Terre de Sacha
Guidelines

Whether you are new to TdS or a frequent resident, understanding our way of being here will help our time together be more harmonious. Please also refer to this Guide when here as needed.

Bells

The flow of TdS is supported by the ringing of a bell (located beside the main house entry). We stop every 30 minutes for 2 minutes of silence where we can tune into the environment and silently chant the Gayatri Mantra or observe the silence any way you wish. Two rings mark the beginning, and three rings mark the end. Please stop what you are doing and remain silent during this time.

We also ring the bell repeatedly to notify people that we are gathering for meals, meetings, or gatherings with ShantiMayi. It is important that people join the flow of this place—come for meals as soon as you can.

Gayatri

Everyone is asked to participate in the morning Gayatri and Ceremonies. Printed copies of the text for Chants, Aarti, and Haven are available. Please return them immediately after use. These are sacred texts and should not be placed on the floor or in your back pocket, etc.

Cave

Many find the Cave a wonderful place to meditate or simply spend silent time in. You are welcome to light a candle to take in with you. Do not move Mary or any objects on the altar. You can close the curtain so that people know someone is in the cave; please take care to put the curtain back as found.


Rooms

Everyone will be assigned either a single or double room (for couples). Bedding is provided, as well as a few hangers, shelf or place to put clothing, and a small sealable box to hold any personal food or snack items. We ask that you keep your room clean throughout your stay and ensure that the room is thoroughly cleaned before you depart.

Please do not use oil near any bedding as oil often permanently damages our linen.

Drinking Water, Coffee & Tea

Water comes from the source. While all water is filtered, water from the main house and kitchen / chai room has additional filtering and we recommend that people consume water from these locations.

Fill your water bottles, get drinking water from the chai room.

Tea and coffee is normally served at breakfast. You can also make coffee and tea during throughout the day in the chai room. Only boil as much water as needed as to not waste energy. And make sure that the area is kept tidy.

Someone will likely be assigned the seva of refilling coffee, tea, milk, etc. If you need something, please ask them as opposed to going into the kitchen and helping yourself.


Phones and Internet

Mobile reception is limited but generally reception is available in the parking lot area.

Wifi is available for a small fee. You are encouraged, however, to limit your internet use and be here. Please you turn your phones, computers off completely prior to Online Satsang so that the connectivity is at it’s strongest.

Please do not bring your phones to Satsang, Gatherings with ShantiMayi or in the kitchen, unless you are using it to refer to a recipe.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a Temple. Please keep the space clean and the environment peaceful. The kitchen and dining area are silent.

You must wear “slider” shoes exclusively used inside the TdS kitchen. The slider, also known as a beach or sauna shoe, must be rubber-bottomed and have a single strap. For more details, please see https://www.shantimayi.com/tds-shoes

All food served is Prasad— blessed food. A part of our way here is to learn the way of no preference and be grateful for the offering. This means you may not always be served what you would wish but you will always be served food made from quality ingredients and no one goes hungry.

Do not help yourself to food in the kitchen; food is served by the person(s) cooking.

You cannot cook your own food nor are we able to store individual’s food in the fridge— an exception would anything for medical reasons, items to be shared with the group. There are small bins (boxes) in each room to store personal goods (eg snacks).

The person cooking is in charge of the kitchen and will help set the tone for the space. If you must enter the kitchen space or need something, quietly ask the cook.

All persons preparing food need to wear a head scarf to avoid getting hair into the food. Wash hands before preparing food. Cooks are responsible for packing food up at the end of the meal or disposing foods that have been previously served. (In most instances, cooked food should only be reheated once.)

If the gas runs out, you will need to change the gas tank found on the bench outside the kitchen window. If tanks are empty, exchange for 2 new bottles stored in the smoking area / cat dining area to replace the empty ones.

Dishwashing

Kitchen cloths are pink and yellow. If the cloth or tea towel is dirty, place it in the laundry area. All dishes need to be well rinsed (without soap) before placing them in the dishwasher. Do not put pots, knives, peelers, wood utensils, or graters in the dishwasher. Only run the dishwasher if it is full. We use only half a dishwasher tablet per load. Use soap and hot water for all hand-washed dishes. Make sure sinks, countertops, and oven are clean. If you are unsure where something goes—ask.

Shower Rooms

The blue towels beside the sink are meant for wiping the sinks clean. Please wipe the sink after every use. Check the drain after each shower and remove any hair. Use the two wipers to wipe away any water on the sides and shower floor. Bins (boxes) are located next to the shower room—each person can take a bin to store their personal toiletries. Only use biodegradable soap and shampoo.

Recycling and Garbage

There are two bins for recycling—one is for cardboard (all paper, cartons) and plastic (cans, bottles, large pieces of plastic). Please make sure items are well rinsed, left to dry and then crushed to reduce space. Make sure that there is a bag inside the garbage. Do not put any garbage in the outside bins unless it’s in a bag.

Laundry

We conserve water as much as possible and to help do so request that you bring enough clothes for your time here at TdS. If you need to do laundry, ask the person on Laundry Seva. Laundry in the machine costs 5 euros and soap for hand washed laundry costs 1 euro. There are laundry lines at the back of the main house and covered lines beside the smoking table/cat dining area. Please take your laundry down as soon as it’s ready so that the lines are available for the next person. Do not put wet cloth into the machine or leave wet items in buckets. If laundry is your seva, make sure linen items are folded correctly before returning them to the linen closet. Only biodegradable laundry and hand wash soap should be used.

Mugs

You will be given an opportunity to choose one mug at the beginning of your time at TdS. Your mug can be stored in the Chai Room. Do not put a mug away that is not clean or leave mugs lying around. Coffee and tea are served at breakfast. If you wish, you can make your own cup in the chai shop at other times. While it’s helpful to make enough coffee and tea to share with others, do not make more than what will be used. Likewise, please conserve energy by boiling only the amount of water needed.


Pets

TdS is home to a number of animals including fish, cats, and two dogs.  Please do not feed them… (no matter how much the Beagle asks!)  Cats are not permitted in our living areas.  The dogs are allowed in all living space but the kitchen area where food is prepared.

Water Conservation

It is essential to be aware of water use and conserve water whenever possible. Please use the compost toilet during the day. Flush toilets are intended to only be used during the evening. Do not let taps run unnecessarily—whether it be while showering, brushing teeth, or hand washing, etc. Please do not take more than one shower per day. While one needs to be clean for Ceremony, one can do a ceremonial shower/brush teeth, etc., before the ceremony.

The water tank filters need to be regularly cleaned and cleaned after rain.

Toilets

Only use flush toilets in the evening. Do not flush any paper. While it will be one person’s seva to maintain the toilets (eg remove rubbish, stock toilet paper, wood chips) it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the toilet area clean. Persons living in the main house and those living in the upper house are responsible for keeping their toilets and surrounding areas clean as well as remove rubbish.

Work Clothes and Tools

Work clothes are available in the upper house. Afterwards, if clothing needs laundering, please pile it neatly in the laundry area.

Check with Indro prior to borrowing any tools for the woodshed.  Be sure to return all tools, properly cleaned if needed, to where you got them from. Never leave tools lying around.

Damage to TDS Property

Accidents happen. If you damage something, let us know right away. Often, we can remedy spills and other problems if we know early enough.