Some impressions from last weekend

We had a very full weekend here in Shree Peetha Nilaya:

Starting with the Satsang given by Swami Vishwananda on Friday night, we started Saturday morning with the workshops that were offered:

Children's Bhajan workshop: Meera, Tandav and Chatur sang with the children

---

Nikhilananda gave an introduction to Sri Swami Vishwananda's teachings

Bhajan Workshop with Chaturananda

We were joyful that the offered workshops were so well received!

At Saturday night more than 500 people came for Darshan - it was a long night for us, and also for Swamiji! 

On Sunday many visitors had to leave and it was time to say goodbye. Swami came and again spent time with the guests. He had an open ear for the people who came to him, even answered a few urgent questions.

The time Swami gives to each person is a blessing that we never really understand with the mind.

The peacocks had fun as they love black new shiny cars!

Since some months, we chant in the temple, continuously from 9 am till 9 pm, the mantra 

Bhaja Nitai Gauranga Radhe Shyam -  Japa Hare Krishna Hare Ram.

On sunday night Swamiji showed up and sang with us. Immediately the temple was packed full, and he blessed us once more with a very special time to be in the presence with our Guru! 

Easter Package

.

"He is calling everybody to resurrect with Him

and to let the old man, the old one who is inside of you die,

and to let the new one resurrect together with Him.

That is the resurrection of Christ.“

.

Sri Swami Vishwananda, Easter 2009

.

.

Let us plant seeds of hope and resurrection together!

.

At Easter we celebrate the beginning of the new seasons, the blossoming of nature and the return of the sun after a long winter period. We would like to share Swamiji´s thoughts on the resurrection of Jesus, on His works and His teachings with you.

.

.

Our Easter package contains:

• A little wooden cross blessed by Swamiji.
• A photo on canvas of the icon of the risen Christ in our chapel, painted by Swamiji.
• “Resurrect with Christ”, a wonderful booklet of over 100 pages with words of Swamiji about Easter and its deeper meaning. (in english)
• Tulsi Seeds (Saint Helena found the cross of Jesus' crucifixion due to the fact, that the ground there was strewn with basil (Tulsi). Just like the Hindus, the orthodox Christians venerate basil as a sacred plant.

.

PS: Our Easter package costs 35,- Euros, Friends of Bhaktimarga get a discount of 10% on the package. To buy it please send an e-mail to:

order@bhaktishop.de

Proceeds go to the renovation of the Ashram.

.

Swami Vishwananda visits a Sai Baba school in Belo Horizonte

.

Yesterday, 13th of March, Swami Vishwananda was invited to visit the Sai Baba Day-School.

.

.

The school is located just outside of Belo Horizonte and has 18 pupils and 3 teachers.

.

.

Swamiji and our small group received an extremely sincere and warm welcome.

.

.

Swami Vishwananda was very impressed by this project and enjoyed the landscape around, known as "Crystal-Hill"

.

Special Shivaratri Package

.

Jai Gurudev

.

A special package is now available to celebrate the upcoming Mahashivaratri 2012! .

.

The package includes:

a booklet about Shiva,

a gold plated pocket size Shiva Yantra,

a rudraksha mala with small bag and

a "Ganesha" sandalwood incense.

.

Both the mala and the yantra will be blessed by Swami. Price = 29.00 Euros plus delivery costs.

.

Also new in the Bhakti Shop: a special limited edition Shivaratri t-shirt (see photo). Price = 15.00 .

for ordering or more information please write to order@bhaktishop.de

.

All money raised goes towards the upkeep and renovation of Shree Peetha Nilaya, Sri Swami Vishwananda's international center in Springen, Germany.

.

"The next please!"

.

Since yesterday Swami Vishwananda is back in Springen.

After the evening Prayer he had some time for everybody who had something on their heart.

.

.

... with Naamdev about some finacial things...

.

.

... and with Bionodini about a booklet in french.

. .

Some were standing aside watching the scene and Swamiji said: "The next please!"

.

.

Shivaratri 2012

Soon we will be celebrating Maha-Shivaratri - the most important feastday for Lord Shiva in the Hindu Tradition.

By Swami's presence we will be able to get a glimpse into the divine worlds "behind the curtains". Just be open-

(Programme)

.

We found a nice picture depicting the attributes of Lord Shiva:

.

.

There will be a little booklet with explanations and stories about Shiva (in english and in german) available in our shop for Maha Shivaratri.

.

Thanks Meera Dasi for the picture!

Picnic with Swami Vishwananda

.

Always when Swami Vishwananda goes to Mauritius, he takes one day off with all his devotees there. Then they rent a bus and go to different places and temples all over the island. They take drums and cymbals and the whole time in the bus is a big party.

.

.

They had a picnic near the seaside where Swamiji had big fun splashing around and wetting everybody. (It's a pity that we dont have any photos of this)

.

.

There was also a quiet time of a little meditation as you see on the picture.

.

