December 2003

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MESSAGE FROM WAYNE

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In the US we have just finished our Thanksgiving holiday. It is as the name suggest a time for gratitude...an occasion to count ones blessings.

It is a peculiar yet nearly universal quality amongst humans that pain and hardship weigh more than equivalent amounts of pleasure and good fortune. Happiness seems fleeting while misery seems to endure. Like so much in life, these are appearances and appearances can be deceptive.

The essence of this advaitic teaching is to question....to inquire... to seek the Truth behind the appearance. Perhaps if you look closely you will witness the miracles that abound all around you. And if you look very very closely and are very very lucky you may glimpse the Miracle that you truly ARE.

An early holiday gift reached me yesterday in the form of a new book about my beloved guru, Ramesh. It is a biography of his life entitled THE HAPPENING OF A GURU and it is truly a thing of beauty. It contains numerous photos of him and his family, as well as photos of his guru, Nisargadatta Maharaj. The accompanying text gives a real sense of Ramesh as a man and a wonderful piece by Ramesh entitled, How Do I Live My Life?, gives the reader an incredible insight into the daily life of this beloved Sage.

Happy holidays with much love,

Wayne

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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WITH RAMESH BALSEKAR

Daily Talks in His Home: 9AM Sindhula, N. Gamadia Rd. #10, Bombay, India (Helpful info for people planning to visit Ramesh can be found in the Ramesh Balsekar section of the advaita.org website) No talks Dec. 5 -23 while Ramesh is at the Kovalam Seminar. Talks resume Dec. 24.

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EVENTS WITH WAYNE LIQUORMAN

Sedona, AZ...........................Dec. 12-14, 2003 Contact: Karen Phone: 928-284-0777 angelgirl@sedona.net

Amsterdam............................Jan. 23-25, 2004 Contact Ronald 31-020-646-2160 Email: ronald.valk@wanadoo.nl

London......................................Feb. 6-8, 2004 Conact Alan or Jane 020-7328-6610 Email: alanadamsjacobs@yahoo.co.uk

Ross, CA.................................Feb. 27-29, 2004 Contact: Joanne Phone: 415-457-6686 Email: jfm1@comcast.net

Talks in Wayne's Home

927B Sixth St., Hermosa Beach, CA (check website for times or call 310-376-9636)

These talks will be broadcast LIVE over the Internet. Live broadcasts can be accessed free from the advaita.org website.

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THE ADVAITA PRESS STORE

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NEW BOOKS------------

The Happening of a Guru....A biography of Ramesh S. Balsekar

If you love Ramesh, this book will be one of your most cherished volumes.

It is a magnificently produced hardbound presentation of Ramesh's life in photos (many of them color) and text. In addition to the fascinating historical look at the man and his family, the reader is treated to a recent piece by Ramesh entitled How Do I Live My Life? in which he describes in simple yet exquisite detail the daily experience of the Sage.

This is truly a book not to be missed.

Hardbound, 98 pages, numerous color and b/w photos $25

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Fingers Pointing Towards The Moon

by Wei Wu Wei

This lovely book subtitled Reflections of a Pilgrim on the Way was the first in the series of brilliant non-dual writings of the Irish aristocrat with the pen name, Wei Wu Wei.

This latest edition is graced with a Foreword by Ramesh S. Balsekar who credits WWW with being one of his earliest influences.

Softcover, 160 pages $17.00

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Confusion No More by Ramesh S. Balsekar

This new book contains extracts from three of Ramesh's previous books...

Who Cares?, The Infamous Ego and Sin and Guilt along with an Introduction and Conclusion newly written by Ramesh. It also contains two nice black and white photos of Ramesh.

The book centers around two questions: What exactly is self-realization? and How does a self-realized being live his daily life? In addressing these questions, Ramesh gives the reader an insight into the True Nature of the sage.

Softcover, 256pages, photos, printed and bound in India $16

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NEW ON DVD... 

A Morning in the Heart of Advaita DVD 

Conversations with Ramesh S. Balsekar

This DVD beautifully captures the feel of a typical morning Talk at Ramesh's flat in Bombay. Recorded in the late 1990's, all the elements of the Teaching are presented with a special emphasis on addictions and the nature of the Sage.

Highly recommended. It is available in both NTSC and PAL video standards.

Running time: 107 minutes $24.00

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Click here http://advaita.org/store/index.htm or go to the www.advaita.org website, click on Advaita Press Store and then Latest Releases and you will find this item as well as a new video about Ramana Maharshi, another video about Nisargadatta Maharaj as well as a new Maharaj pictorial book and DVD's of both Wayne and Ramesh.

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WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK

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If you have not yet done so, will you take a few minutes to let us know what you think of the website and the newsletter. It is a very simple process. Click on the link below and answer the ten questions you find there. Your responses are annonymous.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=23317286223

That's all there is to it. Thanks!!

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ADVAITA FELLOWSHIP MEMBERS

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To thank you for your support we will offer members upgraded First Class Mail shipping at no extra charge on all Advaita Press Store orders received before December 20. Please mention that you are a member when you place your order either online, via fax or over the telephone.

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BECOME A MEMBER

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If you have not yet joined the Advaita Fellowship but would like to become a member... click on the link

http://216.86.195.102/members/register.asp 

or visit the advaita.org website and click on BECOME A MEMBER

Members, via their TAX DEDUCTIBLE monthly donations, help to make the Fellowship financially viable and ensure the continued free presentations of the Teaching via the web site, webcasts, newsletters and free Talks in Wayne's home.

In thanks to the members for their support they receive unlimited access to the Fellowships online video archives. These archives contain hundreds of streaming videos of Ramesh and Wayne. New ones are being added constantly.

This month new videos have been added of Wayne's Talks from his home as well as videos by Ramesh in Kovalam.

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A LIVING GEM FROM RAMESH (previously unpublished)

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Peace and harmony can prevail in one's daily living only when:

1) one has realized that no one can really ever be in control over one's life;

2) one has realized the futility of competition with and hatred and malice towards the 'other'.

3) one has realized the enormous privilege of anonymity and humility;

4) one has been able to anchor oneself to the One Source, taking ones sustenance from the mysterious Mother, the subtle origin of the universe.

5) possessions have lost their hold on one.

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POEM

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Love Poem

How absurd!
That I go all over
  the place to hear
the same stories
the same jokes
the same concepts

over and over and over
All for Nothing!

It makes no sense
but of course
I keep showing up

And it feels like Grace.

Daniel