Grass Valley, CA – Visitors from around the globe will converge in Grass Valley this October for a chance to view and purchase rare, preserved works of art capturing the spirit of India’s heritage.
Locals will get the chance to meet a recognized Himalayan monk, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda and board members from the nonprofit, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, establishing an international meditation center in Penn Valley.
The community is invited to an evening of sacred art and culture during the Sattwadharman Benefit & Art Auction from 6 – 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at The Center for the Arts, 314 West Main Street in Grass Valley. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Vegan desserts and refreshments will be served.
“This will be an uplifting and nourishing event, and perhaps a departure from a typical gala. We want the community to come out and learn how what we are doing is valuable and beneficial to Nevada County and the world,” said Program Director Sarah Kern.
The annual benefit auction, known by its Sanskrit name, Sattwadharman, features a collection of more than 30 rare vintage photographs and antique altar paintings from the nonprofit’s archives.
The event is the only benefit of the year for Self Enquiry Life Fellowship and the first of its kind in Nevada County. Held in more metropolitan locations in the past such as Houston and Los Angeles, the show has historically attracted audiences from Europe, Asia, Central and South America. This is the first live in-person U.S. art show for the nonprofit since the Covid pandemic.
“His Holiness has a very artistic eye and this archive collection is decades in the making. In traditional monasteries, spirituality, mindfulness and art have always been intertwined, and he wanted to bring that concept to the West. When you look at a piece of art you can feel so much peace,” said Kern.
Money raised from the art auction will benefit five schools in India where children are learning ancient Sanskrit-based curriculum. Funds raised from the event will support developing the Meditation Center in Penn Valley which is dedicated to safeguarding ancient Himalayan wisdom and disseminating Indigenous knowledge for future generations. Board members from across the country will also be on hand and are eager to meet members of Grass Valley and Nevada City.
“We are trying to connect with and enrich the community in multiple ways. Not only are we bringing traditional wisdom and unique programs to the area, we are also bringing visitors from all over the world to Nevada County. We believe community is everything, ” said Kern.
His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda, the spiritual founder of Self Enquiry Life Fellowship and the President monk of the Nonprofit’s global sangha and consortium of Indic institutions will offer chanting and an inspirational keynote address, “Light of Whole-person Learning.”
The topic of the keynote address examines the whole-body, whole-brain and whole-person experience that provokes what His Holiness describes as “super-memory.” The presentation will showcase how the development of the Meditation Center in Penn Valley will allow the practical elements of this ancient whole-person learning system to be instituted and established in Nevada County, California.
“It’s the idea of stimulating the brain the way it naturally processes information. Instructional words stimulate the conscious part of the mind, whereas art, chanting, and music engage the subconscious mind,” said Kern.
About the Art
Remastered historic photographs of India from the 19th century and rare monastery paintings will be on display that capture the essence of meditative calm and mysticism. Each has been preserved by the nonprofit to inspire through a blend of history, timelessness and the sacred.
We print these vintage photographs at the highest format possible, frame and present them to the public only once a year.” said Benjamin Hoffman, Art Restoration Volunteer.
Each antique photo is digitized and then sent to an artist in Denmark who painstakingly remasters and tone-adjusts the work for print reproduction. Rare monastery painting relics are repaired, repainted and corrected according to ancient Sanskrit texts and digitally reproduced as fine art prints.
“The photographic pieces are unique and give you a glimpse of what India was like 150 years ago and through the eyes of photographers when it was a nascent art form that was just emerging and finding its legs. You get to glimpse into a world that the photographer really wanted us to see,” said Hoffman.
The archive is vast with hundreds of pieces, many priceless. The show will be a presentation of only a small fraction of the total collection.
“You have to really see them in person to see the majesty of it. We like people to take a piece of India into their homes,” said Hoffman.
An online auction will run concurrently, and in-person patrons will be able to safely bid using a web-based platform. Not just an art show, the event will give attendees an opportunity to get to know new neighbors and support a worthy cause.
“In a world moving at an ever increasing pace, His Holiness urges us to slow down, nourish our bodies with clean food, beautify our surroundings with art, and connect with our deeper selves. This event, Sattwadharman, showcases these values in an accessible format that is open to the public,” said Kern.
Sponsors Invited For Penn Valley Tour
Individual and business sponsors will also have a special opportunity to spend additional time with His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda the following day. “His Holiness” is the official title for a monk of his standing.
Sponsors are invited for a guided meditation, followed by a tour of the new Meditation Center in Penn Valley 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday October 27. Self Enquiry Life Fellowship recently relocated to Penn Valley from Santa Barbara.
Creating a homebase for the nonprofit in Penn Valley is a natural fit and aligns well with the Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District designation, located a short 15-mile drive from here.
Elements of Whole-person Learning systems are used to structure the holistic curriculum of Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, integrating spiritual philosophy, art, music, unbroken techniques of Himalayan meditation and higher yoga.
The Penn Valley Meditation Center is being developed to safeguard this knowledge. A Vedic temple complex is in the planning stages to host visiting Sanskrit chanters and scholars.
About His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda
His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda is a realized Himalayan Vedic monk, who hails from unbroken lineages of the combined heritage of rishi sages and nath meditation adepts. He was awarded the doctorate degree of DLitt et Phil by the President of the Association of Indian Universities and by the Sanskrit scholars of Calcutta, India in recognition of his meditative interpretation, scholarly analysis and ability to articulate the philosophical nuances of Sanskrit literature.
“His message is self-empowerment through meditation and mindfulness,” said Kern.
This article was written on behalf of Self Enquiry Life Fellowship by Laura Petersen, a freelance writer living in Grass Valley. She can be contacted at laurapetersenmedia@gmail.com