FRIENDS OF BHAKTI MARGA NEWSLETTER MAY 2018

THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY, BECAUSE WE ALL COME FROM ONE

PLACE. THAT´S NARAYANA. AND EACH ONE IS NARAYANA. SERVICE TO

HUMANITY IS SERVICE TO THE LORD. THAT´S WHY IT IS SAID, 'WHOEVER

SERVES THE NEEDY IS SERVING ME.'

Paramahamsa Vishwananda, Gurupurnima 2014

Content

1. Introduction

2. Events with Paramahamsa Vishwananda in SPN July to December 2018

3. Bus Stop at Shree Peetha Nilaya

4. Sadhana in Shree Peetha Nilaya

• Revival of weekly Sunday morning AKY practice

• New regular worldwide Livestreaming of Atma Kriya Yoga Led Group Practice

• Sunday Japa Walk

• New Sadhana Series of talks and practice

• Daily OM Chanting

5. Important notes

• Changing of name and address

• Member card

• Livestream

• Bhakti Marga Newsletter

6. The happy cows of Bhakti Marga

Jai Gurudev!

Dear Friends of Bhakti Marga:

The 'Jubilee of Love' is THE biggest, grandest and most exciting event in Bhakti Marga's

history. Join us for 10 full days of celebrations with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 7-

17 June.

Don’t miss attending these great spiritual festivities with Paramahamsa Sri Swami

Vishwananda which will last for 10 days!

❖ The inauguration of the big new temple 'Bhutabhrteshwarnath Mandir' from 07 - 10

June,

❖ The celebration of the 40th birthday of Paramahamsa Vishwananda on 13 June,

❖ Accompanied by a boat trip on the river Rhine on 14 June,

❖ And to conclude, the JUST LOVE Festival 2018 from 15 – 17 June.

https://www.bhaktimarga.org/jubilee-of-love

We are looking forward to seeing you and to welcome you in Guruji's home, His ashram and

event center, Shree Peetha Nilaya!

Anjushri and Paartha

On behalf of Bhakti Marga

1. Introduction

Since starting His mission in 2005, Paramahamsa Vishwananda has, in His great love, visited

many countries worldwide to bless people, to help them, to open their hearts, to remind them

of their love and to lead them back to their divine source.

Bhakti Marga has experienced exponential growth over the last thirteen years since its

inception in 2005. As Guruji continually inspires people and projects in and around the

organisation, more and more people are getting involved to carry His teachings and practices

out into the world.

Moving forward, this growth calls for a more streamlined and strategic approach to keep the

organisation on track and united around what we stand for and where we are heading in the

future.

From 16-18 February 2018, the International Bhakti Marga Leadership Team, made up of

Appointed Swamis, Area Managers and STC, met for a Strategic Planning Workshop. Prior to

the start of the weekend, they spent a half day with Guruji to clarify, understand and incorporate

His vision for the coming years into the process.

Looking towards Bhakti Marga’s 20-year anniversary, in 2025, the 3-day workshop yielded the

following vision and mission statements and set the primary organisational goals for the next

seven years.

A vision declares where we want to be in the future. It is the focus for all departments to work

toward and strive to attain through their daily duties. A mission explains why we exist and what

we do. Its simplicity allows everyone to remember why we serve Guruji and what we want to

accomplish. With Guruji’s blessing, this is our focus for the coming years:

BHAKTI MARGA VISION

‘We envision a world, filled with individuals and communities, experiencing a loving relationship

with the Divine, inspired by the timeless wisdom, life and love of Paramahamsa Vishwananda.’

BHAKTI MARGA MISSION

‘Our mission is to create opportunities for people to experience and share Divine Love through

the Grace of Paramahamsa Vishwananda.’

BHAKTI MARGA STRATEGIC GOALS

Looking toward Bhakti Marga’s 20-year anniversary in 2025, the Leadership Team worked

together to identify and clarify organisational goals in five major areas: overall growth, devotee

retention, country organisational support, leadership development, and funding.

GURUJI’S BLESSING

Guruji has given His heartfelt support to this process and given us all a call to action for the

future:

‘I like very much the effort which all of you have given. Now is the time to

make it happen. That will only happen if you put all the best of your efforts

into it. My blessing is with you all.’

-- Paramahamsa Vishwananda

Guruji’s encouragement applies not only to the Bhakti Marga leadership, it is a message for all

who realise the value and love in His teachings and practices and wish to share them with the

world. It is a call to action for devotees around the world to come together and fulfil Guruji’s

wish by dedicating their daily efforts towards manifesting this vision and mission in everything

they do.

Dear family of Friends of Bhakti Marga!

Thank you for your ongoing support and efforts to manifest Guruji’s mission in the

world!

