Ananda Marga ... News & Resources

GUATEMALA RETREAT

About 20 margiis attended a weekend retreat at Guatemala City. The
program started on Friday, January 9th with evening Dharma Cakra and
dinner. On Saturday there were classes on Microvita by Didi Ananda
Mamata and Spiritual Philosophy by Dada Rainjitananda. The Sunday
morning program started with a 3-hour Akhanda Kiirtan and a class about
PROUT. The participants appreciated very much the class and requested
another seminar only on PROUT philosophy which is being organized for
the last weekend of January. Everyone appreciated the good food
prepared by Didi Ananda Mamata.

In Albany Dharma Cakra was held regularly with 4-8 people attending. Yoga classes continued to be held twice a week at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA). Viveka teaches on Mondays and Richa on Thursdays. Attendance in October was 10 – 20 people. The weekly meditation class continued to be taught at SUNYA on Wednesdays by Viveka. In October 8-15 people attended each class. One person was initiated in October. Viveka and Richa attended the Boston Regional Retreat. Viveka and Dada Gunamaya were co-retreat coordinators. Richa handled most of the registration and helped with a meal.

Dada Dharmapremanada gave an inspirational talk on "Meditation for Body, Mind and Spirit" to a gathering of 13 individuals comprising of both margiis and non-margiis on Saturday 11/12/08, organized by brother Piyush at Chelmsford. Dada not only mentioned the importance of the meditation, but its necessity for a healthy and progressive society. It was a very interactive session and Dada clarified many prevalent myths related to meditation. A few inspired individuals are waiting for initiation, and many others have shown interest for further interactions. Later, Dada Gunamaya and other margiis joined Dada at Chelmsford where margiis sang devotional songs and prabhat-samgiita for hours, with Dada Dharmapremananda playing tabla and accompanied by Priyansh on keyboard. On Nov. 13 Dada Dharmapremananda conducted a workshop on first lesson at Shrewsbury. Five margii families (of all different age groups) and Dada Gunamaya joined. This was then followed by regular weekly DC.

In Wheaton, Md., Dada gave a talk on the science of spirituality to six people. One person learned first lesson from Dada.

Ac. Gopalakrsnananda Avt. from Haiti requests a vehicle for the school. He said he hopes some donors are willing to fund the donation. Dada will be in the U.S. from Dec. 22 to Jan. 10 and hopes to procure a pick-up truck. AMURT has a tax exemption for importing vehicles, only the shipping cost will need to be paid. Also some symphatisizers of the school collected books for their library project and also need to be shipped to Haiti with other school materials. Dada said he is hoping to find a pickup truck for $5,000 (without shipment) with a Diesel motor 4WD Manual transmission, with fewer than 100,000 miles.

Ac. Shubhacetanananda Avt. From Dallas organized a lecture for Dr. Ravi Batra through political science professors, Glenn Newman and Dr. Stacey Jurhree on November 25 at Eastfield college. About 150 students attended the one hour lecture. They will organize it again next year. Managing editor Brian Bearden wrote a very good article, which can be viewed at http://www.upif.net/node/30

Dr. Ravi Batra gave a lecture on the current economic crisis: what caused it and where we are heading at Richland College for more than 200 students, faculty and staff on Oct. 28. Assistant Dean of the media department, the Director of student Programs, a professor of economics, government, history, English, and physical education attended the event. Ravi started his lecture with a teachers guidence (Baba's) about the forecast, what he predicted and what came true. Dada Advayanandaji and local proutists Adarsh, Aditi and Vandana also attended the event and recorded it. Dada said he is writing a story about Ravi's lecture assigned by the College newspaper Chronicle.

"Baba has created a change in the people's minds," he said. "People were happy after listening Ravi. They gave thanks to me for bringing Ravi to the Richland College."

Diipawali festival was celebrated in the Texas stadium where we had a table to keep books. We kept Baba's books and sold $100 books. People bought Proutist Economics, Baba's books and Ravi's book's the Downfall of Capitalism and Communism. Omkarnath organized with the help of India Association North Texas. Omkarnath, Vijay, Seema, Sunita, Ashok, and deepak helped for distributing flyers. 4o people sighned to join yoga classes. lost margiis initiated in India also came and shared their phone numbers. On Diipawali occasion we had Avarta Kiirtan, where margiis shared Baba's stories and I shared importance of Dipawali explained by Baba.

I have been teaching yoga classes in the University of Texas Arlington and Eastfield College. Next week new class will start on Friday. Other 3 classes are taught by Dada Advayanandaji and one by margi brother Gopinath, Sister Aditi teaches sisters yoga classes in her Plano apartment and study circle sister Vandana yoga for kids in Plano. 3 students got initiated and 20 mass initiation. 3 news article and several photos were published. I interviewed several professors and students while writing the stories for the newspaper.

Ac. Vimaleshananda Avt. - The student yoga weekend ended successfully with a total record number of 32 participants including six acaryas, one lft and two facilitators. It was a wonderful event that brought again life to Ananda Vrati. During the weekend the Red Cross coordinator had opportunity to visit and was greatly impressed seeing the flow among the young people.
The Red Cross the Instructor training is completed. AMURT  have been the sponsor of the course and it would see positively to have a Red Cross training during one RDS.

Ac. Mukteshananda Avt. - Visiting Florida and particularly Miami and Tampa he organized the collective meditation in both places. Several new people got attracted by the familiar atmosphere created by Dada and 7 were introduced to the mantra Baba Nam Kevalam.

From Haiti: a presentation of AMURT in Haiti was attended by more then 300 people repesenting a total 100 different organizations. Dada Mokseshvarananda, LFT Dharma and BP Vishvashanti presented the projects of AMURT in the northeast of Haiti. Biggest project is the production of salt on an extension of 250 acres with an innovative process. AMURT is sponsoring 10 schools and have built three schools under the supervision of Vishvashanti. The agricultural project is also changing the life of many people by introducing cultivation and reforestation programs in a land devastated by the recent huricanes.