Sacred Community Podcast

The Bhagavad Gita: A Meditation on Grief, Love, and Action for Perilous Times

In this audio recording of an event held shortly after the recent election, Sitaram Dass invokes the central scene of the Bhagavad Gita as a meditation on collective grief to inspire deep feeling, compassion, and right action for this time. 
He breaks up the discourse with 6-minutes of original music and chanting that features: Jeanette Kangas (tabla) Clark Stacer (bass) and Hiromi Sieradski (vocals). Relevant links below. 
Sitaram Dass writes about this lecture:
"In the Bhagavd Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna to drive him into the middle of the two opposing armies. Surrounded by millions of warriors on the eve of battle, Arjuna bears witness to the enormity of the ensuing devastation. He is overcome with grief, his legs tremble, his body quakes, and he cries out to Krishna for help.
The suffering is so unbearable that Arjuna desperately wants to leave the battlefield and live a life as a monk. However, Krishna emphatically instructs that this is a mistake. Arjuna's wisdom was in allowing himself to see and feel the reality of the world's suffering. His mistake was in trying to pull away. Krishna then instructs Arjuna on how we can all lean into the world's collective grief by acting out our dharma — our relational duty to the world.
Some of these practices involve widening our heart: Can we remember that the Atman, our True Loving Nature, is larger, deeper, and more stable than our grief?
Other strategies involve how to act in a world rife with grief: How does one engage with an open heart in the midst of crises and conflict?"
Sitaram Dass (K. Sandin, LCSW) (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a kirtan singer, social worker, author, and spiritual counselor. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path.
Connect with Sitaram Dass at http://sitaramdass.com
And follow his music on your favorite streaming service: https://hyperfollow.com/sitaramdass
 
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
Sacred Community Project works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
 
Related Credits and Links
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski
 
Jeanette Kangas: https://jkangasmusic.com and https://umpquavalleydrumlessons.com/
Clark Stacer: https://www.supraphonica.com
Hiromi Sieradski: https://heavenearthcircle.org and http://wondrousmoon.com
 
Geeta Updesh Photo used under Creative Commons License found here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geeta_Updesh.jpg
 
Related Article by Sitaram Dass published on the Be Here Now Network: https://beherenownetwork.com/the-dharma-of-our-times/
 
 

Sarah Anderson and Kenneth Robinson: The Constructed Self

Sarah Anderson, LCSW, interviews her previous therapist, Kenneth Robinson, MS, MTS, for a conversation about psychological healing. This is a follow up conversation from their previous conversation: A Healing Relationship, and in this conversation they convey a synthesis between the psychological and the spiritual through topics such as ego loss, the constructed self, the inner child, vulnerability, and interdependence.
Sarah writes about this interview series: "My intention behind asking Kenneth to create this conversation with me was to demonstrate healing relationship. For me, the Western medical model too often objectifies "patients/ clients" rather than humanizing both healer and receiver. Sitting with Kenneth for eight years (with some breaks!) was transformative because I felt seen and heard in a new way, and my desire to help others was strengthened in this context of learning what it feels like to be truly safe in the world. Not that we can prevent death, pain, and injury to mind, body, and spirit, but it is our connection with others that contains these traumas and allows us to return home to love unconditionally."
Kenneth Robinson has worked for more than thirty years in the healing arts. He began as an addictions counselor, then as director of a family counseling center, and for the past twenty-five years as a body-oriented therapist and teacher.  Throughout that time he has been a student of meditation and yoga, and for four years he studied Alaya Process, a transpersonal approach to healing. He has a masters in counseling from University of Tennessee and a Master’s in Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University. Beyond his practice, Kenneth is a poet, musician, and founding member of the kirtan group Chant Ram.
https://www.kennethrobinsontherapy.com/
 
Sarah Anderson combines her love of energy healing with psychotherapeutic skills in her clinical social work practice. A certified Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner since 2001, she went back to graduate school in 2009 to receive her masters in social work with the goal of supporting others in remembering their wholeness. Sarah uses multiple approaches in her practice, including mindfulness, transpersonal therapy, trauma-informed cognitive behavioral work, and narrative therapy. She enjoys reflecting back to clients the aspects of their being that were never touched by trauma, while holding space for the grief process involved in remembering the ways they have lost contact with those aspects.
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/sarah-w-anderson-keaau-hi/450152
 
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
 
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski

Ram Dass Caregiver Stories with Hari, Pavan Das, and Sitaram Dass

In this Q&A from the 2024 Sacred Community Retreat at Just Love Forest, retreat facilitators Hari Scott Whitmore, Pavan Das, and Sitaram Dass tell stories about their time caregiving for Ram Dass. Their honest and heartfelt reflections are shared atop of the sound of the Georgia cicadas and peppered bird song.
For more retreat content or to learn about upcoming retreats, sign up for the email list, follow the podcast and YouTube channel, or visit the retreat page.
 
