An Immersive Online OMniAwareness Retreat with Swami Atmarupananda on Advaita Makaranda (Nectar of Nonduality) from Friday, December 10 to Sunday, December 12, 2021

Prerequisite: Participant should be somewhat familiar with the concepts of Nonduality (aka Advaita or Nondualism). If you are not familiar, we recommend either watching some of Swami Atmarupananda’s talks on the basic concepts (esp. on Brahman, Atman, Ishvara and Knowledge) or reading an introductory book by him. We will gladly share additional references if you need (contact us).

Comprising of a holistic program, this retreat/workshop will focus on systematic and high-quality study (sravana), contemplation (manana) and assimilation (nididhyasana) of the Nondual knowledge (jnana), with elements of meditation (dhyana) and devotion (bhakti) mixed-in. It can be a great way of enhancing your practice and/or recharging your spiritual batteries, that can help you realize and manifest the true Self in daily life.

• Insightful lectures by Swami Atmarupananda on Advaita Makaranda
• Question and Answer sessions with Swami Atmarupananda
• Group discussions directly related to the subject matter being taught
• Readings from sacred texts related to the subject matter
• Guided meditations with Swami Atmarupananda to help assimilate the teachings
• Chanting / Kirtan with english meaning of hymns and verses that refer to the Nondual Reality

Swami Atmarupananda’s introductory message on the retreat:

About the Teacher

Swami Atmarupananda is the Resident Minister at the Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, Texas. He is a renowned scholar and a powerful teacher of Advaita (Nondual) Vedanta, and is also well-versed in many other philosophies of the world. He combines humor and a down-to-earth practicality in conveying the subtle spiritual truths, with an uplifting and joyful presence.

After joining the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1969 at a young age, he spent many years in India engaged in monastic training as well as scholarly and spiritual pursuits. He has been involved in various pioneering works, including the founding of Vedanta Monastery at San Diego, the Vivekananda Retreat in upstate New York, and the Vedanta Society in Puerto Rico. He has traveled widely across the world, giving lectures and retreats, speaking at conferences dedicated to spiritual foundation for civilization, and participating in inter-spiritual dialogs. Most recently, he worked on the new edition of the 10-volume Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Some of his writings have also been translated into various European and Asian languages.

Links to few of Swami Atmarupananda’s talks on YouTube:

• What is the World?
• Why Search for Oneself?
• Brahman [Ultimate Reality] in Everyday Experience
• Truth
• Everything within Time is Story
• Who and What Is God?
• Basic Concepts
• Q & A Sessions

About the Topic

Advaita Makaranda (Nectar of Nonduality) of Sri Lakshmidhara Kavi (dated ~15th century) contains twenty eight powerful verses that teach us how to see the ultimate reality here and now. It points to our present experience — the experience of an ordinary living being — and shows how the highest reality is revealed even there, if only we look.

Swami Atmarupananda has himself translated and commented upon the text. He will elaborately expand on the meaning of the verses combined with his immaculate insights, making the retreat an immersive deep-dive into the Nondual truth. As per him, “Advaita Makaranda is an overlooked diamond, hidden in the treasury of Vedanta literature… small but pure and finely cut, it has a unique appeal…”.

The book can be purchased from these online stores:

• Amazon US [Kindle / Paperback]
• Google Play US [eBook]
• Vedanta.com US [Paperback]
• Amazon India [Kindle / Paperback]

Logistics

• This is an online-only retreat. Participants from across the world will be able to join an interactive Zoom meeting either via a desktop or a mobile app. We suggest that you create a retreat environment at your home (or wherever else you join from) with minimal distractions through the weekend to make it a truly immersive experience for yourself.
• Timing/Schedule: The retreat will start on Friday, December 10, 2021 at 6:00pm US Pacific Time i.e. Los Angeles or West Coast Time (calculate your local time) and end on Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 12:30pm US Pacific Time. Complete hourly schedule can be seen at the bottom of this page.
• Exact meeting details and instructions to join will be emailed to registered participants closer to the retreat date. Please download and install the Zoom app on your preferred device before the meeting. Please also review the system and internet requirements that you should ensure at your end for a smooth experience:
  • Desktop devices (Windows, Mac, Linux)
  • Mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android)

Registration Policy

• Pricing:
  • One ticket is $90. Two or more tickets are available at $75 per ticket.
  • Supported pricing is also available. To be considered please submit an application.
• Every ticket will receive a unique link to join the meeting. Sharing the link is not allowed.
• Registration will stop 3 hours before retreat start.
• Cancellations: Registrations can be cancelled for a full refund (minus the card processing fees of 2.9% + 30c) up to 3 days before the retreat start date. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after December 7, 2021.

Please contact us in case of any questions.