Self Enquiry Life Fellowship

DISSEMINATING THE AUTHENTIC SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND HOLISTIC LEARNING FROM THE VEDIC WISDOM TEACHINGS THAT LEAD TO SALVATION THROUGH MEDITATION.

THE NONPROFIT, SELF ENQUIRY LIFE FELLOWSHIP (SELF) MAINTAINED THE GUIDESTAR PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY IN 2021. ADDITIONALLY, FOR THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW SELF WAS AWARDED THE HONOR OF BEING A "TOP-RATED" NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BY GREAT NONPROFITS, THE RATINGS AND REVIEWS WEBSITE FOR US NONPROFITS. THIS AWARD WAS GRANTED DUE TO EXCEPTIONAL REVIEWS OF SELF'S PROGRAM SERVICES BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THROUGH ITS PUBLIC FELLOWSHIPS, SELF DIRECTLY SERVES THE PUBLIC; AND OVER 8,000 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CURRENTLY COMPRISE THE NONPROFIT'S DATABASE. MANY OF THESE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ROUTINELY RECEIVE SERVICES AND PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS DELIVERED BY SELF, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL SERVICES WITH DISCOURSES, PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE, SACERDOTAL BLESSINGS, GUIDED MEDITATIONS AND WISDOM TEACHINGS THROUGH REGULAR CONGREGATIONS AND REGULAR LIVESTREAM BROADCASTS.A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF ASPIRANTS PARTICIPATE IN SELF'S PUBLIC FELLOWSHIPS, WHICH INCLUDE INVITED LECTURES, THEMATIC DISCOURSES, WORKSHOPS ON MINDFULNESS AND BREATHING (PRANAYAMA), MEDITATION RETREATS, HEALING PRAYER SERVICES OR PEACE MASSES, INITIATIONS INTO HIMALAYAN MEDITATION, AND AUTHENTIC VEDIC FIRE CEREMONIES (HOMA). THESE EVENTS CONSTITUTE "SPECIAL" FELLOWSHIPS. TO THIS EFFECT, SELF HAS HOSTED 516 PUBLIC "SPECIAL" EVENTS OR FELLOWSHIPS THROUGH AND INCLUDING 2021 IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION AND WORLDWIDE. THIS NUMBER DOES NOT INCLUDE THE "REGULAR" FELLOWSHIP SERVICES WHICH ARE ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE NONPROFIT HAS ITS HEADQUARTERS, "REGULAR" FELLOWSHIPS AND MEDITATION SERVICES ARE LED BY HIS HOLINESS SWAMI VIDYADHISHANANDA.81% OF PUBLIC EVENTS WERE FREE IN 2021, THUS ALLOWING LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME FAMILIES TO PARTICIPATE. IN ADDITION, THE ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN STEADY AT SELF'S REGULAR FREE FULL MOON EVENTS, MONTHLY LIVESTREAM BROADCASTS AND GROUP MEDITATIONS. THE MONTHLY LIVESTREAM BROADCASTS OFFER A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE MEANING OF ANCIENT SANSKRIT VERSES AND APHORISMS OF SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHY, HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE TEACHINGS IN DAILY LIFE AND LIVE BY THE VALUES OF THE SCRIPTURAL TENETS. IN 2021, FIVE REGULAR MONTHLY LIVESTREAM BROADCASTS BESIDES OTHER SPECIAL ONLINE EVENTS WERE HELD AND WERE ATTENDED BY A LARGE GLOBAL AUDIENCE. DURING THESE LIVESTREAM BROADCASTS, OUR SPIRITUAL FOUNDER AND HEAD MONK, HIS HOLINESS SWAMI VIDYADHISHANANDA REVEALED INSIGHTS ON WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DISTRACTION, WHAT DEFINES MEDITATION, AND WHAT ARE THE IMPEDIMENTS TO MEDITATION. DISSEMINATION OF SUCH WISDOM IS ATTAINABLE ONLY BY THE DISCOURSES FROM A GREAT SEER.IN 2021, DUE TO THE GLOBAL SITUATION, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FELLOWSHIPS WERE BROADCAST ONLINE AND ATTENDED WORLDWIDE BY SEEKERS AND FAMILIES FROM THEIR HOMES