Acharya Vamadeva Shastri's Bio.

David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) is a unusual western born knowledge-holder in the Vedic tradition. He carries many special Vedic ways of knowledge (vidyas), which he passes on to students in India and in the West. In India, Vamadeva is recognized not only as a Vedacharya (Vedic teacher), but also as a Vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor and teacher), Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer), Puranic (Vedic historian), a Hindu acharya (Hindu religious teacher) and a Raja Yogi. In India, Vamadeva's translations and interpretations of the ancient Vedic teachings have been given great acclaim in both spiritual and scholarly circles. In America he is  known as a teacher and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine and of Vedic astrology (Jyotish) and has done pioneering work on both these subjects in the West. Most recently the integration of Yoga and Ayurveda has come to the forefront of his work.   Pandit Vamadeva (Dr. Frawley) presents authentic Vedic knowledge in the Western world and in a lucid presentation recognized by the tradition itself. He has worked extensively teaching, writing, lecturing, conducting research and helping establish schools and associations in related Vedic fields over the last thirty years. He has studied and traveled widely gathering knowledge, working with various Vedic teachers and groups in a non-sectarian manner. Vamadeva sees his role as helping to revive Vedic knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach for the planetary age. He sees himself as a teacher and translator to help empower people to use Vedic systems to enhance their lives and aid in their own Self-realization. He sees Vedic wisdom as a tool for liberation of the spirit, not as a dogma to bind people or to take power over them. For him, Vedic knowledge is a means of communing with the conscious universe and learning to embody it in our own life and perception. Though Vamadeva has worked in several different fields, he has endeavored to approach each of these with a great deal of specificity and precision, providing both the background philosophy and deeper practices. For a good overview of his work and background, it is best to examine his book Yoga and the Sacred Fire: Self-Healing and Planetary Transformation (2005). Yogini Shambhavi  Since 2005, Vamadeva has been working in close collaboration with Yogini Shambhavi Chopra relative to programs, travels, teachings and publiications worldwide. Shambhavi is a best selling author of several books on the Goddess in India (Yogini: Unfolding the Goddess Within and Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess), including profound studies of Shakti Sadhana. She is now recognized in the West in Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology circles for her inspiring presentation and charismatic energy. She is probalby best known for her beautiful mastery of mantra chanting and recitation and her special CD under the title of Yogini Bhava. Yogini Shambhavi adds a special knowledge of ritual, mantra, and working with the Goddess, particularly relative to sacred sites in India, tours and retreats, which the institute conducts regularly. She also handles the consultations and mantra initiations for the institute for students and clients from throughout the world. Shambhavi is co-director of the institute and is involved in all of its activities, plans and projects. Vamadeva and Shambhavi were married in 2008. Vamadeva's Work and Background Reviving Ayurveda Dr. Frawley is a teacher or acharya of 'traditional Ayurveda', which incorporates Yoga, Vedic astrology, Vedanta and Tantra into its teachings and treatments. He is working to revive traditional Ayurveda both in the context of modern Ayurveda in India and popular Ayurveda in the western world. Vamadeva's main teacher of Ayurveda was Dr. B. L. Vashta of Bombay and Pune (1919-1997), note photo. For ten years he remained under the guidance of Dr. Vashta, visiting him regularly in India and consulting with him on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Vashta, a graduate of one of the first Ayurveda programs in India in 1941, wrote many books on Ayurveda and helped formulate Ayurvedic products for several Ayurvedic companies in India. He was also one of the leading journalists in the state of Maharashtra and became an important spiritual guide for Vamadeva as well. In America, Vamadeva studied Ayurveda with Dr. Vasant Lad, noted Ayurvedic teacher and author. He taught regularly along with Dr. Lad at his school in 1983 -1986 as an nstructor and has remained on the visiting faculty. Along with Dr. Lad, he wrote the Yoga of Herbs, which was the first book integrating western herbs into Ayurveda and published in the West. Vamadeva works with Deepak Chopra and David Simon and has been a faculty member of the Chopra Wellness Center in San Diego, and helps them with advanced Ayurvedic trainings. Note picture of Vamadeva, Deepak Chopra and Shambhavi Chopra to the left (Shambhavi is not related to Deepak). Vamadeva also works with the California College of Ayurveda, founded by his colleague and former student Marc Halpern. He is a teacher and advisor for the Kripalu school of Yoga and Ayurveda. He is allied with Mas Vidal of Dancing Shiva, particularly for Yoga and Ayurveda. He is on the advisory board for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM). Recently he has joined the Advisory Board of Kerala Ayurveda, one of the largest Ayurvedic companies and educational centers. He is also now working with Patanjali Yog Peeth, the center of Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrisna, in Haridwar, India, the largest of its type in the country. Dr. Frawley's Ayurvedic work is represented by a number of groups throughout the world. Aldo Lubrano handles the Spanish version of his courses. The Vedic Center, Ruegen, Germany (Maxim and Sergej Kuschpel) handles his German and Russian courses. Pavan Kanwar handles his work in the Czech Republlic. His work in South America is represented by Dr. Jose Rugue, who has brought out complete trainings in Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga and Ayurveda in Brazil incorporating Dr. Frawley's course work as part of longer study programs. Besides Ayurveda, Dr. Frawley has a background in Chinese medicine, in which he received a Doctor's degree in 1987. He taught Chinese herbal medicine at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine from 1984-1990. He served as a board member of the American Herbalist's Guild, the largest professional organization of western herbalists, from 1993-1994, and helped edit the book Planteary Herbology (1987) by noted herbalist Michael Tierra. Vamadeva's main areas of specialization in Ayurveda are herbal medicine, Ayurvedic psychology, and Ayurveda and Yoga. He also works to combine Ayurveda with Vedic astrology. He has written several books on Ayurveda including the Yoga of Herbs (with Vasant Lad, 1986), Ayurvedic Healing (with a foreword by Dr. B. L. Vashta, 1989), Ayurveda and the Mind (1997), Yoga and Ayurveda (1999), Ayurveda, Nature's Medicine (with Subhash Ranade, 2001), Yoga for Your Type (with Sandra Kozak, 2001), Ayurveda and Marma Therapy (with Ranade and Lele, 2003), and Neti: Healing Secrets of Yoga and Ayurveda (2005).  Spreading Vedic Astrology Vamadeva began studying Vedic astrology (Jyotish) as part of his Vedic research in the early seventies and first brought out a correspondence course in the subject astrology in 1986, which remains one of the standard texts in the field today. He was one of the first to teach Vedic astrology in the West. Dr. Frawley has written several books on Vedic Astrology starting with Astrology of the Seers (1990), one of the first books on Vedic astrology published in the West, now regarded as one of the classics in the field. Recently he brought out Ayurvedic Astrology: Self-Healing Through the Stars (2005), which pioneers the field of 'Ayurvedic Astrology' or Vedic medical astrology. In 1997, he brought out the book the Oracle of Rama (1997), an important Hindu oracle which in 2005 has been made into a beautiful set of cards through Mandala Press.  In 1992 Vamadeva helped convene the first major American Conference on Vedic Astrology, which led to the founding of the American Council of Vedic Astrology (ACVA) the following year. He became the first president of the organization and guided it for more than ten years. ACVA in 2004 divided into two organizations, the American College of Vedic Astrology, and the Council of Vedic Astrology (CVA). Currently Vamadeva is an educational cochair for the Council of Vedic Astrology along with Chakrapani Ullal, helping to certify students worldwide in Vedic astrology. Vamadeva's main Vedic astrology teacher was Dr. B.V. Raman (1916-1998), perhaps the greatest Vedic astrologer of modern India and founder of the Astrological Magazine, with whom he was specially initiated in 1992. He has also visited with Gayatri Vasudev, K.S. Charak, R. Santhanam, K.N. Rao and Bepin Behari. He works closely with Chakrapani Ullal, perhaps the most noted Vedic astrologer in the West today and considers Chakrapani to be his main teacher after Dr. Raman. Vamadeva was one of the first Americans to receive Jyotish Kovid title from the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences (ICAS, 1993), the largest Vedic astrology association in the world, followed by the title Jyotish Vachaspati in 1996. He has written many articles for the Astrological Magazine, the largest Vedic astrology publication in India. He has researched medical astrology and