TEACHERS AT THE GURUKULAM
Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati is a distinguished, traditional teacher of Vedanta. His depth of understanding and nuanced appreciation of Western culture make him that rare teacher who can communicate the vision of non-duality to modern listeners. He is able to make one see, with immediacy, the truth of oneself as the whole.
Swami Dayananda has been teaching Vedanta in India for more than four decades, and around the world since 1976. In his public talks abroad, Swamiji has spoken at many of the most prestigious American universities, and has addressed international conventions, UNESCO and the United Nations, where he participated in the Millennium Peace Summit.
A teacher of teachers, Swami Dayananda designed and taught six resident in-depth Vedanta courses, each spanning 30 to 36 months. (more...)
Sri Swami Viditatmananda
Sri Swami Viditatmananda, a disciple of Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, expounds Vedanta with a simplicity and directness that make it easy to assimilate. Having lived and worked in the United States prior to becoming a renunciate, Swami Viditatmananda is familiar with the lifestyles in India and the West. With his insight into both cultures, he reaches out to everyone with equal ease. (more...)
Sri Swami Tattvavidananda
Swami Tattvavidananda is a true pandita in both a classical and modern sense. His Vedic studies began in childhood, first under the tutelage of his father, a well-known scholar, and later in a traditional patashala. He excelled in his Vedic studies and at the age of 11 was encouraged to begin modern academic studies. A brilliant student, he ultimately earned a Ph.D in Chemistry, and enjoyed a successful scientific career. He continued to retain his connection to his Vedic roots, (more...)
Sri Swami Pratyagbodhananda
Swami Pratyagbodhananda, a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, follows the traditional methods of teaching Vedanta. Swami Pratyagbodhananda is at home in handling three languages - English, Gujarati and Hindi. He teaches in all these languages, not only Vedantic texts like Gita,Upanisads, Panchadasi, and the like, but also Tulsi's Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana. (more...)
Sri Swamini Saralananda Swamini Saralananda is one of Swami Dayananda’s senior-most disciples; she was born and raised in Hawaii where she completed a Bachelors degree in Dance but found her way to a better interest in Yoga. From 1972-75 she studied in India under the traditional scholar and teacher, Swami Dayananda Sarasvati, at which point her study was well beyond hatha yoga, it was a rigorous three year course in Vedanta and Sanskrit. Swami Dayananda is the founder of Arsha Vidya Pitham and Gurukulam an Insitution for Vedanta and Sanskrit, Vedanta being the ancient wisdom tradition of India for teaching Inquiry into the Self as taught in the Upanisads and Bhagavad Gita.
After her course of study in India, Swamini returned to Hawaii and continued graduate studies in Sanskrit and taught classes in Vedanta. When Swami Dayananda came to California in 1979-82 to teach the same three year course for Western students, she was on the teaching staff there. Since then she has traveled back and forth to India for continuing studies, spending a sum total of eleven years in India. She has traveled all over US and in Canada and Europe, giving public lectures on Vedanta. She has also served for a sum total of eight years as one of the residential teaching staff at the Pennsylvania Gurukulam.
Swamini also holds a Masters degree in Counseling and prior to receiving Sannyasa ( the formal order of renunciation ) she had a private Counseling practice in Portland, Oregon. After four years of travelling, Swamini is now settled in Maui, Hawaii. She can be reached at her ‘Arsha Kutir’ by phone : 808-572-6976 or by e-mail : swnisaralananda@gmail.com. She is a very well seasoned teacher and counselor and welcomes students for Vedanta, Sanskrit, Hatha yoga, amongst other things. She is happy to meet with anyone for an informal interview.
