Open Sky Newsletter

January and February 2022

INDIA RETREAT

January 2022

"You may imagine to yourself that you have parted from God, but know that he never parts from you"

Ramana Maharshi

Self Inquiry

After a year break we were very happy that John David offered in January again his annual India Retreat at the mountain Arunachala. With his guidance we focused deeply on the fundamental question of Self Inquiry: „Who am I?“, based on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. 

Beauty Unfolding

Over three weeks, the energy in the retreat became very strong and everybody could discover the Beauty of their own being and what doesn’t allow us to live this beauty in our everyday life.  

 

Spiritual India

The presence of the Mountain, visits to Ramana Ashram and other energetically strong places, meetings with Indian Masters such as Ma Devaki on the right, and spending time in spiritual India gave everybody an amazing support to connect deeply to their true nature beyond any dramas and structures. 

Guests, Sangha members and residents of the Open Sky House feel very blessed and grateful for this extraordinary time.

Building Community

Enhancing Facilities for Residents and Guests

Tripillya

We finished a Reception and Volunteer Bedroom which completes the functioning of the community.

Denia

We have finished our new beautiful bathroom outside for mealtime and bodywork guests. We also rebuilt the Pool Bathroom and are ready to put a new roof on the managers room which is outside of one of our guest rooms Picasso. 

Ramana Maharshi

Essential Extracts from the Aham Sphurana Manuscript

The Open Sky Press Team is currently strongly focusing on producing 2 new books on the bases of the Aham Sphurana Manuscript of Sri Gajapathi Ayyer, containing rare reports of Sri Ramana Maharshi and the Ashram in 1936. One Book will be a Selection of the entire 2000 page manuscript, the other one Volume 1 of a series of 3 chronological Editions of the Manuscript. 

Q: So, is this state of consciousness steadily remaining merely as Itself, undisturbed by thought, called the Sahajastithi?
B: No. It is called Aham Sphurana.


Q: Then what is the Sahajastithi?
B: No description is possible. The reflected being — consciousness which is localised in a physical bodyis destroyed; after this is destroyed, that alone remains which has always been. It is the Absolute Reality. It transcends dualities such as being and non-being, knowledge and ignorance, light and darkness, etcetera. It is THAT — WHICH — IS, that is all that can be said of it. That is what YAHWAH  stands for in the Bible. Although He seems therein to be a personal God, guiding the destiny of the children of Israel, the Talmudic Prophets of Old knew the transcendental aspect, as did the Christ. God told Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, YahwAh, I was not known to them.” On the other hand, the term Yehwah occurs many times in Genesis. Is there a contradiction? No. Prophets before the time of Moses had known the personal God Yehwah, but Moses was the first to whom the transcendental, formless aspect was revealed. The earlier prophets knew the name but not its significance. They loved God and cherished his name but did not understand the meaning or import of the name.
                  The name means “I am that I am”. God revealed the meaning of the name to Moses, whereas the earlier prophets had only been given the name. The name means that one who is simply subjectively aware, without knowing any object, is absorbed or transformed into God. This is not an intellectual conviction or mental assertion. It is the blossoming of the Heart — lotus [Hridayapundarikam] of love from within.

The Manuscript contains various stories through which you can get an intimate  glimpse into life at Ramanashram and around Bhagavan himself

Ramana eyes

Rooting Out the Ego and Persevering on the Path

Q: Which is genuine Vichara – asking myself Who am I? every time a thought arises or keenly investigating the problem of who I am?
B: The latter. If you want to get rid of a poisonous tree, do you lop off its leaves one by one? What is the use of such an approach? In the time it takes for you to cut down one leaf, leaves multitudinous in number and multifarious in variety would have sprouted forth from the vicious tree. Instead, attack the poisonous root of illusion, namely the ahamvritti, straightaway!

Read More »
Ramana with Boy and Stick

Danger of Emptiness [shunyastithi]

Bhagavan: ( )…Otherwise, the aspirant will in all likelihood unknowingly mistake the shunyastithi [state of emptiness] to be Jnana and rest in it, eventually becoming hopelessly lost.