A little report after the first Sunday Prayer Live Stream

Today we had our very first live stream of a Sunday Prayer ceremony at Shree Peetha Nilaya.
Almost 50 people from around the world joined us at times. We were about 40 in the temple itself (not everyone could be seen, quite a few "shy" residents preferred to stay behind the camera ;)), including quite a few special guests who came as part of a bhajan training weekend course led by Meeradasi & Ratnamanjari.
As lead singing during prayer was part of the training programme, we had the pleasure of hearing many "first time" singers, or we should rather say that it was the first time we heard them sing during a prayer or Darshan. What we heard was special. It's nice to see and HEAR that there is a seemingly unending reservoir of talent and devotion streaming into the Bhakti Marga river of bhajans and kirtans, making it grow bigger and bigger, and stronger! It was also nice to get a big round of clapping hands and to hear what difference it can make. Hopefully this will inspire many others (guests and Ashram residents alike) to throw in that extra participation, that can lift the prayers to new heights :). We didn't hear any news from Mauritius, and whether Swami Vishwananda succeeded in joining into the live stream, but we know very well, that he watched us irrespectively.
At the end of the prayer Krishna seemed pleased as he gave his Darshan to all. If you kept your live stream on long enough you got a close up live view, but if you left the virtual temple earlier, we have a nice still for you to get his Darshan with a bit of a delay. Here it is (He looks particularly stunning, no?):

We end this little report with one of several email responses we received. It is from Portugal
"Dear Bhakti Marga team :) Jai Gurudev!!!
Just to thank you. It was wonderful to have the oportunity to watch the prayer on-line. We were very happy doing it. The image and sound were very good. :) We also appreciated the final part were u did kind of zoom to Krishna ji so we could receive His darshan.... :)
Love,
ps. here u have a picture of us around the computerji" [see at the top]

So, see you next Sunday!? :)
Much Love from all of us at Shree Peetha Nilaya

The Great Night of Sankirtan with Swami Vishwananda

Last night after a long Darshan, people were slowly retiring to their rooms for a long-awaited rest. But Guruji had something else in mind. At about 3am accompanied with a little group of devotees Sri Swami Vishwananda started to sing, and going through the corridors of Shree Peetha Nilaya woke everyone up, both guests and residents, making everybody mad with the Love of God and the power of chanting God’s names.

We sang many bhajans and the sankirtan was ecstatic, so much so, that Guruji went into a deep state of consciousness after which he asked everybody to create a big circle. He asked for a bowl of water and some earth to be brought and to be placed in the middle of the circle.

He asked everybody to sing Ram’s name infusing the power of His name into the water which was mixed with earth. He said it will change the karma of the earth. We sang “Rama Krishna Hari” on and on. After a while Guruji said that Hanuman had blessed the water and that we should distribute water to everybody and pour it in all rivers and lakes of the world. The water contains great healing power to help Mother Earth dissolving karma.

“I would like you all to take this water and put in in all the rivers, put even one drop of it. … It can be mixed up as much as we want with any other water, and it will help create positivity in this world. So spread it as much as possible.”

Swami Vishwananda explained that it can help in many ways, including the curing of illnesses. One could see so much joy in everybody’s faces. It was already 6am when the group started to disperse. But many lingered on the site of the Great Night of Sankirtan with Guruji.

2012 New Year Message by Swamiji:

Learn to listen to your Heart!

.

.

.

Jai Gurudev dear Ones

.

For 2012 I wish you all Love and Peace. . Use the coming year to intensify and deepen your relationship with the Divine within yourself. .

.

Go deeper within. Intensify your prayers. And calm your mind. Let it be on God. Wherever you are, chant His Name and be positive. Keep reminding yourself of the humility of the heart. Learn to listen to your heart.

.

The time we all live in is special. So don’t waste time! Open up! Give. Give Love freely from your heart. And may you obtain the Grace of God. .

Much Love and Blessings

. Swami Vishwananda

New Year Celebration with Swami Vishwananda

Like all the years before...

... Swami Vishwananda is NOT asking for any personal presents!

Instead you can help by donating to support the finishing of the construction work at the Shree Peetha Nilaya.

Further Information can be found here

Swamiji is looking forward to celebrate the Re-opening Party with You all soon!

Please help.

Visit of Anthony Kiedis by Swami Vishwananda

Last Friday afternoon, Anthony Kiedis (the lead singer of the "Red Hot Chilli Peppers") came for tea to Sri Swami Vishwananda. He is currently on tour and gave a concert later that evening in the Frankfurter Festhalle.

It was a relaxed and warm encounter, Anthony was very friendly and open. He came with his friend Beth Jeans Houghton, who has her own band and also makes wonderful music.

He visited the Hindu temple and also the chapel and when he stepped into the art atelier, he asked one of our icon painters, Rajani, who she was painting and in her excitement she first couldn't remember the name of the Saint. It was a very funny and sweet moment.

Before Anthony's departure back to Frankfurt, Swami Vishwananda gave him (amongst other things) an icon of the Divine Mother.

Here is a video of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers from summer 2011 which we especially like:

And here something to listen to of the works of Beth Jeans Houghton, very tender and beautiful: