Join us for the exclusive San Diego Premier of Dalai Lama Renaissance at the Universal Spirit Center. This profound and deeply moving film featuring his Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jean Houston, Rev. Michael Beckwith (and narrated by Harrison Ford) will be shown at the Universal Spirit Center the weekend of June 20-22.
This highly anticipated film offers the discourse and thoughts of forty of the most vibrant and dynamic visionaries in the world. After arriving in India, their “journey” (both inner and outer) began. It was a chaotic and grueling trip through the spirited culture and colorful landscape of India, to Dharamsala, at the foothills of the Himalayas, where the Dalai Lama lives and is the leader of the exiled Tibetan People.

These Western participants (and through them the film audience) became immersed in the Third World and Eastern culture of India. They witnessed the vast differences between India and our Western world. The cacophony of sights and sounds mixed with pungent smells prompted them to reflect on the different values inherent in community, home, family, money and material possessions. They could see that wealth is not about material wealth—it is truly about the happiness found in interactions with others and loving people. Participants faced the effects of poverty and this caused them to understand how people in India and the Third World lived in comparison to those in the West.

As the participants arrived in Dharamsala they were disoriented and exhausted and their expectations began to crash. Then, as dialogues began, so did dissent. Silent observers, who were there to witness the process of the dialogues, complained that they were not fairly included. Other conflicts ensued. The highly organized and planned structure of the dialogues began to break down even before the Dalai Lama arrived. It wasn’t until the arrival of His Holiness in an enormous Tibetan processional ceremony that the participants began to realize that they were in an extraordinary realm of spirit and culture. Transformations began to occur within everyone as the presence of His Holiness began to deeply affect each person.
Producer - Director Khashyar Darvich has won numerous awards for his documentaries and was committed to producing Dalai Lama Renaissance because of the unique transformation that occurred during this special event, and as it became obvious that what was captured by the cameras had all the elements of an extraordinary film.

Join the Universal Spirit Center as they offer this documentary about a series of discussions that could ultimately change the world by finding solutions to some of our most pressing global issues.

For more information visit www.UniversalSpiritCenter.org, call 619.291.4728 or come to the event from June 20-22 at 3858 Front Street in San Diego.

Swami Vishwananda is a spiritual teacher who was born on June 13, 1978 into a Hindu family on the island of Mauritius. At an early age he realized his true Self and understood the reason for his incarnation. Since that time many people have come to him for his advice on spiritual and everyday matters.

“I have given my life to serving people,” Vishwananda said. Although his teachings and rituals have a strong Hindu influence, Vishwananda teaches acceptance of all faiths, races and cultures. “It does not matter what you call the divine—God, Jesus, Allah—God is within. Man was not manifest to realize the body but to realize the soul. We have one goal—to realize divinity.”

Swami Vishwananda leads groups throughout the world in meditation, satsang (spiritual talks) and kirtan (devotional singing). He also bestows individual blessings (darshan) upon the crowd. His message of love is taught in simple and easily understood methods. One way in which we can realize God’s love is through the practice of Bhakti Kriya.

By the grace of Mahavatar Kriya Babaji, Sri Swami Vishwananda has received the technique of Bhakti Kriya. Bhakti means devotion and Kriya means action and awareness. Bhakti Kriya consists of powerful breathing techniques, mantras, yogic postures (asana) and meditation techniques. It is one of the most powerful and fastest ways to reach union with the Divine through the uplifting of the limited human consciousness to God consciousness. Swamiji states, “When Bhakti Kriya is practiced regularly, one will eventually open up completely to the Divine and become soaked in sweetness.”

Bhakti Kriya is open to everyone who is seriously interested in learning. (Participants must be at least 18 years of age and are asked to help cover retreat expenses. which includes accommodations for 3 nights at Rancho Las Palmas Resort. (Retreat fees start at $322) To register or learn more about the upcoming Bhakti Kriya course visit: www.vishwananda.us, Sri Swami Vishwananda will be visiting the U.S. from June 20- July 6, 2008. Please visit the website for entire tour schedule or contact: USA@bhaktimarga.org or call 1.877.SWAMIJI

Ancient wonders, historic intrigue and a modern-day forensic adventure come to life in Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, an exciting film now open at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s IMAX Dome Theater in San Diego.

Mummies tells the story of one of the greatest archaeological finds in modern history: the late 19th century discovery of a cache of 40 royal mummies—including 12 pharaohs of Egypt—in a single tomb.

Taking audiences back thousands of years to the age of the great pharaohs, Mummies explores why mummification was so vital to ancient Egyptian life. The film then leaps ahead to the 1800s, with a reenactment of the incredible events surrounding the recovery of the royal mummies. Prior to this, not a single pharaoh had ever been found.

Interwoven throughout the film’s historic narrative is a modern-day forensic story, a scientific journey to extract clues about our past that could have an impact on our future. Featuring top researchers, such as Egyptologists Dr. Bob Brier and Dr. Zahi Hawass (head of Egypt’s antiquities) along with DNA scientist Angelique Corthals, Mummies embarks on a genetic analysis that could have tremendous implications for the study of modern human diseases. Perhaps the DNA held in mummies like Rameses will be able to help cure people today.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (“the Fleet”) is home to Southern California’s only IMAX® Dome Theater. For information call 619. 238-1233 or visit www.rhfleet.org