It is an unfortunate fact that many teachers of meditation tutor shunyastithi and purposely delude their pupils into believing that it is Jnana.

Shunyastithi [state of emptiness] is a deadly spiritual poison.

It drives one away from the Heart, thereafter the lost ground has to be recovered all the way by means of doubling-back if Jnana is to be reached. That is why meditation is not encouraged here, but only Vichara.

Read More »
Rama Na

BE As You Are

Bhagavan: People are so obsessed with and enamoured by mental activity that they imagine that by some special kind of mental activity, such as meditation, for instance, the Self can be duped into revealing Itself. It is not so. Only complete cessation of mental activity can reveal the Self. Giving up the personal self or the idea of the seekers existence, should, again, be volitionless and unconditional; it should not be driven by any motive.

Read More »

Vipassana & Volunteer Week

Impressions of the Recent Vipassana Island Retreat and the Volunteers which joined the flow of the Community last week

Feedback volunteer week:

The Art of Honey

Ayurveda Edition

On our recent India Retreat we found 3 supremely nice honeys from the area around Arunachala Mountain: Neem, Tulsi and Herbal Plantage. You can bring the taste of India onto your next Sandwich if you haven’t been this year! 

Upcoming Events

Meditation Weekend

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

25 – 27 March 

 

Satsang, Mantra, Herztanz,
Yoga, Active Meditation 

Meditation is food for body, mind and soul in the hectic distraction of our everyday life. It helps us to draw our attention inwards, to trust life and to trust our intuition. In this weekend we explore different kinds of meditations and practices to open the heart and bring the mind into silence.

Get a Taste of Living in Spiritual Community – Free Volunteer Week

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

28 March – 3 April

 

Join the flow of the community and take the chance and discover how spirituality can be lived in every day life. Come one week for free as a volunteer, meet like hearted people and take part in the daily activities of the community. Each evening we will have a workshop and daily yoga, meditation and heart dance.

Easter Retreat

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

14 – 18  April 

 

This retreat offers a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the energy field of Satsang. There will be daily Satsang with John David, Mantra singing with Live Music, Heart Dance, Yoga, Meditation and delicious vegetarian food. The Retreat takes place in the beauty of the Open Sky House Hitdorf, directly at the banks of the river Rhine where you can enjoy walks in the beatific spring nature.

Vipassana Island Weekend 

at Open Sky Villa Spain

25 – 27 March 

This special Vipassana Retreat is a great opportunity to understand how your mind and body are operating and to meet yourself in a deep way.

You will spend a whole weekend with yourself, sitting in silence in the supportive energy of a meditating group and the Open Sky House Community which has been guiding people into their heart and essence for 15 years.

Meditation Weekend

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

11 – 13 March 

 

Satsang, Mantra, Herztanz,
Yoga, Active Meditation 

Meditation is food for body, mind and soul in the hectic distraction of our everyday life. It helps us to draw our attention inwards, to trust life and to trust our intuition. In this weekend we explore different kinds of meditations and practices to open the heart and bring the mind into silence.

Get a Taste of Living in Spiritual Community – Free Volunteer Week

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

14 – 20  March

 

Join the flow of the community and take the chance and discover how spirituality can be lived in every day life. Come one week for free as a volunteer, meet like hearted people and take part in the daily activities of the community. Each evening we will have a workshop and daily yoga, meditation and heart dance.

Vipassana Island Weekend 

at Open Sky Villa Spain

25 – 27 March 

This special Vipassana Retreat is a great opportunity to understand how your mind and body are operating and to meet yourself in a deep way.

You will spend a whole weekend with yourself, sitting in silence in the supportive energy of a meditating group and the Open Sky House Community which has been guiding people into their heart and essence for 15 years.

Easter Retreat

at Open Sky House Hitdorf

14 – 18  April 

 

This retreat offers a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the energy field of Satsang. There will be daily Satsang with John David, Mantra singing with Live Music, Heart Dance, Yoga, Meditation and delicious vegetarian food. The Retreat takes place in the beauty of the Open Sky House Hitdorf, directly at the banks of the river Rhine where you can enjoy walks in the beatific spring nature.

Anything you would like to share or ask?