What Is An Ashram? An Eastern Perspective
Excerpt from Chapter 7 We Are Co-Pilgrims, Towards a Culture of Inter-religious Harmony by S Painadath SJ
"The word ashram is derived from the Sanskrit root a-s'rama, which means total pursuit, full dedication "tireless striving stretching its arms towards perfection."1 Ashrams are places where an intense spiritual sadhana [spiritual practice, a means of accomplishing something] takes place. However the term spiritual has to be understood in a holistic sense. In the Indian heritage everything has a spiritual dimension. Ashram is a place where the seeker wakes up to this inner divine depth of reality.
"More than a place, ashram is a movement of the Spirit in the spirit. In an ashram, the seeker discerns the movements of the divine Spirit and responds to them creatively....From ancient times, ashrams were powerhouses of spiritual renewal and creative expression in socio-political life in India."
"The main thrust of an genuine ashram is the integrative approach to life. The overall concern is the liberation and formation of the whole person in communion with society and in harmony with nature. The characteristic elements of an ashram are the following:
- A contemplative atmosphere conducive to spiritual pursuits (sadhana),
- A relentless quest for the Divine (Brahmajijñasa) with an intense pursuit of Truth and Beauty,
- All-embracing simplicity of life-style coming from authentic renunciation (tapas),
- A compassionate attitude to people (karuna),
- Leading to a genuine hospitality towards all, and
- A vibrant harmony with nature expressed in a culture of non-violence (ahimsa).
The ashram is a place where one realizes the Self by experiencing the divine depth dimension of reality."
"Ashram is a place where one encounters the divine within and all around oneself. And in this contemplative experience all divisive fences and walls collapse, every sort of prejudice and discrimination is overcome. An authentic ashram is a community of spiritual pilgrims. They relentlessly pursue a disciplined search for the experience of the divine beyond the boundaries of concrete religions....In this process seekers of different religions find themselves on a common spiritual pilgrimage. They share their spiritual experiences with the co-pilgrims and get themselves enriched by the experiences of the others."
The spiritual vision of an ashram is articulated in the Isa Upanisad: "All this is permeated by the divine Lord; enjoy everything through renunciation. See the divine Self in all, and all in the divine Self" (1.6).
An ashram is a place of silence. The distinctive feature of an ashram is its culture of meditative pursuits. Seekers come to an ashram in search of guidance in spiritual life. "Ashram is in the heart of a guru and in his personal contact in the depth with the Indweller."3 In the process of integral meditation one deepens one's consciousness to realize the divine depth of reality and broadens it to perceive the Divine in all things. The sages of India speak of two inner faculties of perception: manah (mind) and buddhi (intuitive intellect). Manah objectifies everything and analyses reality; buddhi enters into the reality by uniting it with the perceiving subject. Manah looks at the structures and qualities of reality, while buddhi delves into the core of reality. Manah pursues the logic of reality; buddhi seeks the mystique of reality. Manah operates within the subject-object polarity and arrives at the knowledge of things (vfjñana); in buddhi this polarity is overcome: the subject and object merge into a unity of transcendental consciousness in which wisdom (jñarna) emerges. Manah speculates on the horizontal level; buddhi intuits vertically into the depth of reality. What the mind does is reflection over realities; what happens in the buddhi is meditation. The "so-called contradictions are such only at the mental level, but are in reality complementary aspects-for the over-mind" (intuition) .... "Truth is hidden beyond words and concepts."4
In an ashram primacy is given to the relentless quest through sadhanas or specifically Indian spiritual practices. It is a place where, above all, people can experience God and live in an ever-deepening awareness of his presence. This is fostered by renunciation and detachment and an atmosphere of silence, peace and joy."6
1. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali, poem 35
Thoughts From Agni Yoga - Becoming The Keepers of The Lightening
55. Striving is the boat of the Arhat. Striving is the manifested unicorn. Striving is the key to all caves. Striving is the wing of the eagle. Striving is the ray of the sun. Striving is the armor of the heart. Striving is the lotus blossom. Striving is the book of the future. Striving is the world manifest. Striving is the multitude of stars.
56. Why is the discovery of signs of the future likened to weaving? In weaver's work the warp is of a definite hue, and groups of threads are divided according to color. It is easy to determine the warp and one can easily find the group of threads, but the design of this group permits different combinations, depending upon a thousand current details. Indeed, the inner relationship of the subject himself will be the principal condition. If his aura should be too unsteady, then the prognosis will be a relative one. Then it will resemble a certain game, wherein, being given a few scattered points, one must identify a definite figure.
Where, then, is the best ferment with which to steady the wavering of the aura? The best ferment is striving. It is impossible to sting or to smash an impetuously directed body. Striving in motion attains validity, and becoming lawful it becomes irresistible, for it enters into the rhythm of the Cosmos.
Thus proceed in the small and in the great, and your texture will be unmatched, crystal, cosmic; in brief—beautiful. Striving, nothing else, results in mastery over the elements, for the basic quality of the elements is striving. In this state you coordinate the elements with the higher creativeness of the spirit and become the keepers of the lightning. Man shall become keeper of the lightning. Believe it, by striving only will you conquer.
El Morya New Era Community, Agni Yoga series