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Ashrams in India -- an Overview

Srinivasan Nenmeli-K

This is an informal overview of Ashrams in India.

Ashrams are built around a sage,a rishi or a guru or a yoga


master after many years of teaching by the master in an

informal way. Ashram is a means of perpetuating the teachings


and the methods of a sage or master. In most cases, an ashram

takes root when ardent devotees or disciples called


'chelas',begin to stay with the master in the same campus or

retreat center.The chelas feel the need to be close to the


master to derive the lessons and lifestyle and much discipline

from the master.They may first built small cottages nearby to


stay. That creates an ashram campus.

I am writing mainly about Hindu ashrams, while I shall briefly


mention about Christian/Catholic ashrams towards the end of

this article.

Ashrams are different from 'mathas' or mutts which are abbeys


,designed to train young monks of a particular sect or creed.

often they are not only highly orthodox and traditional, they
are narrow minded. For instance,Sankara mutts may not entertain

foreigners, even though they may allow them to tour the ashram
grounds and interview the pontiff in charge of the mutt.

Ashrams are not mere institutes or training centers with


regular courses of instruction. If ashrams conduct some courses

or training for young novices or arrange a series of lectures,


these are again not regular features. One does not receive
certificates or diplomas in an ashram.[There are Vedanta
institutes which conduct short and long term courses for a year
or more. For instance, you may check with Swami
[Prof]Parthasarathy's vedanta Institute with head-quarters at
Lonavla, near Mumbai.]

Ashrams invariably will have some devotional rituals and

practices with a small shrine or temple or chapel in it. Some


specific form of worship and liturgy may be employed at the
instance of the master and local tradition.

I shall write about the daily routines in any ashram in later


sections.
I have had the privilege and good fortune to stay in many
ashrams in India and imbibe the spirit of an ashram life for
many years. In some ashrams I have stayed only for a few

days,while in some I have stayed for a week or more. A few


ashrams I have visited or toured for a few hours.

There is a tendency among the young, particularly from the


west, to hop from one ashram to another in a short period. They
want to sample the different methods and practices and are
often critical of the practices which they can scarcely begin
to understand in a short trip. Such a tendency should be
avoided.

One should know sufficiently about the master presiding in an

ashram . He or she should go there to imbibe the particular


flavor or method in sufficient depth, with perfect conformity

to the discipline within the ashram.One should observe

carefully and move on without nasty comments disturbing the


peace and tranquility of the ashram.If one does not like a

particular practice in an ashram, the visitor can skip that


practice or leave the ashram quietly.

It is difficult to understand and appreciate many practices in


a Hindu ashram in India for a westerner because of cultural
differences. For instance, in many ashrams food may be served
on the floor ,on a large leaf and not on tables with plate and
spoons.

It should be noted that almost all ashrams would serve only


vegetarian food and would not permit meat dishes brought from
outside. Many may not serve coffee or tea, though several do
nowadays. You have to restrict yourself to milk,fruit juices or

tender coconut waters. Of course, ashrams forbid smoking and


taking alcoholic drinks or drugs inside the gate.

Daily Routines and special features of an ashram

The daily routines would be as follows: the exact duration and

schedule may vary slightly. Some deviations may be allowed for


elderly or senior citizens.

--Early morning meditation practice in a chapel or hall

;typically from 4.30 AM to 6 AM. This is considered the period


of "ushas" or the dawn and most conducive for calm meditation.

--Morning chanting and bhajan or chorus singing from 6 AM to


7.30 AM; this may be the time for morning pooja or worship in
the shrine.

---Breakfast time [7.30 to 8.30 AM]

-- Scriptural study + bhajans [upto 11 AM]

--Personal time to go shopping/bank/mailing /writing work or


rest at the room

---Lunch between 12.30 to 1.30 PM

---Afternoon rest period or study time or visit to Library

--Afternoon tea

---4 Pm to 5 PM ---Religious discourse or lecture by the master


or any invited guest or speaker from outside. [This is one of

the most important activity in any ashram.The visitors may have


opportunity to raise questions and get their doubts clarified.

One may listen to the question & answer session with rapt
attention.

--5 PM to 7 PM ---Bhajans-group singing, formal pooja at the


shrine or Vespers,arti or waving of the lamp, or any musical
concert ; This is one of the delightful moments in any ashram
and one may get absorbed in the devotional fervor at this
time.The sunset vesper time is most conducive for this.

