Celebrating Victories at the Ashram

by Rev. Jaspal Soni and Rev. Lois Drake

Chananda Cultural Society conducted its third Summit University Seminar during the weekend of October 13-14 at one of the city’s famous venues, the India Habitat Center, located in the heart of New Delhi. The topic of the seminar was “Experience the Light Within, through the Blessings of Violet Agni.” The previous two Summit University seminars were held in New Delhi in 2013 and in Darjeeling in 2015.

The two-day seminar focused on sharing the teachings the Ascended Masters about the characteristics and functions of the seven major chakras located in our bodies and keys to purifying and expanding the sacred fire in them. We have learned from our previous experience through the workshops conducted during the past six years in India that this information from the ascended masters’ perspective is much needed in India. Most people in India have a somewhat different understanding about the location of the chakras in our bodies and their corresponding colors.

We had a wonderful turnout with 40 people including 26 new seekers. It was a humbling experience to witness the Holy Spirit at work and the transformation that was taking place throughout the event. We began on both days at 10:00 am and finished at 5:00 pm with an hour-long lunch break and two short breaks for coffee/tea. It was an interactive experience as people asked many interesting questions. The overwhelming sales of books, CDs and other items were very encouraging which was another indicator of the victory.

At the conclusion of the seminar, we gave certificates of attendance to the attendees as this is a customary practice in India. To keep building a stronger momentum for the light, we plan to conduct 12 free mini-workshops, each up to 1.5 hours long on Sundays, at the ashram beginning November 11. This will help further share the information on the chakras and conduct exercises that couldn’t be done due to limited time. It will also allow the students to get a deeper understanding about the role of their chakras in their worlds.

Visiting the Cities of Manali and Dharamshala

After the SU Seminar ended, we embarked on a short journey towards the foothills of Himalayas and visited the scenic cities of Manali and Dharamshala located in the beautiful rolling valley and about 150 miles apart. The purpose of the trip was to perform spiritual work in order to prepare the area for conducting workshops and outreach to share the teachings of the ascended masters.

Manali: The Valley of Gods

The name Manali is derived from Manualaya, the home of the Vaivasvata Manu.

The City of Manali is located about 6,500 feet above the sea level. There are many ancient historic Hindu temples located in the area which is fondly called the “Valley of the Gods.”

Also, there are hot water springs, cascading waterfalls, evergreen pine groves and snow-capped mountains.

The world famous Art Gallery and home of Ascended Master Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena are well preserved in the nearby city of Naggar, which is a big tourist attraction.

We spent some time doing decrees at the place where his body was cremated. We felt inspired to make Manali a site for future pilgrimages with others to make the spiritual calls for India.

Dharamshala: The Land of Dharma

Dharamshala is located at an average elevation of 4,800 feet and is known for its beauty, elegance and charm that is expressed through the natural scenery and the mystic ambiance of several Buddhist monasteries. We visited the temple at the residence of the Dalai Lama which is a common tourist attraction.

We decreed for the easing of tensions between China and India and for the Tibetans in exile.

It was fun to participate in the monthly Monday evening Violet Flame Vigil broadcast from Bozeman. It was exciting to anchor the light in this Tibetan enclave!

Meet and Greet Ritual

We invited the community members and new contacts to the ashram on October 26 to bid farewell to Lois who had arrived in New Delhi two weeks earlier to conduct the SU Seminar and who was leaving for the USA on the 28th. The ashram filled up with nearly thirty people including many new ones. We reviewed the “Heart, Head, and Hand” decrees while explaining the meaning of each verse.

Our past experience shows that it helps to carefully explain the meaning of the decrees before trying them. We noticed that there was a lot of interest from the kind of questions people asked. It was also good to share the teachings about the increase in the power of decrees through the science of the multiplication factor by the number of people present.

Thank you beloved Mighty Victory for your victories!