Rajanaka Newsletter April 15 2023 Including India Information and Camp
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Aho’ Rajanaka,
Would you like to go to India on pilgrimage? We have the details.
This Newsletter is news. The usual lame efforts at comedy personal stories other stuff will have to wait, okay?
INDIA PILGRIMAGE 2023
*We are going to the great temples of Tamil Nadu. Our aim is to see the gods and enjoy the people (aka the gods). Our pilgrimage is as traditional and as contemporary as possible: there is a dress code and we’ll be with you every step of the way to make that happen. We’re tourists only when it comes to the Visa questions asked by the official agencies. We will do everything we can to insure your safety and health on a trip to India.
*Dates: Departure from New York City (JFK) on December 28th, 2023, Depart India January 13th (Chennai)
*Cost: $5500 includes airfare from NYC. For more details see below. Deposits are due soon so please, please if you are interested in coming, read the details. (This price is only $100 more than the 2019 offering.) If you make your own flight arrangements then the cost is $4000. There are other costs and everything is made wholly clear in our documentation and travel contract.
*Contact and Contract: ALL ADMINISTRATION for the pilgrimage will be handled by our dear pals Greg and Kim Shand. The Shands did a spectacular job the last time we were able to go (pre-Covid) and they have agreed to do it again. All questions about the trip they will be happy to answer. Write to greg@rajanaka.com or kim@rajanaka.com.
If you would like to come to India with us, write to Greg or Kim today. They know every detail and can address your every query. Give them a day or two to answer emails, okay? Don’t delay. Please, please don’t delay.
NEXT,
Rajanaka Summer Camp, Bristol, New York
*Dates: July 6th-July 10th
*Venue: Bristol Valley Vineyards, 7235 Lane Road, Bloomfield, NY 14469 (Note: The Town of Bristol is so small that it uses several other town addresses. Really. This is the correct mailing/maps address.) YES to wifi on site and two brand new bathrooms!
*Cost: $600, deposit of $200 is due now; complete payment due by June 1st via Paypal (friend and family only, use svcourses@gmail.com for the PP address) or Venmo (douglas-brooks-8).
*Facebook Group: Rajanaka Summer Camp 2023 is up and running. Just search FB and you will find a host of folks with whom you can talk to about Camp, logistics, details, whatever you like.
*Camp includes Sessions, lunch, tea, water, and snacks all day, and Curry Night Dinner. It does not include accommodations, travel, or transportation. The nearest airport is Rochester. The nearest towns with hotels are Naples, South Bristol, and Canandaigua. Air BnB is a good bet. If you are flying and need a ride the best place to find some help is on the FB group---we can’t provide transportation. This is a mom&pop operation that has worked well for 20 years and we’re here to help every way that we can.
*Topic has only rarely been mentioned in previous years. However this year the plan right now is to learn the Heart of the Matrka, The Puja of the Little Mothers. This may mean little to you but it’s an important and incredibly fascinating part of the Great Goddess tradition and the theories mantra contemplation and analysis. This is both theory and a practice that we will learn and study in detail for our entire Camp: it is rich, useful, complex, and doable. No previous experience is required or expected. No preparation is required. We will learn this together every step of the way and I will provide the materials you need when you arrive.
*For all other queries send me an email: douglas@rajanaka.com I’m happy to help.
TODAY is our last, the Sixth Session of the Tamil Goddess. You are not too late. There is an Archive. Each Session is just $15, that’s $90 for the whole course. It’s a lot of hours, so much to learn, and so, so worth your effort and time. The Seminars are there for you always. It’d be reallh swell to see you and if you can’t make it, pick up the Archive and drop the tuition. All goes to good causes. Zoom in at 5pm today. Dropbox Archive is on your honor: if you want the Sessions, take the files and put your rupees in the PayPal or Venmo
SUNDAY, Mahabharata 5pm. Sooooo good these days. Zoom and Archives. PayPay or Venmo, $15 per Session.