Sri Swamini Ramananda Swamini Ramananda is a long-time disciple and student of Swami Dayananda Saraswati. She has been teaching Vedanta and Sanskrit for the past 10 years in India and in the USA. Swamini moved to India in 1995 when Swami Dayananda began an intensive 3½ year residential course in Sanskrit and Vedanta at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. After having attended the 3½ year course with Pujya Swamiji, Swamini continued living and teaching in India in either Coimbatore or Rishikesh for 11 years. Currently, she spends 6 months in India and 6 months in her ashram-residence, Arsha Jnana Sthana, in Pennsylvania near East Stroudsburg and teaches Vedanta, Meditation and Sanskrit in the Stroudsburg/Saylorsburg area. After having earned a masters degree in Experimental Psychology, a Masters in Counseling and a PHD in Psychology, Swamini became a professor of Psychology in Pennsylvania teaching a variety of Psychology courses for over 25 years and training mental health counselors. In addition, as a licensed Psychologist she had a private psychotherapy practice where she treated patients with emotional problems. Because Swamini Ramananda lived and taught in India and USA, she is comfortable teaching both Indians as well as Westerners. When she is in the USA, she is usually available to teach between the middle of July through the middle of February and can be contacted at swamini@ramananda.net or (570) 421-1836.
Every Tuesday morning from 10:30 to 12:30 in Tunga, Swamini Ramananda teaches the Vedanta text, Atma Bodha, the knowledge of Atma, the Self. After lunch she also teaches a Sanskrit Class at 1:15 in Tunga at AVG. Swamini will teach 1st & 3rd Saturday Meditation Workshops at AVG from Dec 2008 to Feb 2009.
Brahmachari Shankara
Br. Shankara had the opportunity to study with Pujya Swamiji and all the other teachers visiting the Gurukulam for several years while working in the United States. He attended a three year course in Vedanta and Sanskrit at Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam, Nagpur, India, taught by Pujya Swamiji and Swamini Brahmaprakasananda between 2004 and 2007. He has since been at the Gurukulam since summer of 2008. He assists with children’s classes during camps and teaches Sanskrit in some of the Vedanta retreats. He is doing a class for children on first and third Sundays, a weekly Panini grammar class at the Gurukulam on Thursday evenings and Bhagavad Gita class Monday evenings.
Dr.Ashok Chhabra
Dr.Ashok Chhabra has been a disciple of Pujya Swamiji since 1976. He completed Swamiji’s resident Vedanta course at Piercy, California (1979-82), and subsequently founded Arsha Vidya Ontario in Toronto, Canada where he taught Vedanta from 1983-86. In 1986, Dr.Ashok Chhabra joined fellow students to help Pujya Swamiji establish Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, PA. For the past twenty years, he has served in various capacities at the Gurukulam including that of General manager. Dr.Ashok Chhabra was also manager for the first six months of the establishment of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore, India. A gifted teacher with a remarkable assimilation of the essential message of Vedanta, he had taught bi-monthly Bhagavad Gita classes and weekend Meditation workshops at the Gurukulam. The simplicity with which he unfolds the essence of the teaching, and the depth and clarity of his own vision, make the essence of Vedanta easily accessible to the listener. A sampradayavit (one who knows the tradition), his teaching is further testimony to Pujya Swamiji’s capacity to transfer the vision of nonduality and ensure the continuation of the knowledge that frees one from samsara. He is a regular speaker on special events at the Gurukulam, and paricipates in Interfaith meets. Dr.Ashok Chhabra is currently in Upstate Newyork doing counselling services in that area combining Counseling psychology skills with Vedanta.
Sri Suddhatma
Since completing his course of Vedanta study in Bombay from 1980 to 1983, Suddhatma has served on the staff in all three Rishikesh, Coimbatore and Saylorsburg Gurukulams. He is well known for his perfect and resonating Vedic Chanting, and is teaching Vedic chanting and Sanskrit at the Gurukulam and co-ordinates Gita Vichara study group classes in Stroudsburg, PA . He Teaches Chanting classes every 2nd & 4th Thursdays at Allentown Hindu Temple. Suddhatma is currently the General Manager of Arsha Vidya gurukulam.
Srimati Samata Suddhatma
Samata, a student of Pujya Swami Dayananda, completed the three and a half year residential course at the Coimbatore Gurukulam from 1990 to 1994. Since then she has been actively involved in Gurukulam activities. In academics, she has six years of training to qualify as a Commercial Artist from Sir. J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, INDIA. She holds a degree in Applied Art from the Mumbai University. With a background of a professional visualizer, copywriter, photographer and a graphite portrait artist in the advertising field, Samata now serves the Gurukulam as the Audio Department in-charge since 1998. She has been actively involved into digitalizing Swamiji’s talks and converting them into different formats to match the demand of people and time.
Samata has been one of the main instructors in the Gurukulam’s children programs, working closely with Indian American children for almost a decade now. She conducts classes on Vedic Heritage, Culture & Religion, to both the senior kids and the teenagers. She is also actively involved in other activities of the Gurukulam like, designing of Audios and MP3 CD covers, other Art works including preparation of props for the cultural programs held at the Gurukulam.
Srimati Savitri Mani
Savitri Mani has been an important part of the children's program at the Gurukulam for the last 15 years. She retired as high school teacher, District Training Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts & Guides and as contingent leader lead them to participate in the international & world Jamborees to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan and Australia. As a member of State Training Team she continues to conduct training for teachers at the State Level. Savitri has successfully conducted Bala Vihar classes for the past 4o years of which the last 15 years she has been coming to the US and bringing the best out of children coming to children camps at the Gurukulam. Savitri is renowned for her ability to harness the talents of the children and stage a remarkable production at the conclusion of every retreat.
l Lance Daniels
Lance Daniels MSW, is a certified yoga teacher, and is employed in Monroe County as a social worker serving clients in Pike, Monroe, and Carbon counties. He has been affiliated with the Gurukulam for many years having met Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Salt Lake City in 1981. Currently Lance assists at the Gurukulam in a variety of capacities which include teaching yoga, and children's classes. (more...)
A.V.G. Saylorsburg
PA – 18353, USA
Tel : 570-992-2339 ext 1-431
Sri Stan Melancon
Stan Melancon has studied and practiced yoga for five decades. His spiritual quest has taken him through the studies of many spiritual disciplines. For ten years he lived in India and Nepal; studying Advaita Vedanta in the traditional method with Swami Dayananda Saraswati, India's most renowned scholar of Vedanta and Sanskrit. Stan continues his studies with Swami Dayananda to the present day.During his years in India, Stan studied with many of the greatest spiritual masters to have lived in the past 100 years. He studied yoga and yoga philosophy with Shri T. Krishnamacharya of Mysore (South India), Shri Vidya (Tantric practice) with Smt. Revathi Viramani (Rema), and Vedic studies with Brahma Shri V. Jagadeeswara Sastrigal. Stan studied Ayurvedic medicine in Kathmandu, Nepal with Mana Bajra Bajracharya and also participated in a resident Transcendental Meditation instructor’s course conducted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at His Ashram in Rishikesh, North India.
Stan lived and taught in Kathmandu and had patronage by the Royal Family of Nepal where he formed the Royal Institute for Nepali Sacred Arts. He was instrumental in rediscovering Charya Dance (the world's oldest dance or ritual movement) and reinstating these ancient temple dances in the temples of Nepal. The Royal Institute had funding through the Rockefeller Foundation and worked in association with the Anthropological Film Center of the Smithsonian Institute.
Stan has toured the world, giving lectures on Hindu culture, Vedantic philosophy, oriental philosophy, and comparative religion. He has lectured at Oxford University, Hong Kong University, the Hebrew University in Tel Aviv, and Columbia University.
Stan has been teaching Vedanta, Meditation, Yoga, Pranayama and spiritual development seminars for over 30 years, and has more than 5000 teaching hours as a yoga instructor. He is a certified teacher of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam Institute of Vedanta and Sanskrit.
Stan conducts Pranayama, Yoga & Meditation Workshops at AVG in addition to Public relations activities and Children's Prgram co-ordination at AVG, Saylorsburg. Stan will be teaching classes during summer programs.
Sri Ramanand Patel
Ramanand Patel is a visiting Yoga teacher at the Gurukulam. He has been a student of Yogacharya Sri. B.K.S. Iyengar since 1968. He conducts teacher training seminars throughout the world. He has studied Vedanta under Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Where is Ramanand?
Pandit Mukesh Desai
Pandit Mukesh Desai is a disciple of Pandit Jasraj. He teaches Hindustani classical Music. Pandit Mukesh is a talented vocalist who brings his rare gift of music to the Gurukulam,not only as performer, but as a teacher of both children and adults during some of the summer retreats and courses. Where is Pandit Mukesh Desai?
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Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Institute of Vedanta & Sanskrit
P.O. Box 1059, Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, 18353, USA Tel: 570.992.2339
email: info@arshavidya.org
