Dear Dawn of Shanti Ashrama; Thanks for posting these histories of the earlier Vedanta Society here. I find them interesting for context. There would be a lot of natural affinity between our two groups in spiritual field effect both being of yogic origins. We have learned here more recently of the Vedic texts being translated and published in to English by the 18th Century and then being read avidly by our American transcendentalists of the 18th and 19th Century. Vivekananda coming to America late in the 19th Century arrived on fertile ground at the time and in his vast travels of America at that time further opened and tilled preparing the soil very well for what was to come along behind him as advanced spiritual practices from the East. He was brilliant at it in so many ways.
According to the records Vivekananda spoke in DesMoines, Iowa and stopped at the University of Iowa in Iowa City (hosted in the neighborhood of my people there) on his travels as he passed through the State of Iowa in his train travels. The odds are quite great that Vivekananda crossed through Fairfield, Iowa at the time as Fairfield then was a significant hub of east-west-north-south travel of crossing passenger rail lines. Vivekananda evidently was back and forth and up and down America a lot. I don't know much about the community of Shanti but the few people who have moved to Fairfield, Iowa from Shanti who I know are fabulous and substantial spiritual communitarians. I should feel it would be good to have Shanti and the larger meditating community of Fairfield, Iowa be sister cities in some way and coordinate our community meditations as groups. May be even have exchanges. Does Shanti facilitate group meditations there for their community? We have large group meditations starting at 7:30am and 5 pm everyday. Does Shanti have consciousness-based education in its schools with quiet-time meditation as part of the school day? Just wondering what the potential for exchange might be. Best Regards from Meditating Fairfield, Iowa, -Buck in the Dome Dawn of Shanti Ashrama writes: Hi Everyone, So, I've been a lurker for a while; however, I've just found something interesting to share: Shanti Ashrama in California http://sfvedanta.org/the-society/history/shanti-ashrama-history/ http://sfvedanta.org/the-society/history/shanti-ashrama-history/ http://sfvedanta.org/the-society/history/shanti-ashrama-historical-overview/ http://sfvedanta.org/the-society/history/shanti-ashrama-historical-overview/ http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/First-Hindu-retreat-Western-World.html http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/First-Hindu-retreat-Western-World.html Dawn
