Rajanaka News October 4th 2023: Embrace Grace When It's Chance

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Aho’Rajanaka,

Today’s note is quite brief because things happen, sometimes even good things, serendipitous, fortuitous, propitious things. I’ve arrived at a time in life when Susan says things like “…you should do that now…” She’s prompting me to go for it while I push through my neurotic inner voice to always stick with the plan, stay the course, take it one thing at a time. I love the steady course, Appa taught me little by little, again and again, and it has served me well. But the shadow of such luminous advice and method---and everything good including the best advice you ever receive has shadow, hidden truths, matters to consider---is that I think I should always stick it out, and I remain hesitant to change a good plan. But sometimes when you see a chance, take it. This is just such an opportunity, unlikely to happen any time soon (maybe eva’) and I have spent this whole paragraph feeling guilty. (I have a friend coming into New York for the weekend that I may never see again. He lives in Japan. So, gotta make time. So’kay?) Normal people just change plans and don’t write volumes. Geez. See what happens? Yoga is a strange blessing.

We will be taking this week’s Sessions---Ma Kālī on Thursday, Krsna on Saturday, and Sunday Mahabharata---off and will make them up next week. We have one more scheduled Session for Ma Kālī Poetry and Krsna Tales in this current Early Autumn Curriculum, and they will happen on October 12th and 14th. We are merely delaying that one week---so no big deal? I apologize for the short notice. We will resume Sunday Mahabharata on October 15th. I am also planning our next Thursday and Saturday Sessions that will take us into December and those will be announced next week.

I hope you will subscribe to Substack.  It is free to subscribe, and all content is offered free.  (I will never put up a pay wall, which is a common practice.)  If you would like to offer a tuition subscription that will be available on the subscription page and is much appreciated for the causes we support.  If you’re not familiar, Substack is a multimedia site that will allow us to put podcasts, blogspots, chats, and newsletters all in one place.  It’s super easy for users, it’s free, and some really good folks make it their home, like the wonderful Professor Heather Cox Richardson whose daily Letter from an American is must reading.  Go here to find the Rajanaka Substack; https://rajanaka.substack.com
Please?

I’ll be making past Sessions, Courses, and Camps more easily accessible in the future but the Dropbox Archive is always there for downloads, and it really is a breeze.  Check out the tons of stuff below the line.  Whatever it says as far as tuition goes, choose two for $100 from any of the offering and know that you’ll be getting a lifetime of learning.

Do take care.  I’ll be putting out a Podcast later today, with any luck.  Just finishing that up.  It’s a good story and a powerful teaching about what it means to create grace when life doesn’t make it so easy.

Talk soon.
As ever, with affection,

Douglas

&&&

IF you would like to catch up with KRSNA TALES, you can listen to the previous Sessions from our Dropbox Archive. Join us next week and in the meantime, have a listen:
KRSNA TALES. The spin on these stories, whether or not you are familiar with any of them, is well worth the time and the company is good. Last week went very well (can I say that?) and we have recordings, if you can’t make it to the live Zoom. Here are the links.
ZOOM: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95057662268

DROPBOX RECORDINGS: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yns6f7e5ftv0oftngesb1/h?rlkey=v2445440ppmm7llgfj3jn9rm0&dl=0

If you would like to catch up on the Ma Kālī’s Poetry, all previous Sessions are available on our Dropbox Archive. Download, listen, and join us next Thursday Evening at 7pm.

KĀLĪ’S SONG, 7PM EASTERN. This has been so interesting and fun. We have two recordings for you ready and three more Sessions. Join us.
ZOOM: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328

DROPBOX RECORDINGS: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/4iugvd3a6s6x1kkqr7nyn/h?rlkey=yqalpm73mvxpk5c66636bmw7l&dl=0

If you want something personal, just for you or for you and a handful of friends, then I’ve got this for you:

RAJANAKA TUTORIAL: PERSONALIZED LEARNING, STUDY, CONTEMPLATION IN EVENING WEEKDAY SESSIONS

Our community has evolved and matured to the point where many of you are eager for more personal and directed work. There’s nothing quite like a personal conversation. Do you want to talk about your life in yoga? Discuss a particular subject, topic, or vocabulary? Read a text together? I’m will make available time on Monday, Wednesday, and some Fridays after 7pm Eastern time. We can schedule one session, weekly, bi-weekly, whatever suits you. The model is the so-called Oxford Tutorial or more like what Appa did for me: it was just us. You can invite friends, you can organize this for your own yoga students for Q&A or teacher training. You will have your own ZOOM link and all material will be wholly private and confidential. Learning in good company is what we do. Tuition can be paid over time. $165 for Four Sessions, 90 minutes each, or as you please. Write to me and we will schedule: douglas@rajanaka.com

