Saturday - August 18, 2007

Atma Jyoti Ashram Moves to New Mexico

Our new shrine at the new Cedar Crest location of Atma Jyoti Ashram
after the inauguration worship.

On Friday, August 17, at 2:30 p.m., the Atma Jyoti Ashram was formally declared open in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, followed by offerings in the ashram temple.

For quite some time it was evident that the incursions of agribusiness in our peaceful Borrego Valley were threatening the literal lifeblood of the area–the water. For Borrego does not have a replenishable water supply, but is subsisting solely on “fossil water” millions of years old. Water that is removed from the aquifer will never be replaced. There was enough water for centuries if only normal household use was the only tapping, but “big business” came in and began draining the water resources. The more obvious the drain, the more agribusiness pumped out. Once when driving around the valley we saw one commercial well which was gushing all over the ground at a tremendous number of gallons per minute. But no protests could change anything. Our ashram was involved for the last few years in a citizens’ group attempting to correct things, but the truth had to be faced: with the usual denial and false complacency that prevails everywhere, nothing was ever going to be done. So we decided to leave and find a more reasonable location for the ashram.

Over a year’s searching in various states resulted in our deciding that the East Mountain area near Albuquerque, New Mexico was most suitable. A combination of fortunate circumstances resulted in our purchase of the property at the highest point in Cedar Crest, New Mexico. After some years of looking at mountains from a valley floor we now overlook a valley from the top, seeing for a great distance at both north and south. (We can see to Santa Fe on the north.)

So now we are settling in and getting acquainted with new friends. Already two large deer friends have walked through our yard, and the hummingbirds are zooming by occasionally to ask where the feeders are. A couple of nights ago Swami Satyananda heard a bear roaring in the very early morning, and we are reading up on how to welcome such visitors, which may include moose, cougars, and bobcats.

We already feel very at home in our new community. Our first electrician was a Buddhist and the second was a Taoist. A day or so ago man in the grocery store asked about classes in Sanskrit. We fit right in!