In January, Amrita Virtual Academy will start the scriptural study series Knowledge of the Truth: An Introduction to Vedanta on the text Tattvabodha with classes led by Br. Sachinmayamrita Chaitanya. I’m excited for it, partly because I’ve been able to hear a few of his previous talks before on other topics, and partly because this is a text that provides a framework for all of Vedantic thought.
The first time I got to hear him talk was at the beginning of the Amrita Gita course. I had no idea how thirsty I was for information on the Indian scriptures until I heard this talk. I had wondered vaguely: “What is the relationship between the Upanishads and Vedanta? Are the Upanishads part of the Vedas, or separate? Was the Bhagavad Gita written before or later than the Upanishads? What do you study? Where do you start? How are they all related?” When I heard his talk, I hung onto every word and relistened with my notebook in hand, a few days later. It was profound, precise, and so full of devotion I wept a couple of times.
I know his series on Tattvabodha will be at least as good as his previous lectures, and needed in ways I’m not even aware of yet. Every bit of extra understanding I receive is absorbed deeply into me in ways that are hard to explain. I’ve seen more and more that I need to study the scriptures, to properly absorb the things Amma teaches us, as well as to properly absorb the things that happen to me in my life and how I respond to them. This understanding is intellectual and far beyond the intellect at the same time.
In his talk, Br. Sachinmayamritaji mentioned that the Sanskrit word Upanishad is composed of three syllables: “upa“, to come near; “ni“, to have focus, dedication, sincerity; and “shad“, to sit. Br. Sachinmayamritaji also mentioned that “shad” means to destroy, as in destruction of ignorance. It is yummy to imagine a group of dedicated students sitting by a sacred river or mountain with the teacher and this is in fact the surface meaning. Part of the deeper meaning is to let go of assumptions, leaving the cup of the mind as empty as possible, to take in and be nourished by the wisdom of the guru.
Contemplating this lecture gave rise to other dimensions beyond the concept of “upa”, or sitting down near the guru. It has begun to mean to me that I’ve prepared my mind to receive Amma’s teachings. To come close is not to be next to Amma’s body, but to be close enough in my mind and heart to receive what she is giving. Part of this preparation is to be versed at least a little bit in scriptures. Versing in them makes me alert to things Amma does and says.
For example, during a recent satsang the brahmacharini (nun) who was speaking, expressed that Amma had once teased her a little about her accent, saying that Amma had trouble understanding what she was saying. The brahmacharini said it made her afraid that Amma might even ask her to leave the ashram over it. By the way she chanted Amma’s Dhyayamo Shlokah at the beginning of the talk, it appeared to me that she was very self-conscious and self-judging about her speaking and singing voice. Of course Amma would never banish someone from the ashram because of their accent! Somehow during the interaction, Amma caused her to spontaneously sing part of a bhajan, forgetting her self-consciousness completely. It was beautiful, and seemed to me to heal the bramacharini’s lifelong fears, at least for a few moments in Amma’s divine presence.
There are too many scriptures discussing fear to even begin to describe here, but I’ll mention a couple. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verses 1–3 lists fearlessness as one of the virtues of people who have realized their divinity. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1. 4. 2) talks about how realizing the nature of our true self is a vital step in transcending fear. Several Upanishads discuss fear as a consequence of the false belief in ourselves as separate from the unity, from God.
Watching that interaction, I saw Amma take the brahmacharini’s deep fear and turn it on its head. Those moments of fearlessness surely caused the brahmacharini to experience life without fear for a few precious moments, allowing her to experience the truth underlying it. For me, knowing a little about the scriptural take on fear, was part of what helped me see what it was Amma was doing, at least from my perspective. The other thing that helped me appreciate the interaction was my attitude toward Amma—of drawing close by having learned that there is a deeper meaning to everything she does and says.
Without that knowledge, it could have looked like a self-conscious brahmacharini spoke, sang a little, had a quick conversation with Amma, and then it was time for bhajans. But because I knew a little, and also have come to understand that everything Amma does and says is a living scripture, I was able to clearly grasp more depth than I would have been able to otherwise. This is a tiny bit of the power of knowing a little about the scriptures, and therefore, some of what we could gain from participating in this Tattvabodha course.
Coming back to Br. Sachinmayamritaji’s satsang from the Amrita Gita course, there was a part of his talk that made me weep. He described how the guru is like a sculptor who sees the finished art in a block of wood or metal and then removes what is NOT the art. This is something many of us have heard before, but the way Br. Sachinmayamritaji put it was so full of devotion on top of his precision in language. The guru sees us as divine, as the guru itself, and lovingly works to remove whatever in us is not a reflection of this. I have come to see that knowledge of the scriptures allows me to collaborate internally with the guru in this process. Knowledge of the scriptures allows me to see where I’m going and what is in the way.
“Knowledge of the scriptures allows me to see where I’m going and what is in the way.”
But I cannot study the scriptures haphazardly and still be effective. Hearing a great line here or there out of context isn’t as helpful or impactful as a structured study. The Tattvabodha provides an essential framework for all of Vedantic thought. It answers deep questions about who we are, those questions many of us have had since childhood.
In Tattvabodha, the author discusses the creation, composition and characteristics of our mind, intellect, memory and ego. He talks about the three different types of bodies we possess during waking, dreams and sound sleep. Along the way, he shows that these things are not what we actually are, and how our reality is beyond all bodies and definitions.
The series of talks from Br. Sachinmayamritaji will clarify the Tattvabodha and prepare the groundwork and a framework for receiving that.
Thanks to Kamala for sharing her inspiring experience with Amrita Virtual Academy. We encourage you to try out the upcoming new course Knowledge of the Truth with Brahmachari Sachinmayamritya Chaitanya, starting on January 5, here. It is a self-paced course with weekly commentaries on the scripture as well as regular live sessions (with replay access) for doubt clearing.
Amrita Virtual Academy offers a range of scriptural classes, from Bhagavad Gita to Narada Bhakti Sutras. See more here.
As an Amrita Virtual Academy member, you have access to more than 80 different courses and retreats in different fields.
Discover more about the AVA Membership here. Or sign-up here.
For almost two years I have been doing seva (“selfless service”) for Amrita Virtual Academy. And, since I rarely get to take any of the courses, I honestly got very curious about all that’s in the Amrita Virtual Academy Membership. I love almost all the topics I see, and want to know exactly what I can learn. So, I decided to try out the Membership for 24 hours, have fun, and take you along. You’re invited to join me as I share my weekend adventure with you!
SATURDAY NIGHT
To begin, let me first login, and take another look at the AVA Membership… On the Student Dashboard I see all kinds of courses presented right away. Hmm… What shall I choose? I’ve got to start somewhere. What I’ve been longing to check out are the “Natural Living: Health and Harmony” and “Art of Natural Plant Dyeing” courses, plus the “Amrita Prasadam Indian Cooking” and “Devotional Singing” courses. (I also work as a classical singer, so I am curious to dive more deeply into devotional singing.) Also, I looooove, love, love cooking, so I want to see the amazing recipes and videos of the Indian Cooking classes.
My only activity tonight is to look around the Student Dashboard, and watch some of the content, so I know what to plan for tomorrow. Let’s start with my absolute favorite, Natural Living!!!
Exploring the Wellness Course, “Natural Living: Health and Harmony”
Oooh, a prayer to Amma before the course starts. Love it!
And, the video shows the Ecoshop in Amritapuri! I’m in India now, so I can easily go there. But, I imagine if you are in the West, and you miss the ashram here, then seeing the Ecoshop can literally feel like AVA is bringing Amritapuri into your home.
Oooh, we can learn to make eco-friendly gifts that support nature!
Look, it’s my singing friend in the video! “Hi Tejasvini! You look so cute in your white-and-pink sari!”
Right, we are going to make Mist Sprays with Essential Oils! I have wanted to do that for so long. I don’t have the essential oils at home that she speaks about, but tomorrow I will check which oils I DO have, and then make a home-and-body spray! Yippie!
Okay, next…I would love to cook something this weekend from the Indian Cooking courses.
