Enlightenment Talks

7-9 PM Every Thursday Evening with Aja

Where:

Sanskrit Weekends with Aja

Sanskrit is the language of Yoga, meditation, mantra, Ayurveda and enlightenment. Joseph Campbell called it, "The great spiritual language of the world." More than simply teaching Sanskrit, this workshop will lead you into the experience of yoga. Using yogic concepts, Aja's unique teaching style incorporates the power of sound, the focus of awareness and mutual agreements to create an environment in which you will experience Sanskrit at its deepest levels. You will gain an intimate understanding of the structure of sacred sound and experience its profound healing and transformative powers. By the end of the first weekend you will be reading and pronouncing original Sanskrit text with power and precision, unlocking the many hidden secrets held in original texts.

Sanskrit Levels 1 & 2 in Portland Oregon

Self-Realization Counseling with Aja

The goal of life is to realize the Self, 'That' which is always and already present and which is prior to the mind and body.  However, finding direct guidance in this endeavor can be extremely difficult.  Most spiritual teachers are inaccessible and regular counseling focuses only on the mind and emotions, not on the Transcendent Self. Self-Realization Counseling, on the other hand, focuses on the direct recognition of the Absolute Self - Consciousness which is the substratum of the body, mind and entire universe. This is our home and the doorway to infinite peace and happiness.  

Bringing Aja to your area

Besides programs at Barnashram, Aja travels and teaches extensively throughout the United States and abroad, offering the classes listed below. He is available for these classes, as well as group satsangs, individual counseling, seminars, yoga programs, and intensives in your area. If you have a serious interest in bringing Aja to your center or town, please send us an email at atma@atmainstitute.org. Please include your email, telephone, address, and fax; also what you are interested in, and any particular dates you might have in mind. A member of Atma will respond, usually within a few days, to talk about specifics.

YOGAS OF TRANSFORMATION — Classes with Aja

1. Self Inquiry Intensive — The Yoga of Awareness

The Self Inquiry Intensive is about directly experiencing the answer to the original question - Who am I?  It is an inquiry into the one thing that is always with us and never leaves us - the Awareness of Being. When we inquire into this Awareness, we find that we are Absolute, beyond concepts and limitations - we are the ocean of consciousness itself, which transcends limits of time and space.  The ancient sages of India stated it as Tat Tvam Asi or 'You are That', and Aham Brahmasmi 'I am Absolute Consciousness'.
Self Inquiry is nothing new. Every great spiritual tradition and mystical writer has advocated it with sayings like "Know Thy Self" and "The Kingdom of Heaven is Within".  It doesn't require accepting a new religion, or a new system of beliefs, but rather a dedication to Truth and the commitment to let go of old beliefs, concepts and limitations and inquire into that pure awareness that we already are.
The Enlightenment Encounter weekend is an opportunity for the participants themselves to directly experience Who they are through a process of inquiry, contemplation, openness and communication. This process can result in powerful and permanent breakthroughs in consciousness, literally changing an individual's life forever!

Quotes:

For more on Sri Ramana Maharshi – the saint of Self Inquiry, click here!

Using a yoga approach to learning, we incorporate the power of sound, focus of awareness, and mutual agreements to create an atmosphere where Sanskrit is experienced to the fullest and at the deepest levels, providing an awesome adventure into this ancient world.

Considered by many to be oldest language in the world, Sanskrit is the language of consciousness, mantra, and yoga. Joseph Campbell called it,  "The great spiritual language of the world", and millions have experienced the great joy that comes from diving into these transcendental sounds.  But most importantly, the Sanskrit Weekend is like a doorway to awareness that allows you access to deeper dimensions of consciousness and positively changes how you experience the process of learning.

Quotes:

For more about Sanskrit click here!

3. The Mantra Soundshop — The Yoga of Vibration

Mantra is a Sanskrit word meaning 'that which frees the mind'. The mind, like the rest of the universe, is an ocean of vibration, and the ancient sages understood the principles behind sound, mantra and this universal resonance. Over the years, teaching Sanskrit, we've found that a great many of our students were specifically interested in mantra, whether for devotional bhajans, meditation, or healing.  Join us for a journey into this subtle and powerful realm of mantra, Sanskrit words subtly attuned to the very matrix of creation. Learn and directly experience ancient mantras for healing, prosperity, meditation and ultimate enlightenment, including:

Gayatri Mantra
Mahamrtyunjaya Mantra
Chakra Bija Mantras
Planetary Mantras
Healing Mantras
Devotional Mantras
Sanskrit Pronunciation
And Much More

4. The Bhagavad Gita — The Yoga of Scripture

The Gita is one of the oldest and most widely read scriptures of the world, expressing Lord Krishna's instructions to Arjuna on the nature of the Absolute and Self Realization.   Reading, chanting, and singing selected verses from the Gita, we will dive into these transcendental teachings, while translating and exploring the grammar.

This course is best suited for people who have done Sanskrit Parts I and II, and who can actually read the included Selected Verses from the Gita in their original Devanagari. However, it can also be done as a class for people who have had no Sanskrit training, as the verses are also printed in transliteration (roman text).

"To truly teach one must have experienced an awareness.  Aja has experienced the Divine in Life and it has transformed him.  Through his teaching Aja shares the techniques and the vibration of that transformation with his students.  If you want an experience guaranteed to shift your awareness to a new expanded plane of consciousness, time with Aja is the blessing to bring into your life. Sitting at the feet of a master teacher is a rare and wonderful experience."

Workshop Information

All four workshops can be done in a variety of formats, in or sponsored by your center. The Sanskrit Weekend should be a minimum of 14 hours, although it can be longer covering more information.  The Enlightenment Encounter can be done any length of time, two days being optimal, the Mantra Soundshop is generally done as a one-day workshop, and the Gita class can be one, two or more days.

    For further information on fees, schedules or to discuss other specifics for your city, contact us: