Haidakhandi Universal Ashram Newsletter
 
 




Dear Friends,


As I was waving the aarati lamp last night in the temple to Mother’s and Baba’s feet, I was so moved by the realization that every place their feet tread is a sacred place.  Tears welled up in my eyes in gratitude for Their presence here in the Ashram, here in the United States and here in this cosmos.  There seems to be so many horrific things going on when I listen to the news but here at the Ashram there is compassion, peace, love, selfless service, community and thousands of folks who know that their every thought, word and action make a difference in this world.


As I read Shri Babaji’s teachings and the speeches of Shri Muniraji and Shri Shastriji, a common theme is that the remembrance and repetition of God’s name is so profoundly powerful.  I have always been a practical person working hard for whatever I felt worth supporting.  Although I feel that hard work and fortitude is what is asked of us, I also feel deeper and deeper that it is all in the hands of the Divine and that our prayers and remembrance are much more important then we may realize.


Folks, what you see here at this Ashram is all a miracle, a gift of the Divine.  When I put the dollar and cents together in any given month, it does not seem that we would have the where-with-all to build such an incredible Ashram here in this sacred place.  Yet it is here and it continues to happen.  People show up at the right moments to help and lend their expertise.  Some unexpected donation arrives in the mail or is left in our donation box just when a project needs doing.  The amount of generosity of spirit of nearly all that tread on this land is mind boggling.  The words, “How can we help” have become the norm here.  I am overwhelmed with the grace shown to us.


In 1996 I visited Shri Shastriji who was then in his late eighties and had called himself the shadow of Babaji since he spent so much time with Him.  He was also gifted with
an ability to foresee the future and Babaji often sent people to him for this purpose.  (Here he is pictured with The Hopi elder, Thomas Binaca and Hannah Strong consulting on the viability of an Ashram in Crestone.)


As I sat with him at his home in India I asked him about the future of the Ashram.  He said that it would be very good otherwise the Divine Mother would not have let Herself be installed there and that I would not have been born as a servant of the Mother.  He then told me to always remember that I do nothing, Mother is the One who does it all.

  

In truth and love, 

Ramloti




This Month’s Fire Ceremonies and Schedule


The new-moon fire ceremony this month is on Thursday, October 7 and is also the beginning of the nine consecutive days of fire ceremonies for Falll Navratri.  The full-moon fire ceremony is on Friday, October 22. The fire ceremonies begin at 10:08 am and are followed by a meal.  Our evening aarati is at 6pm and morning aarati is at 7am. Lunch is served at about 1pm. The Maha Lakshmi Shop is open every day from 9am 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, Garnet or Tulsi Mala

$108 sponsorship - Rudraksha Mala or Crystal Mala or Copper, silver, brass bracelet


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.




Fall Navratri (Divine Mother Festival) - October 7 - 15


Fall Navratri is just a few days away!  Preparations have been going on for weeks, however, as it is such a huge time with so many ceremonies and so many people in attendance for the nine days. Jonathan and Kenny have been enlarging the parking area to accommodate everyone and working on the driveway; Darrell has been making frames to protect the flowers in the garden from frost to extend their lives through Navratri (normally the first frost is mid September); Lakshmi has been painting, cleaning and weeding getting the grounds ready; Ramloti and helpers have been making Kumari gifts and saris for Mother; and Premanand has completed the water system repairs so that there is abundance of our pure water for all.  Photos of all these projects can be seen below in the Ashram maintenance section.

Why do we do all of this?  In honor of our beloved Mother, Haidakhandeswari.  She, as the combination of Maha Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, presides over this nine day ceremony of Navratri purifying Her children, blessing them and giving them supreme knowledge at the end.  It is said that what ever you ask of Her with a pure heart during this time is granted to you.  She has blessed us with so much here at the Ashram.  What Vishnu Datt Shastriji said about the Ashram in 1996 is certainly true, that all that happens at the Ashram is the doing of the Divine Mother.  We thank Her everyday but these nine days are particularly powerful since we will be joining with millions of people around the planet in gratitude and prayer to our beneficent Mother.


