First teachers Training – Jain Temple, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania – September 8-15, 2004
After completing this tour a core group of 40 or so devotees started gathering around the Master and started following him wherever he went. In order for the master to continue delivering deeper and deeper truths, he needed to have people who could teach the basic courses so that He could start focusing on advanced programs for the serious seekers. Swamiji would always tell us, "I want to give you guys so much, but you need to do the base work. By holding me to do the initial level programs, you are wasting the time of an enlightened master on planet earth." So about 40 people wanted to serve as His mission and wanted to be teachers or acharyas for the mission. All of us gathered for an exclusive retreat in Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. This was the first teachers training for the mission, a historic event by any stretch of the imagination.
Most of the attendees flew into Newark airport and drove to the Pocanos. There was a group from Silicon Valley – the techie group which was by far the largest contingent with names that are now very familiar with the mission. Several of these individuals are Swamis, Swaminis, ashramites, ananda samajis or city coordinators who are continuing to help spread Swamiji's message to all corners of the world. There was Bhaktananda (Gopal Sheelum), Dayamayi (Jyothi Sheelum), Niranjana (Mukundan Subramanian), Nishala (Usha), Ma and Sri prabha (Douglas and Sharmila MacKellor), Ma Gnanapriyananda (Akhila Balaram), Ma Swambhavamayi/Sri Swabhavananda/and Sri Pragnananda (Drs Savithri & Kamlakas Rambhatla, Niren Rambhatla), and the list goes on and on. You must pardon me if I left out someone. And then there were some who attended the teachers training and somehow did not choose to teach due to their own personal reasons. However whatever is their current involvement with the mission, one thing was clear, this was a life changing event for all. Every attendee was blessed to be at the teachers training in Pocono Mountains.
We were approaching the tail end of summer and evenings were getting cool. But day times the weather was spectacular – spotless skies and 70-75 deg F temperature. Our mornings started with a ceremonial suprabhatham, with a makeshift chariot (since we were in USA, we had to improvise and make do with a Toyota car!). Swamiji would sit on the trunk of the car and visit all the cottages where we stayed. He sang and made sure everyone was awake and ready by 6 am. These eight days I do not think anyone slept for more than 2-3 hours. His style of teaching was like no other. We would sing and play, and yet, magically whatever that needed to get done got done in terms of training, presentation and conducting of the LBP Level 1 program.
Ma Sachitananda and I could not participate in the teachers training course since both of us were busy organizing logistics, doing e mails and other activities relating to the mission. I also used this as an opportunity to start processing videos of Swamiji's discourses he delivered during the tour.
After early morning suprabhatham, all of us gathered in the training hall and Swamiji would spend hours together talking to us, chatting and joking with us. I now know this is a technique He uses to keep the mind occupied while whatever alchemy that goes on in the presence of the master is allowed to go on. After spending hours together we would break out into groups and each group would discuss and brainstorm on approaches to present the intellectual part of the chakra/emotion in a lucid, easy to understand and jovial manner. During this teachers training we did not have any training manuals or tools. Every attendee was given the book "Six Days to Total Transformation" which served as the reference manual for the LBP level 1 program. This book was written from one of the earliest chakra meditation courses Swamiji conducted in Bangalore in 2003 over a six day time period.
The first teachers training served as a means where there were not only teachers that were being trained. Swamiji sowed the seeds for key anchors in the mission. It was here we started to see several people stepping up and seeking Swamiji's blessings and permission to take on the responsibility for spreading His mission. I know at this teachers training Bhaktananda decided to come into the mission on a full time basis, although Swamiji told him to continue with his work for some more time.
Every day after we completed training session in the morning, we broke for lunch. After lunch, training in breakout sessions continued till about 4 pm. Then it was fun and play time. Swamiji in a childlike manner would swing and slide down slides. We would all gather round the Master, sing and dance and feel the joy and bliss. We would sing kirtnas for hours at a time and play games. There were days when we would just sit with the Master for hours at a time, when he would either close his eyes or just be in silence and allow us to experience his space. This was truly nothing but the Master's compassion – to allow all of us, no matter who we were or where we came from to experience His space. There were times he would like to hear our jokes and burst out laughing. Those of you who know the Master that when he laughs you can feel that he is there intensely with the laughter. He would crack jokes himself and when we would say, "Swamiji, this is a dirty joke." He would then say characteristically, "This is just a joke, and what can I do if you make it dirty! It is you who is making this dirty; all I am telling you is a joke!"
Every evening we would proceed to the arthi ceremony at the Jain Temple. Swamiji would thoroughly enjoy the arthi being offered to Mahavir Swami and the thirthankars. He would often speak about Mahavira, sometimes relating to stories from His life and his teachings.
After Arthi we would assemble back in the classroom and would continue with the classes. We would sit hours together in the nights, mostly hearing Swamiji speak about the mission and how he would like us to grow as teachers. First and foremast in his mind was transformation of the teachers. He would say, "If you guys do not transform yourselves how are you going to be able to teach. I want you to experience the truth which you are teaching."
The case of the camcorder that ran for 8 hours after being discharged!
During this teachers training there were a couple of mystical incidents. One of the participants' daughter, a 12 or 13 year old brought along with her camcorder to record highlights from this event. However she forgot to bring her camcorder charger. By the end of the first day the camcorder was completely discharged. All of us were near the swings and slides sitting with the