This three part series is taken from a lecture and guided meditation that Sitaram Dass gave at the Sacred Community Retreat at Just Love Forest in Poetry, Georgia. In Part 3, he applies the principles from his lecture on mantra and releasing struggle into a guided Loving-Awareness meditation.

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.

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

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

Just Love Forest: https://justloveforest.com

Sacred Community Retreat: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat

This three part series is taken from a lecture and guided meditation that Sitaram Dass gave at the Sacred Community Retreat at Just Love Forest in Poetry, Georgia. In Part 2, he gives a lecture on the Holy Names as a doorway to relating to life with a loving stance.

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.

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

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

Just Love Forest: https://justloveforest.com

Sacred Community Retreat: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat

This three part series is taken from a lecture and guided meditation that Sitaram Dass gave at the Sacred Community Retreat at Just Love Forest in Poetry, Georgia. In Part 1, he opens with a short meditation and lecture on cultivating a mind of ease that can release inner struggle.

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.

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

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

Just Love Forest: https://justloveforest.com

This is a recorded lecture from the 2024 Loving Rock Karma Yoga Training Program. In this lecture, Anna Le (she/they) shares the "microskills" needed to love and tend to suffering. She discusses how to be a steady and loving companion for others on their spiritual and life journeys, and she teaches practical skills such as attending, attunement, and reflective listening. You can learn more about SCP's Loving Rock training program here: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-rock-training

Anna Le (she/they) is a Vietnamese-American, Bay Area native, and licensed psychotherapist. She is a Bhakta, student of Ram Dass, devotee of Neem Karoli Baba “Maharajji," and the spiritual support coordinator for SCP. She utilizes compassion-based practices, mindfulness, and various spiritual modalities through a trauma-informed lens to heal others. She is interested in alleviating collective suffering and aiding in collective liberation. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Sonoma State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University California, Davis.

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

Mentioned Links:

Reach out for spiritual support: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/spiritual-support

Join SCP's thriving online community: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/discord

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.

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

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

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