Hi. I am just a student of Sri Vidya. I am just a member of this board. I am not a moderator. I have been a student for a couple years. I have been a fan of the Swami and a student for about 20 years. I was so very sorry to hear he died in 2015. But I didn't know until 2020. That's because I wasn't closer. Around2022 I became more involved. I started downloading all available sound files and listening to Amrita's lectures on YouTube and SoundCloud. I also joined Manblunder. And I got confused rapidly.
I decided to do the clear-cut Devipuram program, and I did. I studied the materials as they were laid out. I enjoyed them. I felt meditative. I stopped being confused. I bought "Introduction to Sanskrit," by Tom Egenes. It is a great book. I had used it in college. Now it was in the tenth iteration. It made an ostensibly complicated subject enjoyable. I recommend it to everybody in English. Here's a link to a used one on eBay, in the USA. https://www.urlvanish.com/a733f8ef
I am not trying to confuse people. Just the opposite. I have made a Telegram group for pre-beginners to do the five first techniques before the beginner's classes. I recommend Devipuram, not Manblunder. Manblunder is a cornucopia of knowledge, which is confusing and will make something simple very complicated. Please don't get off the map, and fly around the universe there.
Stick to the easy formulation of Sri Vidya as outlined by Swami Amritananda. That's how it goes here.
There are no millions of initiations. You get the basic mantra initiations. The handout from Tripura Tallika, I understand, were created during the monsoon of 2008 when Devipuram was blown down. The people on the course then were the founders of Tripura Tallika and they started their wonderful teachings to simplify complex practices. The fantastic Yogita Ramesh Kuticcad (sp). And others. Created simple sadhanas out of wonderful documents.
I have made a couple into usual mandala renditions and done them three times a day for 44 days, to great effect. For myself. You can also do this. You do not need someone telling you to make the practices
Only you will know if they confuse you or enlighten you. I found them enlightening. I do them and love them. We are lucky here at Devipuram to have such support materials. All done from love, to simplify our devotion.
With the plethora of teachers, gurus, kriya instructors, friends, and students of Amrita, and so on, there are so many teachers to choose from it can be overwhelming. Here, Devipuram, is free. At least until staying in residence, during which there are volunteer opportunities. For people of means there are time sharing condos. I believe. People can assign times each year to stay for a week to a month, and study in depth.. Swami Amrita used to tell me I needed to do that! I wanted to, but I have always had a bad back, and flying for 36 hours would have been very painful for me.
I told Amrita this once and he said to me, "I am an old man. What need have I for money! None!" And I had donated some money for a couple yagyas. He gave me the money back, and said. 'I don't need your money." That was a novel experience to me. I had never had a guru give me money back. Never. Raise hands if your gurus has given your money back, with kindness?! Anybody? Noone!? Thought not!
Now what I am saying. I made this Telegram group to study only the most simple of simple practices. I do not have the official okay of the Devipuram leadership. I am not worried, however, as my goal is to provide a home to the newest members to ask the questions that get asked over and over.
I have found that such questions go unanswered. No problem. I will answer the questions people are tired of answering over and over.
The Devipuram team are touring USA and Europe right now and busy. So upcoming dates for beginners, free, classes are unknown. When I find out I will let people know. Here's the Telegram group link. You can join just by clicking the link. Please do the beginner's classes. Everybody does. They are also repeated during the first four mandalas of practices so there's no gettign around them. https://t.me/devipuram_beginners_unofficial
Link - https://t.me/devipuram_beginners_unofficial
With Love and Peace - KCB - KC Bernhardt - Nilasara - Nilatari Saraswati (all these and more names).
Meanwhile, enjoy reading these books:
The Goddess and the Guru by Michael Bowden
https://www.urlvanish.com/a9b93dc5
