Sattwadharman Benefit & Art Auction

10:00 AM | ART RECEPTION & SILENT AUCTION
View a stunning collection of rare art, from vintage photographs to ancient monastery altar paintings. You’ll have the opportunity to take home sacred artwork that carries profound historical and spiritual significance. 

11:00 AM | SANSKRIT CHANTING & KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Experience sublime Sanskrit chanting and a keynote address about the relevance of whole-person accelerated learning by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda.

12:00 PM | PROPERTY WALK
Enjoy a walk of our Monastery grounds led by our monks.

1:00 PM | LUNCH
Enjoy an Ayurvedic vegetarian lunch.

2:00 PM | SILENT AUCTION CLOSES

2:30 PM | GROUP BLESSING & CLOSING
Experience a group blessing by His Holiness and closing Sanskrit chants.

During our live silent auction, you will have the opportunity to view and purchase sacred art from our Nonprofit’s Fellowship Archives. This special event also makes it possible for historians and art connoisseurs to access meditative art not easily available elsewhere.

You will be able to bid directly from your mobile phone or at a designated kiosk. All registrants will receive an automatic text message when the auction opens. Table guests for whom we do not have contact details will have to manually register for mobile bidding when they arrive at the event.

His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda is a realized Himalayan siddha monk, who hails from unbroken lineages of the combined heritage of rishi sages and nath meditation adepts. He reveals to us a Himalayan tradition of Vedic wisdom based on the oral history passed down through his monastic lineages. 

Deep meditation on the Sanskrit verses of cardinal philosophies and monastic inquiry methods led to his profound realization. His Holiness teaches Vedic philosophies with exquisite clarity and initiates seekers into Himalayan meditation techniques.

He is among the very few adepts in the West to hold the degree of Mahāmahopādhyāya (lit. great ordained teacher) awarded by the university system in India due to his scholarly and meditative interpretation of Sanskrit literature. 

His sublime recitation of Sanskrit peace chants opened the 54th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1999. He has lectured around the world as an emissary of peace, bridging spiritual traditions and sharing the universal teachings of Vedic wisdom. 

As the head of the Hansavedas Mission and the founding monk of the United States Nonprofit, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, he is a guiding light to seekers and devotees. 

The global cultural transmission of the ancient Sanskrit-based indigenous heritage is primarily facilitated by two charitable institutions: Hansavedas (Self Enquiry Life Fellowship) in the USA and Vedanidhi (Vedic Heritage Research Foundation) in India, both led by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda.

Seekers from diverse religious backgrounds, as well as intellectuals, throng to be in his divine presence and listen to his presentation of Sanskrit knowledge from a universal perspective. Such a unique combination of a mystic, yogi, and scholar is rarely seen in a saintly teacher. 

Leadership roles of HH Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri
President, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship (Hansavedas), Penn Valley, California, USA
President, Vedic Heritage Research Foundation (Vedanidhi), Varanasi, India
President, Sri Paramananda Ashram Trust (Consortium of Institutions), Prayagraj, India
Vice President, Tripura Yogashram, Haridwar, India

Swami Asimananda Giri is a yogin and Himalayan breathwork adept. Her monastic name means bliss of unbounded expansiveness and her yoga practice embodies that spirit of that transcendence. Sri Swami Asimananda studies under the direct guidance of her monastic master, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda, founder of Nonprofit, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship. Known for her clarity, compassion, and depth of practice, Sri Swami Asimananda shares esoteric techniques of yoga and breathwork in a way that is accessible for yoga practitioners.

Our international sangha is deeply engaged through this annual Sattwadharman Benefit in preserving and transmitting the legacy of ancient Sanskrit-based indigenous heritage. This work bridges our Indic monastic institutions with our operations in the USA, ensuring this wisdom is safeguarded and shared globally.

This global cultural transmission is jointly facilitated primarily by two charitable institutions, Hansavedas (Self Enquiry Life fellowship) in the USA and Vedanidhi (Vedic Heritage Research Foundation) in India, both led by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda.

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship is a top-rated Nonprofit that has maintained the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency since 2019. You can view our Nonprofit profile here.

Your sponsorships and donations will support the construction of the Art Studio attached to the Vedic Chanting Cottage and seed grant for publication projects by Quantum Imprints, LLC.

Besides functioning as the headquaters of Quantum Imprints LLC, this Art Studio will allow our rare arts, esoteric manuscripts, and precious relics to be safeguarded and allow a space to remaster these vintage artworks for community sharing.

The Chanting Cottage construction is now complete thanks to last year’s benefit event, and we are in the process of furnishing before move-in. The Chanting Cottage is designed to host devotee families on a time-share basis and other visiting Sanskrit chanters and scholars who will enhance our community service programs alongside His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda.

Proceeds from our art auction directly support children's traditional Vedic schools at our sister-institutions in India which use ancient Sanskrit-based accelerated learning techniques for memorization.

We welcome every participant to bless us by sharing in our vision of cultural transmission.

The address and directions to our Monastery will be shared in your registration confirmation email. Kindly carpool with other attendees as much as possible. Upon arrival, our volunteers will direct you to a parking location. Additional directions and information will be shared in the registration confirmation email.

Semi-formal attire is recommended. Festive or traditional Indian clothes are appropriate as is Western style clothing that is semi-formal. Kindly note that we will be in the presence of His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri and Sri Swami Asimananda Giri, therefore it is also recommended that attire is modest. As we will be walking the property, we also recommend shoes that are appropriate for 20 minutes of walking.

We warmly welcome friends traveling to join us in Nevada County for this vent. Our Monastery is located in the scenic Sierra Foothills, surrounded by natural beauty and a vibrant local community.

To make your stay comfortable, we have prepared a list of nearby lodging options in Grass Valley and Nevada City. You can view and download the lodging guide here: Lodging Options

Getting Here by Air

The nearest major airport is Sacramento International Airport (SMF), located approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Penn Valley.

• Car Rental: Most visitors find it easiest to rent a car at SMF for the drive into Nevada County.

• Rideshare Services: Uber and Lyft are available from the airport, though availability may be limited once you arrive in Penn Valley and you will not be able to find Ubers and Lyfts back to the airport for your return.

• Private Shuttle: Contact John Haynes at Shuttle with Zoomies for airport ride service. Be sure to mention that you are coming for a program with Self Enquiry Life Fellowship as John knows our group well. www.shuttlewithzoomies.com. If you need other suggestions for private shuttles, please email or text us and we can share a full resource list.

We look forward to hosting you and sharing in this uplifting occasion together.