Tattva-viveka
summer 07
Kamalaksa Das - February 24, 2007 12:09 pm
As one retreat ends, the next one starts to take shape.
In July. More info soon. Please join us.
K+K
Vamsidhari Dasa - February 26, 2007 3:26 pm
Great, just in time to sign up for iglo building lessons and to get my dog-slate organized for the "warm" summer retreat. Thanks.
Krsangi Dasi - May 10, 2007 7:50 am
This summer's Finnish retreat will begin on July 4th and Guru Maharaja will arrive on July 5th. He will stay until July 11th. There will be discussions, aratis, napping in the hammock, bathing in the sauna, swimming in the sea and different kinds of deep-fried goodies.
Pack your bags and book your flights, people! It's going to be a super duper retreat (again)! 
Krsangi Dasi - May 21, 2007 7:55 am
It has come to our attention that some people consider Finland to be a distant, cold country that's very difficult and expensive to travel to. Here's a tip especially for the devotees living in England: I'm browsing the Ryanair website here (wearing a t-shirt 
) and there are flights as cheap as 24,99 pounds from London Stanstead to Tampere. And prices from Tampere back to London start from 4,99 pounds! Not such a big investment for a week in the archipelago with Guru Maharaja, right?
From Tampere you can easily take a bus via Helsinki to Porvoo where the retreat is, I can help with the timetables and everything. We'd be very happy to see as may devotees at the retreat as possible!
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - May 21, 2007 9:56 am
It has come to our attention that some people consider Finland to be a distant, cold country that's very difficult and expensive to travel to. Here's a tip especially for the devotees living in England: I'm browsing the Ryanair website here (wearing a t-shirt
From Tampere you can easily take a bus via Helsinki to Porvoo where the retreat is, I can help with the timetables and everything. We'd be very happy to see as may devotees at the retreat as possible!
Haribolo
Thank u for the info, because I was getting litlle frustrated with the prices of tickets to Helsinki. I sent u a private message.
Jananivasdas - May 21, 2007 1:42 pm
yeah,everything is deepfried....
Shyam Gopal Das - May 21, 2007 6:20 pm
haha Jananivas shares my passion for deepfried food!
I'll be there! Too bad Ryanair doesn't fly from Holland and the Blue1 timetable is unfortunate.
Kamalaksa Das - May 21, 2007 6:58 pm
(Sung to the tune of the Muppet show)
It's time to play the mu-sic, it's time to light the fire, It's time to raise the cur-tain on the Summer Retreat to-night!
It's time to put on tilak, it's time to dress up right. You'll see the funniest devotees on the summer retreat to-night!
*
In an effort to inspire more devotees to join our ranks in the archipelago this summer we will make it our effort to post pictures and news in this thread ever so frequently along with smalll snippets of commentary just to raise the fever to its pitch.
And what better way to kick it off than a picture of our own mr vedic ritual Bhrigupada. Here starting a fire, as he usually is.
The suspence thickens. Will there be initiations? Will Gurunistha finally take sannyasa? Is Shyamagopala going to get married? And with whom?
*
So far our list of attendees includes as confirmed
Swami
Gurunistha
Bhrigupada
Tadiya (+ her friend Madhavi from Sweden who should be attending...)
Mathuranatha from Sweden
Shyamagopala from Holland
Madhavendra Puri from London
and if not for the whole retreat, at least for some days
Jayanta Krishna
Sulochana
Mikko
and still unsure attendees include
Jananivas
Haripriya
Eija
Andras
Mohini
and as your hosts, the dynamic duo K+K
But please, if you are inteding to attend, please either write us personally or post something in this thread. We want to see as many devotees as possible, and what better place than under the sun that never sets.
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - May 21, 2007 7:26 pm
I know there is big banch of devotees comming from Poland , but I am sure Gaura Sakti is going post some detailed info soon. I think it can be even 10 persons or so
Krsangi Dasi - May 22, 2007 7:19 pm
Two wishes came true for me at the retreat last summer. The smaller one was that before the retreat I had thought that it would be nice if Guru Maharaja talked about the six Goswamis, because I knew so little about them. I was thinking that they had to be very special persons as they were chosen by Lord Caitanya to take his message forward, and that I’d like to get to know what kind of people they were. Of course I knew their names as well as some things I had heard and read, but I’ve become kind of picky: I want to hear things from Guru Maharaja, I want to hear them the way he says them.
At the retreat Guru Maharaja had decided to talk about the Brihad Bhagavatamrita, written by Sanatana Goswami, so my first wish came true when he told us what the classe would be about. I smiled to myself when he started talking, it seems that he always says exactly what I need to hear at that time.
Rama-priya - May 26, 2007 3:35 pm
At the retreat Guru Maharaja had decided to talk about the Brihad Bhagavatamrita, written by Sanatana Goswami, so my first wish came true when he told us what the classe would be about. I smiled to myself when he started talking, it seems that he always says exactly what I need to hear at that time.
