November 2003
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MESSAGE FROM WAYNE
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Hello my loves..We are back from Maui where we enjoyed yet another glorious week of heartfelt connection with a wonderful group amidst the incredible natural beauty of that magnificent island.
One afternoon we were driving down a narrow country road through the lush green rainforest. We had just swum in a secluded waterfall pool. We were on our way back from a bit of jagged coastline where we had sat for hours watching the huge waves crash on the black lava rocks sending spires of spray into the unimaginably blue sky.
Through a break in the colorful vegetation we caught a glimpse into the front yard of one of the houses. Amidst the rusted hulks of abandoned cars and appliances was a raised cage containing two woeful, half starved dogs. Other cages contained fighting cocks. Viscious dogs stood chained to stakes in the ground. The whole scene was malevolent and unwholesome. It felt as if a cloud moved in front of the joy that had been shining on us. We drove on.
I was struck with how perfectly this captured the yin and yang of life. Ugliness and beauty are neighbors. Joy and sorrow flow into each other. The Acceptance this teaching points to is that both are essential aspects of life. The same creative energy in the universe is responsible for both. Just as it is the same energy that fuels one person to act cruelly, fuels another to act to stop the cruelty and fuels yet another to write about it. True humility is in realizing that each of us has been created with a role to play and that none of us were consulted beforehand about what that role was to be.
With much love,
Wayne
P.S. I am looking forward to seeing some of you this coming weekend in New York City.
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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)
KOVALAM, INDIA SEMINAR 2003 W/ RAMESH
There will be another seminar with Ramesh in Kovalam this December. Bookings are now being taken. To download a booking form go to: http://ramesh-balsekar.com
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EVENTS WITH WAYNE LIQUORMAN
NYC, New York.................. Nov. 14-16 Contact: Daniel 212-864-5347 Email: djhnd@earthlink.net or Jim 718-543-4189
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
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 ITEMS-------------
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 CD... Advaita Is Here.... a Talk by Wayne Liquorman
This CD contains the full version of a Friday Night Talk Wayne gave in Boulder, Colorado in 2002. It is well recorded and most of the questions are audible (as is too often NOT the case in such recordings).. As usually happens in Wayne's Friday night talks, he starts with the basics of the Teaching and then proceeds to answer questions posed by the listeners. It was a lively and interesting night, indeed!
Running time: 74 minutes $15
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The Guru Disciple Relationship.... a Talk by Wayne Liquorman
This CD contains the full version of a Talk Wayne gave in Santa Ana, California in 1997 in which he describes the Guru/Disciple relationship in general and his love for Ramesh in particular. There are some very sweet and moving moments.
Those familiar with Wayne's current style will be interested to hear what he was like in the early days of his Teaching. (Running time: 1:15)
CD-GURUDIS $15
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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 Ramana pictorial book and a book of wonderful poems inspired by Hafiz (it is the book Wayne has been reading from in recent Talks)
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ADVAITA FELLOWSHIP MEMBERS
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Recently added to the Fellowship Video Archives are two new videos from Ramesh's Kovalam Retreat in 2002. New videos from the Retreat will be added in each of the upcoming months. These may be viewed for free by members.
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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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When you suddenly become aware of the steady falling of rain - really deeply aware - soon, very soon, there is only pure awareness of the most beautiful happening of the steady falling of rain, and the individual (being aware) disappears.
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POEM
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WORDLESS TO THE GURU
You held my face in your hands
Looked into my eyes and
What you reflected back to me was
Emptiness.
Nothingness.
Liquidation.
Suddenly all the cliches
About absolute surrender and
Moths flying into flames
Became real, visceral questions.
The magnitude of the word "Guru"
Became truly inconceivable.
But whether or not I shall ever
Have the courage to plunge headlong
Into that flame
Is not up to me
Is it?
Katherine