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Arsha Vidya UK has organised a programme of public talks and events in London between Sunday 10th October and Thursday 14th October to celebrate the 80th birthday of HH Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Swami Dayananda, himself will be laying down some very solid building blocks upon which anyone who suspects that there is more to life than is led, or that there is more to spiritual understanding than is commonly available, can build a solid understanding of the vision of Traditional Vedanta.
The first steps that an aspirant takes will be preparatory: cleansing the mind of misconception and steadying it. When people in the West started to show an interest in teaching from the East, self-development businesses experienced exponential growth. All sorts of people presented themselves as spiritual teachers and a whole range or practices and ideas were peddled in the name of spirituality.
Meditation and yoga, for example have become multi million pound business in Europe and America. One prevalent idea that has taken root as a consequence is that stilling the mind somehow will result in a spontaneous breakthrough of enlightenment. Meditation is the cure-all for the New Age. People are encouraged to see lights, have energies running up and down their spines, have the tops of their craniums open to an outpouring of light. They concentrate on the sounds of birds chirruping, water flowing, candles flickering.
All these practices may well hold the mind temporarily, giving momentary escape from the problems of the moment. But the fundamental problems arising from the wrong notions that give a sense of smallness and insecurity and incompleteness aren�t touched. Stillness is not the opposite of ignorance: right knowledge alone is.
Right knowledge is that which is passed down unchanged from qualified teacher to qualified student who then passes it on � unchanged � to the next seeker.
If the context is just temporary stress relief, then any meditation evening class might well suffice. But when self-knowledge is at stake, what is meditation? What does a master teacher have to say about meditation from the Traditional Vedanta perspective? One thing we can be certain about is that the answer is likely to rub up against cherished ideas.
This is the subject of the fist one-day seminar taken by Swami Dayananda. It will be followed by an opportunity to deepen the understanding through four one-hour guided meditation sessions with Swamiji in London�s Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Centre in West Kensington � finishing in time for most people to get to the office. It will be the perfect way to start the day.
Event 1
Vedic Meditation: A One Day Seminar
What is meditation according to Traditional Vedanta? How is it different from more commonly practised meditations? What is its role for those seeking enlightenment? How can it become a part of life? The programme will consist of three talks by HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati, plus a talk on Eka Shloki and Vedic chanting by Swamini Atmaprakasananda. The day concludes with a Q&A session with HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Refreshment teas, and coffees will be served as well as a full vegetarian lunch.
When: Sunday 10th Oct 2010, 9am-8.30pm
Where: Sadhu Vaswani Centre, 25 Cricklewood Lane, London NW2 1HP
Registration: arshavidya.org.uk
Event 2
Vedic Meditation: Guided Morning Sessions
Be in Vedic Meditation. Each morning a Traditional Acharya, HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati, will provide guided meditation, followed by tea and biscuits. Four sessions.
When: Monday 11th Oct 2010 � Thursday 14th October, 7.15am-8.15am
Where: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2-4 Castletown Road, London W14 9HE
Registration: arshavidya.org.uk
Once the mind has been prepared through meditation, it is fit for knowledge. This starts with a systematic unlearning of any half-accurate ideas that one might have picked up from casual reading or maybe from attending evening classes taught by well-meaning (but unqualified) people. Over four days HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati will lay the foundation stones for knowledge. (Including a relaxed session on Wednesday 13th October when there will be a concert of his compositions.)
Event 3
Traditional Vedanta: The Essential Teachings
The sessions will explore topics such as: What is Traditional Vedanta? What are the benefits and limitations of the variety of practices offered to people who are in search of a spiritual life? What is the role of prayer? What is the role of the teacher? What is a prepared student? Myths and misleading ideas about �self-realisation�. The daily programme will consist of three talks by HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati plus an afternoon session on a Vedantic text with Swamini Atmaprakasananda. Each day concludes with a Q&A session with HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati in the evening. Refreshment teas, and coffees will be served as well as a full vegetarian lunch.
When: Monday 11th � Tuesday 12th Oct 2010, 9am-8.30pm, Wednesday 13th - Thursday 14th Oct, 9am-5pm
Where: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2-4 Castletown Road, London W14 9HE
Registration: arshavidya.org.uk
Event 4
Bho Shambho: A Musical Celebration
To celebrate HH Swami Dayananda Saraswati�s 80th birthday there will be a concert based on compositions by Swamiji � including the internationally popular �Bho Shambho!� � with musicians from India and the UK. A printed handout of the lyrics will be available for attendees and HH Swami Dayananda will give a brief explanation of them.
When: Wednesday 13 Oct 2010, 6.30 -9.30pm
Where: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2-4 Castletown Road, London W14 9HE
Registration: arshavidya.org.uk
All sessions need to be reserved as places are limited. Booking form will be available on the Arsha Vidya website. Or call Peter Bonnici on 07967 803 564 for more information,
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