Yogaville The Oasis
Hari Om Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings Love and Peace to you. May God and Guru bless you with prosperity, health, peace, love and God realization, as well!
Our Ashram – the hearth and home of Sri Gurudev, Swami Satchidananda – is indeed an oasis to all its residents and visitors who are drawn back over and over, to those who find inspiration in a satsang or at the reading during lunch. It is a place of rejuvenation of spirit for world-weary people whose burdens are heavy and real, whose resolve feels weakened by life in an increasingly hostile, scary and stressful environment. In times like these, it is all the more important to be available to people. To offer the sustenance they seek so they can in turn serve their families and communities, it is the role of spiritual places to BE: to tend, to fill and uphold the human spirit in times of difficulty so that our species continues to not only survive another rough time, but manages to evolve and reinvent itself to be more than it is.
Weekend programs, Saturday Day-trips, Tours, Teacher Training Programs, Personal Retreats, Resident opportunities, Guest Stays, Scripture Classes, weekly Satsang, and most of all, Sangha Fellowship are all examples of how Yogaville currently serves as a spiritual oasis to all who come and to each other. Each year we touch so many lives that in turn touch so many more lives. All can drink deeply the waters of Peace and share that Peace with others they come in contact with. The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in a person who has been moved by spiritual awakening are noted by friends and family. They say “Wow, that retreat really was great for you. Where did you go? Maybe I should go, too. It did you such good.” This is the way an oasis works. In the desert, travelers seek out other travelers who know where to get water. Even if they have never been to the oasis themselves, they know they want to go, too. They know that in order to survive, they must find the oasis; the alternative is unthinkable as the sun bears down on them with unrelenting intensity.
An oasis offers its gifts and remains while the travelers move on. The sun will still be hot and the wind may still pelt them with sand, but now they have filled their canteens and are strong having rested in the shade of the palm trees. Surviving the journey is now possible. It is so in life. When everything is so hard, people losing their jobs, homes and what they thought were their identities, they begin to seek. They are looking for the oasis of Truth and Understanding. Something that helps them navigate the wilderness and come out not merely having survived, but transformed.
Yogaville provides many opportunities for people of all creeds to come and drink as deeply as they care to, in whatever way they care to and in harmony with other people who may do it differently. This too is an example of an oasis. In the desert all are welcome at the drinking places. They are not owned by any one person. They are a gift from God. Sacred. Open to all.
Oases are spring-fed from deep underground, their waters burbling to the surface infused with the sacred energy of the Earth as it meets the sky, reflecting the sere blue bowl above it. Our Ashram Oasis is fed by a spring, too–one made up of energy – time, love, thought, word, deed and money. To continue to offer service as an oasis to all who seek to drink in the teachings of Sri Gurudev and Integral Yoga, healthy donations of all of these are needed.
We need your help. Operating expenses and project funding schedules must be met so that we may continue to serve those who come here.
The goal is to raise much needed funds for the following areas:
- The General Fund
- Resident Building Project
- Building Fund
- LOTUS Fund
- Satchidananda Ashram Furtherance Endowment (SAFE)
- Archives Special Projects
- Vidyalayam School
General Fund
The General Fund keeps the Ashram going, paying the day-to-day bills that include food, gas, wages, phones, utilities, even flowers for pujas and Prasad at satsang come from this fund. Giving to replenish this fund effects virtually every area of the Ashram. >> Donate Now
Resident Building
We have a new 28-unit residential building that will come into service in spring 2009. It is very exciting to be able to offer more space for people who want to come and experience Yogaville firsthand. The project was largely funded by a loan from Satchidananda Charities Fund and a special donation. Siva Moore and his crew have done an outstanding job in working as liaison between all of these groups and the contractor. We will need to finance the installation of the parking lot plus hooking up the plumbing and electric to the main Ashram grid and installing exterior lighting. >> Donate Now
Building Fund
The Building Fund is just that; it covers expenses that must be outlaid for new construction and for building improvement. The Building Fund has been used toward the costs of the new resident building that are not included in the contract. We need to replenish this fund to help complete the current project and to bring new building projects online. >> Donate Now
LOTUS Fund
The LOTUS [Light Of Truth Universal Shrine] Fund continues to keep the LOTUS flourishing. Many of the tasks that needed to be done have been completed. To make mention of a few of these, the new surface, paint and sealant have been applied to the Shrine, and the fountains have been repaired and resealed. We are so extraordinarily grateful to all who have supported the LOTUS Fund and to Siva Moore, Jayan Jackson, Eden Tolton and Tim Decker for their dedicated and exquisite work. It was heartwarming to see ALL of the fountains filled and operational for Guru Purnima in 2008. Work resumed on some of the fountains after the summer festivities, and we anticipate summer 2009 with LOTUS fountains raining the sounds of Peace for all to hear. In the LOTUS display hall and reception areas floors have been re-tiled and walls will be repainted as well. The gift shop continues to be a popular destination for our many visitors and friends seeking to take home a memento of their visit to LOTUS and the Ashram. Replenishing the LOTUS fund will allow us to finish the landscaping projects around the temple, to replace some outdated signs and meditation cushions, and to continue the vast general maintenance that a structure as unique as LOTUS is needs. >> Donate Now
SAFE
SAFE - Satchidananda Ashram Furtherance Endowment - continues to live up to its name. While the interest generated by the principle of the fund is there for the purpose of helping to sustain the Ashram, we have been fortunate in the last several years not to have to use it. Therefore the monies have been allowed to rollover and gather more interest growth. This year with the severe economic influences felt across the country and here, we will be using a portion of the accrued interest transferring the interest to our general fund. We would like to see this money given back to the SAFE as soon as possible so that it may continue to grow more rapidly. >> Donate Now
Archives Project
There are several exciting and important Archives projects on the horizon including some very overdue transfer and storage processes as well as some new film & DVD productions. The vast repository of audio and video tapes hold the body of the Teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda. It is our duty as his sangha to preserve, protect and make available the teachings for all who are interested in learning about them. A vast amount of work has been done toward this end, however a master plan that incorporates all of the materials, the equipment systems, storage, display and retrieval needs will guide the work in the future. A general estimate of what is needed this year for computers, database software, storage drives and transferring equipment: $24,000. An additional $10,000 is needed to transfer 9,000 ft of film into HD Digital. These films are rare bits of footage that include Sri Gurudev at Woodstock and a never before released film featuring Sri Swami Sivananada Maharaj. After transfer, there are plans to edit and produce two films. Future Archives plans involve a new building that will house all the materials, allow for items to be displayed and for all the recorded history of the IYI to store properly. >> Donate Now
Yogaville Vidyalayam - Integral Yoga Schools Scholarship Fund
For thirty years Integral Yoga Schools have instilled hundreds of children (Sri Gurudev dubbed them his “Angels”) with the valuable life lessons offered from the Yogic philosophy. Sri Gurudev's belief that children should be allowed to blossom into their own unique being in an environment dedicated to their spiritual development is paired up with comprehensive curricula and interactive projects that range from performing the Guru Gita to understanding world cultures through interfaith studies at LOTUS. The school uses donated funds to assist with tuition so that any student interested in being at Sri Gurudev's school can attend regardless of financial situation. Will you help an Angel? >> Donate Now
It has always been Sri Gurudev’s wish for us to visit Yogaville as much as possible to receive the blessings from this special place. Yogaville is your Oasis, too. You can help keep the SAYVA Oasis [Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville Virginia] thriving and serving to the fullest capacity. Drops make oceans and even if you can only give a few dollars and a good wish you have given greatly. Please take a moment and make a contribution to help keep the waters of Peace and Joy, Love and Light available to all who come to Satchidananda Ashram. We hope to see you here soon!
Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi
