Sanskrit: A Tool for Meditation with Shanta Bulkin*
Class 1: Introduction to the Alphabet through Chanting
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Eastern Time
Tuition: By open donation for members / $20-$40 sliding scale per class for non-members
In this class students will experience the Sanskrit alphabet through the action of vibration. Emphasis will be placed on experiencing the sounds of the vowels and consonants. Through feeling how the tongue and palate work together to make the sounds, a new awareness develops as focus is increasingly drawn inward.
All examples will be shown in both Devanāgarī letters and transliteration. Color-coded handouts will be used to aid with the understanding of the letters. A few verses will be presented for putting into practice the newfound knowledge of precise and correct Sanskrit pronunciation.
Audio files of the verses will also be provided.
The workshop is for all levels and can be enjoyed by those already proficient in Sanskrit as well as by those with no background in Sanskrit.
Shanta Bulkin met Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra in the summer of 1972 at Ananda Ashram. Dr. Mishra said, "If you want to stay here you must study Sanskrit." Shanta took him at his word and felt the healing effect of this study begin to change his life. Shanta started teaching Sanskrit in the late 90s. He continued to grow as a Sanskritist, studying with world-renowned Sanskrit teacher and writer, Professor Ram Karan Sharma. In the past few years, he has been teaching at the College of Ayurveda at the Mt. Madonna Institute (California), as well as at several yoga centers around the Bay Area and elsewhere. For more information, please visit the East-West Sanskrit Institute.