Join us in physical presence or in spirit for our daily fire ceremonies, pujas, sapta sati readings, aaratis and chanting.  The morning ceremonies begin at 6:40 and continue until lunch each day. If you would like to sponsor a fire ceremony or bhandara (feast) you can call at 719-256-4108 or email us at info@BabajiAshram.org or follow the instructions above.  You may want to designate a particular day according to the aspect of the Divine Mother being honored,  Oct. 7 - 9  Maha Durga (purification), October 10 - 12 Maha Lakshmi (abundance) and October 13 - 15 Maha Saraswati (Divine knowledge). 

On the last day we will be honoring our children after the fire ceremony.  It is a most remarkable thing to be able to spend nine days thanking and honoring the Divine Mother.  We hope you can join us.  We are almost totally booked so call the Ashram for more information, ideas on other places to stay or to make reservations.


Hermitage Construction Fundraisers October 23 and 24


We are so grateful to the generous folks who have already offered to host fundraisers for the construction of the hermitages for Jonathan, Ramloti and Premanand.  The events will include a puja, chanting, slide presentation, satsang and an Indian feast.  All are invited to these gatherings.  Ramloti will be giving the presentation and all proceeds will go into the construction fund.  Please attend and let your friends know too.  They are always very high events and you will be happy you came and brought your friends.



Saturday, October 23 from 4pm to 7pm in Fort Collins, CO

The event will be at the home of Preety Sathe

Location - 3506 Limestone Ct., Ft. Collins 80525 (near the intersection of Housted & Vigler)

RSVP  at preety.sathe@gmail.com or 970-225-3817






Sunday, October 24 from 3pm to 7pm in Colorado Springs

The event will be at the home of Tanu Khanna

Location - 10085 Oak Knoll Terrace, Colorado Springs, 80920

Please RSVP at 719-264-8189.



Diwali, The Festival of Lights - Friday, November 5


On the new-moon following Navratri is the very special celebration of Diwali.  The festival celebrating the victory of light over darkness, the Ashram is decorated with hundreds of candles and lights for an evening of chanting and songs shared by many of the spiritual groups in Crestone.  Evening aarati is at 6pm followed by chanting from 7 - 8pm.  We then gather in the candle-lit earthship for a light dinner and desserts.


The day begins with our new-moon fire ceremony at 10am followed by a meal and then the rest of the day is filled with preparing the candles and food to be served after the chanting.  It is always a touching and memorable evening, we hope you can attend.  Once again, please make reservations soon as we fill up early in the dormitory and already have folks coming from as far away as Atlanta, Georgia.



The Hermitages for Jonathan, Ramloti and Premanand


The excitement continues over the building of the hermitages for our long time residents: Jonathan, Ramloti and Premanand. 

In the last week the water line was been put in to the building site, the water lines were stubbed out to each of the hermitage sites, the septic system was installed and approved and a construction road was built to allow access for cement trucks and materials once the actual building begins in Spring.


Now that all of the infrastructure is in place, we anticipate the cost of each hermitage to be about $45,000.  This will include the small photovoltaic system for electricity, the solar panels and system for radiant floor heat and hot water, furniture, fixtures and landscaping.  How close are we to meeting that goal?  Well we have at least one commitment of $5,000 once we raise the first $40,000.  So every donation will make a huge difference.  We have some fundraisers planned in October already in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs (see above).  If you would like to organize one in your area, call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 and we can help make this happen!


These hermitages will not only give the long-time residents the quiet and rest they need to continue their service here, it will also open up more space for visitors in the dorm and yurt. 

Here is the sketch of one of the hermitages. We ask each of you to look into your hearts and see what this Ashram means to you and to please donate as you are able. You may go to our website and donate through PayPal (you can even set up a monthly tithe). You can also send a check designated for the hermitages to the Ashram at P.O. Box 9, Crestone, CO 81131 or you can call us at 719-256-4108 with a credit card number. We want to thank you in advance for your support, love and prayers.  Together, with Baba’s grace, we can make this happen! 


