THE SHAPE OF JAYA KULA
THE MANDALA: OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, NEAR AND FAR
Mandala means circle and also the whole body or the totality. In the Tantrik traditions, spiritual communities are sometimes referred to as Mandalas. Whether near or far, anyone who makes a dharma connection to Jaya Kula is considered to be an aspect of our Mandala. Those participating in the Mandala may or may not feel any particular commitment to the teacher or the teachings. They may stay for a lifetime or only a little while.
THE MĀLĀ: A SOCIAL SADHANA GAME PLAYED BY JAYA KULA STUDENTS
Jaya Kula is community-run. We approach running Jaya Kula as a social sadhana game that encourages us to integrate everyday life with spiritual practice. The current game is called The Mālā.
The Mālā consists of twelve Agents (people) who plan and energize Expressions (actions) in different domains. Agents bring skill, wisdom, and compassion to their domains and have autonomy in how domains are expressed.
The Domains and Agents of the Mālā
- Jaya Kula’s Board of Directors: The “BOD” hosts the financial health, honesty, legality and integrity of Jaya Kula. Current agents are: Sahaji, Sangitapriya, Shambhavi, Tania, and Vidhra.
- Blue: Hosts teachings. Current agents are Charandas, Kaden, and Vidhra.
- Green: Hosts technology. Current agents are Alexa and Matri.
- Purple: Hosts media. Current agents are Ana Belén, Leela, and Nirmana.
- Red: Hosts communications. Current agents are Blake and Tania.
- Silver: Hosts money. Current agent are Avi and Sahaji.
Jaya Kula On Slack
Our traditions encourage us to relate to all aspects of our lives as what is called “integrated practice.” Integrated practice means approaching everyday activities such as relating to others, earning a living, and raising kids as opportunities to realize more of our true nature.
Jaya Kula maintains an online community on a platform called Slack. Our Slack is an aspect of our integrated practice for people who feel a deeper commitment to this stream of teachings. People can join our Slack if they have taken Trika Foundations, are doing regular seated practice as taught at Jaya Kula, and want to participate more in the daily life of the community.