I’m going to need to write again soon soon. I never like “selling” and the offering details can seem tedious but it’s best to make things easy and accessible. I am committed to our learning together for as long as I can still do the work.
This week marks 45 years since Appa gave me my first “formal” initiation into the Auspicious Wisdom and it is also 29 years since his passing. What do I miss most about this remarkable man and his wholesome, gentle heart, his brilliant mind? I miss that he never got the chance to meet you. I think he would have liked that so very much. He would have thought the world of you. And so do I.
More soon, write to me, about anything, or for no reason. I love hearing from you: douglas@rajanaka.com. Operators aka Sadie the Pup are waiting. Talk soon.
MORE below the line, saprema, Douglas
&&&
FIRST Zoom for today (Tamil Goddess) and tomorrow’s Mahabharata, then INDIA and CAMP details, okay?
The Tamil Goddess
Stories from the Tamil Temple and our focus is the Great Goddess, the Mother called Amman. We will visit with her first as the huntress bride, the wielder of the bow and spear, dauntless and committed to love but unwilling to be managed or housebroken. The Tamil vision of Amman is diacritic, extraordinary, and a far cry from meek or pliant. She offers love but never passivity, she is accommodating, merciful and ingratiating but never acquiescent or servile. The temple myths tell these stories of her deep desire for connection and relationship and we are invited to see her in ourselves and all around us. We begin tonight at 5pm, the Zoom link is here and there will of course be Archive recordings. Tuition is $15 per Session, that’s $90 for all Sessions to PayPal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com) . If you can’t make it live, the Archive recording will always be available.
The Zoom for all Saturdays at 5pm is always the same. ZOOM LINK:
https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268
Dates: March 4, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15
SUNDAY MAHABHARATA. (Better than Church, I promise…)
EVERY Sunday is a new story, every bit of it makes sense no matter when you choose to attend!
Time: Sessions on Sundays at 5pm Eastern.
Dates: Every Sunday unless we announce otherwise!
ZOOM link is the same for all Sundays:
https://rochester.zoom.us/j/314987250
Tuition: $15 per Session or $20 and all goes to India causes. Your call. Complete Archive INCLUDING a free Audio book is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0
&&&
PILGRIMAGE CONTRACT DETAILS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE WRITE AN EMAIL TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS: greg@rajanaka.com or kim@rajanaka.com
Hello Rajanaka Peeps, First, for those of you who don’t know us, please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Kim and Greg Shand and we have volunteered to help with the coordination, planning and logistics for December’s trip to Tamil Nadu. There are some changes in the sign-up process from previous years, so please review the information in this email carefully. If you’ve never been to India with Douglas Brooks, it’s hard to imagine what the experience will be like. You will have inside access to the temples and their priests. It will be a trip that is entirely different from any experience booked with a travel agent. When you travel as a “Poonai” (the Tamil word for “cat”) you will not be a spectator observing the culture of south India…you will be a participant. The response to the pre-registration info has been overwhelming. It is humbling to find that so many new and veteran students want to continue to learn and share by attending this trip. We only bring 30 people on this trip so that: 1) the temples are not overwhelmed by our presence, and 2) you are better able to enjoy the direct, up-close and personal experience that is ahead. To meet these priorities, we will have to take reservations on a first-come/first-serve basis. When we reach 30 attendees, we will close registration and start a waiting list. THE BIG NEWS! We are turning back time and offering this trip at the same price that was charged in 2019! The total cost will be $5500 per person w/double-occupancy rooms*. The price could increase by $100-$200 if we are unable to purchase the plane tickets quickly! $5500 includes airfare from JFK to Chennai**, all in-country transportation on an air-conditioned bus (with WiFi and an almost unlimited cache of bottled water), lodging, daily breakfast and welcome and farewell dinners. You will need additional money for all other meals, souvenirs, temple offerings and tips. We will provide you with more details on the amount of spending money that you may want to bring.