Hari Scott Whitmore began leading kirtan over ten years ago in Ram Dass’s living room, where he served as a personal caregiver. Over the years he has had the honor of accompanying many incredible kirtan wallahs including Krishna Das, Nina Rao, Devadas, and his bandmates in Kripa. During his time as the Director of Outreach for the Call and Response Foundation, he helped organize kirtans in prisons and recovery centers throughout the United States. This work is now carried out by the Sacred Community Project, of which Hari is a founding member. You can explore his offerings at https://harikirtan.com
Pavan Das (he/him) is a community organizer, multi-media artist, and nonprofit leader. His time with spiritual luminaries like Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh informs his commitment to cultivating a lived spirituality through which to effect social change. His service projects aim to foster resilience and prosociality in individuals, groups and communities through the skillful application of contemplative and devotional practices. https://pavandas.com
Sitaram Dass (K. Sandin, LCSW) (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a kirtan singer, social worker, author, and spiritual counselor. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Connect with Sitaram Dass at http://sitaramdass.com
And follow his music on your favorite streaming service: https://hyperfollow.com/sitaramdass
 
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski

Ondrea Levine: Facing Grief with a Merciful Heart

This interview with Ondrea Levine was recorded on October 30th, 2023. Vasu Jon Seskevich and Sitaram Dass traveled to her remote off-the-grid home in the high desert of New Mexico for an intimate conversation about living with an open heart in the face of death and grief. 
Stephen and Ondrea Levine were two of the pioneers of the modern conscious death and dying movement and touched the lives of thousands of people worldwide. Stephen died a medication-assisted death on January 17th, 2016 after many years of living with Alzheimers, and Ondrea was his caregiver in those final years.
They are the authors of numerous books, including Who Dies, Embracing the Beloved, and A Year to Live. https://levinetalks.com is a way for Stephen and Ondrea to continue their teachings and connect with an outside audience.
In the introduction to this interview, Sitaram Dass states, “Stephen and Ondrea spent their entire lives making friends with death, and as Ondrea approached the end of her life after experiencing the death of Stephen, I wanted to know what insight she might have to share. 
“Her matter-of-fact transparency, immediate warmth, humility, compassion, and wisdom left me in awe, but also as if I had just met an intimate friend. This meeting was truly a gift, and I am excited to share it with you.” 
***HELP ONDREA FIX HER SOLAR POWER SYSTEM*** 
Recently, Ondrea’s solar power system and backup generator both unexpectedly broke down. These systems are essential for her daily living, providing the necessary power for heating, cooling, water, and other vital functions in her off-the-grid home. 
The sudden failure of these systems has left her in a vulnerable position, making it difficult to manage her health and maintain her home. A Gofundme was set up to help Ondrea repair her solar power system and generator, ensuring she can continue to live safely and comfortably in her home. Your support will make a significant difference in her life, providing her with the stability she needs during this challenging time. 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ondrea-fix-her-solar-system  
Credits and Links:
Featuring: Ondrea Levine https://levinetalks.com
Interviewers: Sitaram Dass https://sitaramdass.com   Vasu Jon Seskevich https://jonvasu.com 
AV Production and Filming: Kiki Love Productions https://kikiloveproductions.com 
Video Editing: zander cole karlin https://zandercole.carrd.co 
Intro Music: Carl Golembeski https://www.instagram.com/mirarimusic  
Archival footage used with permission from Levine Talks
The Sacred Community Project is an interspiritual collective working to awaken Sacred Community in the world. Through the eternal teachings of “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth,” SCP lowers the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through affordable, free, and donation-based offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. You can join and learn more at http://sacredcommunityproject.org

Ramananda John Welshons: The Eternal Now

Ramananda John Welshons is interviewed by Free Landauer to discuss the path of meditation, grief, releasing guilt, and grace. Ramananda also shares some sweet stories about his lifelong friendship with Ram Dass, and he even shares one about SCP director Sitaram Dass.
Ramananda John Welshons is a highly respected contemporary spiritual teacher who lectures and leads meditation courses throughout North America. He has been a practitioner of vipassana (mindfulness) meditation and various forms of yoga for more than fifty years. In addition to his latest book, One Soul, One Love, One Heart: The Sacred Path to Healing All Relationships, he is also the author of Awakening from Grief: Finding the Way Back to Joy and When Prayers Aren’t Answered, two books that emerged from forty-five years of experience helping people deal with dramatic life change and loss. Learn more about John and his schedule of events, join a meditation class, or request a private consultation at https://onesoulonelove.com/
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to SCP interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
The Sacred Community Project is an interspiritual collective working to awaken Sacred Community in the world. Through the eternal teachings of “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth,” SCP lowers the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through affordable, free, and donation-based offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. You can join and learn more at http://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski
 

David Nichtern: Suddenly Free from Fixed Mind

David Nichtern from Dharma Moon sits down with Greg "Aditya Das" Barbush to discuss mindfulness, the path of meditation, the concept of "suddenly free from fixed mind," the guru from the Tibetan Buddhist perspective, and the relationship between Bhakti Yoga and Buddhism. 
David Nichtern is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He is the founder of Dharma Moon, a mindfulness-based education platform, and he mentors individual students and leads meditation teacher training programs around the world. He is also an acclaimed author and music producer, and regularly plays and produces records for American chant master, Krishna Das. Learn more at: https://www.dharmamoon.com/our-founder 
Sign up for the Dharma Moon email list to learn more about upcoming retreats and online offersings and to receive the free ebook, The Art of Teaching Mindfulness, https://www.dharmamoon.com/ebook
Greg “Aditya Das” Barbush is a longtime contributor of the food service industry, a youth martial arts instructor, community volunteer, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher through Dharma Moon & Tibet House US. He has a passion for cultivating relationships with incarcerated individuals through spiritual support and letter writing and believes the best thing we can offer another human being is our own open heart. He is a spiritual support provider for Sacred Community Project and a contributing writer for the upcoming book, Loving Awareness: Awakening the Heart-Mind through the path of Grace. Learn more at https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-awareness-book 
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to SCP interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
The Sacred Community Project is an interspiritual collective working to awaken Sacred Community in the world. Through the eternal teachings of “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth,” SCP lowers the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through affordable, free, and donation-based offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. You can join and learn more at http://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski
 

Connor Burns: Mindfulness Meditation

Connor Burns leads a short mindfulness meditation at the 2023 Sacred Community Retreat that was held on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.
SCP is hosting two retreats this year- outside of Atlanta from May 24-27 and again on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia from August 22-25th. Registration is now live for both of them. Learn more and register for the retreat here: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/sacred-community-retreats
Connor Burns (he/him) is an educator and mental health facilitator living in Vancouver, BC Canada. Connor's passion for exploring consciousness started from a young age and has led to hundreds of hours of yoga and mindfulness trainings and more than ten years of experience working with at-risk youth. Connor holds certifications in Dr. Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry and Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. He is currently in a Master's of Counseling program. https://connorburns.ca IG: @connorburns.ca
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski

Sitaram Dass: Loving Awareness P2 (partner exercise)

In this second part of Sitaram Dass's Loving-Awareness Meditation, he leads a partner exercise to carry Loving-Awareness into interpersonal relationship and the verbal mind. This was recorded during SCP's first Sacred Community Retreat in the summer of 2023 on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.
SCP is hosting two retreats this year, and registration is live. Learn more about both the British Columbia and Atlanta, Georgia retreats at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/sacred-community-retreats
Sitaram Dass (K. Sandin, LCSW) (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is an experienced kirtan leader, social worker, author, and spiritual counselor. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Connect with Sitaram Dass at http://sitaramdass.com
And follow his music on your favorite streaming service: https://hyperfollow.com/sitaramdass
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski
 
 

Sitaram Dass: Loving Awareness (lecture and mantra meditation)

Sitaram Dass gives a lecture and leads a mantra meditation on the essence of Loving-Awareness. This was recorded during SCP's first Sacred Community Retreat in the summer of 2023 on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. SCP is hosting two retreats this year, and registration is live. Learn more about both the British Columbia and Atlanta, Georgia retreats at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/sacred-community-retreats
Sitaram Dass (K. Sandin, LCSW) (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is an experienced kirtan leader, social worker, author, and spiritual counselor. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Connect with Sitaram Dass at http://sitaramdass.com
And follow his music on your favorite streaming service: https://hyperfollow.com/sitaramdass
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski
 

Swapnil Abrol: The Play of Love

This audio from Swapnil Abrol was recorded during SCP's first Sacred Community Retreat in the summer of 2023. Swapnil gives a talk on Bhakti Yoga and the the nature of unconditional love, and he follows this with traditional bhajans and English storytelling.
SCP is hosting two retreats this year- outside of Atlanta from May 24-27 and again on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia from August 22-25th. Registration is now live for both of them. Learn more and register for the retreat here:  https://sacredcommunityproject.org/sacred-community-retreats
Swapnil Abrol (he/him) discovered the Bhakti tradition through a formal Amazonian shamanic apprenticeship. Through connecting with Maharajji, he found himself returning to his once neglected Hindu roots. Now following the path of Bhakti yoga, he deepens his practice through devotional musical expression. Also an active participant in the world of business, Swapnil enjoys learning new ways of bringing love and compassion into worldly situations.
The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values.
SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org
SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu
Music: Carl Golembeski