Oooee, what are these Vegan Bliss Balls in Natural Living?
Wait, what? I seriously have everything in my flat (apartment) to make these balls tomorrow! But you know, since I’m no longer tired, I’m going to start making them right away.
Looking in my kitchen I see I have 90% of the ingredients, and have decided to replace the oatmeal with puffed quinoa. First I mix the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients, and make the bliss balls. Wauw, they are delicious! And, so easy to make.
Well, after that, I am still energized, so I’m going to see if I have any essential oils to make the mist spray taught in the course. Hmmm, I don’t have any, except a few final drops. But, what I do have, is a brown, plastic spray bottle I can use for when I do have oils. (You can see a photo of the brown bottle above and a fabric strip of my mum’s embroidered roses pictured in the background.) I’m going to head over to the Ecoshop in the coming days, and check if I can get some affordable oils to make my own spray. We will be going on tour with Amma soon, so I don’t want to spend too much now.
SUNDAY MORNING
Learning Indian Cooking with the “Amrita Prasadam” Courses
There are so many wonderful Amrita Prasadamvideos and recipes to choose from! I decided to make dosas, and check out the recipe for Coconut Chutney. Cool—all the recipe videos are right there on the Cooking page. (I clicked on “Cooking” in the left menu, on the Student Dashboard to bring up the Cooking page. I could also just type “coconut chutney” in the search bar to get there.) And, there is a video with the recipe: “Masala Dosa & Coconut Chutney”. Right, I see this is high-level Indian cooking. This is a great recipe for coconut chutney, but I don’t have everything needed in my little kitchen, so let’s make it with what I have! Yeah! It turned out to be yummy. Thank you, Vaju! <3
The prayer to Amma in the beginning is really awesome. Since we do it before every seva in the ashram, it becomes a regular part of life. Also, it’s beautiful how the focus of the singing course is on connecting more to Amma by singing bhajans. Ooo… I see it’s a course for 8 weeks.
I looked quickly through it and saw videos with all kinds of vocal exercises to learn ragas. (A raga is like a set of rules for building a melody—very similar to the Western concept of a music scale or mode.)
Wauw! I wanna learn this. And you know what’s amazing? You can make a video of yourself, and send it in to the teaching assistant to get feedback on your singing! In the coming weeks I will continue taking this singing course with Ratna. (She’s Brahmachari Ramanandamritaji’s sister!) I have seen the satsang, “The Essence of Music”, with Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri in the past weeks, and it is just gold! A must watch for music lovers.
SUNDAY EVENING
Enjoying The Art of Natural Plant Dyeing
Now, finally I can go into The Art of Natural Plant Dyeing! I was ‘dying’ to dive into this one… Okay, I see now that the course includes 12 hours of videos. So, let’s get started!
This whole course was recorded here in Amritapuri, in the Saraswati house—a place not everybody knows of yet. I was there a while ago, and it felt as if I went into the forest to see the medicine lady (the good witch) of the village to learn about the healing properties of different plants and herbs.
The sevites (volunteers) in the Saraswati house make all kinds of beautiful clothes with fabrics and natural dyes—one of the ultimate feminine and natural spots in Amritapuri.
Ayurvastra is an old ‘craft’ or ‘science’ about the healing art of natural plants in fabric. I learned from the class that it takes far more time to dye fabrics this way than it does to dye fabrics for the clothes we buy in regular shops. But, it is so healing for us, and also for the environment. “Fast fashion” becomes landfill garbage. I would love a sari dyed with Ayurvastra! Also in the Amrita Boutique here in Amritapuri, garments are sold that are made by Padma, who volunteers in the Saraswati house. (You can see her in the photo here, along with our Mindful Movement instructor, Neelima.)
Like Devotional Singing, Art of Natural Plant Dyeing is an 8-week course. I will be watching it in parts in the coming weeks, since I don’t want to overload myself now.
CONCLUSION
I’ve learned it’s especially good if you can join the year-long AVA Membership option, because, dear Goddess, it’s so beautiful, all this content! Soooo much valuable learning, plus arts and crafts…I am so grateful I have found this.
I didn’t even get into the language courses, the retreats, and the gardening courses yet. This is a true treasure chest of knowledge, with amazing spiritual lessons and satsangs everywhere you look! Truly “Learning Values Through the Arts!”
Love, Tanmayi Netherlands
P.S. Hey, that’s me in the AVA Membership… Ooooh It’s from my own little singing course…
In December 2022, I began taking music instrument classes from Amrita Virtual Academy, starting with the ganjira. In February 2024, I also started learning kaimani. Both classes have had a strong impact on my life, my path and my sadhana. They have given me access to a practice that has sent its roots deep into many areas of my life.
The classes have helped connect me to other spiritual seekers in a beautiful way. They have challenged me to expand at multiple levels and shown me that it is most important that my actions be connected to love. They have also shown me that Amma is very much with me, that her plans are often surprising, and that her work is deep and constant. I feel very lucky to find myself in these classes. I would not have predicted that I would do something like this.
In this first blog post, I would like to tell the story about how, by Amma’s Grace, I started to attend these classes, beginning with the ganjira, and how I found my ganjira teacher, Br. Vipin.
The story begins in Amma’s Ashram Amritapuri….
The first time I remember hearing a ganjira was in the Kali temple at Amritapuri. It was in the fall of 2022 on my first trip to India. Every morning, women gather for archana in the Kali temple. The 1000 Names of the Divine Mother are followed by the Sri Mahisausuramardini Stotram – a chant depicting an epic battle where the Divine Mother in the form of Durga slays various demons. Normally, there are no instruments played during the chanting but one day, the woman who was leading the chant played the ganjira.
This changed everything for me.
The stotram came to life. I became enchanted and wondered if I could learn to play that instrument to bring this experience home with me.
Connecting to the ganjira back home
I am not really musical, and I had never heard a ganjira played like that before. No one I spoke to had either. The thought of my learning to play one seemed like a long shot. But as it turned out, some time after I got home, I saw lessons offered online through the Amrita Virtual Academy. So now, all I needed was the instrument.
A few weeks later, I rode with a friend to the San Ramon Ashram in California to attend satsang.
That very night, someone was playing a ganjira, in the bookstore, after bhajans. And sure enough, he was a student of Br. Vipin who teaches both in-person and online ganjira classes through Amrita Virtual Academy. We then discovered that a few ganjiras were for sale in the bookstore. We each bought one that very night.
“This is how the Amma introduced me to my teacher and to my instrument.“
But that is not the end of her grace.
The online classes
Now that I had my own ganjira, I quickly signed up for the online class. The class is detailed and starts with a comprehensive lesson on how to approach the instrument, how to hold it, and how to respect it.
Br. Vipin introduces a few basic beats (or rhythms) used in Indian music which we are encouraged to practice with a metronome. Then step by step, beat by beat, the classes add something new each time. Each section of the course is followed by an invitation to connect with Br. Vipin and submit a sample of our homework in video format. Br. Vipin then responds with encouraging words and clear and precise recommendations for improvement.
At the beginning, my playing was a bit stiff, my timing was off, and in some ways, not strong. Despite this, we—the ganjira and I—would practice and play together. If I found an exercise too challenging to do on my own with the metronome. I would just set a 20 minute timer and play along with Br. Vipin and the demonstration videos, until it felt natural to me.
Returning to Amritapuri
In September 2023, I returned to Amritapuri where I was able to meet Br. Vipin in person and take in-person lessons. During our first lesson at the beach, he mentioned that this day was Ganesh Chaturthi (celebration of the birth of Lord Ganesh) and that a group of young people would be playing bhajans as part of the Ganesh puja at the Kalari (the space where Amma first started to give darshan and where the fire ceremonies are now held). He invited me to join them. It turned out to be a wonderful experience—very vibrant, fun and dynamic. This opened up to other opportunities for me to play along with others.
There is a video from the Ganesh Chaturthi 2023. You can see it here.
