Ashram Newsletter - April, 2022
April 1, 2022 | by Ramloti
Dear Friends,
When I was in Haidakhan with Shri Babaji, He spoke about the
“Kranti” which He said was quickly approaching. Often those talks
were full of predictions of widespread destruction where even whole
countries would be destroyed and no country will be left untouched.
He said, “Between heaven and earth this type of revolution has never
been seen before. It will be astonishing and terrible. The
destruction will be such that people will die as they work, sleep or
stand. People will be killed by gas; buildings will remain but the
danger is to humanity.” I admit that I was scared when I thought
about this coming “Kranti” or “Destruction”.
I then understood that “Kranti” actually means “Revolution” or a
“Large Change” and when I heard the following talk by Shri Babaji, I
was hopeful and inspired not afraid. “There is only one way for
mankind to be saved and that is by changing the hearts of all
people. Shri Mahaprabhuji will give His full spiritual power to
this, but every man and woman will also have to make their best
efforts toward this end. As long as there is no change of heart,
humanity is in great danger.”
To facilitate “changing the hearts of people” (including my own) is
the reason that I moved to Crestone to help build this Ashram in
1986. It was a challenging task to begin with many acres of bare
land and have so many divergent opinions but few people with
adequate skills of facilitating productive meetings. After four
years, I moved away from the Ashram needing a break. But I still
worked for this dream communicated by Babaji to help change the
heart of people and so I honed my skills. I became a mediator, a
parent educator, a drug and alcohol abuse prevention educator, a
seminar leader, a public speaker, a facilitator, I began a 24-hour
relay for youth and adults, and even began a show about parenting on
Public radio. I was also elected chair of the San Luis Valley Youth
Coalition that brought together all of the agencies in the Valley
that worked with youth (education, health care, judicial, social
services, mental health, and a myriad of others). We successfully
brought thousands of dollars to this somewhat impoverished area to
build more services and facilities for our youth and families such
as a: Boys and Girls Club”, Family Center, and Group Home.
After four years of this very fulfilling work, an interesting thing
happened. One night I was teaching a parenting class and although it
was a very good and respectful curriculum, and many were seeing good
results, I heard inside the words: “you can modify people’s
behaviors, but unless there is a change of heart, there will never
be any real change.” I then knew it was time to come back to the
Ashram because I truly feel this environment is extremely conducive
to a “change of heart”. The unconditional love that Shri Babaji and
the Divine Mother shower upon their children, Babaji’s simple and
extremely effective teachings of service to all humanity combined
with repetition of the name of God and to live in truth, simplicity, and love; morning and evening chanting daily fire ceremony; all
surrounded by this pristine nature is a winning combination.
This is not a “whistles and bells” path, it is a quiet, repetitive,
sometimes even boring path. Of course there are the celebrations
when the gathering of many people with so much love and shakti stirs
the soul. But by and large, we do our work, repeat the name of God,
do our spiritual practices of aarati, fire ceremony, japa, steward
this 101 acres of land that is off the grid with its own water
system, organic garden, small orchard, and greenhouse, and attempt
to be “present” in the most loving way possible for each visitor
that comes to the Ashram.
We do not have any badges or titles, Babaji is our teacher, we are
His Karma Yogis and in a nutshell, we try to be good human beings.
And Babaji spoke of this through Shastriji inspiring each word he
said: “The only true man is one who practices ‘humanism’. Every
person must cultivate the qualities of ‘humanity’ - this is the only
way to success in life. To teach us this way of ‘humanity’ or
‘humanism’, Sadgurudev Shri Babaji has appeared here. ‘Humanity’
will not be elevated by lecturing and talking but we must awaken the
spirit of humanism in all of mankind. Everyone must remove the
differences between themselves and others and work in the world in
unity; otherwise the disorder which is spreading in the world will
go on increasing and there will be no cure for it.
“Now Babaji is suggesting another point - that we must annihilate
the feelings of ‘I-ness’ and ‘my-ness’ from our minds. You must
march forward like a soldier, dutifully and bravely. The thing which
brings man down is ‘attachment’ to his own kith and kin. When you
all belong to this whole universe, where is the place for ‘I’ and
‘mine’? We must unite as one universal family and march forward in
unity. By this means only will the world be benefitted. This is not
the concern of one individual but that of the whole universe.”
“Shirdi Maulana is Speaking all this. You may know about Shirdi
Maulana. He lived during the Muslim rule in India. He is now making
the rounds everywhere, going here and there to help humanity. Now he
is here, speaking through Shri Mahaprabhuji.
“He says that ‘I’ and ‘my’ have put a veil over the hearts of
people. People have become self-centered and selfish. How can there
be peace when the mind is full of ego and selfishness? Who is big
enough in this world now to sacrifice himself for universal service
and love? People have degenerated to the point that they are
prepared to kill or harm others for their own selfish works or
motives. All of you must try to destroy the corrupted law and
establish true law in the world.”