psychology and astrology, as well as the historical origins of Vedic astrology, bringing out ancient Vedic material on the Nakshatras. In Oct. of 2010, he was one of the main guests for the World Council on Mundane Astrology convened by Sri Sadguru Sivananda Murty in Vishakhapatnam, India. Work with Yogis and Sages-Spreading Yoga and Vedanta Vamadeva has been a devotee of Ramana Maharshi, the great sage of South India, since 1970 and has studied his teachings in the broader context of Vedanta. He specially carries on the work of Ganapati Muni, one of Maharshi's chief disciple, whose teachings he received through K. Natesan of the Ramanashram in 1991, who he was in regular contact with up to Natesan's death in 2009, photo below.  Natesan passed on Ganapati's writings to him, many in hand written form never published, for their preservation and propagation. Ganapati's work that he has taken up includes both the Vedas and Tantra, as well as Ayurveda and Jyotish. In recent years, Natesan has brought out the Muni's Sanskrit work in ten volumes along with Vamadeva's help. Vamadeva continues to study and translate the Muni's great stotras and sutras and add the Muni's insights into his books like Inner Tantric Yoga and Mantra Yoga and Primal Sound. His study of Vedantic meditation methods, particularly the practice of Self-inquiry as taught by Ramana Maharshi, is the subject of his book, Vedantic Meditation: Lighting the Flame of Awareness, by North Atlantic Books (2000).  Dr. Frawley's study of Ganapati Muni's work was the basis of his book Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses (1994), which is considered one of the best books on the deeper aspects of Tantric spiritual and mantric practices. It is also part of his recent, Inner Tantric Yoga: Working with the Universal Shaktii (2008). He also brings Vedantic and Tantric perspectives into his books on Ayurveda and Vedic astrology. He teaches the interface of Veda and Tantra and how to work with both Vedic and Tantric deities. Like Ganapati Muni, who cover a similar field of study, his books span Yoga, Tantra and Vedanta. Vamadeva has spoken before the main Ramana Maharshi centers (Ramana Kendras) in India and writes frequently for the Mountain Path, the ashram's main publication and an important resource for information on the direct path of Self-Inquiry.  Since 1994 he has been in contact with the noted South Indian guru, Sivananda Murthy of Andhra Pradesh (Vishakhpatnam), who is also of Ramana's line and a great yogi as well, with connections to Trailinga Swami. He has worked with Sivananda Murty on the study of the Upanishads. Sivananda Murty visited the United States in 2004. Vamdeva wrote the foreword to Sivananda Murty's Katha Yoga, a deep yogic tudy of the Katha Upanishad. Meanwhile Sivananda Murty provided an introductory note for Vamadeva's book Universal Hinduism. Vamadeva considers Sivananda Murty to be one of the most important living spiritual masters in India today.  Vamadeva has received the blessings and teachings of many saints and sages from India  including Anandamayi Ma (with whom he corresponded with for several years between 1976-1982), Pramukh Swami (of the Swaminarayan movement, who has given him his private blessings on several occassions), Sivaya Subrahmuniya Swami (of Hinduism Today), Hansa Baba, Swami Amar Jyoti, Sri Ma, Ammachi, Swami Dayananda (Arshavidya Gurukulam), Dr. Pranav Pandya (Gayatri Pariwar), Swami Veda Bharati, Bharati Tirtha, Shankaracarya of Sringeri, and Chandrashekhar Saraswati and Jayendra Saraswati, Shankaracharyas of Kanchipuram. On the Vedantic side, Vamadeva has been associated with Swami Dayananda of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (picture left) and has spoken at his centers in India and the United States and worked with him in various conferences and programs. He considers Swamiji to be the most important teacher of Vedanta in the world today and recommends all his students to study with him. Vamadeva regards Vedanta as the mind and soul of Yoga and Ayurveda and also aims at promoting Vedanta once more along with Yoga. Vamadeva has also been connected to the work of Paramahansa Yogananda the the Kriya Yoga movement, since he first took the SRF lessons in 1970, and has closely studied the teachings of Yogananda's guru, Sri Yukteswar. SRF has published his articles and referred to his books in a number of their publications. His quote on Yogananda has recently appeared in the new edition of Autobiography of a Yogi. __._,_.___   The AIVS newsgroup does not accept any liability for the content of messages on this newsgroup.  Each post is the responsibility of the author, it is the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of AIVS, Dr. David Frawley, the group moderator(s, Yogi Harinam Baba Prem Tom Beal, or affilates of such.  . __,_._,___