A Challenge from Cassandra


When I read last month’s newsletter I was very touched that Darrell Laird contributed $500 out of his retirement fund to support the new buildings for our full-time residents of the ashram.  I thought, “I want to help!”  I know from my own experience at the ashram that there is not a lot of privacy for those who choose to live there and serve the rest of us by making it an easy place to drop in, do karma yoga and spend time in the temple, and go back home with a renewed sense of spirit.   The ashram has grown a lot over the last 20 years, and we now have a beautiful temple and kirtan hall, dormitories and the Babaji’s beautiful new kutir building.  I believe in my heart that it is important for those at the ashram who take care of our spiritual home to have a space of their own, especially since the ashram has become busier with constant visitors.  In that spirit, I would like to offer a pledge of $1008 for new resident buildings, through monthly gifts of $100 for the next 10 months.  Please join Darryl and I in whatever way you can in supporting the ashram’s new building plan.  It would be wonderful if those residents who help make this such a special place, could be taken care of and have a room of their own, so to speak.  Bhole Baba Ki Jai!


Water System and Other Ashram Maintenance


As mentioned above, lots has been going on at the Ashram this last month.  The water system is finally repaired and flowing smoothly and Premanand is actually off on his vacation that he put off for the last year and a half due to the water system repairs.The parking area (which is often inadequate for our 100 plus crowds) is being extended by Jonathan and Kenny. 

The driveway has been graded, stairs oiled or painted, bridges rebuilt, water diversions constructed on our new road to the water cistern, the garden put to bed for the winter, lots of preserving of garden produce, beautiful malas strung from the garden flowers, weeds pulled and new frost covers for the garden made.


There is always a lot to keep up with to maintain this beautiful home of Baba’s and Mother’s.  We appreciate all the many generous hands that help.




Recent Events


Softball Games




In September we had our final softball game.  It was particularly fun because some of our visitors from Denver got to join in too.  The day was spectacular and over 20 people attended.  Both Jonathan and Premanand played great.  We are all polishing our bats and oiling our gloves for next season!




Some Experiences from Visitors at the Ashram


Inspired by my Ashram Visit this Summer by Ramkumar from Holland


The impressive Crestone surroundings; the mighty mountain range with the magnificent view overlooking the valley; amazing colors and shapes which change all the time and the sight of the sky above the enormous valley reminded me of the  abstract expressionist paintings of Mark Rothko; huge, deep and powerful.


My stay in the Ashram was a joyful and peaceful period. I felt part of a community which is truly based on Babaji's values of truth, simplicity and love. The Ashram lifestyle and its structure benefits the spiritual life of the Ashram residents. What I experienced was that the Ashram life was able to bring up the best in everyone. Love and respect were there in all kinds of relations. Present between the people and present in relation with the environment. So ironic, I was in a country which is famous because of its production of waste (even more than Europe) and here I found an opposite attitude towards life.  It is a much more harmonious one because sustainability, recycling, economical use of energy and water and organic gardening are the leading principles of the Ashram. Sometimes I got the feeling that I was shown a glimpse of a possible future. I am impressed how the Americans did this great Baba-job by creating the beautiful HUA Ashram.  When I am done in Holland I hope to return to Colorado and be of some help for the Ashram.

In the meantime Crestone will be on my mind. Love from Holland to all of you, Ramkumar


Landmark Lifetime Experience by Shankar

Very rarely in life have I had the kind of deep, meaningful personal experiences as I had on my recent visit to the Crestone HUA temple. It was a deeply soul-stirring couple of days and I came back feeling like I had shaken off the fog that may have started to develop around the routine of work and life.  It takes a tremendous amount of courage to open out and be vulnerable and I saw hardier souls than me that were in search of loftier goals than I ever had. I do not claim to have that courage and would be quite the contrast to that, being the one that has built many layers of fortress walls around me.

For the first time in the 16 years that I have been visiting, I actually drove up there with no time-schedule and all by myself.  That space and freedom of being the sole observer and filter, made this a visit that left indelible impressions in my mind.  The place, the people and the very best it brought out in all, added up to a unique experience….it highlighted the need for me to learn to accept things the way they are.   

