Aghoreshwar Mahaprabhu addressed his disciple, Darshi in the following words,

Son Darshi! From the present circumstances it appears the coming human generations will be troubled by perversions, distortions, imbalance and other weaknesses. You may ask, how?

Noble people who listen to the call of a higher conscience and act upon this inspiration to undertake projects of social welfare are often met with perverse resistance. Some members of the press and other media, political figures, others with uncontrolled minds and of weak character, who have nothing whatsoever to do with these noble people, take it upon themselves to evaluate these noble acts by their own ignoble standards. Without analyzing or investigating the relevant and important facts from the point of view of healthy journalism, without understanding or evaluating them holistically, these people malign the devotion, intention, and character of enthusiastic noble people, and indulge in character assassination. Darshi! This must not affect those of good character, even though these interruptions of baseless, undeserved, unreasonable attacks can demoralize and cause noble people on a good path to lose hope.

Darshi! You may ask what is the reason for this? Understand that a person who is weak, also has weak vision. You surely have noticed that a person with weak vision does not see clearly. He sees a red cloth as yellow, yellow cloth as red, and green cloth as yellow. In the same way, persons of weak speech, in the absence of a store of proper and relevant words, take the support of improper words to hide this shortcoming of theirs. You have seen that a person with weak hearing does not hear clearly. They hear something different than what is said. It is natural for them to think wrongly about the things they have heard incorrectly in the first place. Unaware of this, such people write and publish comments and views on things they have heard and understood incorrectly, and these words appear in newspapers, magazines, and so on to influence others.

The various senses and organs of those who are weak, are sick. Eventually the whole body becomes unbalanced and diseased. In the same way, if the central government of a country is 'diseased', drained and incapable, the state governments become uncontrolled and willful. The administrative system becomes ineffective and inactive due to these struggles and to the struggles of caste or class distinction both inside and outside of the states as well. As a result, instead of peace and serenity the entire situation becomes terrible. The environment becomes one of catastrophe. A lack of confidence pervades in every area and level of the administration. Sentiments of distrust and disbelief permeate everything. As a pen in the shaking hand begins to write unclear letters, a weak person's eyesight, hearing, speech and memory fail at their respective jobs. Because of these distortions the facts get buried and the picture that emerges in the media, newspapers and magazines, in articles and editorial comments, has a form and color that is absolutely untrue, and in fact quite opposite the truth. Because of such improper, baseless, and maligning articles and criticisms it is certain that many truthful and well-meaning people become disheartened.

Darshi! We should not become swayed from the standards of our ideal conduct and duty because of such misuse of words by newspapers and magazines, authors or misguided people. We must not take recourse or entertain the idea of revenge. We have to keep a benevolent sentiment towards such people who banter so. The person who is able to do so lives the ideal life of a true saint, keeping his mind and heart in balance. Today, not only in our country but also throughout the world, we can see people of perverse, unhealthy and unbalanced hearts and minds being abusive towards nice people, be they ruler, administrative head, saint, or social worker. Such misguided people make exception to no one. Yes, Darshi! You know that unafraid of being killed, the old sacred cow grazes the whole field. She will crumble to the ground at the least amount of scolding or verbal force, but such action is inconceivable, for in her sanctity she cannot be killed.

Darshi! Noble people do not entertain feelings of revenge even when their whole field gets grazed. You too will have to live such a life, Darshi! Even in the most inclement of circumstances we will have to take support only of a healthy heart, a healthy mind, a healthy body, pure senses and good conduct. You will have to be ever careful not to insult anyone either by words or by deeds, whether he calls a good thing as good or bad. This, only, is saintliness, gentlemanliness, and holistic vision. Darshi! If you are able, quietly but firmly, and with calm mind make people aware and beware of the ever-growing national and social degeneration due to the collusion of so called social analysts, journalists, media members, and others with misappropriated power. You cannot guess what desperate people might end up doing.

Darshi! Sometimes a task that can be performed quietly cannot be performed with a lot of noise. If you have to catch animals, catch them quietly. If you go to catch them with a song and a dance they will run away, or hide quickly, and reappear again. We will have to get rid of these paradoxes and dilemmas completely and renew ourselves!

It has become late, Darshi. Now you go and perform those tasks whose time and occasion you are aware of. I am also availing myself to perform those routines of the day for which time and occasion are waiting me.

Conceit is a Curse

Aghoreshwar Mahaprabhu addressed his disciple, seeker Sambhav, in the following words:

"Sambhav! Conceit is indicative of superficiality and perversion. Oh! A conceited life takes one away from reality and engenders the tendency to deceive others. Do you want to make the complexities within you even more complex by growing your nails and matted hair, by wearing ashes or a loincloth? Do away with these complexities. If you think about it you will find that even to get involved in these reflects conceit. Others definitely understand it to be so. Complexity complements distortion. To take refuge in it can never reflect saintliness. If your attire does not reflect your true form, then it can only be called the attire of conceit. Sambhav! You know that Rama completely gave up conceit. Conceit makes a human being unfamiliar with himself. Do not become a storehouse for conceit. Such a place is where ignorance seeks shelter.

