Kailas Nivas Opening - May 19th 2007

The combined opening of Kailas Nivas and Baba's birthday was an extraordinary evening of celebration, love and interfaith.  To begin the event, a large crowd of Shiva Yogis, 'old timers' and 'first timers' enjoyed a feast prepared by the ashramites.  A special interfaith dinner was also held that included Brian Ashen (President, Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils) and his wife Judith; Dr Claire Renkin (Yarra Theological College) and Dr Will Johnston; and Dr Constant Mews (Director, Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology School of Historical Studies).  We were also very happy to be joined by Councillor Reade Smith (Mt Eliza Shire) and Garry McDonald, who was the very entertaining MC of the Satsang program.  

At the Satsang that followed at Kailas Nivas, Devi Ma shared some of the history of Shiva Yoga and acknowledged Swamiji's mother and father, Selma and 'Pop' Kruckman, who bought the ashram property at 27 Tower Road in 1996.  In acknowledgement of their love and support she announced that the residence is to be renamed 'Mata Pita Mandir' after the name given to them by Baba Muktananda.  Devi Ma also acknowledged
the people who had sponsored Swamiji's original visit to Australia, and those who had helped in acquiring the beautiful new Kailas Nivas property which adjoins 27 Tower Road.  She explained that the name 'Kailas Nivas' comes from the house in Ganeshpuri where the founder of our tradition, Bhagawan Nityananda, lived for many years and which we meditated in on our recent trip to India.

Following Devi Ma's talk, our Shiva Yoga Swami's (Swami Premananda, Swami Dyanandana, Swami Shaktananda and Swami Bhaktananda) performed a beautiful Ganesh puja to bring blessings to our new venture. 

Swamiji had invited many special guests from different faith traditions to grace the occasion with a few words of blessing and Isobel Crombie (Senior Curator of Photography at the NGV, and Shiva Yoga householder) introduced these speakers.  Isobel began by introducing Reverend Dirk Ficca,executive director of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, who, she advised, is in town for the planning of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions, to be held in Melbourne, and expected to attract over 8000 people representing all religious faiths.

'Swamiji and members of the community, I bring you warm words of welcome from the Parliament of the World's Religions,' Reverend Dirk Ficca said.

'I come here and bring you congratulations that Melbourne has been selected and I come with thanks for the few moments I got to spend with Swamiji before this event – I can already see why he is the heartbeat of this community,' he said.

'I come with a story about a Hindu, a Muslim and a Presbyterian,' he continued. 'A Hindu and a Muslim and a Presbyterian were travelling on a night like this. They stopped at a farmhouse, looking for somewhere to stay. The farmer said,"No problem, but the guestroom only has two beds". The Hindu volunteered to sleep in the barn. He soon returned from the barn, saying, "I was more than willing to sleep in the barn but there is a cow there; you understand, it's for religious reasons". The Muslim said he would go and stay in the barn. He soon returned, saying, "I'm more than willing to sleep in the barn, but there's a pig in the barn; you understand, it's for religious reasons". The Presbyterian, feeling sheepish, said "I'll go". Soon enough, there was a knock at the door. There stood the cow and pig; "You understand, it's for religious reasons", they said.'

Reverend Ficca explained that the ancient meaning of World Parliament is a safe place, a valley or mountain or clearing as a haven. He said, 'I welcome you all to the three-year process to build a safe place for people around the world to share religious identities, to dialogue with each other and to think about how to make a peaceful world'.

The next speaker was Rabbi Fred Morgan, the senior rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in St Kilda, who, Isobel advised, has lectured extensively on India, travelled there, and is soon to conduct a visit to the country with members of his congregation.

'It's a great pleasure to have been invited,' said Rabbi Morgan, before 'pointing out the resemblances between himself and Swamiji' – both born in New York City, both born Jewish, both attended the same university in the US. He continued: 'Swamiji went off to India while I studied Indian religions at university.' 'Swamiji said to me recently, "There but for the grace of God go I", to which I replied, "I could say the same thing",' he joked.

The rabbi commented on the important points made by Reverend Ficca, adding, 'I am amazed at the amount of people not interested in others' traditions. [Interfaith] is the only way to truly understand each other.' He concluded, 'I have a lot of respect for you and I wish you well'.

Isobel then introduced Father John Dupuche, parish priest of Beaumaris and Blackrock, and chairman of the Catholic Interfaith Committee, who met Swamiji many years ago at the National Gallery. With a PhD in Kashmir Shaivism, Father John has established an interfaith community.