--7 PM to 8 PM --Religious discourse or discussion or bhajans

8PM to 9 PM ---Supper time

9PM to 10 PM --Chanting and prayer ,followed by arti at the

shrine.

The daily schedule may vary considerably ,taking into account

the climatic conditions and the remoteness of the ashram, if


many are to leave the ashram after night fall.Some ashrams

close the evening activity by 8PM or the supper time.

Special features
4 One notable feature of all Indian ashrams is that one need
not participate in any of the activities. He can pick and

choose what he wants to attend, except ,of course the meal


activities at the proper times.!

If one feels tired or wish to take a nap in the afternoon, one


can retire to the room and relax.

Most ashrams will not have TV or even radios,except perhaps one

at some central place. Newspapers are not freely circulated.

It is difficult to change the schedule or the activity to suit

any visitor or group of visitors.

You have to conform to the routine . Suppose you have to catch

a flight at a certain hour and want to have a question & answer


session before that with the master; this may not be

accommodated at all. The strict routine is what makes the


ashram life so pleasant and calm.

One important rule,which is often flouted in almost all Indian


ashrams, is to avoid gossip and noisy conversation, among
friends or visitors. Again it is important to maintain absolute
silence in the dining hall and in the shrine. But ,alas, I have
seen chattering in most ashrams to the annoyance of the

devotees. Often times I get irritated and tell the persons to


stop talking or leave the hall and talk outside.!

You visit an ashram or stay there to imbibe the spirit of the


ashram and appreciate the particular religious/spiritual

traditions there. In most cases ,these are certain rituals,


followed by meditation or discourse by the master. Meditational

sessions, alone or in a group, are very very important.You


should not expect the rudimentary knowledge of Hinduism taught
there by any teacher or instructor.

Discourse, scriptural study or readings/satsanghs

Discourses by the main master or his chief disciple are sought


after. You may cherish the great value of the remarks by the

master even though they may appear casual or even trivial at


that time.

Please get prior permission if you wish to record in tape or


video beforehand or take down notes or short-hand script of the
discourse or talk.Some masters would flatly refuse permission,
while many may accede to the request,except when they want to
take copy-right later. Some devotees from the west have gotten

into trouble in some ashrams over this..please check the ashram


rules. Even taking photos or videos of the master or the

interior of th e ashram may not be allowed.

Besides special discourse, there may be scriptural study with


some annotation or elaboration on Hindu scriptures every
day,for instance on the Bhagavad Gita or some upanishad or
major works like Viveka Chudamani or other Gitas. Some masters
are experts in such studies and make a point of offering them
in a structured way. For instance Swami Chinmayananda was a
great master in expounding on the Gita and the

Upanishads.Listening to such masters will boost your scriptural


knowledge and general background about Hinduism. Many may visit

ashrams to hear such scriptural study and also clarify their


own doubts on these texts.Such discourses are offered free in

almost all ashrams.

[Nowadays I find some missions or ashrams, including the


Chinmaya Mission, have a series of lectures for a course fee!]

Of late I find that many ashram gurus or masters take up


certain readings for study and discussion in the afternoon
sessions. These readings may be from the writings of well-known
masters such as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa or Swami

Vivekananda or Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi or readings from their


own line of gurus or biographical anecdotes.

Such readings or discussions are also called "satsanghas' in a


loose way. While true 'satsanghas' are assemblies of learned

scholars and rishis, these are informal discussion groups with


lot of Q & A sessions. Often it may degenerate into a general

talk by a self-styled master or mere elementary class on


vedanta or yoga.

I must add here that such satsanghas or afternoon discussions


are the least important part of ashram routines. This ,of

course, is my opinion. These satsanghas should not be compared


to the "satsanghas' given by Neo-advaitins in the west.

Ashram Facilities

Ashram Library: Almost all ashrams have a small library.You may


find rare/out-of print books as well as old manuscripts. These
libraries are good resources for research on Vedanta and
book-writing.

Ashram Book store: Again you will find a bookstore in any


ashram.The bookstore usually sells its own publications and

books on their line of gurus or sectarian philosophies. Some


book stores have extensive collection on yoga/vedanta .

The book sales become an important source of revenue for the


ashram.Many ashrams have their own publishing houses and even
their own printing press. Ramakrishna Ashrams [Math and
mission]sell books for nearly several millions of rupees and
have their own press at Chennai.Their books are quite scholarly

,well edited and yet very inexpensive compared to many other


publishers. Many have on-line sale of books too.

Goshala: Hindus revere cows and feel the need to protect them
and provide nice shelters for them. Most ashrams have a large

cow shed to provide milk for the inmates and also protect the
cows.

Dispensary/hospital: Almost all ashrams have a small dispensary


for immediate medical care.Some have large hospitals attached
to them. So, emergency medical care is not a problem in most
ashrams.

Voluntary service/social work:

As a guest of an ashram, you may engage yourself in some


voluntary work if you are so inclined.This could be some office

work or desk work in the store or library or for the Indian


folks, work in the kitchen and dining halls or in the garden or
in the shrine.

The ashram administration generally does not expect any


voluntary work and may not seek your help.But you may feel free
to offer such work.[ Many ashrams frown upon such work as

contemplative life is encouraged in an ashram.But this tendency


is slowly changing with more emphasis on karma yoga and social

service.Swami Sivananda of Divine Life Society at Rishikesh was


one master who always put stress on social service. He was a

well-known doctor in Malaysia before taking up Sannyas.]]

Many ashrams also undertake social work in the neighborhood and


out-reach programs.You may take part beside just donating some
money for such programs.Get the details and observe first
before you plunge into any form of social work.There are always
social and cultural problems in such work and not a little
controversial views!

Conducted tours: Some ashrams arrange conducted tours to nearby


places.Some may help you to assign a reliable guide for such

trips.

Ashram fees:

Typical Indian ashrams will not charge you any amount for rooms
or food. They are entirely free. No one would approach you for
making a donation too. But it is customary for devotees
visiting or staying in the ashram to make a donation while
leaving the ashram.You may donate any amount you wish,but make
sure you give to the officer in charge and get a receipt. [You
may also claim the income tax exemption under section 80 G for

such donations in India. 50% of the donation amount is deducted


from a person's taxable income.]

This noble practice of providing free food and rooms ,intended


for any sadhak or spiritual aspirant to stay in the ashram

irrespective of his financial position , may be changing slowly


in India. Some ashrams have started asking for money for meals
or rooms.

So far ,in all ashrams I have visited or stayed, the services,


including rooms/meals, are entirely free.

My Personal experiences:

Over the past two decades, I have visited or stayed in several

ashrams,including the well-known ones such as Sri


Ramanasramam,Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu; Sri Aurobindo

ashram,Puduchery; Anandashram,Kanhangad [near Mangalore ] of


Swami Ramadas; Swami Sivananda's Divine Life Society [DLS] in

Rishikesh; Brahma kumaris Head quarters at Mt Abu, and so on.

I am a frequent visitor to Sri Ramanasramam and also the small


ashram of Swami Virajeshwar,called Hamsa Ashram at Anusoni near
Hosur,Bangalore, in Tamil Nadu.

In every ashram I have found a vibrant but solemn spiritual

atmosphere--- rarely found in many big temples or yoga/Vedanta


institutes of modern kind. Though the original master may be

long gone, the present teachers or swamis help to maintain the


rich traditions and are always very courteous and helpful.This

is the real tradition of Hindu gurus, not tainted by commercial


overtones.
The spiritual instruction part may not be explicit or
structured in these ashrams. One should develop meditational
techniques on one's own efforts,except that the atmosphere

would be conducive for chanting [japa] and meditation[dhyana]


in Indian style. The hallowed environs would be elevating and

are palpable in most places.The ashram atmosphere is not


intellectual [ as a seminar in an academic setting would be ]
but devotional or introspective.

As I mentioned earlier, the guest should avoid unnecessary

talking ,gossip and trivia and should not be finding fault in


the ashram ,with a critical eye for every thing. The guest

should approach the ashram with a sense of humility and


sincerity in devotion/contemplation.

One specific advantage of staying in an ashram I should mention


here. Many great sadhus,monks or savants frequent these ashrams

and stay for extended period, say several weeks ,especially


during their 'Chaturmasya' or monsoon retreat. They may come

from distant ashrams of their own in Rishikesh or Gaya. I have


had the good fortune of meeting such souls in these ashrams and
learn many things from them.

Christian Ashrams in India

Several Christian ashrams have sprung up in India,mainly under


Roman Catholic church and a few under protestant churches.

These have been started by some inspired monks of the Christian

church.

