New website
Download 0.91 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- HOLY MASS AT SHANTIVANAM
- THE SHANTIVANAM COMMUNITY, PERMANENT MEMBERS
- B ro. George [conspicuous like Fr. Augustine by an apparent non-involvement in the proceedings at Mass]
Anglo-Indian artist JYOTI SAHI [See pages 8, 10, 15, 28, 33-34, 39, 41, 47, 48, 53, 54, 55, 57, 68], an early member of the Shantivanam community created the architecture of the ashram’s temple.In my opinion much of the iconography is crude and uninspiring to say the least, or, as my devoutly Catholic friend felt, grotesque and revolting. Maybe we are too much conditioned by Western cultural expressions, but this is too much for us. The explanation given to the symbolism of the serpent and the virgin seems to have no precedent, and is used in Bro. Martin’s teachings to reinterpret the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption. THE WEEK, in its cover story ‘Mixing Religions- Christian Priests Worship the Hindu Way’, October 20, 1996, says, “Bede introduced more Hindu rituals in the prayer service… Besides these Hindu rituals, the Gayatri Mantra and hymns hailing Shakti are chanted during the prayer service. ‘Gayatri Mantra is the salutation to the God and the word OM is the word of the God’ says [Fr.] Christudas… In the niche is the statue of Jesus with a six-pointed star in the background. ‘It represents both, the six-sided tantrik star and the Star of David… The tantrik symbol represents the union of the male and female forces’ [see pages 17-18, 41, 48-49, 52, 59, 72] explains Christudas.” HOLY MASS AT SHANTIVANAM[Also see page 5] A few observations made by me during the Eucharistic service on December 18, 2004: The concelebrating priests drape saffron-coloured shawls around their shoulders in lieu of a stole and chasuble. [Fr. Thomas Matus OSB on his visit here had described the priests as sitting “yoga-style on the floor”]. During the entrance hymn, sung in Tamil, sandalwood paste in a steel katori is brought around by one of the swamis. Devotees use their right index finger to smear it on their foreheads between the eyebrows. Throughout the Mass all celebrants and participants squat on the floor. A few of the westerners adopt a rigid padma asana [yoga –style?] posture, hands extended along their thighs, for the entire one hour or so. For the Liturgy of the Word, a platform 4’ x 2’, of 4” height is used. For the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the celebrant uses a slightly higher [about 9”] platform behind the first platform. The preparation of bread and wine at the offertory, is embellished by the ‘sacrifice of the elements’ as in a Hindu puja. To the intonation first of OM SHRI BHAGAVATE SACCIDANANDAYA NAMAH [Salutations to the One who is Being, Consciousness, Bliss], and seven other incantations all prefixed by OM, a total of eight flowers [the earth element] are consecutively placed on the altar table. The Doxology, “Through Him, with Him, in Him….” is joined in by all. I believe that this is a liturgical abuse. There is, in my opinion, and that of my Catholic friend, a rather irreverent breaking and ‘dumping’ of the consecrated Host into the ciborium. The priests do not intone the words “The Body of Christ” when distributing Holy Communion, which is received in the hand and by all present, no one abstaining [see pages 9, 20, 24, 35]. Just yesterday a man, apparently a Brahmin temple priest in his full regalia, was denied Holy Communion. We believe that it was only because news had by then got around that I was conducting some sort of investigation. THE CAMALDOLESE BENEDICTINES [see pages 12, 21, 46, 62-63] In 1979, Bede and some brothers went to Rome “to propose affiliating Shantivanam with the Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli” which is in Italy. Since 1980, the ashram has been “part of the Benedictine Order as a Community of the Camaldolese Benedictine Congregation” who are a reformed movement in the Benedictine tradition. Their motto is ‘Ora et Labora’ [prayer and work]. There is however little of ‘labora’, or of ‘ora’ [people here do not ‘pray’, they only ‘meditate’: ‘Michael, why are you there all by yourself? Are you meditating?’]. They are committed to the daily use of the Lectio Divina [Divine Reading] for which Bede “instituted the reading of various sacred texts [of other religions] in a meditative manner” according to Jyoti Sahi of the Art Ashram. The first Indian brothers to be sent to Camaldoli from Shantivanam were Christudas [see below] and Antonisamy. When I discussed this report recently with an Italian friend, explaining that I had sent a brief letter by post as well as by e-mail in January this year to the Superior General of the Camaldolese concerning the experiences I had during my visit to the Ashram, and that I had followed it up several times without any response, he told me that he was not surprised and that I could not expect a response because Camaldoli too is afflicted with New Age! As we have yet to examine the New Age in Shantivanam, I will defer the New Age in Camaldoli to later. THE SHANTIVANAM COMMUNITY, PERMANENT MEMBERSFr. Augustine, who is in his mid 70s Fr. Dominic Ayyanikatt, said