30 Years of Satyachetana Ashram

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

In 1996, Swami Sri Atmananda and a few devotees stayed in a small rented house near Ramana Maharshi Ashram in Tiruvannamalai. Every day Swamiji was doing girivalam – walking around the holy Arunachalla Hill. He would frequently stop to sit at a bare patch of land where he felt pure vibration and immense spiritual force. That is the spot where Satyachetana Ashram is now located. On 21 January 1996, Swamiji stayed here for the first time, sleeping on old newspaper that he spread on the ground. Three decades later, today preparations are underway to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Ashram.

For many years the Ashram Foundation Day was celebrated on 21 January, then Swamiji decided that it would be observed on his birthday, 18 June. However, this year it is celebrated on his Vedic birthday. As Swamiji recently explained in this short recording:

Perform These Five Daily Yagnyas

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

One morning after chanting Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita at Satyachetana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai, Swamiji quoted Verse 134 (3.15) to introduce the topic of nitya yagnya. No English word precisely conveys the meaning of “yagnya”, so in Swamiji’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita, yagnya is defined as “the integration of invocation, worship, and offering to divine power”.

Here he explains the five yagnyas that we can perform daily, in this April 2024 Interaction.

The State of Truly Enlightened Beings

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

Swamiji offers the lamp to a photo of his parents in the new Veda Gurukulam built on the site of the family home.

Consider: does a yogi respond to what prakriti wants, or what prakriti needs?

Swamiji addresses this and other key points, illustrated by a charming story, in this segment of an April 2024 Interaction at Satyachetana Ashram.

The Second Step is Witnessing

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

In yoga, becoming a witness does not mean being stoic. Witnessing is a dynamic state that comes through practice, and enables the yogi to maintain inner balance while handling whatever experiences may come. This is the topic of the following segment from a December 2023 Interaction at Satyachetana Ashram.

Carelessness Will Create an Explosion

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

Over-eager yogis sometimes have a tendency to blur the line between self-control and self-torture. This is a critical distinction. One must approach it like a scientist working with explosive chemicals, as Swamiji discusses in this December 2023 Interaction at Satyachetana Ashram.

The Chapter 3 verse cited in this talk is Verse 160 (3.41).

Two Types of Beings

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

Performing sadhana is not the purpose of Gita yoga. Sadhana is just a transitional stage on the path that takes us toward the goal. But what happens when we reach the goal? What do we do then?

Swamiji discusses the responsibilities of a seeker that has become a seer, in this advanced Interaction on Chapter 16 of Gita, at Sayachetana Ashram in March 2024. It can be viewed from the angle of the yogi that has reached that stage, and now has the work to guide others, or from the perspective of the striving seeker that comes to such a seer for guidance.

Don’t Volunteer Advice…

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

Imagine trying to fill a bucket with water when there is a hole in the bucket. That’s what happens when a yogi is not diligent about preserving sattwa—it keeps leaking out. Swamiji shared this during the Advanced Course on the Yoga of Bhagavad Gita. The analogy relates to a challenge faced by many sincere seekers, and Swamiji describes the most important means of resolution, in this segment of a March 2024 Interaction at Satyachetana Ashram.

Key verses mentioned here are 608-610 (17.14-17.16) and 689 (18.67).

Retain Your Awakening

Swami Sri Atmananda Posted on by

Omm Namo Bhagavate

Annual school function at Satyachetana Sikhyashram Balanga

To be linked with our true state, our svarupa, we must be able to see the difference between prakriti (nature) and her attributes, as Swamiji explains in this segment of a March 2024 Interaction at Satyachetana Ashram.