The seeker Sambhav asked - "Baba! Is this what is known as false pride?" Aghoreshwar answered -"O Sambhav! Conceit is not false pride. It is merely pretension like that of the colored jackal. Conceit is absolutely horrible. What can it be besides conceit to have the stamp of social acceptance on Radhika's conduct (Radhika was the wife of Godhan yet became the lover of Krishna), to generate disgrace, to become a source of uncontrolled behavior, to become a repository of perversion, or to worship sensuality?

Sambhav! One, who becomes something, becomes spoiled. You should not pretend to become anything, in which case you will have no fear of becoming spoiled. As I have said, conceit takes a person away from himself. I am not saying this in dissidence or as a heretic, but because I have witnessed it again and again. Conceit nurtures deceit, shelters criticism and cheating, and is a place that your deep "Self" never visits. Sambhav! Do not become anything, just become human. Do not nurture perversions by becoming Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra. Common knowledge has not affirmed this. Today's situation is something very different, Sambhav!

Aha! How quickly youth is left behind! You are running very fast towards unknown old age. Oh, leaving the chariot of conceit, make your journey in a conceit-free fashion so that no one is deceived by you. Disease is not related to youth or old age. An association with disease at any time will keep us from peace with ourselves, and in fact, the terrible results of such a friendship will kill us.

Sambhav! So that you may speak the truth, I will say something more to you. Whatever you hear and see can be the outcome only of the reception of your eyes and your hearing. Whatever you can smell or touch can only be the subjects of your olfactory sense and your tactile sense - but these can never be the subject of your life force. To ignore this truth and to consider the subjects of eyesight, hearing, smell and touch as true reality will amount only to giving importance to ignorance. This is nothing more than conceit. Oh Sambhav! The Goddess in the form of life-force is not a subject either of the mind, or of thought. She is invisible. She cannot be seen. She is not a subject of speech. She cannot be discussed, only known particle, by particle, by particle, by wonder, and wonder, and wonder! This only is the truth, O Sambhav!

To have firm faith in subjects of the senses is to accept the vestige of perversion. Such faith amounts to sheltering conceit. Sambhav seeker! You should live in such a way, you should move in such a way, that no one is deceived by you. Live and move so that no one confines you to any name or form, or sets limits or boundaries for you. Live so that no one can measure you by any physical standard. Become measureless. Even if someone deceives you, do not deceive anyone. Become so.

No one forgives those people who are swayed by every pretension. Even their own self cannot forgive such people. Nothing comes to their hand except disappointment, disenchantment, and then repentance. Sambhav! Sweep away and throw out all that comes into your mind, goes out of your mind, whoever comes into your mind, and whoever goes out of your mind. Do you not remember the broom of old Grandmother? The life force itself is known to be beyond birth, beyond time, and is found everywhere, always, and in all times. However it is very difficult for those who are lost, for those who are conceited, to meet their life force. In fact it is not possible at all. Conceit has kept even many renowned scholars, pandits, yogis and saints ignorant of this reality.

Sambhav seeker! It is conceit to forward the custom of untouchability and caste-categorization on the basis of birth.

Alright, Sambhav! Now you go and fulfill those routines of the day whose time and occasion you are aware of. I also avail myself to perform those routines for which time and occasion are waiting for me.

Sowing Seeds in Concrete

By Tom Pickford

A visitor to the Sonoma Ashram once remarked, "creating an Ashram here is like sowing seeds in concrete." Our various construction projects give new meaning to that phrase. We are indeed planting seeds in concrete and they are growing into beautiful buildings through the seva of the Ashram community.

Things are different at an Ashram construction site. Most places start with a foundation and walls. We started with a roof. You never know who is going to come, how long they can stay, what talents they bringãyet, all the tasks get done and the finished product is a thing of beauty.

The currently under-construction multi-purpose hall is a constant lesson in the concept of dualityãspecifically, one moment complete chaos, the next, peace and harmony. The key to success is detachment, letting-go of the outcome, surrendering ego. Just hammer nails, sweep the floor and drink chai.

When the projects are done those who come to use the spaces look at them as things of beauty, works of art, and shelter from the cold. At the same time, those who enjoyed the toil can look at the finery and flaws and see themselves.

The look of the Ashram is growing and changing daily, thanks to the regular offerings of love and sweat of many wonderful people like Jack Hitchens - the driving force, Maurice Horn, Rob Adler, Gyani Woods, Eben Bloom, John MacKay, Khomen Moitra, Howard Morris, Don Seth, and Tom Pickford.

We thank Melissa Goode, Vidya Quigly, Giulia Puchetti, Lakshmi Ruff, Ronica Wilson, Wendy Walsh and Pam McDonald for all the nurturing from the kitchen when construction is going on.

We thank Dennis King for doing a superb job of laying down tiles in the entrance to the yurt.

We are thankful to Ryan Perlman, Jon Overton, Luis Kong, Matt Ruff, Michael Brett, Steve Sweet, Josh Kloepping, Ken Heinrich, Linda Garbesi, Michael and Terri Updegraff, Richard Ogle, Edoardo Beato, Stephen Wells for their help during the weekend work party.

We would specially like to thank Mr. Rajiv Chopra for providing initial funding for the project and carpeting for the hall in memory of his late wife, Hemlata Chopra. We also thank Mr. Stephen Pehargou of Sandyês Paint in Sebastopol for providing all the paint not only to cover the hall but other structures in the Ashram as well.

Looking at all that is happening in our community confirms that seeds can be sown and grown even on the concrete by a good group of people with right intention and preparation.

Events at the Ashram: