If you can not view this in your email program, please click here.

Ashram Mission Statement
We aspire to live the Teachings of Haidakhan Baba, to share the Love of Babaji
and the Divine Mother with others, to hold this Ashram as Their Home,
to serve humanity, and to be stewards and caretakers of the land.

January, 2010

Dear Friends of the Ashram

The beginning of December found me in the beautiful home of Shri Babaji in the foothills of the Himalayas. I traveled there this year with Rita, who has been to Haidakhan several times before. She elected to stay on the main side of the Ashram where she normally stays and I stayed by myself on the Gufa side, where I normally stay. It was a profound experience to be there all by myself in the silence of the jungle. I realized that I had been taking new people to Haidakhan for the last many years and although I know it has been a good service, I think I will be reserving this time, if Shri Babaji allows me to go again, as my personal retreat.

My main karma yoga in Haidakhan was shopping for the Maha Lakshmi Shop which may sound like a breeze but I fill two huge duffle bags of items each year and it normally takes me three or four days to make all the buying decisions. Although it is not as convenient as buying things in Delhi, it feels good to support the shop in Haidakhan as much as possible. They also have many treasures there that are specially made for the shop.

My other karma yoga this year was working on what I hope is the final edit of the book about Shri Babaji’s leelas during His manifestation from the 1800’s to 1920. Written by our beloved Shastriji’s (Vishnu Datt Mishra) brother, Giri Lal Mishra, it was published in Hindi many years ago but it had not been translated and published in English yet.

So I was immersed a good part of my time in these inspiring stories told by folks who had been with Shri Babaji during that manifestation. Then to sit in Babaji's kutir (room) and see His padukas being washed, receive chandan in His room, sit in the kirtan hall where we would sing aarati with Babaji, sing aarati at the nine temples, and meditate in the dhuni and the sacred cave was utterly profound.

Returning home to Crestone, we had a Board meeting a few days later at which we discussed the building of a kutir for Babaji here at the Ashram. Donors have come forward and so it looks as if this will happen this spring. We have had the foundation in place near the temple since 1987 but it has never been built. It will be simple, very much like Baba’s kutir in Haidakhan. It is hard to put into words the feeling I have of Shri Babaji’s stronger and stronger presence here. In the past I have always wanted Shri Babaji to manifest here in physical form but I could not imagine in in my mind what that would be like. Now it just seems so natural. I can see Him sitting on the beautiful large assan that we have made for Him in the kirtan hall, I can see Him sleeping in His new bed in the kutir, going to the creek for His morning bath, and giving chandan followed by a small fire ceremony in the small havan that we have built near His room. I can see Him sitting with His devotees around Him, singing aarati, blessing them all, giving out prasad, and overseeing the work that goes on at the Ashram. It is a very inspiring time.

The rest of December has been full of Shri Babaji’s and Mother’s blessings with many special events. You can read on to find out more and about our upcoming activities. All of these events have really one main purpose, to kindle the constant remembrance of the Divine Presence of Shri Babaji in each person that we interact with here at the Ashram or when we travel. May the New Year find us all more aware of the divinity around and within us at all times.

In truth and love, Ramloti

January Fire Ceremonies and Schedule

Our fire ceremonies in January will be on Friday, January 15 (new-moon) and Friday, January 29 (full-moon). The fire ceremonies begin at 10:08am and are followed by a meal. Our evening aarati is at 6pm and morning aarati is at 8am during the winter. Lunch is served at about 1pm. The Maha Lakshmi Shop is open every day from 10am until 5pm.

If you would like to participate by sponsoring a fire ceremony, we would like to send you a blessed item from the fire ceremony. They are:

$27 sponsorship - Copper, brass, nickel Om Namah Shivaya bracelet
$54 sponsorship - Rose Quartz, Rosewood, Sandalwood, or Tulsi Mala
$108 sponsorship - Rudraksha/Crystal Mala or Crystal Mala

You can make the donation online by just clicking here or call 719-256-4108 or e-mail the Ashram at info@BabajiAshram.org or send us a check to: P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131. We are continually grateful for all of your support.

Our monthly children’s program, Bal Gokulam, will be on Saturday, January 9 from 10am until noon followed by a potluck lunch. This program continues to be very important to our local families. The children become more and more familiar with the traditions of the Ashram and ask to come up for the fire ceremonies, pujas, and other activities.

Each month Cindy Cleary and Vesper Gers take the children and adults through some simple and fun yoga postures, teach them a few simple chants, tell a story about the deity that is being honored that day while the children color a picture of the deity. They then bathe, dress, adorn, and offer aarati to the deity and finish with a few more chants. After they finish, they all come over to the earthship for a potluck lunch. If you would like to join in and your child is any age (or even if you do not have any children) you are welcome. We do require that a parent or guardian be here at all times.

