• CREATE AN ACCOUNT
  • LOG.IN
  • CONTENTS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ARCHIVE
  • INFO | ADVERTISING | CONTACT US

  • Home
  • News
    • NewsFlash
  • A&E
    • Movie Times
    • TV Listings
    • A&E Blog
    • Art Galleries
    • Best Bets
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Voices
    • Letters
    • In Memoriam
  • Events
    • Today
    • Search
    • Submit
    • Best Bets
  • Living
    • Travel
    • Sports
    • Peeps
  • Food & Drink
    • All Restaurants
    • Delivery
    • All Bars & Clubs
    • Drink Specials
    • Open Now
  • Outdoors
    • Outside Insider
    • Spotlight On
    • Features
  • Classifieds
    • Real Estate
    • Jobs
    • Autos
  • Personals
  • Obits

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship

Vedic Peace Ceremony to Spread Good Will in a Thousand-Mile Radius

Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri Speaks at the Victoria Hall


Friday, July 18, 2008
By Elena Gray-Blanc
Article Tools
Print friendly
E-mail story
Contact an Editor
iPod friendly
Comments
Bookmark This
del.icio.us. del.icio.us.
Digg! Digg!
furl furl
google google
newsvine newsvine
reddit reddit
technorati technorati
Facebook Facebook
Yahoo! My Web 2.0 Yahoo!

In Santa Barbara, very few things are free — but on Saturday, July 19, Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri will give a lecture at the Victoria Hall which is offered free to all. Swami Vidyadhishananda is the resident spiritual director of the Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a monastery and non-profit spiritual organization located in the foothills of Carpinteria.

Swami Vidyadhishananda is one of the world’s more eminent yogis, and has a long history of speaking on a wide variety of subjects, from women’s health to Indian mythology, and from Ayurvedic healing techniques to literary criticism. This week’s lecture takes on the idea of transcending overly emotional, intellectualized, and body-conscious motivations in the human mind, in order to unravel the divine potential the Swami believes exists in every person. As he prefers to speak without either a prepared speech or lecture notes, Swami Vidyadhishananda’s lecture will be a spontaneous discussion of transcendence.

Click to enlarge photo

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship

This lecture is the second of two events sponsored by the Self Enquiry Life Fellowship this week. The first, a Vedic fire ceremony called the Guru Parnima, was held at the monastery on Thursday, July 17. This ceremony, which lasted approximately eight hours, was intended as an offering to the community — its peaceful effects are supposed to extend a thousand miles from its location. Four priests participated, each of whom were brought from a different part of the country and chosen for their knowledge of Vedic scripture. The fire ceremony always takes place on the full moon, and the Self Enquiry Life Fellowship holds one each July.

While Swami Vidyadhishananda’s lecture is not directly related to the fire ceremony, it is also intended as an offering to Santa Barbara. All events held by the monastery are free; anyone with an interest is encouraged to attend, and this lecture is no exception. In addition to the lecture, two of the Swami’s Danish disciples, both professional classical musicians, will perform for the audience. There will be a short period of meditation following the Swami’s discourse. In honor of Swami Vidyadhishananda, Mayor Marty Blum will attend as well, and will welcome and greet him before the lecture.

Swami Vidyadhishananda has already been named a Mahamahopadhyay, which translates as “Great Ordained Teacher”; this honor reflects the high regard in which his teachings and his knowledge are held by other Sanskritic teachers. The subject on which he plans to speak on Saturday, Divinity in the Light of Transcendence, is one on which he’s particularly expert. Anyone with an interest in Vedic spirituality will find this event fascinating.

4•1•1

Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri will speak at the Victoria Hall Theatre, at 33 W. Victoria St., on Saturday, July 19, 6pm-8pm. The lecture is free, and seating may be limited. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Doors will open at 5:45pm. For more information, call 909-543-6003 or email quest@swamihiman.org.

To invite The Independent to your place of worship, email yourworshipsb@gmail.com.

Story Help (Click-ability)
Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.

Comments

Discussion Guidelines

Oh I do hope Marty will become "enlightened" as to how to handle the gang problem. If so, I am going to see what I can do to become a traveling Conman, throw barbeques and spread goodwill to liberal California suckers. From the looks of that solid gold sauce pot, it must pay pretty well...

Popeye in his infinite wisdom, had it right...

A Balmy Swami... wish I could find a video clip:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149782/plot...

RForsyth (anonymous profile)
July 18, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well I couldn't find Popeye's version but this is even better -
just substitute "gang problem" for "pigeon", "Silly Mayor" for "Dastardly", "Silly Police Chief" for "Muttley", Swami Vidyadhishananda" for "Sam Swami" and it's the perfect analogy for all this sillyness! Hanna-Barbara were prophets! Who knew?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNGDFE_rB...

Honestly is it really that much of a stretch?

(Can't wait to see how the Swami's magic spell brings peace to the gangs :) Oh don't get upset you Swami worshippers, where is your sense of humour?

RForsyth (anonymous profile)
July 18, 2008 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Post a comment

Username:
Password: (Forgotten your password?)

Comment:

EVENT CALENDAR

Previous Month | Next Month

Today's Events Best Bets Submit an Event

Local Weather

Currently:
Clear Sky
Temperature:
63.0°
Wind:
5 ENE

Surf Report
  • Specials
  • InPrint
  • Top Emails
  • Blue Green Guide 2008
  • Summer Camp Guide 2008
  • Wedding Guide 2008
  • SBIFF 2008 All Access
  • 2008 Election Coverage
  • Best of Reader's Poll 2007
  • Calendar of Fundraisers
  • Local Bands
  • Kid's Mother's Day Issue
  • Made in Santa Barbara
  • Zaca Fire 2007
  • Election 2008 Kickoff
  • Esau’s: It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore
  • Juarez’s Fate in Jurors’ Hands
  • Our 2008 Endorsements
  • k.d. lang Returns, Wearing Her Heart on Her Sleeve
  • World Series Now?
  1. Watch Her Strut
  2. Cats on Parade
  3. Tangerine Falls
  4. Barney Buys a House
  5. Cold Springs Trail—East Fork
  6. Yes on Proposition 8: Gay Marriage Deprives Some Children of a Mom or a Dad
  • CREATE AN ACCOUNT
  • LOG.IN
  • CONTENTS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ARCHIVE
  • INFO | ADVERTISING | CONTACT US
Google
 
Independent.com Web
Copyright ©2008 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. If you believe an Independent.com user or any material appearing on Independent.com is copyrighted material used without proper permission, please click here.
This is our Privacy Policy.