Alaya Community Updates

spring 2007 newsletter

S P R I N G 2 0 0 7

Greetings from Ishvara
and the Alaya community!

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISHVARA'S AWAKENING EVENT
February 14 marked the 20th anniversary of the event which precipitated Ishvara's awakening and the beginning of his journey to becoming the living example for us of the New Species. Though this journey is ongoing, it seemed appropriate to celebrate the 20th anniversary. Community members gathered at Alaya House on Sunday, February 11 for a potluck luncheon following Ishvara's Inspired Talk. In addition, some of you have sent cards and messages of thanks and gratitude. Ishvara is most appreciative of your sincere thoughts and your support.

As we look forward to the days and years to come, we trust that there will be more and more people who recognize that we cannot move into being the New Humans while living in the old ways of being. Ishvara shows us the way to the New Species through his teachings which come directly from his experience of being that already.

SPRING INTENSIVE RETREAT
It's time to make your reservation to attend this one-day retreat with Ishvara. Scheduled at Alaya for Saturday, April 28, from 9 am to 4 pm, the retreat will include talks by Ishvara, opportunities for questions and answers, as well as time for silence and contemplation. Alaya residents will provide lunch and snacks.

A retreat with Ishvara in the Space of Alaya House is an opportunity to deepen in the experience of being the unique aspect of The Consciousness that you are, and a time to lay aside the world so you can immerse yourself intently in The Consciousness. This will have a lasting effect in your life.

While there is no fee for the retreat, we will be grateful for your tax-deductible contribution in gratitude for Ishvara's gift and in support of his work. We have limited seating and few guest rooms, so please reserve early in order to avoid disapointment. For a perfect spring renewal, why not plan a personal retreat (see reverse) in conjunction with this one-day intensive?

INDIVIDUAL SELF-DIRECTED RETREATS
We at Alaya House take pleasure in providing a comfortable and caring place for you to experience the Space of Ishvara, be it for a day, a week, or a month. We provide a private room with shared bath, delicious meals, gorgeous scenery, and most importantly, an opportunity to experience living in the Ishvarian Space of awareness and allowing. Ishvara is here to answer your questions while providing the living example of that which he teaches, and residents are here to help support your awareness and clarity. Contact us for details and assistance in planning your personal retreat.

MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
Titled "The Cells Already Know," this issue's message from Ishvara encourages you to step up to the plate and be all you can be, He describes how the transformation is already happenng and explains how easy it can be for you to speed up the process.

SERVICE RETREAT
As spring approaches, we are once again offering a unique opportunity for someone to live and work at Alaya House for a minimum of one month. The work includes gardening, and grounds and building maintenance. Common sense, the ability to follow instructions, and the willingness to do whatever is needed are the prime requirements. In return, we offer the experience of living in our small community of people who are dedicated to being all they can be, to supporting Ishvara and living his teachings. This is a means to experience directly what Ishvara teaches and to implement that in daily life. We will provide a private room with shared bath and all meals. If you are interested and qualified, please contact our office.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Generosity has kept Alaya® alive over the years. Your ongoing support can help to keep Alaya® vital and growing, of service to all who seek Ishvara's wisdom and who sense that something different must take place in the world at this time. If you value the presence of Alaya® and Ishvara's work, please consider making a one-time donation or, even better, a regular pledge of support. Alaya® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit spiritual organization, and your contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

FINAL THOUGHT FROM ISHVARA
You don't need to find a cause for things. You just need to be OK with things. It's the OK-ness that allows things to change.

unexpected snow

it has been warm for some time now, that is until yesterday. i awoke to find several inches of snow on the ground on saturday morning. it was cold and wet, but by 3pm, all the snow had melted away and the temperature got up to 70 degrees. we don't think it got cold enough to freeze the blossoming plants and trees.

rain

we had the first rain of the year yesterday. it went from a nice, slow drizzle to rain and back to nice, slow drizzle. we've been having spring weather for 5 weeks now. it was nice to get some more moisture.

chickens

the chickens are producing an amazingly large amount of eggs. they are so fun to watch. we have a bench near their pen dedicated just for watching the chicken life. there was a falcon flying overhead yesterday, but not to worry, the chickens are in an extremely well built, predator-proof pen.

greenhouse

we had fresh tomatoes and watercress this week.

garden

we started making preparations for our wonderful summer, outdoor garden. we allowed for the garden to get more light, so plants will grow better this coming season.

warm weather

we've had relatively warm weather the last few weeks, until last night when i got to 6 degrees, with a cold wind.

cows!

we discovered some stray cows wandering around our neighborhood last week, without any idea where they came from. animal services needed a bigger truck.

mid-winter

we had a break sping break with almost a week of warm weather. a lot of the snow has melted, bringing with it lots and lots of mud. we added more gravel to our road. it is much better to drive on now.

snow storm

we've had a few light dustings of snow this fall, but nothing compared to the storm that came three nights ago. it snowed for 2 nights and 2 days straight and on and off for the following day. the storm left us with 26 inches of snow. normal snow-ready vehicles got stuck in the snow, including our tractor that we use to plow the snow. it'll be clear for the next few days, so we'll be able to clear the roads before the next storm arrives on tuesday. i love the pristineness and the quiet it is when it snows. it's also great for making snow sculptures like this igloo. the other photos are landscape pathway lights covered in snow at night.