Gita Life Taster

Gita Life Taster

Date: Sunday 19th September 2021

Time: 2:00PM - 5:00PM BST

Location: Online Zoom and onsite: Paramatma Room, Shree Krishna Haveli, Bhaktivedanta Manor, Dharam Marg, Hilfield Lane, Watford, WD25 8HE

Description of Course

The Bhagavad Gita has been guiding humanity on spiritual, moral, social, and emotional dimensions for millennia. It is a companion for life and can take lifetimes to understand. In the same measure, the essential teachings of this timeless classic can also be encapsulated in shorter timeframes based on the recipient’s receptivity.

Because of the current fast solution-based zeitgeist of the day, this course will take the participant on a journey into this sacred scripture all within 3 stimulating hours. This will include a historical context of the Bhagavad Gita as well as key life lessons derived from it. It also serves as a great introductory course before one embarks on the more in-depth Gita Life course.

In particular, it will provide an overview of the 5 main topics of the Bhagavad Gita:

· Time - This most enigmatic feature of life will be looked at in terms of causality, functionality, beneficial utilisation

· Karma - The nature of activity and deeds and the concomitant causes, effects, and consequences

· Identity - An actual understanding of who we are beyond the biological and socially constructed notions of ourselves

· The nature of our environment - A thorough understanding of the environment we find ourselves in. Its comprising factors and how it influences us?

· The Supreme Controller - An exploration of the personality behind it all, Krishna. And how to develop a connection to Krishna in a tangible way based on the Bhakti tradition

Description of teacher

Sam dived into monastic life aged 19 and has never looked back! After studying Sustainable Living and Eco-farming he began globe-trotting, visiting various spiritual communities, unwilling to follow the ‘normal’ path. On that journey he encountered the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita and became inspired by the spiritual solutions it offered – socially, environmentally, economically and personally.

At Bhaktivedanta Manor he found this wisdom in action. He did a short residential course, and then travelled to the USA to further his understanding of spiritual environmentalism and simple living. Then, in 2018 he returned to the Manor to take up full-time monastic life. Since that time, he’s been avidly studying and sharing the knowledge of the Gita, and finding the ways and means for anyone to powerfully apply it in their life for spiritual self-transformation.

He has a passion for cultivating spiritual community and runs discussion groups, teaches residential courses, and travels in the local area and across the UK to share this knowledge in a variety of forums. Sam is also an incredible chef. He’s also not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do whatever practical things are required to keep Bhaktivedanta Manor a beautiful place for all the pilgrims!