If you have questions about the program you can call Cindy at 719-256-5007 or Vesper at 719-256-4569.

Florida Events

There are lots of devotees in Florida that maintain a monthly fire ceremony and aarati throughout the year. As the Ashram is a bit quieter in January (and a bit colder) it is always a joy to go and chant, share stories of Shri Babaji (satsang), and participate in a fire ceremony with them. There are three public events, each in different locations and each with its own tenor and energy. We hope you can join us for one, two, or all of these. Call the phone numbers for more information and directions to the events. Ramloti and Madhuri from Ireland will be leading the chanting.

Nirmal Sharma, president of the American Haidakhan Samaj will join us with his wonderful wife, Indira, for the Saturday night and Sunday morning programs. They are flying in from Boston, MA.

We will also have the pleasure of having Richard Cahall, Treasurer of the Samaj, join us for all the programs. He will be flying in from Seattle, WA. Here he is shown with the secretary of the Samaj, Elaine Heroux, who has helped organize the tour. We are very grateful to the American Haidakhan Samaj for cosponsoring this event, which is part of the work of the Samaj to foster and support the centers of Babaji around the country. To find out more about the Samaj go to www.BabajiSamaj.org. Here are the dates and locations. We hope to see you and please spread the word.

Friday night, January 15 - Plantation, Florida– Chanting, puja, satsang, images of Babaji, His Ashrams, and India at 7pm. The location is 1501 SW. 52nd Terrace, Plantation, FL 33317. For more information call Robert at 954-873-8083.

Saturday night, January 16 – Jupiter, Florida – Chanting, puja, satsang, images of Babaji, His Ashrams, and India at 7pm. The location is Transformational Studies Institute, 108 Intracoastal Pointe, Dr., Jupiter, FL. 33477. Call the Institute at 561-744-9123 for more information and directions.

Sunday morning (9am until noon), January 17 - Delray Beach, Florida - Fire Ceremony, chanting, chandan, aarati, satsang followed by a potluck brunch at Harmony House 102 Avocado Rd., Delray Beach, FL. 33444.

We are hoping for another Makar Sankrant dip in the Atlantic Ocean after the brunch like this one from our previous visit, so bring your bathing suits!

Call Sal and Sarena Morella at 561-274-0883 or Elaine at 561-277-8326 for more information and directions.

Chanting in Colorado Springs

There will be a program of puja, chanting, and satsang in Colorado Spring on Saturday, February 6 from noon until 2pm. This will be followed by a potluck meal. The location is the home of Monica and Sumit Celly's (and their son, Arindam) at 2840 Helnsdale Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80920. The occasion is to help bless their new home.

We hope that you can join Ramloti and all the wonderful folks of Colorado Springs on this day. For more information you can call Monica at 719-533-1579.

Maha Shivaratri - February 12

Once a year we come together to chant to Lord Shiva all night. This night is called Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Lord Shiva. It is said to be the night that Lord Shiva's presence is most available to us on earth.

We do special pujas to the Shiva Lingam intermixed with Lord Shiva chants. There are generally up to 50 people chanting, dancing, and playing instruments, so staying up all night is rarely difficult with this much energy. This year, since it falls on a Friday night, it could be easier for more people to attend.

The next morning, Saturday, February 13, we have our new-moon fire ceremony at 10:08am followed by a feast. Please join us for all or any of the festivities.

Mark Your Calendars

Spring Navratri - March 15 - 23

Our wonderful Divine Mother Festival, Spring Navratri is early this year. The dates are March 15 through March 23, so put the dates on your calendars and call the Ashram for reservations as soon as you know you will be able to attend as the dormitory always fills up quickly, particularly on the weekends. The phone number is 719-256-4108.

Annual Spring On-line Auction

Last year's on-line auction was a huge success and a lot of fun too! We raised enough money to make it possible to pay off the entire kirtan hall loan in 2009! Thank you to all who helped so generously.

We are looking to have our next annual auction in late April of this year. We ask your support. To all who donated items last year, if you wish to donate again, just email us at ccleary@roperugs.com or call Cindy at 719-256-5007 with the information as we still have a lot of it on file. Those of you who did not come up with an item to donate, perhaps you could look in your garage or attic for that vitamix, juicer, sewing machine, or other household item you no longer use. Or perhaps you have a service you can offer on-line. We also appreciate those who would like to be a sponsor. Please begin thinking what might sell and how you can support the Ashram in a very fun and valuable way. Thank you!

