A visitor was curious about the Menoculayshunal posts - the memoir posts related to my coming through meno and studying vocationally at Sandeepany. In pointing to the 'label,' I realised that Blogger, of course, is hopeless at putting them in the correct order. As this is quite a serious series (yes, I actually typed that...) and I kind of need to keep tabs on myself, too, this page will list the posts in the correct order. Remember, these started out as random blog posts - a systematic approach of sorts began to develop. These are primarily reminiscences with interspersed deep and meaningful stuff. It might, one day, become something more solid...
I will not put the initial post in full as much of it was just 'guff'... If you wish to read the original, it is here - "Looking At Thinking."
What is this image?
That place is Saraswati Nilaya, the hall of learning on Sandeepany Ashram, where I spent the most incredible, intense, inspirational, immersive two and a half years of my life. I shall spend the rest of this life thinking about what was thought and discussed there. The course of study was titled "Advaita Vedanta, Sanskrit and Indology." It is taken in the gurukula study-form, which equates to seminary for priests. Those who take the robes are called Brahmachari/ni or Swami/ni... (m/f). It is a PhD course in scope, but in the Sanskrit tradition, one does not become a 'doctor' but instead earn the appellation of 'Vedantaachaarya' (if not taking robes).
The Thinking Titles
Post One - If we cannot love ourselves, how can we ever hope to properly, appropriately, Love others?
Post Two - in which we get the potted history of the YAMster's 'explorations.'
Post Three - the jumblement and the need to sort it - leading into the connection with CM
Post Four - Yamini arrives - and leaves. Look out, India.
Post Five - where menosoup meets Mission
Post Six - more on the matter of thinking - and our relationship to it
The Settling In
Post Seven - basic settling in
Post Eight - Fear and how to face it
Post Nine - breaking stats (or safety is relative)
Post Ten - orientation
Post Eleven - images (like being there)
Physical Sustenance
Post Twelve - Feeding and nourishment
Post Thirteen - Festival feasting
Interlude
Post Fourteen - The A-Z round-up and Vocational Imperative
Post Fifteen - Hari Om
The Structured Day
Post Sixteen - pre-breakfast part one
Post Seventeen - pre-breakfast part two
Post Eighteen - mornings
Post Nineteen - afternoons
Post Twenty - evenings
Some Explanation of the Exploration
Post Twenty One - gathering thoughts and library list
Post Twenty Two - why would one bother?
A Few Characters
Post Twenty Three - People Peeks 1 (workers)
Post Twenty Four - People Peeks 2 (batchmates)
Post Twenty Five - People Peeks 3 (visitors)
Post Twenty Six - People Peeks 4 (teachers)
Post Twenty Seven - People Peeks 5 (HH Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayayanda)
UtsavaaH - Festivals
Post Twenty Eight - intro to festivals and Onam
Post Twenty Nine - further discussion on the place of festivals, Chaturthi and Janmashtami
Post Thirty - Navratri, Deepavali and Christmas...and more
Post Thirty-One - Maha Shivratri
Post Thirty-Two - Ram-Navami
The Tenets of Being
Post Thirty-Three - being me - personal p.o.v.
Post Thirty-Four - being you - on the matter of karma
Post Thirty-Five - being we - on the matter of caste
Post Thirty-Six - being us
Living The Life
Post Thirty-Seven - Musicalism, Ashram Style 1
Post Thirty-eight - " " " 2
Post Thirty-nine - " " " 3
The Ashram Dog Tails...errr... Tales
The re-run of the Canine Chronicles is now displayed in order. I am classing the group as
Post Forty but the links here are only for each 'chapter' within the section.
Lessons to be Learned
Post Forty-one - a moment of inattention
Post Forty-two - deeper and deeper
Post Forty-three - canine conundrum
Post Forty-four - life learning
Shifting Sands
Post Forty-five - regaining idyll
Post Forty-six - shifting gears...
Post Forty-seven - facing decisions
Post Forty-eight - oh the curves...