Well I feel the same. I feel that Guru Maharaja always speaks what is important that time to hear. It is fascinating how everything is meant to move us toward our goal.
I can't wait to meet you all 
again.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - May 27, 2007 6:18 pm
Two wishes came true for me at the retreat last summer. The smaller one was that before the retreat I had thought that it would be nice if Guru Maharaja talked about the six Goswamis, because I knew so little about them. I was thinking that they had to be very special persons as they were chosen by Lord Caitanya to take his message forward, and that I’d like to get to know what kind of people they were. Of course I knew their names as well as some things I had heard and read, but I’ve become kind of picky: I want to hear things from Guru Maharaja, I want to hear them the way he says them.
At the retreat Guru Maharaja had decided to talk about the Brihad Bhagavatamrita, written by Sanatana Goswami, so my first wish came true when he told us what the classe would be about. I smiled to myself when he started talking, it seems that he always says exactly what I need to hear at that time.
Are you going to tell us your second wish that came true?
Mathura-natha Das - May 28, 2007 4:21 pm
Another Swede is planning to come to the retreat. Name: Ludwig!
Kamalaksa Das - June 4, 2007 6:44 pm
We now officially beginning our countdown. There is now only one month to go before we kick off the fourth annual summer retreat.
As a teaser for those who haven't yet come around to decide wheater or not to attend we offer small glimpses of the life in the archipelago.
Good music, good friends and a good time, what more could you ask for?
Gurunistha leading the bhajans in summer 2006.
Kamalaksa Das - June 4, 2007 6:50 pm
And while some describe me as some kind of a heartless slave master, nothing could be further from the truth. But please, do not take my word for it, just witness how carefree Haripriya is while relaxing in the hammock with her Siksastakam! (Never mind that just minutes after the picture was shot she was moved to forced labour raking the beach...)
Kamalaksa Das - June 4, 2007 6:55 pm
And albeit my own physique is somewhat slender, I personally take pride in the fact that no one will go hungry on the retreat. Pictures prove this - breakfast and dinner are served!
(Only Bhrigu might trouble a hungry attendendant by inventing (?) obscure fasting days...)
Kamalaksa Das - June 4, 2007 6:59 pm
To compensate for the fact that the retreats are so short, and occure so rarely we get to get up really early in the morning. But hey, we are in Finland, and the sun never sets. Which means the days never end!
(Which might trouble some smartas, who insist on chanting their rounds two hours before sun rise. You just can't please everyone, can you?)
Kamalaksa Das - June 4, 2007 7:03 pm
Did I mention there is a boat too? So much fun packed in so few days. If you stay home you are truly missing out on some special days. So ditch your job, sell your house, clear your bank account, pack your spouse and kids and run to the nearest airport. It's the sensible thing to do!
(We will help arrange transportation once you've set foot on Finnish soil.)
Kamalaksa Das - June 5, 2007 7:40 pm
Last year we had the pleasure of having Audarya's own handyman come over. Now this boy sure is a work horse. We had him do all kinds of things, but where he really excelled was in chopping wood.
Now I myself like to handle the axe every now and then, even considering myself to be quite good at it. But this fellow was something different - he chopped up entire trees to toothpick size in day, while I would honestly have worked a week on it.
Good thing the retreat only lasted about a week - otherwise I fear there wouldn't be any trees left on the island.
Still, we warmly welcome him back any day.
Kamalaksa Das - June 5, 2007 7:43 pm
Those lazy summer days - taking it easy in the evening sunshine while waiting for class to begin. As Borat would say "Is nice!"
Kamalaksa Das - June 5, 2007 7:55 pm
As a little something extra for the retreat we put together a little theatre. Our play was called "The king has no clothes", and was written as a collaboration among us Finns.
In the roles were Bhrigu as the evil king, Krishangi as the king's daughter turned sadhu, Haripriya played the part of a devious minister, and Tadiya was a typist. Myself, I functioned as the master of ceremony.
Here a scene from the play, where the King, distraught over his daughter's crazy ideas tries to coax her into abandoning such foolish notions as spirituality.
As far as I could understand the audience, including Guru Maharaja, enjoyed the show, even though it was put together quite spontaneously, with a big heart and more passion than talent to back it up.
But, once again, you had to be there. And unfortunately it was a one time performance, with no reruns visible in the immediate future. You never know what happens next on the retreats!
Kamalaksa Das - June 5, 2007 8:03 pm
Tell me, where else will you get to play "last man standing" in such exalted company?
And isn't this picture in itself reason enough to leave the milk boiling on the stove and start running towards the woods?
Syamasundara - June 6, 2007 4:33 am
he chopped up entire trees to toothpick size in day, while I would honestly have worked a week on it.
Yeah, no kidding, and practically barefoot. Have you tried putting a Huskvarna in his hands? In lack of it, you can ask him to imitate one, it always cracks me up. :Raised Eyebrow: