Yogatherapy combining nature, body and Ananda Marga philosophy
Special Series
Margiis
what is the role in dharma pracar? edição #2
editorial
Do you know who is behind the Journal?
Dharma for All was born in 2014, based on the initiative of four ananda margiis, with the purpose of supporting pracar activities in Brazil and in other countries. Whether it is encouraging existing work or supporting new proposals, the goal is to strengthen those who are truly committed to bringing the practices and philosophy of Ananda Marga to a wider audience. Our work is directed along two axes: fomenting projects and training people. In the project development side, we have already emitted two requests for proposals: (i) The first was exclusively for acaryas who were presenting projects that would take place in Brazil. This resulted in five projects, among them the Ananda Marga website in Brazil (www.anandamarga.org.br). (ii) The second was an Ideas Contest, aimed at margiis and acaryas. Of the fifteen project proposals we received, two were selected and are already underway. You can see more about the approved projects at d4all.org/projetos/. In the training axis, we aim to contribute to the ideological formation of margiis through initiatives such as: (i) Vistara Dharma Camp, a seminar program with the intention 01 | Dharma for all Journal
of creating a cooperative network of people and their projects. (ii) Pracaraka Samgha, a study group born of a need identified at the second Vistara Dharma Camp meeting. Here, the main books that delineate the philosophical basis of Ananda Marga are being studied once a week through an online platform, as well through faceto-face programs several times a year. https://d4all.org/2018/04/25/ p r a c a r a k a - s a m g h a / All these activities have given us daily inspiration. We know the importance of each one’s efforts so that in unison we may guide other beings along the path of bliss. Accordingly it is important that this and other information can be circulated more effectively and comprehensively. Toward this end, our most recent project, the Dharma for all Journal, was born in April 2018. This is an open channel and instrument of information exchange, so that we can all move together toward Consciousness. Dharma for all
Among all punya karmas (virtuos actions), the best is the performance of pracara (spiritual propagation). Pracar can be done only by those who themselves are spiritual aspirants. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti *Dharma for all editorials are a vehicle to freely express the opinion of the Dharma for all managing board, and they do not constitute journalistic content.
editorial
We have reached the second edition – and what have we learned so far?
Last week we closed our first edition. We now start the second. For us, it was and has been an intense and rewarding journey. And like any new project, we had to recalculate the route several times. Everything is in the testing phase.
And so we thank the hundreds of people who are already following our page, and the dozens that enjoyed and commented on our publications. Mainly, we appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative, as they have been important indicators to help us decide what to strengthen and what to change. One of the highlights of this inaugural edition was the first part of a special series on the different roles played by “dharma pracar workers”. It is central to the purpose of the Journal, crea-
ted by the Dharma for all as a way to strengthen pracar (the propagation of spirituality) and pracarakas (those who work toward this end). We hope you will enjoy the next part of this series in this second edition, which will expand upon what it means to be an ananda margii. In future editions, we will have other special series like this. We want the Journal to be a source of not only information but devotion and poetry as well. That’s why we asked Liss Thane to turn the different pracar roles into a fun and educational infographic and to illustrate the delightful story of Baba’s childhood,
Dharma for all Journal | 02
published in commemoration of Ananda Purnima (Baba’s birthday). We will continue in the same spirit by having inspiring graphics in future editions, including launching the Journal in other formats: in early June, it will be on the Dharma for all website and will be sent as a digital magazine to those who have subscribed to our newsletter. We realize that the universe of pracar projects and of pracarakas is vast and fascinating, and that we want to know them better. So we want to encourage more people to write to us with their suggestions for subjects to be explored and people to be interviewed, and we are setting up an ananda margiis project space. If you know of something or someone that deserves to be reported, please contact us. We also appreciate tips on music, books, cuisine and other references. We understand, finally, that the Journal needs to give scope to the political views of its creators, in a space that is different from its journalistic content.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gurucaran Taruna & SUPERVISOR colaborators Prashanti TRANSLATION GRAPHIC EDITION Devashish Iasodara COVER Julia Koch Jayadevi
03 | Dharma for all Journal
This is the tone, for example, set by the #editorial of Dharma for all, published in the first edition, about the Ananda Marga sectoral retreat, which took place in February of this year, in Brazil. These editorials will be shared once a month (in special cases, more than once) and are different from a journalistic #editorial (the one you are reading now). Now let’s take a deep breath and dive into this second edition. In addition to what has already been mentioned, there is an article about websites with valuable resources for pracar, a story about the beautiful projects coordinated by Avadhutika Ananda Jaya Acarya in São Paulo (Brazil), and a profile of Acarya Rainjitananda Avadhuta, a Brazilian acarya based in the USA who does powerful pracar through his webinars on the philosophy of Tantra. Will you come with us? Gurucaran – Editor-in-chief
DISTRIBUITION Free FREQUENCY monthly ISSUE#2 Brazil / 2018
CONTACT journal@d4all.org https://journal.d4all.org f b.com/dharmaforalljournal
JOURNAL
CONTENTS
5
Engineering with purpouse
9
The body as a path to the spirit
13
Special series: Dharma Pracar workers 2
17
8 websites to spread Baba’s philosophy
21
“Life is smple” brings simple and powerfull kiirtan
23
Muktatman’s Thai rice
You should remember that human life is not like a single flower; it is like a bouquet or a garden of flowers blooming with many varieties of flowers. And this variety of blossoms adds to the collective beauty of the garden. Had there been only magnolia graniflora or one variety of rose only blooming in the garden, although that single flower might be very attractive, still the garden as a whole would not be very lovely. A garden is all the more beautiful because of the flowers of various types and hues. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
profile
Engineering
with
purpose
I find it intriguing when I meet someone who, from a very early age in life, demonstrates the clarity of his dharma, and who, moreover, persists in pursuing it, even when faced with obstacles and trials throughout the journey. That was my impression of Acarya Rainjitananda Avadhuta during our conversation: that he is a chosen one. A Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro, he spent his childhood on a farm in Minas Gerais, and at age ten, he went to the inspired me to be a swami,” he says. capital, Belo Horizonte. In college, he Days later, the group of friends who studied engineering and, when he were yoga students was invited to was about to graduate, he began to meet a monk. Dressed in orange, take an interest in philosoAcarya Bhaktapranananphy, with a thirst for finding da Avadhuta entered the answers to the longthe room and taught the “Every day there is ings that motivate the hugrowth. I am truly in- kaoshikii dance and afterman being. In the library, creasingly realizing what ward invited everyone to he came across a book on Baba describes in his a lecture on meditation. the philosophy of yoga, philosophy. I see how The law school room was which led him to start filled with curious colthe world is moving taking Hatha Yoga classlege students enthusiastic toward what he talked es. His teacher then preabout spirituality. “In the about.” sented him with the book end, it was just me and Autobiography of a Yogi, him. I asked him many queswhich tells the life story of Yoganantions and I thought he would teach me da, an Indian swami. “The book really meditation right away. ” But he didn’t. 05 | Dharma for all Journal
The young engineer was the last in the long list of initiations that Dada Bhaktapranananda would perform the next Sunday.
All water reaches the ocean
“I received my first lesson, I meditated, but nothing happened. I was a little frustrated because I had a lot of expectations. I thought it was just a matter of repeating the mantra and reaching samadhi, like I had read in the book. It was an illusion,” Dada remembers. With a mixture of persistence and attraction, he again questioned his mentor. “Meditation should be done twice a day regularly,” the monk told him. “How often do you practice?” asked the young man. “I do it at least four times a day,” the
monk replied. Feeling inspired, Dada Rainjitananda challenged himself, “If he meditates four times a day, I can too!” From then on, his dedication to the practice and philosophy only made him grow. The benefits began to appear as well as challenges and doubts. What about the family religion? “Once, as I went up the hill to the Rio jagrti, I looked up and saw the Christ Redeemer and at that moment I understood that Jesus was leading me there; it was a sign, and that removed my doubt about being in the right place. When I entered the jagrit, there was a very beautiful picture of Baba. For me, Jesus had led me there and delivered me into good hands.” Dharma for all Journal | 06
The notion of growth and ascension in his trajectory becomes clear in the conversation.
jit means “colorful”. Thus he became a monk to whom the path of bliss is full of many colors.
Sharp like a spear, which looks at the target and runs after it, fluid like water, which touches the stone in the river and does not stop, he maintained his flow. To empty into the ocean. “Becoming an acarya was just a matter of time. I was initiated in 1982 and a year and a half later I was in India.” There he found Baba and saw him every day. Then thousands of people arrived for the DMC, where Baba gave a discourse and his mudra as a blessing. From there he went to acarya training in Varanassi, the sacred city of Shiva, where he received his current name: ran-
Educated as an engineer and a monk, Dada Rainjitananda served in Brazil, working mostly with PROUT. He helped to found a newspaper, Mover Juntos, on economy and society, distributed in national retreats. He has also served in Africa — in Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania — and in Europe, in Germany and Italy. Since 2000 he lives in the United States, where he is Sectorial Office Secretary for the New York sector (North and Central America and Caribbean). The master unit where he lives and which he manages, in the city of Cairo, near New York, has a vegetable garden that with the help of other dadas and margiis produces enough for consumption, and for retreats and sales. They are enlarging the property to be able to host large retreats. At this point in the conversation I ask him, “Dada, did you achieve everything you wanted?”, hoping to hear something extraordinary, or some great ambition still remaining.
07 | Dharma for all Journal
But what he offers is simplicity, recognition, and the flash of curiosity of that young man from Minas Gerais. “Every day there is growth. I am truly increasingly realizing what Baba describes in his philosophy. I see how the world is moving toward what he talked about.” Vegetarianism is growing, people are looking for spirituality, communism has fallen. We are creating a great change on this planet, and this is very gratifying”, he concludes in a peaceful tone. By Taruna (Tatiana Achcar) Dharma for all Journal | 08
dharmapracar
The body as a
Path to the Spirit
Yogatherapy course unites Tantra, somatic practices, and nature in the Northeast of Brazil The body as a beautiful and sacred entrance to spiritual growth. As an extension of nature. As the stage on which the cosmic play can take place. As a space to come in contact with our human condition. As a place for self-knowledge, to grow roots, to flow. It is to inhabit this body that we are invited to the training course in yogatherapy, created by Acarya Vishvarupananda Avadhuta and Jayadevi (Germana Lucena), now also led by Maetreyii (Cris Ibiapina). The course is composed of four im09 | Dharma for all Journal
mersive modules and online meetings. The first module lasts five days, and the others, six days, making altogether 220 face-to-face hours and and additional 80 online hours. The face-to-face meetings take place by the sea at the Hotel Bitingui in Japaratinga/AL, in the Northeast of Brazil. There the participants perform their physical practices and attend lectures and workshops, both in the hall and out of doors, with the sun, sand, waves and ocean breeze. Indeed, the kiirtan and meditation sessions take place on the beach.
“Yogatherapy is just beginning in Brazil. There are two strong movements here: Hormonal Yogatherapy, led by Dinah Rodrigues , and Integrative Yogatherapy, of which one of the strongest representatives is the Montanha Encantada (Enchanted Mountain, free translation) in Santa Catarina”, says Jayadevi. According to her, what is innovative about her course is the introduction of Anandamurti’s principles of Tantra (put together by Dada), along with the somatic practices of Feldenkrais (taught by her) and Embodiment (brought by Maetreyii). “What captivated me most in this work was the possibility of using yoga not only as postures, but as gestures and attitudes that are incorporated into our daily life,” says Maetreyii. The presence of Tantra can be seen in both theory and practice. The participants have daily asana classes, maintaining the essence of the Ananda Marga system, and enriching it with somatic practices and Ha-
tha Yoga exercises, among others. They also perform dharmacakra (kiirtan, meditation, kaoshikii, and tandava) twice a day, by the ocean. In the conceptual part, three aspects of Tantra are focused on: the kosas (the layers of the mind), the philosophy of tantric anatomy, and the notion of liila (cosmic play). The concept of kosas, for example, “shows the human being as a spectrum that goes from body to soul,” as Dada Vishvarupananda states. “One who is healthy is open to the Supreme Consciousness and allows this to flood every aspect of their being.” Tantric philosophy views the body as “the greatest instrument we have on this planet.” Therefore, according to Dada, behind physical and psychic sufferings, there is the criticism or denial of the body or detachment from it.
Dharma for all Journal | 10
“The body is an expression of nature and corresponds to its elements. We look at it as a means to bring out the aesthetic beauty of Tantra, as a canvas on which we can paint the beauty of life,” he says. Therefore, he points out, Tantra uses visualizations and mantras to transform our way of looking at the body, beyond “flesh and blood, but as a deep cosmic expression.” The idea of liila (cosmic play) reminds us that “the healthy, the sick, the young and the old age are all expressions of this play”. According to Dada, many illnesses arise because of too much self-centeredness, and the notion of liila reconnects us with the idea of dancing a cosmic dance that “sometimes takes on more comical tones, sometimes more tragic.” He says that liila refers to the energy of the child, who is always in the present, without planning the future or dwelling on the past. Somatic practices, according to Jayadevi, are brought in as adjuncts to help the participant “enter into the experience of the sacredness of the body.” “Body work opens up a faster access route for when Tantra is introduced,” she says. Both she and Maetreyii believe that the goal is to get the participants to deepen their relationship with their body, to find within themselves resources for healing and self-knowledge, so that they can then support others, through therapeutic work. Since its inception in 2016, 59 people have already enrolled in the course, of which 25 have completed the four modules.
11 | Dharma for all Journal
The others are still in training, or are participating in the new class, which started in May of this year. Those who have completed the course can act as yogatherapists, using the practices and concepts of yoga in the auxiliary treatment of physical and psychic illnesses. “We want to spread the seeds of Tantra through yogatherapy,” says Jayadevi. And it looks like they are succeeding. Rainjanii (Rafaela Müller), who travels from the interior of São Paulo to participate in the modules in Alagoas, says that the course gave her “diversified resources that are anchored in the philosophy of Baba, so that yoga can be accessible to those who are familiar with it as well as those who are not, and to support specific health issues that are not always easy to deal with. It has been a great inspiration.”
By Gurucaran (Gustavo Prudente) *pictures by Harideva Learn more about the course by writing to manalucena@hotmail.com or +55 83 99634-3800 (WhatsApp)
Dharma for all Journal | 12
article
Special Series: Dharma Pracar Workers – Part 2
An ananda margii is the one who chose to follow the philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, accepting the mission of self-realization (atma moksartham) and service to the creation (jagat hitaya ca). Thus, the essence of being a margii is to always be engaged in relevant work, constantly working to accomplish the task. How have margiis accomplished this work? How do they get inspired? What difficulties do they encounter? These and other questions will be examined here, in the second part of the special series “dharma pracar workers”, based on the
13 | Dharma for all Journal
experiences of four Brazilian margiis. There are lots of opportunities for margiis to do pracar. They can support the development of the organizations that make up the Ananda Marga community, working in one or more of their various departments – for example, AMURT / AMURTEL (focused on relief work) or RAWA (focused on art for raising awareness). They can also incorporate different aspects of the philosophy and practice into their own work, whether they are leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, teachers, yoga instructors, etc.
Soma Devii (Sandra Brys), a 28-year-old resident of the master unit Ananda Kiirtana (Belmiro Braga, MG) and a margii since 1980, says she is “fortunate by Baba’s grace to have found this path.” Fueled by this grace, she dedicates herself exclusively to education, as founder and nowadays director of the Sol Nascente Rural School (part of the master unit). Both the school and the trainings, workshops, and lectures she gives, as well as the children’s stories and songs she writes, are based on neo-humanism. According to Soma, one of the roles of a margii is to use the rich teachings of Baba and his immediate disciples to “create appropriate didactics that present this knowledge in an accessible way.”
Rajendra (Ricardo Almeida) from Rio de Janeiro (RJ), a margii since since 1981, has worked for many years in the organizational side of Ananda Marga in Brazil, and nowadays he organizes introductory courses in playing kiirtan and in the philosophy in the jagrti in Rio de Janeiro. For him, a pracaraka is one who “seeks to spread dharma in its best form, inspired by the teachings and by one’s proximity to Taraka Brahma, in order to help everyone evolve physically, mentally and psychically.” Dharma for all Journal | 14
Kalyanika (Carla Cavalheiro), from Caxias do Sul (RS), met Ananda Marga in 2004 through the courses of the Visão Futuro Institute, based on Baba’s philosophy. She ended up working for a few years in the institute’s programs and bringing meditation and yoga techniques to a larger audience. Today, she organizes a meditation and yoga group in her space and she created the movement MeditAMOR, which brings kiirtan and devotional music to retreats and congresses with a spiritual theme. For Kalyanika, another great engine for pracar is devotion: “What keeps me on my feet is the overwhelming love, which is totally beyond my control, that I feel for Baba, and which I feel that He also feels for me.”
Lalan (Lucas Becker), from Pelotas (RS), was initiated in 2013. He founded the “Yogue-se Pelotas” project, with yoga and meditation classes, but without the dharmacakra format, as a gateway to the philosophy. In addition, he promotes courses in vegetarian food, spiritual philosophy, mantras, health and medicine, and various other aspects of Anandamurti’s work. “These practices support and shelter the core structure and give the pracaraka more credibility in the eyes of the local population.” For Lalan, margiis must bring pracar everywhere and in every possible way, although “it is not necessary to always raise the flag of Ananda Marga”. He argues that “a yogii is one who incessantly strives to unite his individual consciousness with the Cosmic Consciousness. But to be a margii is to go beyond that: it is to strive to assume the role of sadvipra in society. ”
15 | Dharma for all Journal
However, the road to pracar has some stones. Kalyanika men-
tions religious dogma in the region in which she works. Rajendra, for his part, believes that a major challenge is to adjust the traditional activities of the jagritis to the modern-day Western mentality. According to him, the solution would be a gradual approach, in which one would start to attend dharmacakra only after having spent a minimum period of time learning the philosophy – as Lalan has done in his projects. Soma highlights structural challenges, such as the low number of books translated and the need for a greater systematization and organization of the themes in Ananda Marga work, in a standardized way. Kalyanika mentions the difficulties of maintaining a group of practicing and engaged volunteers. Whatever the difficulties, they are aggravated by the political dispute that, according to Lalan, exists today in the organization. “Many acaryas are wasting time and energy on individual problems, geo-groups and socio-groups. When the goal of creating
a more humane society takes a back seat, the damage is immeasurable. ” Despite the challenges, everyone agrees that the current climate of ethical, political, social, and economic crisis is propitious for presenting the philosophy to the people. It is also agreed that for this to happen it is necessary to adapt the language to the audience. “Since Sarkar’s work is immense and goes far beyond human capacity, different approaches are important to be able to attract people with diverse interests,” concludes Lalan. How many other committed and inspiring margiis exist in Brazil and in the world? What is their successful pracar work? What difficulties do they encounter? How are they meeting these challenges? If you have a project and would like to make it public, or would like to bring attention to someone else’s project, write to us at journal@d4all.org. Soon, we will launch a tool for spreading dharma projects around the world. Read here the part 1 of this serie. Editorial staff
Dharma for all Journal | 16
article
8 websitesfor anyone who wants to spread Baba’s philosophy
17 | Dharma for all Journal
ANANDA MARGA’S CHEST
ABC
http://bau.anandamarga. pt/
https://www.anandamarga.org/
A website from Portugal that brings together speeches of Baba and stories experienced and told by his disciples. Health, spirituality, science, economics, education, agriculture, and the arts are dealt with in these discourses, which are organized by themes such as biopsychology, Tantra, ecology, yoga, literature, and one’s relationship with God, among others.
The site is a well-organized primer about the ideology and the spiritual and social philosophy of Ananda Marga. Travel around the five continents where the organization is functioning and learn about what projects are going on, publications and news, retreats, festivals and congresses.
In one of the texts, on the various interpretations and explanations of the word yoga, Baba tells us that “yoga means that all propensities move toward the Supreme Entity in the physical, mental, and spiritual spheres. And when He becomes ‘I’ and ‘I’ becomes He, then the spirit of yoga is completely attained. Site in Portuguese.
See where Ananda Marga in working, with schools, orphanages, health centers, disaster relief, and community development. It has basic questions and answers about spiritual science and meditation, and clarifies doubts about methods, benefits and origins, and includes guided meditations, books, ebooks and songs. Enjoy the beautiful timeline of Baba’s life. In English, Spanish and Mandarin.
BABA’S LIBRARY
http://prsinstitute.org/ The P. R. Sarkar Institute is an initiative of Ananda Marga Gurukula that functions as a central online resource library and a forum for research, development and distribution of the teachings and related ideas of P.R. Sarkar. It has a huge amount of content, well organized in chronologically, alphabetically and thematically. Publications, films, audios. For the occasion of the centenary of Baba’s birth in 2021-22, the institute is producing an exhibition and a documentary, and invites the margii community to contribute with stories, documents, images, audio, video, historical artifacts, media, art, literature, and other materials. Site in English.