Perhaps the most well-known one is Shantivanam [ 'Peace-


woods']or "Satchidananda Ashram" near Trichy ,at Kulittalai in

Tamil Nadu. It was started by Fr Moanchin and Fr. Henri Le


Saux, who spent many months at the ashram of Bhagavan Ramana

Maharshi in Thruvannamalai. Henri Le Saux became a monk with a


Hindu name: Swami Abhishiktananda; He also studied under Swami

Gnanananda of Thirukoilur [Tapovanam] near Thiruvannamalai, -a


revered saint of Hindu Bhakti [devotional]tradition. Some say

that this swami gave Swami Abhishiktananda the sannyasa diksha


or ordination in Hindu style.

Henri Le Saux or Abhishiktananda was a mystic and inspired monk


who tried to bridge the gulf between the Hindu theology and
Christian doctrines in a genuine manner .He had a deep
understanding of Hindu philosophy and theology ,as seen from
his books.He trained many in 'Christian Vedanta'. But at a

later time ,he left Shantivanam, moved to Rishikesh and built a


small ashram at Uttarkashi and trained some more Catholic

monks---Swami Ajatananda was his disciple there.

Later a British ,Oxford-educated Catholic monk, Fr. Bede


Griffiths took over the Shantivanam and built it to greater
heights. Though widely respected by the Hindus and local
people, he became a higly controversial among traditional Hindu
sannyasis and had a hard time in expanding his activities. He
remained at Shantivanam till his death at a ripe old age and
wrote many books. [Hindu fundamentalists have written

disparagingly about Fr Bede Griffiths , which are highly


biased or insensitive..See the books by Sita Ram Goel.]

I have visited this ashram,Shantivanam at


Thannirpalli,Kulitalai for a day. I found the atmosphere very

congenial and calm for contemplative life for both Hindu and
Christian seekers, though my impression may be somewhat
superficial. Br. John Martin is heading this ashram now.

All Christian ashrams serve vegetarian food and have many


devotional rituals like lamps,incense sticks 'OM' symbol and so
on. They may read extracts from the Bhagavad Gita or upanishads
and interpret with christian doctrines. They may draw parallels

between Chritian Trinity and Hindu gods or 'sat-chit-ananda'


symbolism and with Om mantra.Such practices may not be entirely

accepted by Chritian groups or by Hindu fundamentalists or


traditional thinkers. But these ashrams, as far as I know, are

not trying to convert Hindus into christian faith in these


decades.Therefore their forms of worship and discussion fall in
the broad category of inter-faith dialogue , sanctioned and

promoted by Second Vatican Council.

I have been a member and part of such an inter-faith center in


Coimbatore between 1976 and 1988 ,run by a Catholic [Carmelite]
group. I have felt that their efforts were genuine towards
inter-faith dialogue.It is a moot point how far such groups or

effort by Catholic Church had succeeded throughout India. There


is always a lurking doubt in the minds of many Hindus that
these efforts are covert or patent means to proselytize and
convert Hindus into Christianity. I can only add that more
effort and dialogues are needed to remove such misgivings in
the minds of many Hindus.

Meanwhile Christian ashrams are places of peace and


contemplative retreats and would serve useful purpose for both

the Christans and Hindu seekers with an open mind.

[I must add here that Christians constitute only 3% of the


Indian population ,even though Britishers ruled for nearly 200
years and patronized Christian missionaries,both Catholics and
Protestants. It can also be noted that Catholic priests and
their missions are regarded highly, unlike in many other
countries, mainly because of their involvement and dedicated

service in education and social service activities throughout


India.]

I may mention here the ashrams run by Sister Vandana and Sister
Ishapriya near Rishikesh in the last two decades and similar

ones in Pune. These have attracted large number of Christian


seekers from the west.Several foreign seekers, for instance

,Wayne Teasdale ,who wrote a Ph D thesis on Fr Bede Griffiths


and wrote also " The Mystic Heart" ,and others like him, have

drawn inspiration and direction from these Christian ashrams in


India. This would ,indeed,be a major service of these ashrams
in a global context.Several such 'Shantivanams' have been
created in USA and elsewhere.

Summary

To sum up, let me add that one should experience an ashram of


his/her choice after some study and also by staying for a few

days at least. Ashram life is not for all,even for a few days.
But those tending towards a contemplative life or for

introspection or to seriously pursue a spiritual Sadhana or


practice, should consider spending some weeks in an ashram in
India.In many respects, ashrams in India are unique and cannot

be replicated easily elsewhere.

The author can be contacted at: nksrinivasan@hotmail.com

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