2. Events with Paramahamsa Vishwananda in SPN July to December 2018

The dates of the following events are subject to change! Before making reservations, please consult the calendar of Bhakti Marga, because only once the event is online, will it take place for sure and then you can register and make reservations for a stay at Shree Peetha Nilaya. https://www.bhaktimarga.org/events

GURUPURNIMA: 27July 2018 GAYATRI YAGNA: 26/27August

KRISHNA JANMASTHAMI: 02 & 03 September PITRA PAKSH: 08 October 2018

NAVARATRI & DUSSERA: 09 – 18 October 2018

KARTIK NIGHT: 03 November 2018

DANTHERAS: 05 November 2018

BABAJI DAY: 30 November 2018

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION: 24 - 26 December

DARSHANS FOR WOMEN: 27 & 29 December

DARSHAN FOR MEN: 28 December

NEW YEARS EVE, KIRTAN: 31 December

3. Bus Stop at SPN and travel information:

Since mid-December 2017 we have had a public bus stop at the Ashram. There is a timetable to see when you can take a bus.

http://www.r-t-v.de/data/Fahrplaene-2018/Linie-205%2C-g%FCltig-ab-05.03.2018.pdf

First, you call the special bus phone number: 0049 6124 – 7265913.

Using this number, the bus will come to pick you up at the time shown on the schedule.

It’s called R u f b u s (this means you have to call!)

Please spread the news so that this new service is frequently used. (At some later

time, the bus stop will move, as well as during JLF.)

More travel information can be found here:

https://www.rmv.de/auskunft/bin/jp/query.exe/dn#focus

https://www.bhaktimarga.org/shree-peetha-nilaya/general-travel-information

4. Sadhana in Shree Peetha Nilaya

➢ New Sadhana Series of Talks &

Practice

Silence the Mind: Japa Talk & Practice by Rishi Tulsidasananda is the new SPN Sadhana series of talks with shared wisdom and Sadhana experiences with Rishi Tulsidasananda. This series is opened to all and all are welcome. Every Talk on Japa is different, both the shared wisdom as well as the practice.

There is always something new to learn and experience about Japa, our daily Sadhana practice. Attendees said that they did not know before how beautiful Japa could be and how it can be done in so many different ways. Also, they felt that their practice after this talk was different, more beautiful and had more deepness to it.

All are welcome to join the next Japa Talk on Sunday, 29 July 2018, 10.00 to 13.00 in SPN

➢ Revival of weekly Sunday morning AKY practice

We have a regular AKY group practice that is led on Wednesday from 18.00-19.00 in the temple. And since February, we have started anew with the SUNDAY MORNING AKY LED GROUP PRACTICE from 7.00-8.00 in the Babaji Cave. These are wonderful moments in the week where you can sit in silence with other yogis and dive deep into your heart and enjoy the presence of the Divine.

Dear Friends of Bhakti Marga and all Atma Kriya Yogis, we invite you to come early before the practice starts and do not enter or leave the room while the practice is going on. We thank you for your kind help to create a silence in the room where everyone can feel how beautiful it is to do the AKY practice in silence.

➢ New regular worldwide Livestreaming of Atma Kriya Yoga Led Group Practice: For the past few months as the Bhakti Marga Sadhana family we have been livestreaming our

Atma Kriya Yoga group practice that takes place in Shree Peetha Nilaya on our Atma Kriya

Yoga Facebook page. It is a great opportunity for us to come together as a family and enjoy

our practice all together. We currently have two livestreams which are Wednesday at 18:00

and Sunday at 7:00. We invite you, dear Friends of Bhakti Marga to come along and join us so

that we can enjoy our Atma Kriya all together.

➢ New weekly Japa Walk Practice

We are happy to invite you to join the new Sunday Silent Japa Walks from 14.15 to 15.15 (meeting in the Lobby) to dive deeper into Om Namo Narayanaya and stay healthy and fit in body, mind and spirit.

➢ Daily OM Chanting

You are welcome to join the daily OM Chanting from Monday to Saturday from 17.00 – 17.55

and on Sunday from 12.00 to 13.00. These circle times may vary during events. Please check

the info board at the entrance!

For further information about SPN Sadhana, please contact: spnsadhana@bhaktimarga.org

5. Important notes

• Change of address or name: Please inform us whenever you have a change of

address, phone number or your name or spiritual name.

• Livestream (direct broadcast): All Darshans with Paramahamsa Vishwananda that are held at Shree Peetha Nilaya are broadcast live (without password). Go to www.bhaktimarga.org and click on ‘livestream’ or the icon with the camera.

• A username and a password are needed for events which are broadcast for FoBM only. The username is always FoBM, not your personal name. Only the password changes for each broadcast. Whether a live broadcast is possible or not depends on Guruji´s agreement and where the event takes place. Therefore, last-minute changes may occur. One week prior to the event, we normally send you (by e-mail) an invitation with the password.

• Currently planned live broadcast 2018: Lakshmi Yagna 19/20 May 2018

• About further live broadcasts: we can inform you only after the inauguration of the new temple 'Sri Kripeshwarnath' when it will be known where the events take place. We hope to broadcast live the same events as we did in 2017: Gayatri Yagna, Navaratri and Babaji Day.

• FoBM Membercard (See FoBM Newsletter February 2018)

As of 2018, the FoBM member card will be a special Bhakti Marga Cash Card which

you can add money to with either cash or a credit card/bank card transfer. It is a

personal and non-transferrable card which each member receives only one time and

which will accompany you during your whole membership at FoBM.

