26 Dec The Huxleys Worshipped Here
The first time I visited the Hollywood Vedanta Temple, I nearly passed out from the spiritual energy there. I had wanted to check it out because of its affiliation with the glamorous group of writers and mystics who gathered around Aldous and Laura Huxley, and because I had read in The Knee of Listening that Adi Da Samraj had achieved enlightenment in the Temple. I suspected there might be powerful energy there.
I was not disappointed. As soon as I entered the Temple, bowed at the altar, and took my seat, I promptly fell into a deep meditative state. Only when I looked at my watch did I realize I had been “out” for two and a half hours. As monk Jnana Chaitanya stated, “Some very holy people lived and taught here and contributed a great deal to the vibration.”
Vedanta is an ancient Hindu religion whose main teaching is the oneness of all, respect for all, including all religions, and that God dwells within all hearts. The main teachers were Swami Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi (“Holy Mother”) who were a married couple, and later, Swami Vivekenanda. The religion emphasizes the journey to the discovery of God within and the mystic path. The main headquarters is in India.
The Vedanta Temple is located in the midst of a quiet residential community right by the Hollywood freeway. Built in 1938, it has the onion-domed temple with padded pews inside, the bookstore, offices, and a monastery where 18 swamis and 18 nuns reside.
The bookstore is quite a treasure, carrying books from all traditions. I have to warn you, however, they turned down my book, Shortcuts to Mindfulness as being “too alternative.”
© 2020 Catherine Auman
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
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