ACROSS 36 COUNTRIES. DURING THESE LIVE STREAMED EVENTS, HIS HOLINESS GUIDED MEDITATIONS TO ATTUNE OUR INNER FOCUS AND INSPIRED US TO INVOKE INNER STRENGTH AND MORAL COURAGE. THE WISDOM SHARED DURING THESE BROADCASTS SUPPORTED PARTICIPANTS IN MAINTAINING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE WITH FAITH IN GOD'S LOVE AND PROTECTION.A NUMBER OF EVENTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED FOR BEGINNERS TO LEARN ABOUT BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS AND WELLNESS, LEADING TO CAREFULLY STRUCTURED PROGRAMS ON MEDITATION AND MINDFUL LIVING. OUR ANNUAL MEDITATION RETREATS ATTRACT ARDENT MEDITATORS WHO IMMENSELY VALUE A STRUCTURED DAILY PRACTICE. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER AT LEAST ONE FAMILY-FRIENDLY RETREAT PER YEAR WHERE CHILDREN ARE WELCOME TO ACCOMPANY PARENTS IN A SPIRITUAL RETREAT ENVIRONMENT TO EXPERIENCE HOLISTIC TRAINING AND VALUE-BASED LEARNING.OUR 2021 ANNUAL FAMILY-FRIENDLY GURU PURNIMA FULL MOON RETREAT WAS HELD ONLINE, AND THUS ENABLED DEVOTEES AND THEIR FAMILIES TO GATHER FROM AROUND THE WORLD ON THIS MOST AUSPICIOUS OCCASION TO HONOUR OUR BELOVED SPIRITUAL LINEAGES. THE WEEKEND RETREAT WOVE TOGETHER A TRULY GLOBAL PARTICIPATION. FROM THE COURTYARDS OF ASHRAMS IN INDIA CAME THE SUBLIME CHANTING OF VEDIC PRIESTS FROM OUR SISTER INSTITUTIONS; FROM LIVING ROOMS ACROSS OUR CITY CENTRES OF HOUSTON, NEW JERSEY, CHICAGO AND SANTA BARBARA, GURU VANDANA (SALUTATION TO THE LINEAGE OF TEACHERS) WAS OFFERED. WITH THE CAPACITY TO BROADCAST THE CEREMONIAL OFFERINGS WITH A CLOSE-UP PERSPECTIVE, MANY DEVOTEES WROTE AFTERWARDS THAT IT WAS A HIGHLY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.FOR THE GOD-OF-LINEAGES DESCENSION-CELEBRATION ON SRI KRISHNA JANMASTAMI, WE HOSTED A MEANINGFUL ONLINE WORKSHOP ON A RARE MEDITATIVE PRACTICE OF HIGHER YOGA AND ITS PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK. WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH INSTRUCTION AND GUIDED PRACTICE OF THE VEDANTA TEACHINGS RELATING BREATHING WITH OVERCOMING SUBTLE DESIRES, IN ADDITION TO SUBLIME DEVOTIONAL MUSIC, PEACE CHANTS AND MONASTERY VESPERS.OUR 2021 ANNUAL IN-PERSON MEDITATION RETREAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BREAKING NEW GROUND ON OUR ONLINE EDUCATION PLATFORM. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST ITERATION OF OUR ONLINE UNIVERSITY-LEVEL COURSEWORK FOR INITIATES FOR ALL PATHS OF THE HIMALAYAN SIDDHA MEDITATION. THIS MASSIVE PROJECT DIGITALLY CODIFIES FOR THE FIRST TIME THE ORAL TRANSMISSION OF LINEAGE-BASED HIGHER MEDITATION CURRICULUM BY HIS HOLINESS. SUCH PROFOUND TEACHINGS LEARNT DIRECTLY FROM A REALIZED HIMALAYAN MEDITATION MASTER ARE RARE AND IMMENSELY UPLIFTING AND A TESTAMENT TO THE POTENTIAL FOR TECHNOLOGY TO SERVE HUMANITY IN POSITIVE WAYS. SELF'S CONGREGATION HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN SEVERAL CENTRES NATIONWIDE (PLUS CENTRES IN EUROPE). IN ADDITION TO GATHERING FOR THE ABOVE-MENTIONED 516 SPECIAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR THE PUBLIC, THESE CONGREGATIONS TYPICALLY GATHER, WHETHER ONLINE FROM HOME OR IN-PERSON, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH FOR REGULAR FELLOWSHIPS AND FOR THE MONTHLY LIVESTREAM FELLOWSHIPS. IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, REGULAR FELLOWSHIPS HAVE BEEN HELD CONSISTENTLY SINCE 2009, MOSTLY ON MONDAYS AND SATURDAYS. DURING 2021, THE SELF HEADQUARTERS IN SANTA BARBARA, CA, HOSTED 7 REGULAR FELLOWSHIPS (SERVICES) AND 24 SPECIAL FELLOWSHIPS (ADVERTISED EVENTS) THAT, TOGETHER WITH FELLOWSHIPS HOSTED BY OUR LOCAL AREA CENTRES, DELIVERED PROGRAMS TO A TOTAL OF 7,269 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ACROSS 320 TOTAL IN-PERSON AND ONLINE FELLOWSHIPS HELD WORLDWIDE IN 2021. THE HEAD MONK OF SELF ENQUIRY LIFE FELLOWSHIP, HIS HOLINESS SWAMI VIDYADHISHANANDA, IS ROUTINELY INVITED BY ESTEEMED INSTITUTIONS FOR HIS PRESENCE AS AN EMISSARY OF PEACE AND RELIGIOUS HARMONY. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF SELF THROUGH 2021, 97 INSTITUTIONAL FELLOWSHIPS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED BY HIS HOLINESS AT INVITING INSTITUTIONS. HIS HOLINESS SWAMI VIDYADHISHANANDA IS TYPICALLY INVITED BY INSTITUTIONS TO DELIVER A DISCOURSE OR FOR A CEREMONIAL SERVICE AS A MESSENGER OF PEACE.THE TOTAL OF THESE TWO CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL FELLOWSHIPS THROUGH 2021 IS 516, WHICH IS AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN TWO SPECIAL EVENTS OR FELLOWSHIPS PER MONTH OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC SINCE THE ORGANIZATION'S INCORPORATION. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR FELLOWSHIPS AND LIVESTREAM FELLOWSHIPS HELD ON A MONTHLY OR WEEKLY BASIS. IN 2021, SELF CONTINUED TO ADD NEW CONTENT TO ITS TWO MAIN WEBSITES, EACH WITH EXTRAORDINARY RESOURCES OF AUTHENTIC WISDOM. THE WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP, HANSAVEDAS.ACADEMY, HAS ENABLED SELF TO SHARE GUIDED MEDITATIONS, MINDFULNESS CLASSES, AND DISCOURSES BASED ON ANCIENT VEDIC WISDOM FROM THE SANSKRIT HERITAGE. BY THE CLOSE OF 2021, 295 UNIQUE RECORDINGS TOTALING 197 HOURS WERE AVAILABLE ONLINE. OF THE TOTAL AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THE INCEPTION OF OUR MULTIMEDIA PLATFORM IN 2016, 37 WERE ADDED IN 2021. OUR MOBILE APP IN 2021 REACHED OVER 315 SUBSCRIBERS IN 77 COUNTRIES. THIS CRITICAL MASS OF CURRICULUM SERVES AS THE SEED FROM WHICH TO GROW OUR LONG-TERM VISION FOR AN ONLINE UNIVERSITY OF SANSKRIT HERITAGE. BY THE CLOSE OF 2021, OUR GUIDED MEDITATION RECORDINGS HAD BEEN PLAYED OVER 128,959 TIMES SINCE BEING PUBLISHED ONLINE IN 2016, ATTESTING TO THE EXTRAORDINARY VALUE OUR ONLINE CONTENT REPRESENTS TO ASPIRANTS WORLDWIDE. SELF'S MAIN WEBSITE, HANSAVEDAS.ORG, CONTINUES TO BE A RESOURCE FOR ARTICLES, VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS, INCLUDING ABOUT 100 HOURS OF ARCHIVAL DISCOURSES IN HINDI (SEE HANSAVEDAS.ORG/HINDI-DISCOURSES).IN SUMMARY, SELF ENQUIRY LIFE FELLOWSHIP CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: (A) GROWING THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE MEDITATORS; (B) INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS BY TRAINED SERVERS; (C) MAINTAINING THE MAILING LIST DATABASE; (D) INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF CONTENT AND NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS ON OUR ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM (HANSAVEDAS ACADEMY); (E) INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LIVESTREAM VIEWERS; (F) GROWING THE NUMBER OF VEDIC CLASSICAL MUSICIANS WHO COLLABORATE WITH US (HANSAVEDAS.ORG/MUSIC); (G) CONTINUING THE SUCCESS OF VEDIC FIRE CEREMONIES CONDUCTED FOR PEACE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EMPATHY; (H) STRENGTHENING OUR NETWORKING WITH ALIGNED INSTITUTIONS WHO SUPPORT OUR BOOK PROJECTS; AND (I) IMPLEMENTING OUR NICHE HOLISTIC CURRICULUM FOR MEDITATION.