These are the slower times of the year and the days are short but there is still plenty of activity at the Ashram and much needs to be done. This is the time of year that Premanand is taking care of the greenhouse, planning next season’s garden, and keeping a close eye on the solar and other mechanical systems of the Ashram.

Jonathan (with karma yogis) does a lot of wood chopping and gathering for the fire ceremonies, fires in the dormitory and hermitage. He also is out there after every snow clearing the paths and driveway.

Ramloti is updating the website, writing newsletters and newspaper articles, pricing and stocking all the new items in the shop, and organizing events in different areas of the country for winter and spring.

Besides these jobs, they are also pujaris morning and evening, cooking, cleaning, ordering food, and beginning to sew Mother’s saris for Spring Navratri. This year we have Madhuri here for two months from Ireland who has been a big help with many of the karma yoga projects and playing the harmonium leading chanting.

This maintenance is done with love and attention because it is what is needed to keep this beautiful home of Shri Babaji and the Divine Mother in excellent condition befitting to Them both. It is also important to keep it in good condition so that we can host all of you that enjoy coming here for spiritual refreshment from time to time. We invite you to participate as you are able. Many of you cannot come for an extended period of time to help with the karma yoga but perhaps you can add energy to this work through your financial support. There are several ways to do this and we appreciate deeply what ever you are able to do. We are all so fortunate to share this home with Shri Babaji and the Divine Mother here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

We would like to encourage you to make a monthly automatic pledge toward the Ashram maintenance. Either call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 with your credit card number and ask us to charge a set amount every month ($501, $108, $54, $27, $10.08....) or go to our website and ask Pay Pal to deduct a certain amount from your account each month, Click Here. You can also send a check to the Ashram at P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131. We want to thank you for all of your continued support.

Upgrades to Our Website

We have been updating the Ashram website recently. We have added a new topic on the left scroll bar, Ashram Residency. This has links to the Ashram staff’s stories of their experiences with Shri Babaji and many other people’s experiences of visiting the Ashram. If you want to dive into the Ashram experience a little deeper, this would be the place to go. The address is www.babajiashram.org/pages/ashram-residency.php.

Meanwhile the other newer item on our website, Family Issues, has also had additional articles added to it. Family is such an important place where the future generation learns its values and ways of dealing with life situations that we decided to add these articles that Ramloti, who is a Certified Parent Educator, writes each month for the Crestone Eagle. That address is www.babajiashram.org/pages/family-issues.php.

Please let us know if there is more you would like to see on our website that would be helpful to you. Bhole Baba Ki Jai!

Recent Events

India Trip by Ramloti

India is always a very full and also strenuous trip. Just getting there takes about 24 hours and then the noise and pollution of Delhi is pretty overwhelming. I am blessed to have wonderful friends to stay with and much help getting all of the shopping for the Maha Lakshmi Shop done. However, I am always grateful to get on the overnight train to Haldwani and know that I will be with Shri Muniraji in the morning sitting at his havan with him and singing aarati. As always, he was a fountain of peace and love. Although he is now in his eighties, he still goes to the office everyday and continues his daily puja and havan practices. He is such a strong example of living the householder life while still being deeply dedicated and connected to the Divine.

The next day, Rita and I headed for Haidakhan which is such a very special place worthy of everyone's pilgrimage there. As it says in the aarati (that we sing twice a day at the Ashram), "Haidakhan is a wonderful place, very holy giving joy and solace." The people that have been there for so many years are truly examples of Babaji's teaching of karma yoga.

Gaurhari, who has been pujari on the gufa (cave) side of the ashram since the late 1970's wakes up at 3am every morning and bathes and dresses 18 murtis. As if this is not enough, he spends much of the rest of the day plowing the fields and tending the cows of the Ashram. He is also there for any of the villagers that may need help. I love just to sit with him and observe and feel his blissful happiness.

Feeling the deep presence of Shri Babaji is the main experience that keeps calling me back to Haidakhan. Another of the boons of this year's India trip is a deeper and more constant connection with the mantra, Om Namah Shivaya.

Traveling to India totally turns my days and nights upside down (it is 12 hours ahead of Colorado time). I find myself awake much of the night and generally spend a lot of that time doing japa (repetition of God’s name). I also find myself doing a lot of japa anytime I am in a vehicle in India because that is such an extreme experience!

In Haidakhan, the mantra seems to vibrate very strongly with so many years of this tradition there. I am grateful for that reminder of how important it is in my life and am currently spending time looking at what I am thinking about when I am not doing the mantra and whether those thoughts are necessary or helpful for me.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Bal Gokulam

It was a very special Bal Gokulam this month focusing on Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and the Christmas story. We were really blessed to have two members of the Carmelites here to share stories and Christmas songs with the children.

