Author: Sahadev

helping hands

All About Me?

What feels better: when I get what I want, or when someone else gets what they want? What feels worse: when something “bad” happens to me, or when something “bad” happens to someone else? OK....

bread food toast sugar

More than just a “Foodie” story.

  Cinnamon Raisin Toast ~ Mmmmm The kitchen here has started including some really amazing bakery-made cinnamon raisin bread in the large selection of breads available at breakfast. I go for it whenever I see...

white flags on body of water

When to exert? When to surrender?

My first memories of the word “surrender” relate to old cowboy movies, when someone had a gun pointed at them, and they had to “surrender” against their will. Therefore, I have built-in resistance to...

row boat in the lake

Row Row Row Your Boat . . .

Sing along now . . . Row Row Row your boat, gently down the stream.Merrily Merrily Merrily MerrilyLife is but a dream! This is my favorite nursery rhyme. It has both wisdom and practical...

pexels-photo-12700040.jpeg

Watching My Mind

This week, astrology inspired an elaborate fire ceremony in the “Homa” building. It’s a beautiful small stone building created for the purpose of performing fire ceremonies on special occasions. This occasion had something to do with...

playing cards on bed

Solitaire

My mom used to like to occasionally play solitaire on her computer during the years after my dad had passed away. There are lots of solitaire card games out there, but she liked the...

bouquet of pink balloons held by a person

Birthdays and Deathdays

Is that a new word? Who ever heard of a deathday? It was my brother’s birthday this week. It’s been two years now since he went to Heaven. We were very close. I’ve been feeling the...

burning candles

Festival of Lights

Deepavali is the annual Festival of Lights. People light many little wick lamps and celebrate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. The highlight this week was the Deepavali...

shree ganesha ganeshji

Where Is God?

The sanctuary attached to the main lecture hall has a large (5 feet tall) black granite deity statue inside. Outside, there is a spire that indicates to everyone where the sanctuary is. Elaborate daily...

photo of falling leaves

As the Leaves Fall, I Let Go

There’s a beautiful song by Kathy Zavada about letting go . . . “As the leaves fall, I let go.  Let go, let God. As the wind blows, I let go. Let go, let...

butterfly perched on purple flower

The Butterfly Effect

Have you heard of the “Butterfly Effect“?  The poor butterfly is blamed for contributing to the formation of hurricanes, etc. The purpose of the theory was actually to explain why weather patterns are impossible...

Loving Nature

I’ve been taking more nature photos lately. The responses that these photos inspire when I show them to people are so beautiful. It’s like all their troubles are forgotten in an instant. They experience...

mother teresa and mahatma gandhi mural in new york united states

Meeting Mother Teresa 1994

Honestly, I wasn’t so interested in going to India. I was quite happy to stay in the US to practice yoga, study, chant and meditate. Nonetheless, Sant Keshavadas, the guru who gave me the name...

silhouette of airplane under cloudy sky

Grace Happens . . .

Remember the road trip I was on which led me to the door of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam? I had flown to Chicago to meet friends and family after my brother suddenly went to heaven,...

scenic view of the field from the road

Prequel ~ How did I end up at Mount Shasta? 1994

As I have been recently marveling at how I ended up in Pennsylvania (described in my previous email), I realized that how I ended up at Mount Shasta is also pretty wondrous. In brief,...

white goose on body of water

Grace Is As Grace Does

I got a text message from Evelyn, who I’ve met a few times in Mount Shasta, but who is presently in New Jersey. She asked me if I’d be going to see Ammachi in...

Still Marveling At How I Got Here

They say, “When one door closes, another one opens.” All my life, I have been close to my parents and brother. We never missed a Christmas together all through the years, all four of...

person playing an harmonium

Life Is Full of Small Miracles

I had decided not to bring my harmonium to Pennsylvania this year since I noticed last year that there was a nice looking harmonium right there in the Temple that I could use for...