*Single Occupancy rooms are available for an upcharge of $1000.
** You will be responsible for getting to JFK on time. Our flight, Etihad Airlines, Flight 102, will bedeparting at 2:00 PM to Chennai on December 28th. Please plan to arrive at JFK at least 3 hours beforethe 2:00 PM departure time. If you live outside of the US, contact us for an airfare credit. You will needto coordinate your travel to and from Chennai so that your arrival and departure schedule does notimpact the larger group’s arrival and departure times. We will land back at JFK on January 13th at 3:50PM
After we receive your deposit, there will be a lot of information coming your way…how to apply for a visa, what to pack, the itinerary, timelines, what to expect when we arrive, etc. Through conference calls and emails, we will help prepare you for the journey. We will also be on the trip with you to help you with any questions or concerns that may arise. For now, by filling out, signing and returning the contract that is attached, a seat will be reserved for you on the trip. However, your first payment must be received no later than April 23rd to secure your place. Since we need to make various deposits and (most importantly) purchase the airline tickets immediately, to receive group rates, flight costs are non-refundable and will not be transferable by Rajanaka Yoga. Travel insurance is a good option if an emergency arises preventing your attendance. We will send you information on how and where you can purchase trip insurance.
Contract and Payment Plan:
Name
Home Address
Email Address
Cell phone
Emergency Phone
Date of Birth
Passport number and expiration:
Roommate: (If you don’t have one, no worries, we will match you up)
Payments
Payments can be made by check and debit/credit cards, through PayPal. Paypal transactions will incur an additional 2.9% fee. PayPal payments should be sent to: sivakamsundari If you need assistance with facilitating a PayPal transaction, please contact: greg@rajanaka.com and he will be happy to assist you.
Make Checks Payable to: Rajanaka Yoga
Please send all checks to: Douglas Brooks, 7296 Gregg Road, Bloomfield, NY 14469
Payment Schedule
The total cost for each participant is $5400. With the exception of the first payment, please note all payments are due by the 10th of each month.
April 23 – Payment #1 $1500*
May 10 – Payment #2 $1000
June 10 – Payment #3 $1000
July 10 – Payment #4 $1000
August 10 – Payment #5 $1000 final payment**
*The 1st payment will NOT BE REFUNDABLE as it is for the purchase of plane tickets and otherdeposits. If you cancel before Sept. 1st, payments 2-5 will be refunded if a replacement is found.Cancellation after Sept. 1st will result in forfeiture of all previous payments. **The final price ofthe trip will be determined at the time of airline ticketing. Airline taxes can vary $100-$200. Youare also welcome to pay in full at anytime.
Changes and Cancellations:
Payments are not refundable or transferable by Rajanaka Yoga.
Travel Insurance:
Travel Insurance is available through Travel Guard. Visit www.travelguard.com for an online quote and a breakdown of three plan options.
Passport:
If your passport expires before August 2023, you will need to get a new one. Please start the process now.
Visa:
You can obtain a multi-year visa from an Indian consulate if you have one near you. Alternatively, a tourist visa can be applied for online 120 days prior to traveling. Details on the website and how to fill out the application will be sent to you.
Vaccinations:
The U.S. CDC does not require any vaccinations to visit India. Please visit your doctor for personal recommendations. Some people choose to get hepatitis vaccinations, flu shots and tetanus shots. If you are considering these, plan to visit your doctor at least 6 months prior to departure.