He spoke of the word Kailas, from ‘Kailas Nivas’, Shiva’s dwelling, where Bhagawan Nityananda lived and taught and after which the new meditation hall is named.

He spoke of his experience at Mt Kailas in Tibet: 'We were there at a full moon in September and the moon shone on the glacier and the north face. The next morning, Bettina performed a puja in front of the north face.' Father John continued: 'I felt I was Kailas, I felt as if I was looking at who I was.' He added: 'When I think of diversity, I don't like to think of someone far apart from me, but as my very self. The clue to interfaith relationships is to say to another, not that they are strange or foreign, but that they are the same self.'

Father John spoke of his trika group (meaning three in Sanskrit) with Swami Sannyasanand and Venerable Lobsang Tendar, who teach meditation together, 'seeing ourselves in ourselves'.

The satsang then heard from Swami Sannyasanand, who is doing a PhD in neurophysiology and teaches students at Monash University 'how to access left brain, right brain, head and heart'. He concluded with a chanting of blessings for the opening. He was followed by Venerable Lobsang Tendar, who spoke of the search for happiness and that that is 'who we really are'. He added: 'Today, we are physically, emotionally and mentally the same, so I am very happy.' He then conducted an extraordinary sonorous Tibetan chant.

Garry McDonald next called on Swamiji and Nick and Salli Brash for the official opening of Kailas Nivas, and the handing over. Swamiji invited Premakanthan Abarna Suthan, the son of 'the beloved priest of the Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs' to say mantras and blessings. Premakanthan Abarna Suthan offered a prayer to Lord Ganesh and Lord Shakti. Swamiji then cut an orange ribbon to commemorate the opening, amid much applause.

Swamiji said: 'I'm deeply grateful to all of you, every one of you; it's just a magnificent night.' He then welcomed the satsang and distinguished guests in the tradition of his Guru, with great respect and love, saying, 'The opening of Kailas Nivas has become an interfaith dialogue, which is very gratifying to me'.

He added, 'In recent years, largely through my connection with Father John and as my life has evolved, I see more and more the need for this kind of dialogue'.

'We need to learn to communicate and religions need to learn to communicate and couples need to learn to communicate and inside our own head, we need to learn to communicate,' he said.

'Today is the 99th birthday of my Guru and today we are officially opening a new part of the ashram,' Swamiji said.

He told of the story of a seeker who went to a Guru asking for a teaching. The Guru replied, 'You are that'. The student said that he knew that already, to which the teacher replied, 'That's all I've got. Go down the road, there's another Guru there'. The student did so and asked the master for a teaching. The master said: 'First, you need to serve me in my ashram for 12 years, shovelling buffalo dung.' The student did so and after 12 years, asked for the master's teaching. The master said: 'You are that.' The disciple exclaimed that the other Guru had told him that 12 years ago 'and he didn't make me shovel dung for 12 years'. The master responded: 'Well, the truth hasn't changed in 12 years.'

Swamiji spoke of sadhana or spiritual work, and how Gurdjieff speaks of 'education as not only of knowledge but of your being'. Swamiji continued: 'Sadhana is the arena of spiritual struggle over your negative tendencies. We all have our kryptonite; it might be fear, depression, anger, desire for the wrong things, jealousy or confusion. Jesus fought and won his struggle. Buddha won such a noble struggle. All the sages and saints of all the traditons have gone through same thing. It is about breaking though the struggle and finding something deeper.'

Swamiji reminded that the way to achieve this is through meditation, Self-inquiry, chanting, mantra practice, prayer, service and study – 'all these are means to the soul'.

Swamiji then thanked the 'distinguished guests, the founder of our lineage, Bhagawan Nityananda, and my Guru, Swami Muktananda, and, closer to home, Ma Devi and the ashramites and the members of the community, as well as my parents, Pop and Selma'.

Swamiji added: 'Since it is Baba's birthday, I thought it suitable to end with his four main teachings:

1) Honour yourself, worship yourself, meditate on yourself – God dwells within you as you.

2) See God in each other.

3)The heart is the hub of all sacred places; go there and roam.

4) Nothing exists that is not Shiva.'

Swamiji noted before the closing meditation: 'The great masters tell us, at my core, your core, everyone's core, is pure love, pure wisdom.'

'Again, with great respect and love, I welcome you all with all my heart,' he said.

To learn more about the Great Beings that Swamiji speaks about in Satsang click here.

To find books on these Great Beings at our bookstore click here.