Shortly after Ganesh Chaturthi, during Onam (the harvest festival of Kerala where the relationship between man and Nature and human beings and God, is celebrated—read more here), I was able to hear first-hand other forms of percussion that are found in Kerala. This helped to give me a context for what I was trying to create with the ganjira.
“As we continued our in-person lessons, Br. Vipin helped refine my playing. He stressed that the purpose of playing is a meditation—a way to come closer to God, to bring the name of God to others, and to multiply the blessings of what we have received.“
The ganjira as part of my spiritual path
Br. Vipin also gave tips to help me reduce my tension by encouraging me to slow down, relax, be in the moment and to play naturally. Through these suggestions, as well as through the focus on playing as a meditation, he wove ganjira playing into my spiritual path.
In Napa Valley, California (also known as wine country) people talk about “terroir”, a way of referring to the unique, recognizable qualities that a specific soil of an area offers to a grape, and later to the wine it produces. Being immersed in the rhythms of Amritapuri and the surrounding area, I was able to feel that terroir of the rhythms of the Ganjira. I could hear them echoing from their origin.
Recognizing this instrument as a form of Amma’s love has helped me to keep practicing. Every now and then, I hear something lovely in my playing—it feels like a kind of grace, an attunement with the beauty contained within all things. This has become my meditation practice.
Try out the Ganjira Course with Brahmachari Vipin, here.
Amrita Virtual Academy offers a wide range of musical classes, from singing to learning different instruments. See more here.
As a Amrita Virtual Academy member you have access to more than 60 different courses in different fields. Discover more about the AVA Membership here, and join.
Every year, humans destroy around 10 million hectares of forests, causing huge ecological imbalance that affects earth’s climate and biodiversity. Deforestation has a profound impact on mankind, wildlife, and other life forms in nature.
As deforestation continues, urgent action is needed to protect the planet’s biodiversity and ensure the survival and wellbeing of countless species on earth.
The Civil 20 working group on Sustainable & Resilient Communities (SRC), under the guidance and vision of Amma as Chair of C20 for India’s G20 Presidency, is deeply honored to launch a ‘Global Seedball Campaign’ that will work towards producing and distributing 1 million seeds of hope in the year 2023.
A seedball is made up of soil and seeds, often mixed with clay and other organic materials to hold the ball together. They are designed to be thrown or scattered in areas where vegetation is desired and rely on natural rainfall to germinate and grow into mature plants. This is an ancient technique used for reforestation and soil restoration. Seedballs offer an environmentally friendly and low-cost solution to a global problem and has the potential to make a significant impact on the health and resilience of our planet’s ecosystems.
Amrita Virtual Academy offers this video tutorial with step-by-step instructions to join in on the challenge. May the spread of seedballs and increased awareness of the importance of trees lead to restoring ecological balance.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we began offering online music classes. Before, I only taught the Ganjira in person, and only at Amritapuri. Many students were eager to learn, but some could only visit the ashram for one or two weeks and so did not have enough time to delve deep into their studies or take many lessons.
Since people couldn’t come to Amritapuri at all during the pandemic, we began to conduct Ganjira classes online through Amrita Virtual Academy, with great benefit. As learning an instrument can take some time, students could progress from home at their own pace through a large variety of rhythms and beats. They could submit video assignments or join us for live sessions according to their own schedules. It was really inspiring to connect over Zoom and offer feedback and encouragement. Our students are so sincere and dedicated. Here is some feedback from one of our Ganjira students from Spain named Sridevi:
I have just finished the first Ganjira (Headed Tambourine) course and I want to share my experience with you.
As a whole, it has been a blessing, as are all of the ways Amma gives us to grow and become closer to ourselves. I would not say that learning a new instrument has always been easy for me, but the whole time I felt I was in the best company possible. During the classes I felt very well cared for — guided through all of the hurdles and gently brought out of any potholes on the road of learning.
I had never learned how to play any other instrument before I started the Ganjira course at Amrita Virtual Academy — a virtual holy space inspired by Amma. Because of this my progress felt slow, but the effort was worth it to grow closer to Amma’s teachings and the feelings of inner spiritual presence this musical sadhana offers.