Terms and Conditions
Waiver and Release of Liability
I have read and agree to follow the guidelines listed above and to adhere to the payment schedule as outlined. I understand that Rajanaka Yoga acts as an agent for the various suppliers that provide hotel accommodations, transportation, activities or other services connected with this tour. Rajanaka Yoga and its respective employees, agents, representatives, independent contractors and assigns, accept no liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or any other incident which may be caused by the negligence, defect, default of any company or person in performing tour guiding, sightseeing, excursions, transfers, or any other activities connected with Rajanaka Yoga trips. Responsibility is not accepted for losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to sickness, weather, strikes, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, local laws or other such causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws and regulations of the country in which they are provided. Rajanaka Yoga is not responsible for any baggage or personal effects of any individual participating in the tours/trips led by Rajanaka Yoga. Individual travelers are responsible for purchasing a travel insurance policy, if desired, that will cover some of the expenses associated with the loss of luggage or personal effects.
I acknowledge that all travel involves an element of risk and I hereby assume all such risk to myself.
By signing below, I affirm that I fully understand and agree to the above Terms and Conditions, Waiver and Release of Liability.
____________________ __________________
Signature Date
&&&MORE
So much more. NEW FREE ONE HOUR, A Conversation About the Goddess Aranyani, The Wild One of the Forest, on the Archive here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fzcqc48pzzlilxa/AAB6LMj-WGPpjEBuEp6eqjz5a?dl=0
THURSDAYS IN MARCH & APRIL at 7pm Eastern
SIX MURUGA MYTHS: THE NONBINARY ARCHETYPE
You may not be much familiar with Ganesha’s brother Murugan. He is really only “important” in south India where his temple cult is significant. But in this archetype of the Tamils resides one of the great body of stories and imagergy. One of Muruga’s names is Shanmukha, Six Faces, and for each there is a temple and a very particular story. We will go on mythic pilgrimage together to the six temple myths of Muruga. (In December we are visiting these very temples on India Pilgrimage. This would be a great opportunity to make these trips.
Tuition is $15 per Session, or $90 for all Sessions to PayPal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com) . If you can’t make it live, the Archive recording will always be available.
The Zoom for all Thursdays at 7pm is always the same. ZOOM LINK: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328
You can find all of our Newsletters on the Kalliyam Blogspot here:
https://kalliyam.blogspot.com/2023/01/rajanaka-newsletter-january-10-2023.html
And so much to read on the Rajanaka Sammelana, Rajanaka Adesa, and the Contraiety [SIC] Blogspots, links here:
https://rajanaka.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-story-in-news-rajanaka-past-and.html
https://rajanakadesa.blogspot.com/2023/01/vrata-resolutions-and-new-year.html
https://contraiety.blogspot.com/2022/08/what-you-havent-earned-is-more-important.html
- Pancamukha Anjaneya, The Five-Face Hanuman of the Tantra. NOW IN ARCHIVE. Here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/d62llefrjvyidefn3uequ/h?dl=0&rlkey=p774e7zbme37d8cc49ocysog2
What will you find?
Six Sessions and PDF to aid in study. Write to me if you need help.
Description: No form of Hanuman is more important or less understood and studied than the great Pancamukha. Here Hanuman bears the visage of Varaha the Boar, Garuda the Raptor, Hanuman the Monkey, Narasimha the Lion Man, and Hayagriva the Horse. We will bring this character to life in mythos, mantra, and mudra, in theory and practice, and there will be new stories and work that extends far beyond what we have done before with the Tantric Hanuman. Everyone is welcome. We start at the beginning and we go deep.
Tuition for Six Sessions is $150, payable over time if you need, use PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com or nallapaampu@gmail.com) or Venmo (douglas-brooks-8 or svcourses@gmail.com) If you can’t afford full tuition, talk to me. Your access is guaranteed. Tuition further promises unlimited access to the Recorded Dropbox Archive that will allow you to listen whenever you like. Registration for all is by attendance and tuition is on the honor system.
- Saturday CORE: Rasa in Theory and Practice.