to be in charge of candidates, novices, postulants [see pages 2, 17] Fr. George, who recently completed his M. Th. in Kerala, the Superior Fr. Paul, who is in charge of administrative day-to-day matters Fr. Amaldas, the youngest of the priests, was ordained by the Bishop of Trichy on 3rd July 2004 [see page 10] Bro. Michael, the librarian, a very kindly but mentally disturbed old man in his mid 70s [see page 10] Bro. George [conspicuous like Fr. Augustine by an apparent non-involvement in the proceedings at Mass]Bro. Suresh, the odd-job man Bro. John Martin Sahajananda [was co-in-charge of the Ashram while Fr. George was pursuing his studies]. He is quite withdrawn and reticent except with the foreigners. We will later see why [pages 9, 18-26]. None of the community seem to have inherited the role of guru or of acharya, and even the appellation swami does not seem to stick as they are privately known as ‘Father’ this or ‘Brother’ that. Ashram literature says that the community has "three students, two novices and three postulants". The Ashram Aikya Dec. 2004 News Letter reports that two brothers were professed on 30th May 2004. They joined “two others already in Bangalore studying philosophy. Brother John Robert is doing his second year of theology, also in Bangalore, with the Salesians. At Shantivanam they have two postulants and two candidates and were expecting two more.” I believe that I met John Robert who has a good collection of Yoga Life International Monthly cuttings and an all-consuming passion for Bharatanatyam dance which he exuberantly discussed with me. The work hands in the ashram house and farm, the cooks and the gateman claim that they are underpaid. They are always begging for money from the ashramites. During my stay, some people privately collected money and gave these workers. Bro. Suresh was mostly soliciting money, complaining about the permanent members or attempting to exploit, even cheat, the more sympathetic westerners, like our Italian, for whatever he could extract from them. After Bede’s demise, Shantivanam was in much turmoil. There was a Fr. Christudas [see page 28] who left after a struggle for succession. Christudas wanted to take full control. At that time, Frs. Augustine, Dominic and George were there, along with Bros. George, Michael and John Martin. Frs. Paul and Amaldas were yet undergoing their studies. Eventually, the story goes, the Camaldolese authorities stepped in, appointed Fr. George as the Superior, and Christudas left, reportedly to serve as a Parish Priest. He is said to be now in New Zealand. There was another Swami Amaldas, a yoga exponent and ashram founder who suddenly expired [see pages 16, 29, 47]. He spells his name with a single ‘s’ on his books, but Sr. Vandana and others use a double ‘s’ in his name. LETTERS FROM GERMANY Letters that I received from a German friend will throw some light on the community: “Let me recall that in the time I was staying with you in Chennai, I’ve told you that I was three months in this place. When I came to India I was an atheist and the Lord used my time as a ‘seeker’ to lead me to this place. I was lucky not to remain in any Hindu religion, which was at first very attractive for me, but I could not undergo a conversion, since this religion was like muddy water, and since I could not see clearly, I did not jump in it. In Bede’s ashram (he was still alive at that time), I met a person there whose name was George Ammattil. He was a lay brother who lived for about 30 years in Canada. He was therefore called ‘Canadian George’. During the time of my stay in Bede’s ashram, Bede fell sick and died. Canadian George had some arguments with F. Christudas, Bede’s successor, and Christudas threw him out of the ashram, despite the fact that Canadian George had built the hut by himself with his hands. We were all disgusted. Canadian George was one of those persons who told Christudas his opinion about many things in the ashram. But Christudas could need everything but not someone who started opposing him. And since the umbrella, who kept everything together (=F. Bede) was no more, Christudas could do what he wanted. Same thing he tried with bro. Michael the librarian. Shortly after Canadian George left he also was by intrigue and manipulated, to leave. If Michael has come back I do not know. One more brother was there from Andhra Pradesh… [Here he is referring to Bro. Martin.] He was after Bede’s death together with Christudas running the Ashram, and played an important role. That time he was preparing a thesis to submit. It was let’s say somewhat ‘heretic’, but he hoped to find someone to accept it. The Ashram needed that time no money, since they founded -against Bede’s will- an Ashram trust. The trustees are mostly abroad in Canada, USA, Australia, Europe and places were Bede went for speaking engagements. If the situation is still the same today as it was - I can’t say. I have often heard that somehow their habit was to get out from tourists whatever they could get. “The Benedictines from Italy had been there in the Ashram. As long as the visitation was going on they were doing as if everything is alright and when they left they (in the Ashram) went back to the old way and their style. You need a person in Rome who is vigilant on the Hinduisation in the Catholic Church. It is really important, because many in the West are interested in this place and read Bede’s books. (He wanted to re-write the Bible because its language is outdated! His books are translated in many languages also in German.) I will search now in my old note books for notes on ashrams and send you what I can get. It just came to my mind a sister, her name is Stephanie*, she was living in the Ashram during F. Bede’s time and even when he was alive Christudas managed to throw her out of this Ashram. She is involved in social activities and is living nearby in Thaneerpalli or Kulitalai … Bede and Stephanie were friends, but he could do nothing to help her to come back. “When Bede was on his sickbed he often called Christudas to come to him. Bede first tried to make Amaldass his successor, but he ‘died’ (or was killed) so Bede knew Christudas would be the only one to be a successor, even if he did not like him in many things... So often Bede called Christudas to come to the sickbed, so often they had an argument and Bede shouted with really loud voice at him to leave his hut, to go out. But his brain was damaged and he forgot everything (due to the brain stroke) and sometime later he called him to come back. This happened several times a day. Amaldass went to Narsinghpur and started an Ashram there and during my stay in Narsinghpur (C.M.I Fathers are there) they said to me there was an affair (amour) with a nun, and out of jealousy she helped him up to the next level of reincarnation (means he was poisoned).” Another reliable source, a priest wrote to me, “Some mystery seems to surround his death. It is reported that his body was coal black after his death.” *It is reported that this Sr. Stephanie also now subscribes to New Age beliefs, and she has put up a large complex near Shantivanam. THE ASHRAM’S GUEST RESIDENTS A profile of the visitors drawn to the Ashram during my week-long stay: From Holland, Ben Baruch, a follower of J. Krishnamurti. Francisco Carocci from Italy: Ramana Maharshi * of Tiruvannamalai is my guru. A female European disciple of Ramesh something [her guru in Breach Candy, Mumbai]: My second trip in four weeks. I had visited earlier with my husband for 3 weeks and had been to Tiruvannamalai. Susan from Calgary, Canada: Whatever it is, I’m not here for the Christian element. Julian Lumb from Perth, Australia. Yanni, Australia and Tomas, Spain are ‘partners’, left for Jesuit Fr. Amasamy’s Bodhi Zendo Ashram [see pages 27, 36, which is a Life Member ashram of Ashram Aikiya. Its charism is Zen meditation] on the 17th. Thomas and Heidi too are ‘partners’, travelling together for spiritual experiences. They explain that they ‘do not believe in sin’. All these people participate at Mass every single day, and faithfully receive Holy Communion. Jim, a ‘Catholic’ from Ireland who has worked in Bombay and Calcutta in the ‘50s is reading New Ager Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics [see page 55] and believes that permitting all at the Ashram to receive Holy Communion is the true humanism. According to Jim, He met with New Ager Rupert Sheldrake [see page 55] here in February 2004. Ashram records reveal to me that Sheldrake stayed here from 26 February to 1st March 2004. Daryl is reading the classic New Age book A Course In Miracles [see pages 11, 12, 19]. Kate, a Ph. D in Sanskrit, recently became a Christian [Anglican]. She crosses herself because she “likes certain things.” She is reading a book written by Bede. Heiko Pufal, a professor from Germany, a Theosophist, arrives after a stint at the Theosophical Society, Chennai. He too’s been here before. Derina Johnson from the UK, like many others, spends much of her time meditating while adopting yogic postures despite her chronic back problem. *Almost everyone seems to have either visited this Hindu ashram or it was their next stop [see pages 5, 27, 32, 37]. And the only practising Catholics: Pietro Braccu from Italy, a young Third Order Discalced Carmelite and a sister S… from Fatima Convent, Hoskote, Bangalore, the only other Indian ashramite apart from this writer. Pietro visits India frequently and stays at Catholic centres of spirituality. He and Sr. S. do not approve of what they are experiencing here, and avoid participating in the OM chanting. They also reject Bro. Martin’s teachings. However they follow the other external rituals like applying of the different pastes on the forehead to integrate with the community [which I don’t]. We three Catholics observe that we are the butt of subtle ridicule by some of the westerners when we speak to them about our faith, or submit challenging questions to Bro. Martin during the daily satsangh. Towards the end of my stay, I am sad to note that Sr. S. capitulates and joins the others in chanting OM. She tells us that she could not continue to exclude herself from the rituals. Some ashramites wear t-shirts and shawls decorated with the OM logo, and OM earrings and pendants. A few carry with them everywhere their yoga mats. THEIR REASONS FOR VISITING: It’s very cold in Europe right now whereas it’s just