1. SISTER ISHPRIYA: - some introductory information
Sr. Ishpriya was born in England but since 1971 has lived for many years in India, mostly
near Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas. This is on the banks of the ‘sacred river’
Ganges (Mata Ganga). She has studied with Hindu Swamis and Gurus and Buddhist
Teachers. She is committed to inter-faith sharing in a spirit of mutual understanding and
common search. The roots of her spiritual teaching lie in encouraging and assisting
people to learn to read ‘the signs of the times’. Ishpriya is widely recognised as a wise
and trustworthy spiritual guide. She is a gifted teacher, who manages to combine the
universal wisdom of both Eastern and Western spiritual approaches in her writings, talks,
teaching and spiritual companionship.
Like many teachers, she recognises the urgent need in these Global Times for the
development of a planetary spirituality, which is rooted in each individual’s own particular
path and tradition. She draws on the non-permanence of Buddhism and the value of
service and Seva of Christianity and Hinduism to develop a ‘signs of the times spirituality’
She also draws from the wisdom of Taoism and its concept of ‘The Source’.
This is a spirituality that is vitally relevant for all members of the human family. It is a
spirituality that is rooted both in the inherited wisdom of the Faith Traditions, current
advances in our understanding of the Scriptures and in the on-going and many amazing
advances in Science, Sociology, and Cosmology.
She holds a Doctorate in Psychology and this expertise, along with her own deep
spirituality and her understanding of Eastern Spirituality, finds its place in her teaching and
writing on the Spirituality of both East and West. As a member of a Christian Religious
Order, she was one of the early pioneers in India of Inter-Faith, and particularly Hindu-
Christian, dialogue. People come to her for spiritual guidance from all over the world and,
since 1974, in response to their many invitations; she spends some months each year
travelling to different continents giving guidance in spiritual life.
Most of her time is now spent in guiding and nurturing the International Satsang
Association (ISA) (see later), its individual members and the local area groups. To further
this support and teaching for Members of the ISA , and other spiritual seekers, she spends
much of her time at the Sadhana Ashram, Die Quelle ( The Source) in Central Europe
(See later).Her spiritual direction focuses on meditation, awareness and mindfulness and
other practices that aid spiritual growth. She lays great stress on the fundamental place of
spiritual practice in helping in the growth of relationships of compassion and appreciation
across frontiers of race, ethnicity, culture, language, economic class and religion.

2. SISTER ISHPRIYA: - INDIA a sub-continent
Some of her experiences that influence the ISA
The following section gives some of the background to the experiences of Ishpriya in India
and the development of her spiritual teaching. They answer some questions that people
often pose about her teaching and its connection with the ISA particularly with India and
Hinduism. These are very important questions which touch upon the basis of the ISA
Commitment, its roots and how some aspects of Eastern Spirituality inform the Satsang
Sadhana of reading the signs of the times.
There is much to share and these reflections are only a small selection of Ishpriya’s wider
experiences. They outline the most essential influences from her years in India and her
involvement in Inter-faith Dialogue and some crucial experiences which changed Ishpriya’s
personal journey. These experiences led directly to the founding of the ISA and gave it a
distinctive character.
Arrival in India
In June 1971 Ishpriya left England for a short 6 months visit to India...She then returned to
India in June 1972 and for the next 32 years, although she sometimes travelled
extensively, India was her “home” base. When she first arrived in Mumbai in 1971, she
knew almost nothing about Asian cultures or Religious traditions. She found that, this lack
of preparation, far from being an obstacle, proved to be a great advantage. Challenges
and impressions could make a direct impact on her consciousness without being distorted
by the explanations and warnings of others. Later Ishpriya realised that she had thus been
gifted with a key to effective inter-cultural, inter-faith dialogue; i.e. the need to achieve a
receptive attention, to allow people and events to tell their own story, free from pre-
judgments of any kind. This was to prove to be a first influence on the future ISA.!
Although the original visit to India had not been her own choice, she soon discovered that
there is no richer pluralistic, socio-religious soil on this Planet A sub-continent with the
second largest population in the world; speaking 14 main languages; teaming with vitality,
abundantly rich in culture, artistic skill, wisdom, natural resources and spiritual experience
But one where 55% of the children were still undernourished.
This was an atmosphere where she felt that, ‘one’s spirit could fly in freedom’, while the
physical demands of daily survival and the constant psychological pain of powerlessness
before so much social injustice, kept one rooted in reality.
From the beginning, Ishpriya lived mainly in Ashrams that were organised and run
according to the ancient and actual Hindu Ashram tradition. Ashram is the name given to
any place where a Guru teaches and transmits spiritual insight to disciples. An Ashram
can be a bare cave in the rock or a building complex housing hundreds of people. The life
style can be in total solitude or involving multiple social work activities. But, essentially an
Ashram only exists where disciples receive spiritual initiation from a Guru.
Over the years Ishpriya stayed in a wide variety of Ashrams but lived between three of
major significance. These were, CPS Ashram in Pune: Shivananda Ashram in Rishikesh
and Jeevan Dhara Ashram in Jaiharikhal.

3. Christa Prema Seva Ashram, (CPS),
The first Ashram was in Pune, in the large Central State of Maharastra. Central India is an
area where the Bhakti tradition is pre- dominant. Bhakti is the spiritual path or Yoga of
Loving Devotions. So the religious orientation and practices revolve around temple rituals;
devotion to shrines and saints; celebration of religious festivals; pilgrimages and the
reading of Scriptures, texts and commentaries of classical spiritual literature e.g. The
Ramayana. There is a natural warmth and attractiveness in the practice of Bhakti Yoga.
This, plus the availability and variety of good teaching make it the spiritual path of the
majority of believers.
Christa Prema Seva Ashram, (CPS), Service of the Love of Christ, was an Ashram in the
Bhakti tradition. It had been one of the very few early attempts at forming a Christian
Ashram and had played an important role in pre -Independence India. At a time when
segregation was the rule, a group of English and Indian, Protestant Franciscan monks,
had lived there in equality and harmony. In the days before Independence both Mahatma
Gandhiji and the British Viceroy had visited CPS Ashram but by 1972 it was no longer in
use. Ishpriya and others re-opened it, this time with an Ecumenical community of Catholic
Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Protestant Sisters of St. Mary and a devout Hindu woman,
Sarwaswatibai, who gave Ishpriya her Indian name. ( Ishpriya , beloved of the Lord)
From those first years of vigorous efforts at religious enculturation several sound teachings
would influence Ishpriya’s spirituality and also the spirituality of the ISA. Experience at
CPS showed that divisions between members of a single tradition, in this case
Christianity, were healed less by theological discussion than by living, working, praying
and laughing together over a long period of time. Only thus could one begin to form a
world community. It also demanded the development of an ability to accept that other
traditions sometimes see each other differently than those within the Tradition expect. Yet
this development of understanding is another essential step towards global peace.
One example of this was the Inter Denominational approaches of Christians towards the
Eucharist or Communion.: As Inter Communion was not allowed between the two Christian
churches ( Catholic and Protestant) Mass and Communion services were held separately
in the Ashram but one tabernacle was use by both the Catholic Priest and Protestant
Pastor. One day the Hindu member asked: Which Jesus is in the box to-day? Was it the
Catholic Jesus or the Protestant Jesus? Her experience of inter – denominational
theological problems was a humbling lesson for both Christian groups.
CPS Ashram was also on the pilgrim route to an important Hindu shrine in Pandapur.
Often a group of pilgrims , travelling by foot for days or even weeks, would stop by the
Ashram to rest, and as was the custom, to be given food and to sing and pray with the
Ashram Community. . That way all shared in the blessings of their pilgrimage Whatever
motivations inspired this or other forms of Bhakti, Ishpriya remains with the impression
that their devotion was always spontaneous and free from rules and regulations. Songs of
praise must rise from the pit of the stomach and the quality of voice production is of little
importance! As one Maharastran Bhakta prayed: ‘Lord, as nothing can hurt You, I will
sing’. From all that Bhakti Yoga taught Ishpriya, the ISA gained a respect for spiritual paths
that are different to its own. Because it is important to realise that a Satsang Group is not a
meditation group, although for may meditation is a spiritual practice. It is also clear that
spontaneity is not destroyed by discipline but rather strengthened and purified.

4. Among the great Spiritual teachers Ishpriya was privileged to meet and learned much from
during this time were B K lyengar, the World master of Ashtanga Yoga and Sri Ma
Anandamai, who once honoured the Ashram Community by visiting CPS Ashram as a
gesture of inter-faith understanding.
Taking the Teaching back to the West By the 1970’s the rapid increase in the
complexity and violence of Western Society, plus the general breakdown in the moral
authority and leadership of established religious and political systems, left thousands in
confusion. Seeking meaning and guidance in their lives they turned to the Eastern mystical
traditions for help. It was the era when influential Hindu and Buddhist Gurus (some
genuine some not), settled in America, Europe and Australia. Travelling in the opposite
direction, huge numbers of Western Youth came to India looking for a Guru.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s especially, hundreds would pass through the CPS Ashram.
Indirectly they too led to the founding of the ISA, because on seeing and hearing their
distress at being unable to find” back home” , the spiritual guidance they found in Asia,
Ishpriya decided to respond to requests to teach in the West myself. From participants in
these early retreats and workshops out of India, the first Satsang groups would form.
Rishikesh - Sivananda Ashram and the Kuttirs
Genuine spiritual experience via the practice of Meditation was the main attraction and has
remained so into the 3rd millennium. As this was Ishpriya’s own way (Sadhana) , the next
phase began. This involved a move from Central to North India, from a Christian to a
Hindu Ashram; from the exuberance of Bhakti Yoga to the profound Silence of
Dhyana.(Meditation)
Rishikesh (or the home of the Enlightened Ones) and Muni-ki-reti (the Sands of the Silent
Ones) were known since Vedic times as the source of authentic spiritual masters. Lying on
the banks of the River Ganges , at the foot hills of the Himalaya, these two small towns are
part of a 22 kilometre stretch of innumerable Ashrams, small and large, richly endowed or
miserably poor, home to a swarming mass of hundreds of Sanyasis and Sanyasinis
(monks and nuns). Even in the winter cold and rains, their Saffron (fire coloured) robes
glow all around, so that one cannot easily forget one’s purpose for being here, in Rishikesh
or on this Planet. The one desire of these holy men and women is to be totally immersed
in the Waters of inner Silence, to attain Moksha, final freedom. For this, the tradition
insists, a Guru is needed.
Here Ishpriya had entered a totally unfamiliar world. Here Christianity did not exit, neither
in concrete presence, (for several years Ishpriya and her close companion Sr. Vandana
were the only two Christians known to be resident in this Hindu Holy place). Neither did ,
she then, know its relevance for the thousands of pilgrims, from all over India and abroad,
who passed through Rishikesh and Muni-ki-reti each year.

5. The Concept of the Guru For Ishpriya, at that time, the concept of the Guru was
equally unfamiliar, except as the misconception so often presented to the Western world.
However, she soon learned that living with authentic believers in another tradition rapidly
removes the last traces of triumphalism from the heart and prepares one for dialogue. It
prepares one to learn, each from the other..
Although she became familiar with the Gurus of all the main Ashrams in the Area, she and
Vandana soon settled down in Shivananda Ashram. This is the head quarters of the
International Divine Life Society. its founder, Swami Shivananda, had been hailed as a
spiritual giant of the 20th Century. Most of the disciples he trained, both men and women,
became in their turn, important spiritual leaders throughout the world. His most senior
disciple, Swami Chidanandaji who had inherited the charisma of his master, would teach
Ishpriya patiently and graciously, as Guru, over many years.
The role of the Guru is to awaken and guide the disciple into his/her own spiritual depths.
Once awakened and ready, the Guru will send the disciple away, dressed in the Saffron
robes of Sanyasa, to: “cross the Infinite space of the heart( consciousness), alone”. Here
there is no tolerance of an immature, emotional dependency.
These Masters, of international reputation lived their own religious tradition so
authentically, that they were free enough to reach out in understanding to all other
traditions. From rigidly Orthodox Hindus they received severe criticism for their outreach
to those of other cultures and religions but their lives were a hope for our world. Certainly,
without Swami Chidanandaji’s continual “protection” the rest of this story about Ishpriya
and the ISA could not have been written.
Ashram Community and its Values The “community” of the Ashram was a
continuously changing mixture of men and women, of all ages and nationalities. The core
group was composed of the Sanyasis ,those wearing Saffron , who had made vows of
renunciation, and those in white or yellow who were preparing for initiation into Sanyasa.
The majority however were married or single, who shared fully in the life and work of the
Ashram. It was a Global microcosm. Some stayed for weeks, others for a life time. Four
things held this mobile mixture together:
a common spiritual purpose:
acceptance of a tradition of teaching:
recognition of each one’s personal Sadhana
and Seva.
This has become true for the multi-cultural Companionship that is the ISA, which is bonded
together by the common (Triple) Commitment.

6. Some Important Sanskrit Terms Sadhana and Seva were characteristics of
Shivananda Ashram. These are two of the few Sanskrit words which are regularly used by
Ishpriya and in the ISA. This is in order to keep the strength of the concept behind the
words which translation s might lose.
Sadhana can be translated as “spiritual practice”. A practice which is chosen willingly and
not fulfilled as an obligation, as are most religious practices. It is usually chosen with the
help of a Teacher or Guru. It must fit the life-style and personality of the seeker.
Possibilities are numberless but some serious Spiritual practice is seen as essential to
keep one awake on the inner journey. The First aspect of the ISA Commitment stresses
the responsibility that all ISA Members have for their Sadhana.
Seva can be translated as Service but this is inadequate. Seva is Action. It is any Activity
which is done with full attention to the action itself, for itself and not for the satisfaction of
achievement is Seva. In short, Seva is training to living in the present moment; to being
awake to the needs of those around us.
All ordinary, routine actions of every day life can thus become a way to expand Spiritual;
awareness and the living out of the 2nd and 3rd aspects of the ISA Triple Commitment.
A Satsang, formed in the Ashram ideal, can cross all the barriers of race and Religion,
because it is based on respect and genuine concern for the total and spiritual well-being of
the other. When this is understood then one understands the essential character of the
ISA.
The Kuttirs at Tapovan
After some years Ishpriya and Vandana moved out of Shivananda Ashram to live in small
Kuttirs (cottages) of their own. This was in order to have time for their own Sadhana
These, Kuttirs, were higher up the river on the edge of a small village. Most of the
Families in the village lived at little more that subsistence level. Hard work and the
minimum of food and clothing was not their choice( as it was for many of the monks). Their
knowledge of the vast wisdom of the Hindu tradition was also minimal. But through the
faith they lived every day the following essentials shone out clearly. They lived with the
following deep, strong and simple faith:
God is the Indweller: the Mystery present within each person without any exception.
All will finally realise their union with God .
Each life must be lived so as to become more aware of this Truth.
Economic wealth or poverty will pass. The true wealth is to know who one is: to
realise the Self: Real poverty is to be still in ignorance of this.
Ishpriya has often remarked on the difference between studying from books and meeting
real experiences. Take, for example, the doctrine of re-birth. One can study this via books
and discussions with others as a first step. However, sitting on the mud floor, in a North
Indian village and cutting vegetables with a mother (a devout orthodox Hindu) whose
beloved 6 year old son drowned in the Ganges only days before, and hearing her say: ‘I
know Ramu is alive. I know that he has taken another birth’ reveals an amazing
psychological and spiritual maturity. For the mother, simply accepts that her son is now
the “child’ of another woman for he belongs only to the Self. This was one of many
experiences in India which had a great t influence on Ishpriya’s understanding of Hinduism
and its culture.

7. Jaiharikhal : The 3rd Ashram
The time came to for Ishpriya to move into yet another context . The kuttirs at Laxman
Jhula , a famous Hindu pilgrimage site (near Tapovan) had been intended only for
personal Sadhana by Ishpriya and Vandana. However, increasing numbers of people
asked to live with them for a while. So they felt that it was time to build their own Ashram.
They moved 2,000 metres up into the foothills to Jaiharikhal. Their they lost the presence
of Mother Ganges and the many Ashrams , but gained a panoramic view of the High
Himalaya.
Two years before the move to Jaiharikhal the inspiration for the ISA had come to Ishpriya.
Meanwhile, while the Ashram in India was being built and established she was already
scattering the seeds of the ISA in different countries to which she had been invited.
By 1995 the Jeevan Dhara Ashram in Jaiharikhal was complete and the ISA established in
5 countries. In that year a group of ISA Members from Mexico, Germany, the USA, Austria
and England joined Ishpriya on pilgrimage to several of the India sources of the Satsang
Companionship. This was part of the development of those ISA seeds. But the ISA also
drew inspiration from Buddhism via Japan and Taoism, via Taiwan, places visited by
Ishpriya during these formative years. This is a story yet to be written. These are just some
of the important parts of Ishpriya Mataji’s story, her inspiration and involvement with the
International Satsang and the reason why she continues to wear the saffron sari, which is
the symbol of her commitment as a sannyasin.
ISHPRIYA AND THE ISA
Any notes on Ishpriya that failed to outline her involvement with, and nurturing of, the ISA
would be incomplete. This is because the ISA, and its formation, are arguably one of her
major and on-going achievements.
She is the founder, teacher and chairperson of the ISA. This now has members worldwide
and has groups of members, organised into Local Area Satsangs, in Austria, Germany,
Mexico, the UK and the USA.
The following notes outline the meaning of the Sanskrit words ‘Satsang’, the ISA itself and
the Triple Commitment which all ISA members undertake and regularly re-commit to.
What is the meaning of the word Satsang ?
SATSANG is a Sanskrit word meaning, the coming together (the SANGA) of those who
are seeking (SAT), i.e. Being, Truth, God. So a SATSANG is a term used to describe a
fellowship or companionship of Seekers after Truth. Participants in Satsang and its
gatherings desire and are open to meeting each other not merely at the level of intellect,
ideas, ideologies, personalities and psycho-social needs, but at the level of their innermost
being.
What is the ISA?
The Satsang Association began as an answer. It was an answer given to Sr. Ishpriya, the
spiritual guide and teacher of the Satsang Association, given to her in the form of a
spiritual insight into the mystical connectedness of all creation. In 1984 she re-expressed
this experience both as an answer and an invitation to the large numbers who came in

8. search of spirituality relevant to their lives in this era of radical change. For this the
International Satsang Association (ISA) was formed.
The ISA is a companionship between those who are open to the Truth in all traditions and
who are seeking to know the Absolute, the Source of all Life. They also accept their need
for guidance, challenge and support in the concrete living out of their ideals. It is, as
Ishpriya often says, a companionship whose spirituality is involved with ‘reading the signs
of the times’
The difference between the ISA and many other Satsang Groups is in its membership.
Because the ISA is open to those of all Faith Traditions and none. It is open to genuine
spiritual seekers.
The Satsang Commitment Satsang Members commit themselves to:
A personal growth in spiritual awareness and practice
Helping remove the barriers of prejudice and Ignorance which divide persons from
each other.
Building up relationships of compassion and appreciation across frontiers of race,
ethnicity, culture, language, economic class and religion.
And in so doing each member plays their part in ‘Creating a Planetary Vision and a
Universal Heart’
This commitment is known as The Triple Commitment (see a separate section on the
Triple Commitment)
HOW DO MEMBERS LIVE OUT THE IDEALS OF THE ISA?
Satsang Members are people who have recognised the need to search for the Truth in
themselves and have been , and are, drawn irresistibly towards the ground of their Being,
towards the One ( the Mystery, the Source) who In-Dwells them. This gives them the
confidence and energy to reach out to others. They recognise the barriers which are at the
heart of many of the social evils of today. These are the barriers of prejudice and
ignorance which create fear and suspicion and keep people apart. Thus, in small,
sometimes unnoticed, but not necessarily insignificant ways, they seek to resist such
pressures and to remove such barriers wherever they occur and to build up relationships
of compassion and understanding across race, ethnicity, culture language, economic
class and religion.

9. THE TRIPLE COMMITMENT
As previously stated, members of the SATSANG are committed to the following ideals
* personal growth in spiritual awareness and practice ( Sadhana)
* helping remove the barriers of prejudice and ignorance which divide persons from
each other. This and the 3rd commitments are an active and not reactive living
Seva.
* building up relationships of compassion and appreciation across frontiers of
race, language ,culture and religion.
But how are these to be lived out ? How do individual Members in the context of their
culture and socio-economic state live out these ?: The answers are unique, individual and
complex. We are all called to take responsibility. We are called firstly to take responsibility
for our self and then to actively accept and undertake our responsibility towards our world,
its human family and our environment. Some general comments, written by Ishpriya, now
follow
THE TRIPLE COMMITMENT ( a reflection by Sister Ishpriya)
What does the SATSANG do ? How does their triple commitment help the Members to
do something for others or even for themselves ?
Very relevant questions which people often ask me and which we should ask ourselves
more often. So let me reflect a little with you on the three commitments we make as
members of the SATSANG.
I must begin by answering a more basic question : Why did the SATSANG Association
begin ? It began as an answer to specific requests for help from people who were in
search. It will continue to exist and to grow as it responds to the specific and urgent needs
of our times.
Our world has many needs. It is easy to list the major problems with which our human
family is grappling in a life or death struggle. Problems of economic imbalance, increased
violence, population migration, sexual and child abuse, ecological de-spoilation have all
reached global pro - portions.
While the experts in every field of knowledge feed us more and more frightening facts and
statistics, we become overwhelmed by the massiveness of the task of understanding our
planet and why we are here. Some find the intellectual challenge of the new scientific
discoveries thrilling.
Some are stimulated by the social applications of the new technologies. At depth, mostly in
secret, often denied, a question all ask : WHY AM I HERE ?
The security of a personal God offered by the traditional religions and once universally
accepted as the basis of civilisation, has now gone. At best, the personal God is a private
affair. At least in the West. The gap this has left in the lives of millions is experienced as a
terrifying if unacknowledged abyss. Fear of this abyss, of the unfathomed inner recesses
of being , of the possibility of an Ultimate Reality, this fear lies, I believe, at the root of most

10. contemporary social evils. To remove social oppression we must also work at its root
cause, fear. Security and confidence do not come second hand. Each human person has
the vital need to know, experientially, the Source of his/her being, the Source of all life.
This fundamental experience has never been more urgently needed than by the men and
women of today.
The men and women of the SATSANG have recognised and accepted this need in
themselves. Maybe slowly, but irresistibly they are drawn towards the ground of their
Being, the One who in -dwells the ' cave of the heart ‘. The confidence and freedom
gained from an authentic knowing of their true Selves and the Source of all Life, will
release their energy for others.
