Not one, not two, but three renowned spiritual masters will present a series of programs over the next two weeks at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Santa Monica, entitled “Unity in Diversity.”
For twelve nights, Swami Chetanananda, Master Charles Cannon, and Swami Shankarananda, will come together in an extremely rare group appearance, and will engage the participants in conversations and Q & A sessions, as well as offering their respective insights on the inner journey.
With no set program, each night will surprise, as the three gurus inspire each other’s topics for discussion and contemplation.
The series culminates in a two-day Meditation Intensive on September 24 and 25, that the gurus say will “significantly deepen your experience of self, support you in achieving higher states of consciousness, and create a powerful awakening that will bring more joy, wisdom, and love into your life.”
All three gurus were taught by Swami Muktananda – who, residents may remember, arrived in Santa Monica in 1980, welcoming students to his large white tent perched on the south edge Palisades Park – and stayed for over a year.
Muktananda died in 1982, and the three, along with others, carried on spiritual tradition of the Indian sage Bhagawan Nityananda, who had been Muktananda’s guru. Each guru’s practice has evolved over years of teaching and learning to become quite different from the others’, yet the three remain close colleagues and friends.
The 3 Gurus are:
Swami Chetanananda is Abbot of the Nityananda Institute in Portland, Oregon, and author of many books on spiritual practice, drawing on the ancient practices of Trika Yoga and Tibetan Buddhist rituals. For more information on Chetanananda’s work, visit www.nityanandainstitute.org.
Master Charles Cannon, the “Modern Mystic,” is the originator of the Synchronicity Experience, author of The Bliss of Freedom and Spiritual Director of the Synchronicity Foundation in Virginia. For more information about Cannon, visit www.synchronicity.org.
Swami Shankarananda, Australia’s leading meditation teacher, is the director of the Shiva School of Meditation in Melbourne. He is the author of the best-selling book Happy for No Good Reason, and Consciousness is Everything. For more on Shankarananda and the Shiva School, visit www.shivayoga.org.
The first “Three Gurus” event was held in Melbourne, Australia in November 2004, and was, according to Chetanananda, “so much fun,” that the three decided to get together again.
A spokesperson for the trio said, “Throughout the series, the three will share their humor, insight, and spiritual energy, making it easy for participants to have an individual and direct spiritual experience.”
The first evening of the series, on Monday, September 12, will be a free introductory session for interested attendees.
The Doubletree Guest Suites is located at 1707 Fourth Street, Santa Monica. For more information on the series schedule and costs, or to make reservations, call 1(800) 876-7798, or visit www.the3gurus.com.