right here; I was bereaved recently; my superior sent me here; it’s a cheap holiday; I’m into Indian spirituality; it’s inexpensive here; it’s quiet and tranquil in the ashram; I’m a seeker [of truth]; it’s a good place to spend Christmas; I heard about Bede; I’ve been here before and was drawn here again; I attended Bro. John Martin Sahajananda’s talks [in Europe] and I have benefited [from his writings and teachings]; this place has a good spiritual library…. Over the years, no foreigner seems to have opted for sannyas and stayed on. While there is an atmosphere of quiet, we note that there is no true sense of joy or brotherhood. The older members of the permanent community do not seem to have anything to say to anyone else in the community, and do not provide an opportunity for guests to open a conversation with them. [We tried]. There is a sense of division and an undercurrent of strife within the community. [Sr. Sarananda of Ananda Ashram, below, scornfully tells us that “there is no community life here.”] Sandro Magister [June 18, 2003], in John Paul II and the Other Religions: From Assisi to "Dominus Iesus" writes, “Some of the most famous Catholic theologians working in the field of interreligious dialogue made extended visits [to Shantivanam]: from the Indian-Spanish priest Raimon Panikkar [49-50] to the Belgian Jesuit Jacques Dupuis [see pages 73-74, 83]; from the Sinhalese Aloysius Pieris, another Jesuit, to the American Camaldolese Thomas Matus.” [see pages 4, 8, 29, 32, 33, 36-37, 38, 63, 73, 75] [Pieris is a liberation theologian]. INDIAN VISITORS TO THE ASHRAM: The Indian Visitors’ Book for the previous two years records groups of novices and seminarians [as few as 5 to as many as 36 in a group], nuns [31 Cluny nuns from Chennai in one group visit], and a few individual priests. And people sent across by the NBCLC. Their duration of stay varies from three to ten days. Among the prominent lay individuals who visited are JYOTI SAHI of Art Ashram, Bangalore [with his wife Jane from 24 to 26 July, 2004] [see pages 33-34, 48] and New Age guru SWAMI SACHIDANANDA BHARATHI of DHARMA BHARATHI, Secunderabad [22 to 26 January, 2003] [see pages 12, 15, 44, 50-52]. SOME NOTABLE EVENTS DURING MY STAY 15th DECEMBER Bro. Michael disturbs the morning Mass and is removed. Then he damages the four-sided figure of Jesus the yogi in the meditation centre. [I failed to check it out but it was informed to me that he had broken the fingers of the icon, as also the heads of two other statues kept near the steps]. Later he corners two of the ashramites outside the dining hall and embarrasses the swamis with his loud monologue on the sex-life of Sodom and Gomorrah and the wrath of God visited on those cities. It makes everyone uncomfortable. 16th DECEMBER Brother Michael is committed to a mental institution in Trichy. 17th DECEMBER The 98th birth anniversary of Fr. Bede Griffiths. To celebrate the memory of Fr. Bede, we attended the inauguration of a building for a Shantivanam social project in nearby Rajendram. Excepting Fr. Amaldas, members of the permanent community were not present, but all the visitors were. The old Fr. Augustine later laments to Sr. Selvi that he was not aware of the function: “My dear sister, many things that happen here I do not know.” Next, we visited a relatively wealthy Hindu home that was decorated with idols of various deities, the main ones being ‘Chakra-Alwar’, explained to us as the god of the aura or chakras, and Vinayakar [Ganesha]. Inspired by this, Fr. Amaldas sang an ode to the god Ganesha in Tamil and was warmly applauded by all. Many of the locals turned up at the Ashram and we were all served a sumptuous lunch [vegetarian, naturally]. That night, the ashramites led by Fr. Amaldas, and a large crowd of villagers attended a programme in Kulithalai village from 9:00 pm till around midnight. The venue was beside the local Hindu temple. Our seating area was overlooked by numerous Hindu deities. The performances in song and dance were all in honour of the various gods of the Hindu pantheon. A raucous tribute to Vinayakar [Ganesha] for starters, followed by the kavadi dance of the Hindu god Muruga, not forgetting Iyyappa of Sabarimala, etc. Fr. Amaladas in the guest-of-honour seat applauded heartily after every rendition, and so did the westerners who made good use of their cameras, memories of Fr. Bede’s legacy to carry home from a celebration of his birth anniversary. [The Centenary celebrations will be held in December 2006.] Directory: docs docs -> Application for acem docs -> Observational Assessment of Teaching Practices Teaching Assessment Initiative Proposal Submitted to The Teachers for a New Era project docs -> Traditional British values docs -> From Warfighters to Crimefighters: The Origins of Domestic Police Militarization docs -> Borzoi Club of America Register of Merit Program I. What is a Register Of Merit docs -> Protecting the rights of the child in the context of migration docs -> United Nations E/C. 12/Esp/5 docs -> 9th May 1950 the schuman declaration docs -> Getting To Outcomes® in Services for Homeless Veterans 10 Steps for Achieving Accountability Download 0.91 Mb. Share with your friends:
|