Dharma for all Journal | 18
EDUCATION IS WHAT SETS YOU FREE https://gurukul.edu/ INNER SONG http://www.innersong. com/ This site is a real margii nightclub. If you like to listen to other audio content, in addition to music, you will spend hours here. Guided meditations and relaxations, kiirtans, songs and children’s stories, darshans, Prabhat Samgiita. And much, much music, between kiirtans and original compositions from dadas, didis and artists like Jyoshna, Shubhamaya, Ainjali and different bands. Also some films, like the famous Conversations with Dada Chandranath, made by Devashish. Everything has accompanying reviews. Search by album and artist. Free samples, and downloads for sale. Site in English.
19 | Dharma for all Journal
Neo-humanism is a practical spiritual philosophy that serves as the basis for Ananda Marga Gurukula’s educational projects, an international educational network of schools and institutes for teaching, research, and service. The network encompasses more than 50 countries with more than 1,000 daycare centers, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and orphanages, established over the last 50 years. On the site, you have access to all these institutions, as well as to spiritual eco-villages and ebooks with educational stories for early childhood. It is worth checking out Gurukula’s thematic online magazine. Site in English.
FOOD FOR BODY, MIND AND SOUL… http://simplysentient.org/ It has to be subtle. In Simply Subtle, you find recipes for appetizers, salads and soups, main courses, pestos, sauces, desserts, gluten-free pancakes, juices and smoothies, and medicinal juices, all within the diet prescribed by Baba. With humor and beauty, and original recipes, such as Vegecstast, a juice that makes you vibrate with energy and ecstatic dancing. And the CocoMangoTango pie, tropical and enthralling. The site hooks you by the belly and feeds your eyes with satisfying photos. Its blog has articles on health, ayurvedic medicine, and culinary curiosities. Site in English.
NAVIGATING THE VASTNESS OF PRABHAT SAMGIITA http://prabhatasamgiita.net/ GREEN AND YELLOW LOVE https://www.anandamarga.org.br/ The gateway to Ananda Marga in Brazil, with addresses and contacts for all the country’s units and spiritual communities. Access to social projects and neo-humanist schools. Retreat schedules, audio kiirtans, yoga training courses, ideological trainings, Prout courses, subtle food, permaculture, agroforestry, bio-construction, art events, Prabhat Samgiita. List of books written by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti and other authors. Enjoy the timeline of Baba’s life, with photos. Site in Portuguese.
How can one look for (and find) your favorites Prabhat samgiita out of the 5018 that Baba composed? On this site, you can search by song number and theme – in Sanskrit, Bengali, and English. From songs about Shiva and Krsna to birthday songs and those for new years, marriage, the baby-naming and tree-planting ceremonies, and more. There are stories, interviews, and articles on Prabhat Samgiita told or written by acaryas, in addition to the manifest of the of Rawa – Renaissance Artists and Writers Association, founded by Baba in 1958. Site in English by Taruna (Tatiana Achcar)
Dharma for all Journal | 20
review
“Life is simple”
brings simple and powerful kiirtan
21 | Dharma for all Journal
Anil (Alexandre Rizzo) used to play kiirtan only for himself. However, the acarya who initiated him, Acarya Dharmadevananda Avadhuta, insisted that he should play in public. Anil accepted the challenge and made his debut during an akandha kiirtan. He kept his eyes closed, immersed in his devotion, and when he opened them he saw in front of him an acarya. “She looked at me with pity, like someone who was asking me for the guitar,” he says. Understanding that his kiirtan had been not well received, he could have stopped there. But he kept moving ahead and became not only a very appreciated kiirtan player, but also a composer of beautiful and powerful melodies. Some of them are collected together in his first album, “Life is simple”.
“They are simple melodies, from the intuition of the heart,” says Anil, who says he draws inspiration from erudite artists such as Bach, rock bands like The Who, and popular Brazilian music. Among the kiirtan musicians, he mentions Giiridhara (Glauber Pimentel) as a reference, a margii from Araruama, in the interior of Rio de Janeiro. Anil is Brazilian, from the capital of Rio de Janeiro. He was initiated in Ananda Marga in 1989 and was a brahmacarii from 1993 to 1995. He currently di-
vides his time between Rio de Janeiro and the Ananda Kiirtana master unit in the rural area of Belmiro Braga, Minas Gerais. Editorial Staff “Life is simple” can be purchased directly from Anil via WhatsApp: +55 21 98251-8250. One of the album’s tracks, “Céu Estrelado” (Starry Sky, free translation), is available on Youtube and Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/anil-rizzo.
