Bodhinatha Speaks at Art of LIving Padasala

On November 15, our Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and Paramacharya Palaniswami had the distinguished honor of visiting His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, guru and founder of the Art of Living. There in Bangalore, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has established a large and thriving padasala where boys and young men learn and teach Sanskrit, studying from Veda and Agama.

The padasala in Bengaluru is on the massive campus of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Driving past lakes and lotus buildings, one comes at last to a hillside where the gurukkulam is located.

They have 200,000 square feet of buildings, and 220 boys in training. Bodhiantha was the guest of honor at the home that was underway, the murthi being a clear crystal Sivalingam, around which Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had placed the Rudraksha mala he was gifted while on Kauai earlier this year. 

The chanting was long, and exquisite.

Bodhinatha was later asked to inspire the boys and gave a short talk on how important they are and "What a good team we make: the Hawaii monastery digitizing the Agamas which is our expertise and all of you preserving them in actual practice and worship, which is our special gift."

Two elephants greeted Bodhinatha and Palaniswami as they left the padasala and were taken to a lotus-shaped building for a brief audience with the ashram's founder.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri met with Bodhinatha and Palaniswami. An interesting fact: Sri Sri had been in North India for some time just prior to Bodhinatha's arrival in Bangalore. When Sri Sri heard that Bodhinatha would be there in Bangalore, he flew down from the North to see him, even though it was for just a view hours. After this meeting, Sri Sri flew back to the North in order to catch his flight to Rome thereafter.

It was a beautiful and jovial, though brief, meeting - one of mutual respect, admiration and support of the others' tireless efforts to further the Sanatana Dharma.