I decided to write this without mentioning the names of the fabulous people I met, certain that they would each know how they made this such a memorable experience, if and when they do scan this! After all, what we think of as purely our own experiences, are truly shared ones. I was extremely grateful to be given the tasks to clean and mop the temple floors and was blessed to be in the temple for a good two hours by myself.  A chance visit by a trio of wise, broad-minded learners had me in a sharpened state of mind and spirit.  As I came to realize, chance and destiny followed me at every step on this visit.  I could construct a beautiful going-to-sleep sequence of all those unlikely puzzle pieces clicking into their precise positions to create my picture-perfect 3-day visit to the ashram. With good intent, the outcomes are also bound to be pure and whether that came from Missouri, Colorado, California, Down Under or Nevada, I was slowly opening out and being more aware!  For all that helped to cook and serve meals, prayed with us at the temple or led in the prayers, or just listened and observed, please accept my deep and sincere thanks. And my profound gratitude to all for the connections, conversations, memories, even gifts and pictures!

One afternoon, we took a tour of the surrounding monasteries.  This was another first over many Crestone visits, since I had always gone straight to the ashram and back previously. I felt like the protagonist in Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” although I was not seeking as much as observing. I also felt exactly like he did at the end!  I recalled the line from the book that epitomizes it all, to the effect of, "When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".

It was a deeply satisfying visit to the most serene of places and I met some wonderful, warm and compassionate people.  I hope our paths will cross in the future, but even if they do not, I will know that it was a true meeting of the minds and hearts. I know I left a piece of myself in Crestone, as well as taking a tiny bit of HUA with me for all of time. 

Be Happy!   SHANKAR


Our Children, Families and Visitors


Once again, it was a very full month at the Ashram.  The weather, the prolific garden and fall colors could not have been more spectacular. 



Folks came to celebrate new births, show their parents from India the Ashram, introduce their friends from school or work to the Ashram, prepare meals, attend fire ceremonies, help in the garden or just visit.  We even had three birthdays at the Ashram this month.







The first graders from the Crestone Charter School came for a fire ceremony and students from Adams State College came to help prepare for Navratri.  Here they are pictured making the crowns for the Kumaris.  Thank you for all of your love and devotion.




Calendar for 2010 and 2011


October 7 - 15, 2010 - Fall Navratri, the Divine Mother Festival (new-moon).


October 22, 2010 - Full-moon fire ceremony at 10am followed by a meal.


October 23 - Hermitage Construction Fundraiser in Fort Collins, CO. Call 970-225-3817.


October 24 - Hermitage Construction Fundraiser in Colorado Springs.  Call 719-264-8189.


November 5, 2010 - Diwali, Festival of Lights. Fire ceremony at 10am. Chanting at 7pm.


March 4, 2011 - Maha Shivaratri with all-night chanting.


April 3 - 11, 2011 - Spring Navratri, the Divine Mother Festival.


July 14, 2011 - Guru Purnima Day


July 23 - 24, 2011 - Annual American Samaj Weekend.


July 26 - 29, 2011 - Annual Family Week and Concurrent Workshop.


September 27, 2011 - October 5 - Fall Navratri, the Divine Mother Festival.


October 26, 2011 - Diwali, Festival of Lights. Fire ceremony at 10am. Chanting at 7pm.




Maha Lakshmi Shop Report


It seems that more and more folks are evaluatin
g their lives and focusing on deeper spiritual values rather then accumulating materialistic things.  As we approach the season of giving, you may want to consider a gift of an Om Namah Shivaya bracelet for one of your loved ones.  This is a gift that can nurture the constant remembrance of the Divine even in a hectic world. The three-metal ones begin as low as $17 and the silver are $108 with a silver one with gold lettering for $324.


Another idea would be a murti for that special person.  They begin as low as $18 for this sweet 2” Ganesh shown above.  We also have this combination of Maha Lakshmi, Ganesh and Maha Saraswati for only $63 which stands about 6” tall. We would be happy to bring any of these items to a fire ceremony or a Navratri puja for blessing.


You may view and order the majority of the items online at www.shop.babajiashram.org/  You may also call us at 719-256-4108 with questions or to place an order.  We love to talk with you.  We accept visa, mastercard or discover.  The Maha Lakshmi Shop is open everyday from 9am until 5pm.


The Shop is a major support of the Ashram, so we deeply appreciate your patronage.


Maha Lakshmi Mata Ki Jai!

 

October, 2010