> Paul, isn't it true, however (if you know), that Swami Shantanand's > lineage through Swami Vasudevanand (now legally relegated to the > Shankaracharya of Varanasi -- or something like that) promotes Guru > Dev's teachings prominently? Or at least doesn't ignore them > entirely?
Swami Shantanand's successor, Vishnudevanand, himself a direct disciple of Guru Dev, actively promoted Guru Dev's teachings. Evidence of this comes in his republishing of 'Amrit-Kana', a small Hindi booklet of Guru Dev's teachings first published in late 1950. <http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/sources/AKcover.jpg> <http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/sources/amR^ita-kaNa%20[beta].txt> Late last year I visited both of the main ashrams of Swami Vasudevanand - namely, Jyotir Math near Badrinath and Brahmanivas Shankaracharya Ashram in Allahabad. Both ashrams were near to deserted. Jyotir Math had only two swamis there whilst Brahmanivas had none. Publications were unavailable at Brahmanivas whilst at Jyotir Math only those who know where to look may find them! Really, to quote a Beatles song. 'Nothing shakin' but the leaves on the trees!' I did not something at Brahmanivas I found slightly disturbing. There was an effigy of a man lying in the courtyard with all sorts of attendant 'offerings' - looked to me and my travelling companion like a case of black magic!!!!! I could scan a snap of it to you if you'd care to check it out. Interestingly, there is a statue of Adi Shankaracharya there and nearby is one of Guru Dev. Between the two statues is a Shri Yantra. I don't know about the legal status of Vasudevanand's claim to the throne of Shankaracharya or about any title of 'Shankaracharya of Varanasi' - but I am interested to hear more. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