Babaji taught us that all religions lead to God and to use the name
of God that is in our hearts. But if we were not familiar with a
“mantra”, He gave us the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” which He said was
the maha mantra and signified the surrendering to the Divine within.
He said much about this mantra as well: “The energy of Om Namaha
Shivaya shall destroy all contradictory energies of hydrogen and
atom bombs and will protect you.”
“This Om Namaḥ Shivāya is like nectar; feed everyone with this
nectar. Shri Mahaprabhuji wishes that all words would disappear from
this world, except for three - Om Namaḥ Shivāya. This is the
original mantra. When Primordial Energy first appeared, the first
mantra that She uttered from Her holy mouth was Om Namaḥ Shivāya.”
He also said the following, which I always found a bit curious but I
am now beginning to understand it on a deeper level. He said: “In
order not to provoke Me, you must be quiet at the time of
catastrophe. You must concentrate on Om Namaha Shivaya. With this
mantra you can win everything, because it is stronger than all the
bombs.”
So here we are in the midst of a possible world war and many are
crying out about long and deep injustices and inequities. It is a
time for deep introspection into our every thought, word, and deed.
I am grateful for this time of the Divine Mother Festival (Spring
Navratri), which is coming in the next few days where we can focus
more on our actions and how we are contributing to either world
peace or world destruction with each one. We will be praying
together to our beautiful Divine Mother for Her compassion,
guidance, and love. We will also be reading stories about other
epochs when our selfishness, arrogance, and greed have destroyed the
world.
In Truth, Simplicity, and Love,
Ramloti
The Divine Mother of Haidakhand, Haidakhandeshwari
(From the Sapta Sati by Vishnu Dutt Shastriji)
"Above all the Gods who come and go in the consciousness of man
through the rise and fall of civilizations, in the abode of infinite
space, in absolute peace where time is no more, there resides the
Great Mother of all creation, one with Her Lord, the Supreme
Spirit.
The Great Goddess, matrix and creatrix of all that is, takes as many
forms or aspects of manifestation as the human mind can conceive.
Within and without, it is always She who weaves the patterns of all
life as the Divine Force behind everything perceived by the senses.
She is Universal and has many names: we call Her
Haidakhandeshwari, Vishveshwari, and Maha Lakshmi."
Shri Babaji said, ‘The Great Power that is the cosmic Maya, the
Supreme Divine Energy, the Mother Goddess of Haidakhan embodies the
totality of all that is to be known. She is the combined divine
Grace-Energy of the Goddess Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha
Saraswati. To worship the Universal Goddess while we are in this
mortal frame gives human life its highest realization.’
About Navratri
Navratri, the Divine Mother festival, was always celebrated in India
with ith Shri Babaji where He was often honored as the Divine
Mother. Navratri continues to be celebrated at His Ashrams both in
India and around the world each Spring (Chaitra) and Fall (Ashvin).
This year Spring Navratri begins this Saturday, April 2. It is a
time of great importance and was celebrated in the Mahabharata and
Ramayana era. It is a time when our prayers are multiplied because
millions of people are celebrating at the same time around the
world. The time during which Navratri prevails is said to be the
period when Mother Nature undergoes a huge change climatically and
is a good time for spiritual practices. This is a festival of nine
days and nights. The number 9 indicates Shakti – the power and
energy that creates the whole universe. Hence, this power of Nine
Divine Nights can change the life, destiny and, future of an
individual. Navratri comes in our life as a Divine Light and Power
in the form of Hope.
Each day of Navratri consists of Paduka puja, aarati, Devi Puja,
recitation of the Haidakhandeswari Sapta Sati, Sacred Fire Ceremony,
Chanting, and Discourse on the Divine Mother from the Srimad Devi
Bhagavatam. These all occur in the morning until just before 1pm.
The remainder of the day consists of a meal (if you are eating; many
people do some kind of fast such as: no food, only fruits and
vegetables, or one meal a day), karma yoga cleaning up and preparing
for ceremonies the next day, and evening aarati.
We will live-stream the Devi puja on
Haidakhandi Universal Ashram Facebook Page
at 9am each day and the Fire Ceremony, chanting and Discourse
beginning at 11am. You may attend them in person if you call the
Ashram at 719-256-4108 and reserve a place, as we are
still limiting the number of people. We will upload the
ceremonies to
YouTube
each afternoon, so you can follow along if you miss the live-stream.
The Devi Puja
Each morning at 9am we do a sweet puja to the deity of the day. The
first three days of Navratri we honor Mother Durga. She helps purify
and destroy the aspects in us that keep us from our spiritual path.