ALSO,

LIVE COLLEGE ON ZOOM, FALL SEMESTER 2023

REL 252 HEROINES AND HERO’S IN INDIA’S MYTHOLOGIES

This is entirely free and you are welcome as my auditing guests to attend the classes and lectures held during this fall semester at the University of Rochester. You will have your own chat box. The condition is that you must put up with the conditions of a college classroom and the Zoom is not as personal as our sessions. Class meets every Tuesday and Thursday. I will provide you the syllabi on request so you can read along. Come whenever you like, take the whole course or drop in whenever you can. Here is the ZOOM link. (I will open it sometime after 11:05, not usually right on time.) https://rochester.zoom.us/j/98183733328

THE DROPBOX ARCHIVE

This is truly a vast repository of recorded Sessions, Seminars, Camps. If you want any past course or session (and find Dropbox less than optimal), just write to me, I will hook you up.
You can access this anytime by downloading from provided links. And a very select bit is still on the Rajanaka website. You’ll find the hundreds free Saturday Storytellings, Sunday Mahabharata, our Gita Sessions, and so much more. I’m trying to figure out how to make this more organized and accessible (currently with Substack, ‘cause it’s got tools). Look below the line for some selections. I hope to move most of this to Substack where you can more easy subscribe and purchase. Proceeds to our good causes.

ALL PAST NEWSLETTERS on the Kalliyam Blogspot here:

https://kalliyam.blogspot.com/2023/01/rajanaka-newsletter-january-10-2023.html
I’m hoping to put all future Newsletters also on Substack. Our mailing list server is fine but it’d be better to have things all in one place.

I hope you read this far. I hope to see you soon. And there is more below the line.

Saprema, affectionately,

Douglas

&&this is the below the line part…

All FREE Special Saturdays for 2022 and 2023 are in these Archives for download. For 2022 go here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/a34ja95pg4t8bamatfq3q/h?rlkey=0dcorxwfqhocsiime5rhcju1t&dl=0

For 2023 Specials go here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rm505c2fcy04y3upn5abv/h?rlkey=6gk1d5rzyypn0r37100wzv5hk&dl=0

Rajanaka Summer Camp 2023, “The Sorcery of Śiva: Teachings on Abhicara and the Luminous Shadow”.
Dropbox Archive link is here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/836d746qa8917cdcgnjll/h?rlkey=bqb06vxanp69s4o17gar035nx&dl=0

Tuition for the Archive is $200, please use the usual PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com) or Venmo (same email or douglas-brooks-8).

THE HEART OF RECOGNITION SESSIONS

Please use the usual PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com) or Venmo (douglas-brooks-8).

*Dropbox Recordings Available IN FULL, NOW, Anytime!: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3lvz5j1ajcidwjasy7fsl/h?dl=0&rlkey=qibpejcv3blkq0ngmjx6atsc8

*All Courses are recorded and available on our Archive for download.

*Tuition for the Archive is $150, please use the usual PayPal (svcourses@gmail.com) or Venmo (same email or douglas-brooks-8).

INDIA is a go. If you are interested in joining us on the India Pilgrimage that can still happen for you. There’s room. There are more details below the line but you can write to me directly with any questions or interests, douglas@rajanaka.com. Join the Facebook Group Rajanaka 2023 India Pilgrimage even if you don’t think you can come this time. You’ll meet lovely people and you won’t be able to resist. This is the real deal.

NEW ARCHIVE COURSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM THIS PAST SPRING 2023.

· The Tamil Goddess in Six Sessions, tuition for all Sessions is $95. You can download from here directly. Tuition is on the honor system, use Paypal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/owz6urldp6rnl4nv6bpdh/h?dl=0&rlkey=7rty7mxnjwk301bjk6vt7qtpi

· Muruga of the Six Temples, tuition for all Sessions is $95 payable as PayPal or Venmo (svcourses@gmail.com), here is the Dropbox link for downloading directly: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/1fwu9qhlghlmz9t1a1sd2/h?dl=0&rlkey=2lz0ox3znbhl0iqc48qu59gpx

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.

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 helpDescription: 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.

Rasa in Theory and Practice.

Six Sessions on Saturday Evenings

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 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