Suzy, who has long been a member of the community primarily living here in Crestone, has an angelic voice.

Bev, a newer member of the Carmelites is an author and has recently written a children's book. Everyone enjoyed their presence immensely (and it seems they enjoyed being with the children too).

To add to it all, the children made ornaments with which they decorated the small Norfolk pine tree that grows in the temple.

They also set up the manger with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Once set up, they sang Christmas songs, and did aarati to baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The temple looked ready for Christmas when they were done and everyone was very excited when they headed down to the earthship for a delicious potluck lunch.

Christmas

There were not quite as many visitors this year since there was a pretty big snowfall days before. But the local families made it up for Christmas Eve aarati and it was warm and cozy being together in the temple. After the aarati we sang Christmas carols and exchanged small gifts. The children loved it, as did the adults.

Full-moon Fire Ceremony Honoring Kailash

Even though the temperature was near freezing, over 70 people attended the last fire ceremony of the year held on New Years Eve morning. The second full-moon in December (blue moon) was chosen to remember Kailash in a special way, who passed away in late October. Kailash was one of the main builders of the original Divine Mother temple, so we chose to bury some of his ashes behind it, since he loved it there so much.

Despite the cold, our beautiful Colorado sun was shining brightly. That and the warmth of the fire itself kept folks warm and spirits focused on prayers for Kailash, all who had asked for prayers, the cosmos, and gratitude for all that is given to us by the Divine.

After the fire ceremony, we processed with Shri Babaj’s padukas and photograph around the temple and buried some of Kailash’s ashes there. Some memories bubbled up in folks’ mind and they were shared about the wonderful man and friend he was to us all. We then went into the temple and several of us led chants on the harmonium that reminded us of him. He was such an excellent musician and singer he will always be missed when we gather to sing kirtan and aarati together.

We then all went down to the earthship, which was filled to the brim with people but everyone was in good spirits and the food and chai was enough for all. It was a beautiful last day of the year and a good day to pay our final respects to our dear Kailash.

Visitors to the Ashram

Now that winter is here, we definitely see fewer visitors. Still we have those that manage to find their ways here particularly on a sunny weekend.

Classes also continue to come up. At the new-moon fire ceremony we had both a first grade class with 15 children from the Charter School and the massage school class of 10 students from the Crestone Healing Arts Center.

Children and Families

The Ashram continues to be a place of gathering, particularly for our children and families. The children play so nicely with one another, help with the dishes after meals, and are quite respectful in the temple.

We scheduled our December bowling day during Christmas vacation so that some of our families and children could attend.

Others, like Paul, who serves on our Board of Directors, celebrate their birthdays at the Ashram.

Some, like Shashi and Bipin, gain solace at the Ashram, particularly from the children, after the loss of their fifteen-year-old daughter a few months ago.

Calendar for 2010

January 9 - Bal Gokulam (children's program) 10am-noon followed by potluck lunch.

January 15 - New-moon fire ceremony at 10am followed by a meal.

January 15 (7pm) - Ramloti and Madhuri will lead chanting, satsang, and show images of Babaji, His ashrams and of India at 1501 SW. 52nd Terrace, Plantation, FL. 33317. Call Bob at 954-873-8083 for more information.

January 16 (7 pm) - Ramloti, Madhuri, and Nirmal will lead chanting, satsang, and show images of Babaji, His ashrams and of India at Transformation Studies Institute, 108 Intracoastal Pointe Dr, Jupiter, FL. 33477. Call the Center at 561-744-9123 for more information.

January 17 (9 am) - Fire ceremony, aarati, and chanting at 102 Avocado Dr, Delray Beach, FL. 33444 with Ramloti, Madhuri and Nirmal. Call Elaine at 561-277-8326 for more information.

January 29 - Full-moon fire ceremony at 10am followed by a meal.

February 6 (noon) - Ramloti will lead chanting and satsang at 2840 Helnsdale Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Call Monica and Sumit at 719-533-1579 for more information.

February 12 - Maha Shivaratri - all night chanting to Lord Shiva.

February 13 - New-moon fire ceremony at 10am followed by a meal.

March 15 - 23 - Spring Navratri, the Divine Mother Festival.

July 24 - 25 - Annual American Samaj Weekend

July 25 - Guru Purnima Day

July 26 - 30 - Annual Family Week and Concurrent Workshop.

October 7 - 15 - Fall Navratri, the Divine Mother Festival.

October 17 - Diwali, Festival of Lights. Fire ceremony at 10am. Chanting at 7pm.