On the next three days, we honor Mother Lakshmi, asking Her to fill
in the places we have just eliminated with more satvic or
life-giving qualities. The final three days, we honor Mother
Saraswati, asking Her to assist us in putting our new satvic
qualities into action. She is also the one that bestows Divine
Knowledge on us.
The Nine Forms of the Goddess During Navratri
It is said that during Navratri, the Mother Goddess appears in 9 different Forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These 9 Forms signify the various traits that are influenced by the Goddess. According to the Markendeya Puran the worship days for the various forms of Goddess Durga are as follows:Day One
The Aspect of the day is Goddess Shailputri, who Is The Daughter of
the Himalayas. The word Shail in Sanskrit means Mountain, and Putri
means daughter. Thus, Shailputri means Daughter of the Mountains.
Goddess Durga is known by this name because she has taken birth in the family of
Himalayas – the Emperor of Mountains. Goddess Shailputri Embodies
The Powers Of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Married to Lord Shiva,
Ma Shailputri has many divine powers.
Day Two
The Aspect of the day is Goddess Brahmacharini, the Goddess of
Penance and Good Conduct. This form of Mother Durga originated from
the word Brahma, which means – one who observes penance or tapa, and
good conduct. Thus, She is the one who practices tapasya. Mother
Brahmacharini is very gorgeous. In one hand, She holds a Kamandal
i.e. a water pot, and in the other hand, she holds a rosary. Maa
Brahmacharini personifies love and loyalty. She is the storehouse of
knowledge and wisdom.
Day Three
The Aspect of the day is Goddess Chandraghanta, who bestows immense
peace and goodness. The name Chandraghanta originated from the words
Chandra (Moon) and Ghanta (Bell). This is because the Goddess has a
crescent Moon on Her forehead, and a roaring voice like the
tumultuous sound of a bell, which makes the demons tremble with
fear. Mother Chandraghanta looks very bright and charming, has a
golden skin color, and possesses ten hands and three eyes. Eight of
the hands of this Goddess hold weapons, while the gestures of the
remaining two hands indicate bestowing a boon and stopping harm.
With the blessings of Mother Chandraghanta, sins of the worshipper
get washed away, and obstacles also get cleared from his/her path.
Day Four
The Aspect of the day is Maa Kushmanda. Her name, Kushmanda, means a
little warm cosmic egg, which has originated from the following
words. Ku means Little and Ushm means Warmth or Energy, and Anda
means the Cosmic Egg or Universe. Mother Kushmanda resides in the
inner portion of the universe or Surya Loka, and She radiates a
solar aura. It is believed that when only darkness prevailed all
around, Goddess Kushmanda created the universe with her Sankalp i.e.
resolving power. As per the religious scriptures, during the ancient
times, Maa Shakti created this universe as an Anda which means
cosmic egg, just by flashing a splendid smile. The Goddess Kushmanda
holds a kamandal, bow, arrow, lotus, a jar of nectar, discus, and
mace in her seven hands, respectively. There is a rosary (japa mala)
in the eighth hand, which is capable of bestowing the eight Siddhis
of Divine Powers.
Day Five
The Aspect of the day is Maa Skandamata because She is the mother of
Skanda, the leader of the heavenly armies. She rides a lion and
holds her son Skanda in her lap. Goddess Skandamata grants salvation
to Her unfailing devotees and all their desires get fulfilled. She
also opens the path of salvation for the devotee, and as She is the
presiding deity of Sun God, Maa Skandamata bestows an extraordinary
glow and radiance on Her devotees.
Day Six
The Aspect of the day is Goddess Katyayani. Once there was a sage
Katyayana who practiced penance for many years to Maa Shakti and was
given a boon. Sage Katyayana requested Mother Goddess Durga to take
birth as his daughter. The goddess was very pleased and accepted his
request. Later on, when the cruel acts of the demon Mahishasura
crossed every limit, the trinity of Gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva became very angry. And hence, they created a Goddess by
distributing some part of their great power, in order to destroy the
demon. As sage Katyayana was the first person to worship this
Goddess, she was named Mother Katyayani. Then she killed the demon,
Mahishasura. Maa Katyayani's form is highly divine and dazzling and
bestows Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha to those who have full faith
and devotion.
Day Seven
The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Kaalratri who is the Destroyer
Of Darkness and Ignorance. The look of Mother Kaalratri is extremely
frightening, but the effect of Her appearance is always
auspicious.
Kaalratri has three round eyes that are in the form of cosmic eggs,
which always emit rays. Fearful flames appear when she inhales or
exhales air through her nostrils. Worshippers of this Goddess are
not afraid of fire, water, wild animals, enemies, or darkness.
Mother Kaalratri destroys evil spirits. On this day, all the sins of
the worshipper are washed away and all the hurdles on the path of
the worshipper are destroyed.
