Chakrapani Ullal

A message from the Office of Chakrapani Ullal:

Dear Friends,

With a heavy heart I must share with you the sad news of Chakrapani’s passing on Saturday, October 28.

Several months ago, he had warned us that this week would be very challenging. Yet, without fear, he continued to battle his disease. Sadly, it became apparent that despite our best efforts his condition was declining. There was a moment when Chakrapani indicated that it was his time to begin a new journey.

His final hours were serene and holy. His hospital room was converted into a kind of temple so that he was surrounded by a peaceful space, filled with the sounds, the aroma, and the vision of what was sacred to him. There was chanting from his native Mookambika Temple in South India which had a powerful transformative effect.

He was not afraid to go and never sought to remain here for himself, but rather wanted to be here for those who depended on him. He lived for others up until the very end.

I will follow up soon with more information. The Memorial will not be until the new year to accommodate those who need to make travel plans in order to attend.

Thank you again for your support and caring which made Chakrapani’s final challenge more bearable and which will make it easier to face the days ahead.

With love and gratitude,

Dianne Brown

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.

Mahashivarathri at Mount Soma

Today is Mahashivarathri and the feeling at Mount Soma is wonderful. Everybody is outside preparing for the festivities. Right now, it almost feels like Fourth of July here at Mount Soma: friendship, community, spirituality, festivities, springtime… we have it all!

Mahashivarathri Preparations

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.

Lunar Eclipse

MoonThe will be a lunar eclipse Friday, February 10, 2017.

In Asheville, North Carolina:
(If you don’t live in the Asheville area, in the Search Box, type in your city name)

5:34 pm Penumbral Eclipse begins
6:03 pm Moonrise
7:43 pm Maximum Eclipse
9:53 pm Penumbral Eclipse ends

It begins at 5:34 pm EST, so according to Vedic tradition we should be inside starting around 5 pm, and stay inside until the eclipse finishes. Also, we should not look outside during an eclipse.

Panditji mentioned:

  • The temple will close at 12 noon this day and reopen the next day.
  • Everyone should have an empty stomach when the eclipse begins and no one should consume food or beverage during the eclipse. He suggested people eat lunch and then eat dinner after the eclipse ends at 10 pm.
  • The following day, Saturday, a white flower should be offered to the Moon and 9 Pradakshinas around the Navagrahas while chanting silently the following Mantra: Shri Chandraya Namaha.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.

Mahapatra Visit

Today at Mount Soma, we were blessed by the visit of Mahapatra, a very beautiful man. He was with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for many years. After meeting at the temple with Panditji, who knew Mahapatra in India, we went to the Meditation Hall to address the group. Mahapatra spoke beautifully about his life and experiences with Maharishi. It was an exquisite meeting of old family members all united under the blessing of Maharishi.

Everyone present was deeply moved and profoundly blessed. Our shared vision to bring peace to the world shines forth. I invite all those who were present to add their comments.

Jai Guru Dev

Mahapatra and Michael Mamas

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.

Golden Mount Kailash, The Abode of Lord Shiva

Recently, I received the following picture and message from a dear friend of some 35 years I have known since my ashram days:

I was on the Kailash Yatra from September 1st through the 23rd. It was super, awesome, terrific!

Below is my favorite photo of Kailash from this trip. It was taken the morning of September 14th, from the North-East side before summiting Dolama Pass. When the sun hit Mount Kailash everything turned golden, it was a great darshan!

Please feel free to share widely, as it is a nice Darshan photo! It would just be nice to share the darshan, is my feeling. I have other photos that I can send you if you would like to see. We had excellent weather and I saw Kailash from lots of angles that previously were hidden by clouds and fog on the other trips.

OK, all the best… Hope everything is well for you, wherever you might be!

Mount Kailash

© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.