or outer challenge that you are facing with your sadhana?
I don’t feel right now that I have a huge challenge. If I have any issues I go directly to the divine mother, and ask for her help. I feel like a child of the divine mother, and that everything is taken care for me by the divine mother. I may not get what I want, but many times get an outcome that is better.
Do you have any advice for people who are on the spiritual path?
I think the biggest thing I can say, is that to realize you’re not doing this alone. We’re doing this with the divine Grace of the mother.
Interview with SwamiPooja 8/6/19
How long have you been at this Ashram?
Since 1972.
What has your role been at this ashram?
Throughout time, I worked on the outside, I was an artist, sculptor. Had a gallery here. And I also made arts and crafts, and made sculpturs. And then, I remembered that when I was a horse rider before, that I did it well when I stopped talking to myself, so when I did art I decided to stop talking to myself, and then I became a better artist. But then I found that, the more I meditated, and the better I became at art, a certain thing happened that I would begin to lose certain parts of my day. I would miss parts of my day and be in exquisite bliss. I began to become aware while I was in the bliss that a man was talking to me, and the words he was saying I would read later in scriptures. So then, when someone was talking to me and telling me things about spirituality, I asked myself if I was going insane. But an answer came back, that the first time in my life I was becoming sane. When I stopped hearing a voice, I felt an agony, that I wasn’t hearing it anymore, that God wasn’t talking to me anymore. Then I read some thing about India and decided this was the only place I could get an answer. So I went to India, this was 20 years ago. I met Swami Sri Atmaananda at Pondicherry. He came up and said “Something tells me to talk to you about Yoga. “And he did. And I left and went back to my room at the guest house. I met with him for several weeks. Eventually, I met him at Tiruvanamalai, but he didn’t have an ashram at that time, he was staying a rented house.
He let me know he wouldn’t mind coming to America. I thought that people in America needed this. So I brought him here. He came, and for a while, nobody came. Another lady came, and she brought a lot of other people. So we all sat around in that house (points) and he would talk to us. I asked him if I could videotape what he was doing. And he allowed it.
What is your sadhana now?
How it was back then was I spontantiously expeirencing samadhi states. When the samadhi stopped, that’s when I went to India. I was chasing the bliss. The bliss was so compelling, that I was in agony when it was gone. My Sadhana now- I do, well I’m a meditator. I’m not a chanter, I’m a meditator. And I’m a karma yogi, because I take care of the Silver City Ashram. And that’s basically my Sadhana.
What is your daily life like?
I get up before sunrise, have a bad habit of drinking coffee. (Laughs) And, I do the gardening, and I eat and meditate, and do the programs that I find here. Usually if I am not attending a program, I am working the ashram grounds. I take care of plants, and it seems like I have to “hold the mountain back.” (What does that mean?) Well it keeps coming down. The ashram is built on a steep hillside and it’s terraced. The terracing is done with rock wall support.
I can’t believe my good fortune to meet all the incredible people who come here, all the great yogis. All the people who come here, I feel blessed to know them. And when Gurudeva leaves, and everyone leaves, and there’s this huge void here. Only Meera and I here, and it’s a huge void. Actually, there are some people who come here during the weekends. The people who come here do full program on sundays, and on wednesdays, they do a meditation. A lot of people come during those times, maybe not wednesday so much, but on Sunday about 10 people come.
What is your inner or outer challenge that you are facing here?
Personally I would have to say the main obstacle I am facing is old age. That’s all, there’s no other obstacle really.