Learning an instrument is a very easy and sweet way to keep your mind on God all day, because you go so deep into the lesson that you can spend a great part of the day delving into the bhajan you are studying that week. It also helps us become oblivious to any toxic atmospheres we may be subjected to in our day-to-day lives. Bhajans are a great inner companion — always offering positive thoughts and vibrations — in contrast with what we sometimes have to hear when living in the world. Immersing ourselves in bhajans is like wearing a shield!
Devotional practices are always sweet, even from the beginning. However, trying to learn something new can be frustrating at times, and that is a great time to practice some of the qualities Amma constantly reminds us to cultivate: patience, acceptance, will-power, perseverance, determination to continue, focus, and self-confidence. It is a very long list!
Playing takes a lot of coordination, as the left hand also plays its part in making the music! One hand (the right) strikes the Ganjira, while the other hand (the left), helps tune and adjust the quality of the sound. I’m so grateful for this excellent step-by-step course, which helped me make strong progress in learning this instrument.
I’m sure that anyone with an interest in learning the Ganjira will really enjoy this course, and soon be joyfully playing along with Amma’s bhajans. May the grace of the divine be with you all in your musical inner journey! May the Divine Mother bless us all with her presence within every time we pick up our instruments.
Om Namah Shivaya! Sridevi
It really brightens my heart to hear such beautiful thoughts from this student, who obviously has been studying hard while connecting with the depths and deep benefits available from the gangira and other instruments we teach at Amrita Virtual Academy.
We are so grateful to all our students who have helped AVA come to life. It has been a beautiful few years together. We look forward to further learning and growing together. If you have any questions about the Ganjira, please contact us at support@amritavirtualacademy.com.
When the 2023 G20 Summit convenes on September 9-10 in New Delhi, the leaders of the world’s major economies, comprising 19 countries and the European Union, will address the major global issues of our time.
The Government of India holds the G20 presidency for 2023, and has appointed Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) as the chair of an official G20 engagement group known as Civil20, or C20. As a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), C20 will bring forth non-government and non-business voices and present specific policy recommendations to the world leaders gathering in New Delhi for this year’s G20 summit.
Since Amma’s appointment as C20 Chair, numerous C20 conferences have catalyzed new levels of collaboration and problem solving among civil organizations. It is within this significant global framework that the C20 Education & Digital Transformation Summit was held on May 20-21, 2023 in Trivandrum, Kerala. The event featured 66 speaker presentations by prominent leaders in this field—including one highlighting the work and vision of Amrita Virtual Academy (AVA).
AVA educator and program coordinator Chandrika Suliman began her presentation by sharing what makes Amrita Virtual Academy unique: that every course offering is rooted in spiritual values. As a result, AVA students experience growth well beyond the knowledge and skills acquired.
Chandrika then presented a case study demonstrating the power of such an approach. The case study highlighted a collaboration between AVA and Amrita University, initiated during the pandemic, when Amrita University professors observed that their Computer Science students had become disconnected from the natural world. The professors noticed campus littering was on the rise. And with students glued to their laptop and phone screens, social skills had also diminished. In hopes of reversing this trend, Chandrika was requested to give a 45-minute presentation on love for nature. Amazingly, just after the presentation 200 of the 400 attendees signed up to learn the principles of Regenerative Agriculture through an AVA Amritaculture curriculum.
Of those students who were accepted into the pilot program, 72% not only completed the course, but also wanted to continue learning and become youth leaders in the field of ecology and regenerative agriculture.
“People are longing to return to a harmonious relationship with nature,” Chandrika observed. “In this time of climate crisis, people are longing to move beyond the feelings of despair and hopelessness, and into an experience of connection and empowerment. As Amma encourages, ‘Light your little candle and step forward.’ This pilot course was a beautiful way to help people know how to do that.”
She continued, “What I learned from those 200 students, who were so eager to contribute back to nature, is that there’s still hope. There’s still hope, and we just need to be intelligent and loving and keep moving forward.”
By Amma’s grace, may the course offerings of Amrita Virtual Academy continue to ignite such optimism and determination within us all.