I spent 10 days there doing "seva", or service in the kitchen, preparing Indian food for the many visitors to the temple. The Pandit in charge seemed to have authentic credentials, but I never understood any of the mumbo-jumbo he was chanting. Their website was being redesigned and had detailed descriptions of the pantheon of Hindu gods.
The ashram director was good-natured but when I blew my nose he told me to be careful of how I dissipated my energies. He pushed Ayurvedic medicine and gave earnest orientation talks to would-be meditators. His female cohort treated herself like a rare flower in a hothouse and disappeared entirely during her time of the month because she was "unclean." She also was so sensitive to the "jarring" nature of the meditation chimes that she turned them down to the point of inaudibility.
Mamas himself seemed mellowed out and didn't give any spiritual talks while I was there. As I was leaving I smelled a distinct odor of marijuana in the kitchen. I mentioned it and they laughed it off. Now we know where the mellowness comes from, and it's not meditation!
By the way, the resident pandit will also read your Vedic horoscope for a fee.
The ashram director was good-natured but when I blew my nose he told me to be careful of how I dissipated my energies. He pushed Ayurvedic medicine and gave earnest orientation talks to would-be meditators. His female cohort treated herself like a rare flower in a hothouse and disappeared entirely during her time of the month because she was "unclean." She also was so sensitive to the "jarring" nature of the meditation chimes that she turned them down to the point of inaudibility.
Mamas himself seemed mellowed out and didn't give any spiritual talks while I was there. As I was leaving I smelled a distinct odor of marijuana in the kitchen. I mentioned it and they laughed it off. Now we know where the mellowness comes from, and it's not meditation!
By the way, the resident pandit will also read your Vedic horoscope for a fee.