Ashram Residency
There are currently three long term residents at the Ashram; Ramloti, Premand, and Jonathan. To read each of their experiences about coming to the Ashram or meeting Shri Babaji, click on their names; Ramloti, Premanand, and Jonathan. Those that have visited the Ashram would remember them since they have been here for many years. Why do they live and serve here? Shri Babaji's strongly urged us to practice karma yoga which is selfless service offered to the Divine. To practice this at Shri Babaji's and the Divine Mother's home here in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado is extremely meaningful. Each one of them plays a part in creating and maintaining this special place that has served thousands of people who are seeking spiritual growth and refuge. What good fortune to be able to live and serve this way.
Would You Like to Serve?
With the Ashram continuing to grow, it seems to be time to have one or two more full-time residents living here. Jonathan, Premanand, and Ramloti wear several hats here and they are all willing to share some with the right person or persons. Some of these hats would be maintenance person, pujari, shop manager, administrative assistant, and web master. Before giving the job description of each of the positions, let us first consider the basic qualifications for a long-term resident at the Ashram.
First of all the person needs to have established a relationship with the Ashram. This can be accomplished by a few visits of a week or so. This gives everyone time to consider how living together would be. The qualities that make a good fit is a sincere desire to serve, a generosity of spirit, a sense of humor, a willingness to take on any task at any time that is needed, a willingness to share your feelings and take advise, and a deep faith and commitment to Shri Babaji and His teachings of truth, simplicity, love, and service to all of humankind. Excellent health and a strong body are also important here since we live in a rugged climate, work hard and the Ashram is located at an altitude of 8,500 feet. The nearest hospital is an hour away in Alamosa, as are most medical doctors.
Financial arrangements are as follows: One should expect to make the suggested donation of $324 for the first month at the Ashram. If all goes well, board and room are provided with no donation expected for the next two months. After three months, the new resident is eligible to receive a small monthly stipend along with board and room. The food served at the Ashram is all organic, vegetarian, and a raw diet is also possible if one desires. The accommodations vary with the time of the year from a private room in the beautiful straw-bale adobe dorm to shared space with other residents, perhaps even on the floor in the yurt. A married couple could also be considered.
Everyone at the Ashram does just about everything from cooking, cleaning, weeding, tending the Shop, sweeping and shoveling snow, taking care of visitors, and helping in the temple, however there is also some specialization. Job descriptions are as follows:
Maintenance Person - Handy at repairs of all kind, a general knowledge of solar, plumbing, electricity, and construction.
Pujari - A willingness to rise early and learn to awaken, bathe, dress, and decorate the Divine Mother and other murtis in the temple. Must be very sincere, devoted, and focused on the duty and have a good eye for color and balance.
Shop Manager - Some experience in running a retail store. Duties would include ordering products, pricing, display, organization, and keeping the on-line shop up to date. Basic computer knowledge (preferably Macintosh) would be helpful.
Administrative Assistant - Help with the management of the Ashram. Skills needed would be good telephone presence, organizational and management skills, typing and computer knowledge.
Web Master - Maintain and enhance the Ashram website. Must have solid computer skills (preferably Macintosh), must be careful and methodical and a good speller.
Living at the Ashram is both a great blessing with many joys and also a challenging life of service. As most of you know, the Ashram is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world on 101 acres of pristine land with a creek running through it providing our delicious water supply. If you feel you can be of service to the Ashram, please call or email us for more information at 719-256-4108 orinfo@BabajiAshram.org. The following are some excerpts from people who have stayed at the Ashram for periods of time or who visit frequently.
A Beautiful Week at the Ashram |
| Posted by Ramloti (ramloti) on Dec 31 2007 |
I was welcomed by the lovely Ramloti saying I was "awesome" for making it in before dark and one of my favorite photos of Babaji hanging in the dorm hallway made me feel right at home!! It was my first visit ever to an ashram but I had no expectations and knew it would be perfect. Although, I was somewhat frightened of the early morning schedule, I was pleasantly surprised at how little sleep and food I needed. (Though I'm still working on the limited conversation part!) There was the brightest star that greeted us every morning that kept us in awe. I felt the presence and love of Babaji and the Divine Mother everywhere, there was a lesson in almost everything I did. I learned to adore the beautiful songs from the aarti and being 100% in the moment whether it was shoveling snow or chopping veggies in the kitchen devoting all of my work to the Divine. It was an auspicious week to be there, as I was the only visitor and was able to do some deep work with a "Reconnection" healing, I attended a sweat lodge nearby for the Winter Solstice and fully felt like part of the community when serving food after the Full-Moon Fire Ceremony, an amazing sight in itself! As my week came to an end, I was very clear that I needed to bring all of my new insights back home. Along with several major insights, I was able to see my career in real estate with a new light; what a great service I can provide helping people find shelter, I will also become involved in more community activities helping people in need. I hope to be able to bring the same sense of peace I had during my stay to my life in NYC but it is quite a challenge, keeping up with my mantra is key.A Beautiful Week at the Ashram
by Dana Bird
From the outside, my life looks extraordinary. I have worked very hard to put all the elements in their right place; I have a wonderful husband, a successful career and we were fortunate enough this year to purchase an apartment in Manhattan, but for some reason I just haven't been happy--missing the "joy of it all". My spiritual life needed some serious fine tuning. About a year ago I read a book about a devotee's experience with Babaji in Hairakhan and was wondering how I could check out of my life for a few months to get there. It wasn't going to happen anytime soon. But as the Divine works I just followed as it unfolded; For some reason, I did not make travel plans for the holidays, a friend emailed me the link for the Ashram in Colorado and the very next day my husband said 'Why don't you do something nice for yourself and go to an Ashram or something?" He gave me the permission I thought I needed--so I knew exactly where I was going!
Last changed: Dec 18 2009 at 7:32 PM
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