In honor of Sue Ambika Neufeld and consistent with Ambika’s wishes, ParaYoga is dedicating its humanitarian efforts to the construction of the Sri Vidya Shrine at the Himalayan Institute, Honesdale PA campus. Your donations will help honor our dear friend and esteemed colleague and the timeless Sages that she, and the ParaYoga community, continue to serve.
Vision
The Sri Vidya Shrine reflects our deep commitment to group spiritual practice and stewardship of sacred space for all who seek to experience their full potential. Group spiritual practice has been a cornerstone of the Himalayan Tradition for thousands of years. The shrines of the Tradition have served as sanctuaries for aspirants seeking to immerse themselves in a spiritually-awakened sacred space that is ideally suited to meditation and group spiritual practice.
The Sri Vidya Shrine in Honesdale is the twin of the Sri Vidya Shrine at the Himalayan Institute’s Khajuraho campus in central India, and is the first shrine of the Himalayan Tradition to be established outside of India.
Rooted in the Himalayan Tradition, the Sri Vidya Shrine will be a sacred space dedicated to meditative practice, open to seekers from all spiritual traditions. The Shrine’s consecration on July 16, 2019 will mark the opening of a year-long group meditation and yajna (tantric group practice of sacred fire) undertaken to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Shrine Design
The Sri Vidya Shrine in Honesdale is located about 500 feet behind the HI Retreat Center, on the former site of the yajna shala (sacred space for tantric fire ceremonies) where group spiritual practices has been undertaken since 2001. The sacred architecture of the Sri Vidya Shrine is inspired by the ancient shrines of the Himalayan Tradition, and houses two key spaces: the Sanctuary and Meditation Hall.
Another element that draws its inspiration from many ancient shrines is the parikrama (circumambulation) path that rings the Shrine. At the threshold of the Shrine area you will cross a decorative archway, and find yourself at the juncture of the parikrama path and the main entrance to the Shrine.
How You Can Help
The Sri Vidya Shrine in Honesdale is a vision that has taken decades of hard work and spiritual commitment to manifest. In this era of disintegration, epitomized by fear, instability, and spiritual poverty, the goal of the Sri Vidya Shrine is to create a vibrant new reality that can heal and nourish all of society from the inside out. The Shrine will serve as a locus to share the spiritual gifts of the Himalayan Tradition, nurturing seekers on all levels, and acting as a catalyst to inspire an exponential leap in our spiritual evolution.