You can recharge your FoBM cash card anytime here in SPN at the Cash Card machines. However, you cannot refund the money on the card as on normal cards. Therefore, please do not load too much money on the card.

Whenever you pay with it, you will get a FoBM Member’s discount of 10%...

➢ In the shop on the full assortment items. ➢ In the Bhajan Café. ➢ In the snack and drink vending machine. ➢ On certain seminars and Academy courses. ➢ On other offers on which may be decided on short notice.

o No discounts are given on events with Guruji.

• Bhakti Marga Newsletter, OMC and AKY Newsletter: These monthly newsletters inform you about news and important happenings of Bhakti Marga, OMC and AKY. If you wish to subscribe, please go to www.bhaktimarga.org or use the following link: www.bhaktimarga.orghttps://www.bhaktimarga.org/contact/receive-updates

6. The happy cows of Bhakti Marga

The livestock of Shree Peetha Nilaya consist of four cows by the names of Kamadhenu,

Surabhi, Sushila and Manoratha and the newest calf, Nandini.

Why does Guruji call them 'happy cows'? Because they can live their life appropriate for their species until the natural end of their lives and not, like most of their kind, get killed pitifully in a slaughterhouse. Our cows are looked after with love, care and respect because, as Guruji empathises, the cow is our mother.

Satsang 30 January 2018

Paramhamsa Vishwananda: You know, somebody in Mauritius asked Babaji Sathya Narayana

Das ‘Which animal should we have?’, you know. ‘A dog, a cat or a rabbit or something?’ Babaji

Sathya Narayan Dasji said, ‘Best you have a cow.’ [The audience laughs] This was really

funny, the way he said it, you know to have a cow as a pet is quite difficult!

But when you render service to a cow, it’s equal to rendering service to the deity in the temple.

Imagine that the punya you get by just serving a cow is equal to serving the deity in the temple.

Funny, eh? You see, people don’t realise that. In their minds they think, ‘Oh, it’s just a cow’,

but a cow is always next to the deity.

Do you know why in Hinduism we pray to the cow? Because we worship her as a mother. You

know, when you are born, what is the first thing you have? Milk from the mother, no? Same

thing, when you are drinking the milk from the cow, the cow is your mother. So, the punya that

you get by serving her is a great blessing, actually.

Since ancient times cows belong to each Ashram in India. They are holy. In his Satsang from

10 June 2017 Paramahamsa Vishwandanda said:

´In the Hindu tradition the greatest donation in life which will even give you heaven, which has

the greatest merits, is a cow. But not to eat! [The audience laughs] I just make it clear, you

know, but for sustaining of the ashram.

You see, in ancient times the ashrams were self-sustained or the king would support it. So,

people too would like to support it, you know, and participate in that, because whatever the

ashram is doing, the people also gain from that. For example, when somebody does something

in an ashram, like all the prayers and rituals, there is a lot of punya, a lot of benefits, lots of

merits which awaken and, of course, the people knew that. By participating in that, it also helps

them. And in ancient times, how to help an ashram is to give a cow so that the brahmins can

be self-sustaining, you know, and can have their milk. With milk they would have curd, yogurt

and so on, and so that’s why a cow was considered the greatest blessing.´

Since founding Shree Peetha Nilaya in 2009, Bhakti Marga also thought about keeping cows.

Yet at that time Guruji said: ´Wait, the cows will come. The time is not yet ripe for it. ´

Therefore, the planning continued, and many devotees helped in word and deed as well as

financially to realise this idea.

When the infrastructure was ready, Guruji was asked which breed he would like. He was shown

pictures with different cows and he chose the Danish breed ´Jersey´.

What a joy for all of us when, at the Just Love Festival in July 2015, the first cows were brought

to Shree Peetha Nilaya! Guruji blessed them and gave them the names Kamadhenu and

Surabhi. Kamadhenu is the older one, she was born on 3 May 2012 and Surabhi on 12

December 2013.

On 19 September 2015 Kamadhenu gave birth to her daughter Sushila and on 30 December

2017 to her second daughter, Nandini.

Manoratha is Surabhi´s daughter and was born on 30 December 2016.

The fresh milk of our happy cows tastes wonderful! The milk is also used for cream, butter,

ghee and yoghurt which are offered at the breakfast buffet in SPN and are highly appreciated.

In the temple, the dairy products of our cows are used by Swami Keshavaananda for different

ceremonies such as Puja, Abishekam, Yagna etc.

Our cows are very trusting and happy when friendly people come to see them.

Dear Friends of Bhakti Marga

Together with Surabhi and her mates we thank you heartily for your regular financial support of Bhakti Marga and the Ashram Shree Peetha Nilaya! Thanks to your financial support we can realize many projects which help to spread Paramahamsa Vishwananda’s path Bhakti Marga and His mission: We envision a world, filled with

individuals and communities,

experiencing a loving relationship

with the Divine, inspired by the

timeless wisdom, life and love of

Paramahamsa Vishwananda.’

In this spirit we greet you heartily

and we are looking forward to your

visit in the Ashram.

On behalf of Bhakti Marga

Paartha and Anjushri