Download an application form for the September
Seminar here
Since 1990 Guruji
travelled to Switzerland four or five times each year to conduct
teaching seminars, ranging from two days to a week in duration
and accommodating from 30 to 100 people.
In 1994 The Swiss
Association of Skanda Vale was formed by supporters mostly from
Switzerland and Germany and a mountain chalet was purchased near
Fideris, in Canton Graubünden, about 30km from Davos at a height
of almost 2000m. The chalet was to be a permanent venue for the
seminars and devotions with the long term aspiration of
establishing a temple. Thereafter the seminars were formalised
to coincide with the intervals between the festivals in
Skanda Vale, normally in June, July, September and October.
The theme of the
seminars are about learning to develop a partnership with God in
everyday life, dealing with all aspects of living, from
physical health, emotional attachments, relationships,
parenting, professional responsibilities, suffering and death to
mantras, concentration, breathing, devotion, the diverse
manifestations of the divine, karma, liberation and our
relationship with the planet.
The structure of the teaching is
in the form of informal discourses and question and answer
sessions. No prescribed schedule is formulated or any texts
used; rather, inspiration is drawn directly from the divine in
relation to the problems and aspirations of those present. The
day starts and ends with devotion. The individual experiences
the teachings on a multitude of levels, whilst discussing
practical and often humorous aspects of living the Grace of the
Divine infuses the room and seems to unwind the pressures, fears
and deep seated traumas buried within. Freed from this unwanted
mental baggage, the attendees leave spiritually refreshed,
focussed and with a renewed sense of purpose in their lives.
The seminars are
enhanced and balanced by the stunning mountain landscape and
diverse alpine plants and animals. Daily duties in the house
such as cooking, cleaning and maintenance are shared by all
attendees and the seminars are charged at cost to cover
expenditure on transport, food, fuel and materials. The teaching
is free of charge, but voluntary donations can be made. The seminars
are led by the Swamis accompanied by one or
more monks and nuns from Skanda Vale and a German translation is
provided simultaneously for all the teachings. The seminars are
open to all over the age of fifteen and are normally reserved on
a first come first served basis.
Click here to see a
photo gallery of Skanda
Vale in Switzerland
