KOLKATA
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Belur Math
I rose before dawn to meditate and then make the long drive across town, over Howrah Bridge, and through a narrow passageway overflowing with the guts of humanity to Belur Math, which is headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The divine presence of both Sri Ramakrishna and his greatest disciple, Swami Vivekananda, blesses the…
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Mother House
Over the latter half of the 20th Century, the Mother House of Saint Teresa became a wellspring of divine love, flooding the world with compassion and service directed at the poorest of the poor, all springing from the boundless heart of a diminutive woman answering a call from Jesus. On a quiet Sunday morning I…
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Into the Heart of Kolkata
In the morning I said farewell to my new friends at the YSS Dakshineswar Ashram, inviting the ever-gracious staff in reception to come see us at Lake Shrine in California. I found Preeti at breakfast and thanked her for all of the information she shared with me about so many sacred places, like the Kailasa…
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Seeking Shelter from the Storm
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7: 7-8 I spent part of my last day at the lovely YSS Dakshineswar…
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Jai Ma Kali
The Dakshineswar District of Kolkata where I am staying is perhaps most famous for the Kali Temple where Sri Ramakrishna lived for thirty years, along the eastern banks of a tributary of the Ganges River. Our ashram is less than a mile away, so in the morning Anders and I navigated through our neighborhood’s narrow…
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The Mad Monk
I arrived at the YSS Dakshineswar Ashram late Sunday afternoon. Located on the banks of the Ganges, the ashram provides an oasis of peace and tranquility amid the bustle of Kolkata. After settling into my simple room, I went to the river and strolled through a lovely garden with the sound of drums and prayer…
Divine Warrior 