Day Eight
The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Mahagauri who radiates peace
and compassion. Her extremely fair complexion is similar to a white
conch, the moon or a Jasmine flower. As per the traditional story,
Goddess Parvati practiced the most severe penance with the desire to
have Lord Shiva as her divine consort. As a result of the severe
penance, the color of her body became black. Lord Shiva was highly
pleased by her penance, and thus he washed Mata Parvati's body with
the holy water of river Ganga. Hence, she regained her fair
complexion. And thereafter, she was known as Mother Mahagauri. All
the sins of the devotee are washed away by worshipping this Goddess
on this auspicious 8th day of Navratri and become pure in all
aspects.
Day Nine
The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Siddhidatri who is the Giver of
Spiritual Powers (Siddhis). If a devotee worships Goddess
Siddhidatri with full faith and devotion on the 9th day of Navratri
it is said that Mother Siddhidatri, who is the grantor of 26
different wishes, bestows them on Her devotees. The blessed devotees
spiritually move into the divine abode of the Goddess and they are
always blessed by Her.
Zoom Satsangs
We will not have satsangs during the Navratri but will resume on Hanuman’s Birthday, Saturday, April 16 at 7am MT, 3pm Central Europe, 6:30pm India time, and 8pm Thailand time. The topic will of course be, “Hanuman” and will be rich and wonderful.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86076814482?pwd=Rzh4QTRaNVNCbFRUU2R3YlE0YnQwQT09
Meeting ID: 860 7681 4482
Passcode: 455948
One Tap Mobile:
+12532158782,,86076814482#,,,,*455948# US
Upcoming Large Fire Ceremonies
Besides the nine large fire ceremonies during Navratri, we also have 3 large fire ceremonies in April. Here are the dates and they all begin at 11am, are followed by chanting, and are live-streamed, and posted just like the ones above.
Friday, April 1 – New Moon fire ceremony with Pitru Puja
Saturday, April 16 – Full Moon Fire Ceremony followed by a Puja to Lord Hanuman and chanting.
Saturday, April 30 – New Moon fire ceremony with Pitru Puja
We also have smaller daily fire ceremonies whenever there is not a full or new moon. Please call the Ashram at 719-256-4108 for the timing as it varies depending on our schedule.
Birthdays at the Ashram
Ramloti, Jonathan, and Premanand all celebrated their birthdays in the last month or so. Here Ramloti is holding her strawberry cake that Deb made for her.
And Jonathan and Premanand shared a birthday cake, since their birthdays are just one day apart. They are clapping over it to put the candles out.
Karma Yoga at the Ashram
We have been focusing on preparing for Navratri as well as organizing repairs and maintenance on the ashram for Spring, Summer, and Fall. All the other usual duties keep us busy as well, such as cleaning, cooking, preparing for and conducting all the ceremonies, attending meetings, and hosting groups. Here are a few photos.
It is important to also acknowledge all of our karma yogis that are serving the Ashram from afar. They purchase many supplies the Ashram, particularly at festival time. They also travel to the Ashram to serve on our Board of Directors, host us in their homes, help us prepare for ceremonies when we are there and even order things or carry things home from India for the temple, like these beautiful malas. These are just a few recent photos of Ashram helpers from afar, but there are hundreds of them and we are so grateful!
Visitors
With the weather warming up, we are seeing more and more visitors. Many have been coming for years and others are new. We are blessed by you all. Thank you for coming!
Ways to Support the Ashram
We continue to be supported by many of you through different
fundraising modalities. Thank you to all. It is so important during
this time. Here are the links below. We are aware that many do not
have the funds to donate at this time and please know that we
appreciate your prayers and loving support as well.
- GoFundMe Campaign
- Donate Page (this page has links to Paypal, Amazon Smile, and GoFundMe)
Calendar of Events
| Apr 1, Apr 30, May 30 | New Moon Fire Ceremony |
| Apr 16, May 15, Jun 14 | Full Moon Fire Ceremony |
| Apr 2 - 10 | Spring Navratri |
| Apr 16 | Hanuman Jayanti |
Please go to our Calendar of Events page for all events.
Maha Lakshmi Shop
Thank you to all who have been donating to the Ashram
and purchasing from the Maha Lakshmi Shop. Both are a big help in
keeping everything going at the Ashram. Please know that we always
remember you in the Temple at Baba’s and Mother’s feet and at our
Fire Ceremonies.
To see our Maha Lakshmi Shop catalogue of devotional items
and to purchase online, go to
Maha Lakshmi Online Shop. Call or email us anytime with questions, feedback, or requests at
info@babajiashram.org or
719-256-4108. We love to hear from you.
Bhole Baba Ki Jai! Jai Ma!