Anil playing guitar
Dharma for all Journal | 22
pracarakachef
Muktatman’s Thai rice;
he makes cooking his main form of pracar In the quiet town of Santo Antônio do “invite with that sparkle in your eyes,” Pinhal, in the interior of the State of São because “it makes all the difference in Paulo, lives Muktatman (Ricardo Arrobringing more and more practitioners.” io) from São Paulo. He says he became After initiation, Muktatman began to a margii five years ago when he was deepen his understanding of Tantra, initiated by the Acarya Jinanananda which led to a great change in his life. Avadhuta, on the recomAt the time, he worked with “People are demendation of his friend the management and pro– and pracaraka – Guru- lighted because duction of major events, but caran (Gustavo Pruden- they can realize with the practice of medite). According to him, tation, he began to feel the that it is possible Gurucaran was the first need to attend human deto make subtle margii he met, and it was velopment programs. He the gleam in his eyes that ended up making it his job. food without made him think, “I do not sacrificing taste” “After I began to meditate, know what it is, but I want a million things happened. some of that too.” This, I released my power in the he says, is his advice to all pracarakas: world, and for that I am very grateful for this path,” he says. Today, he uses the knowledge and tools of Tantra in various forms of pracar, as in his training and coaching consultations in the Programa Ser (which focuses on wholistic health) and in the work with the NGO Wyse International (which conducts leadership training for young people from many countries around the world). 23 | Dharma for all Journal
He also uses his knowledge to enrich the projects of Ananda Marga, as in the voluntary meetings he conducted with the daycare educators of Avadhutika Ananda Jaya Acarya in São Paulo, SP, Brazil http://amurtsp.org/. Among his different forms of pracar, one of the most common is food. He takes the subtle food to the culinary events he promotes, the programs he has developed (such as Programa Ser and Wyse International) and educational projects like the innovative “Culinária & Meditação” (Cooking & Meditation, free translation) that he developed at Lumiar International, a school in the city where he lives. The kitchen came into his life as a legacy from his family and his time working in restaurants in Australia. If before he always cooked with garlic and onion, after meeting Ananda Marga and giving up these seasonings, he discovered a new universe of flavors, colors and smells. “I noticed the difference it made in my digestion,” he says. Everywhere he cooks, he explains why not to use onion and garlic. In this way, he has the opportunity to spread some aspects of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti’s philosophy. To support his argument, he explains that other spiritual traditions do not consume these same spices, such as the Vaisnavas (hare krsnas), and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.
“People are delighted because they can realize that it is possible to make subtle food without sacrificing taste, but rather exploring new flavors. As for me, food is a passion. It ends up being a gateway to talk about meditation, the devotional path, and spiritual practice. If I were to list my main ways of doing pracar, I’d say it was mainly through food”.
Dharma for all Journal | 24
Thai Rice
Recipe
Ingredients: - 1 cup white rice - 1 cup coconut water - 1 cup coconut milk - 2 leaves of lemongrass - Half a lemon grated - The juice of half a lemon - Salt to taste Method of preparation: Wash the rice and let it drain. Spread the uncut lemongrass at the bottom of an ovenproof dish, to facilitate removal when ready. Add the washed rice, the coconut water, the coconut milk, the lemon juice and the salt. Mix well and taste to see if it needs more salt. Spread grated lemon and do not stir.
25 | Dharma for all Journal
Cover the dish with foil and place in moderately heated oven (200 ° C) for approximately 20 minutes, or until the liquid dries. Remove from the oven while still covered, and let sit for 15 minutes, so the rice doesn’t clump. Remove the foil, the lemongrass leaves and serve. Comments: You can use any type of rice (basmati, jasmine, brown, etc). Depending on the type of rice, the proportion of liquids may vary If you make a large quantity, the cooking time may vary. Suggestions for side dishes: Veggie curry or vegetarian moqueca. Do you want to recommend a #pracarakachef? Write us at: journal@d4all.org
Fasting calendar
2018E * ampsnys.org
kadashi
Jul 08 (Sun) Jul 22 (Sun) Aug 07 (Tue) Aug 21 (Tue) Sep 05 (Wed) Sep 19 (Wed) Oct 04 (Thu) Oct 19 (Sexta) Nov 02 (Fri) Nov 18 (Sun) Dec 02 (Sun) Dec 18 (Tue) Dec 31 (Mon)
journal@d4all.org
journal.d4all.org
dharmaforalljournal