Time: Six Sessions on Saturday Evenings, 5pm Eastern
Dates: January 14 we begin! Jan 14/21/28 then February 11/18/25
ZOOM link for all Saturdays: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268
ARCHIVE is HERE: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/d4uwwjw17seca2livd6r2/h?dl=0&rlkey=nh4g7xj6x7skeghw4x6tcsk2c
Description: Rasa means essence, taste, liquidity, flavor, sentiment, elemental feeling and emotion. At the heart of the study of poetry, Rasa Theory is a remarkable, rich, and complex method of analysis and appreciation of artistry and aesthetics. But rasa is also a roadmap, a process and practice, a method for understanding and exploring our most elemental feelings. Rajanaka has among the most developed and useful rasa traditions of yoga. At the center of every yoga is engagement with feeling and the development of “taste”: rasa is the core of our being and here we learn the way through that labyrinth of essence.
Tuition for Six Sessions is $150, payable over time if you need, use PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com or nallapaampu@gmail.com) or Venmo (douglas-brooks-8 or svcourses@gmail.com) If you can’t afford full tuition, talk to me. Your access is guaranteed. Tuition further promises unlimited access to the Recorded Dropbox Archive that will allow you to listen whenever you like. Registration for all is by attendance and tuition is on the honor system.
- SUNDAY MAHABHARATA.
EVERY Sunday is a new story, every bit of it makes sense no matter when you choose to attend!
Time: Sessions on Sundays at 5pm Eastern.
Dates: Every Sunday unless we announce otherwise!
ZOOM link is the same for all Sundays:
https://rochester.zoom.us/j/314987250
Tuition: $15 per Session or $20 and all goes to India causes. Your call. Complete Archive INCLUDING a free Audio book is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0
Tuition for any of these Archives is $150 for complete access. You are on your honor to access them as you please and offer tuition via PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com or nallapaampu@gmail.com) or by Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com or douglas-brooks-8).
Gayatri Mantra
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r58rwnp3ryxgi6a6y8yme/h?dl=0&rlkey=59kbd7hjdrl8n809zv8becmdi
Lalita 1000 Names
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/18o5rtle7p91hz2/AADQnph8ofpPAX5mtW7mX-L4a?dl=0
OM Autobiography
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/11jd30d14ibjjtv3wauaj/h?dl=0&rlkey=1wugbag9m7myo1c50gt6qoa6d
Shakuntala for India
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/osx5n6i9vrz5vi5ek9vch/h?dl=0&rlkey=pa7akqysgrauu07mw9te61yb1
Pancamukha Hanuman
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/d62llefrjvyidefn3uequ/h?dl=0&rlkey=p774e7zbme37d8cc49ocysog2
Rasa Theory
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/d4uwwjw17seca2livd6r2/h?dl=0&rlkey=nh4g7xj6x7skeghw4x6tcsk2c
Free Saturdays in 2023
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rm505c2fcy04y3upn5abv/h?dl=0&rlkey=6gk1d5rzyypn0r37100wzv5hk
Sricakra Puja Appa Svadhyaya
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bi7z70589ztuak4/cakra%20puja.wav?dl=0
Religion 270 The Meaning of Life
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ab5ioprn7bk2qgsd8800i/h?dl=0&rlkey=k9g4xukvctff91fkye1wo5mdr
Poised for Grace Audio Book
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iw0za7jwml6m7mc/AACjDhxf9owOXjbkzT2r2k-Ra?dl=0
Patanjali Essential Core
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2qd7wc5qroiva3v/AAAaZPvnc9I2JQSrO88Iv1exa?dl=0
Sivakamasundari Practicum
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ifddb0hglwrm5hx/AABGyYYfSJ9B_KHhU1LgdsT3a?dl=0
Mahabharata Sundays
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bfqt15y3n0uglir/AAAB_89LiCOob0hJI1w8BK7_a?dl=0
- FREE One Hour Conversation this week on the Archive entitled Prana and the Five Pranas, Origins, Meanings and Mudras. (Please download directly from Dropbox, you need not ask to join the folder.) Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qcc7o1wxw69v55iyt5nlf/h?dl=0&rlkey=6jhxlo0i6zp2o69kuoxe8mkh5
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