Because they are awake to the responsibility they have for their lives they make a
commitment to give time and attention to their growth in spiritual awareness. SATSANG
Members come from a variety of religious traditions or none at all. They draw their spiritual
practice from different spiritual paths. But they are one in their commitment, to risk their
spiritual depths, to gain freedom from fear, to make life - giving choices.
Greed and violence swiftly follow on the fear that comes from a lost sense of the Ultimate
purpose or belonging. We see the escalation of these destructive powers all around us.
They attack creation at its most vital point ...... relationship / connectedness. They
construct barriers of fear between person and person, between person and nature,
between person and his/her own self. Wounded at the most vulnerable and essential point
of life, the human person will lose respect for all life. Only reverence for the ' Unknowable '
will give us respect for the known. Where the traditional religions may seem to have lost
the language with which to teach us this truth, Science now speaks in mystical terms
challenging us to a newness of vision, to stand in awe of our dignity and creation.
Because they are awake to the responsibility they have for life shared with others without
exception, SATSANG Members make a commitment to protect and develop relationship /
our human connectedness. They will take seriously the responsibility to prevent barriers of
separation being constructed between people in the name of race, religion, economic
status, etc. wherever they encounter them in their daily lives. And where such barriers
exist in the context in which they live, they will try as best they can, to remove them with an
active respect, appreciation and co - operation.
In the sustained attempt to live these commitments in daily life one quickly discovers that
they are no easy option! To do this means swimming against a strong, sometimes violent,
social current. Those who make profit from constructing barriers will not allow them to be
destroyed without opposition. Many people feel themselves alone or without guidance in
this task of protecting and sustaining human relating. The Association of the SATSANG
can offer encouragement, challenge and guidance in a climate of freedom and joy.
So if you ask me: What does the SATSANG do? I can only answer; this is what the
Members of the SATSANG will try to do. Occasionally we will see, individually or
collectively, a relationship being strengthened, life flowing more freely, a barrier removed a
war prevented! But seen or unseen the members of SATSANG make their commitments
because they are convinced that this they can do and must do in these days of Promise
and personal responsibility.
SATSANG – Seeking Together a Planetary Vision and a Universal Heart
Ishpriya

11. Die Quelle – The Source – A Sadhana Ashram
Having formed the ISA, Ishpriya and its Members began a search for a base in Central
Europe. Eventually one was found. It is called Die Quelle (The Source). It is situated in
Austria, near Dechantskirchen in Stiermark, just south of Vienna. Here Ishpriya conducts
a wide variety of programmes, including Retreats, Seminars, Satsangs, Meditation Septas,
Inter-Faith meetings and much more.
The ethos of Die Quelle is inclusive. It welcomes and respects all who come, regardless
of race, ethnicity, faith tradition etc. In short, it is accepting of all spiritual seekers, of all
who seek to return to the ONE SOURCE of all Life … God by whichever name. Therefore
it welcomes and respects all who come to stay, even for a few days, who help to create
community.
The life at Die Quelle has a rhythm with a natural balance between :
Time for silence and sharing,
Solitude and companionship,
Action and reflection.
The daily rhythm includes:
Three periods of silent prayer/ meditation for 40 minutes
Regular conferences on topics of spiritual life and practice
Individual guidance for those who wish
Two hours of service (Seva) in house/garden when all participate in routine tasks
Meals which are vegetarian so that all may feel at home with us
In summary, Die Quelle offers a ‘space’ and the opportunity to listen to Ishpriya’s teaching
and to find time to reflect and find refreshment for the spiritual journey. This is aptly
outlined in a famous quotation from the Tao, which is often quoted on literature from Die
Quelle
‘Every separate being in the universe, returns to the common Source. Returning to
the Source is serenity’
Further details about Ishpriya, the ISA and Die Quelle can be found on the ISA Website
www.international-satsang.org