Sacred Journeys:
Lifting the Veil at Skanda Vale
An enchanting Hindu ashram in Wales focuses on the oneness of all, beautifully complementing Unity teachings.
By Rev. Paul John Roach (originally published in Unity Magazine)
In the fall of 1978, I walked the two miles from the quaint village of Llanpumpsaint in West Wales to Skanda Vale, a spiritual community further up the valley. As I traveled along the narrow, winding lane, with huge hedgerows on each side, I passed farms and rich green fields where milk cows grazed. Occasionally a blackbird would shoot ahead up the way. The countryside, lush with woods, rolling hills, and dells, exuded a distinct sense of otherworldly peace.
The lane ended at an oak forest, where a muddy track continued through the trees. It felt increasingly like a scene from a fairy tale. The track brought me to a farm gate with a red sign that read, “Welcome to Skanda Vale; The Community of the Many Names of God.”
Beyond sat a grey stone cottage in a cobbled courtyard, as well as some whitewashed outhouses next to a red barn. Meadows sloped down to a wooded stream, and all around were dense forests. It was beautiful and still.
I first heard about Skanda Vale from friends who, like me, had made the journey to India. Its focus on universalism and the essential oneness of everything greatly appealed to me, and the fact that it was located in my native land was doubly inviting.
The community had been founded by Guru Sri Subramanium, a spiritual leader from Sri Lanka, who had originally established a meditation center in London. Around 1970 he received guidance to create an ashram or spiritual community in a remote location. After a wide search, he discovered a derelict farmhouse on a few acres in a secluded valley in Wales. He knew it was the right place.
In 1973, he purchased the property and, with a core group of followers, established what would become a thriving universal spiritual center. Growing up with a Buddhist father and a Hindu mother, he understood the essential commonality of all spiritual paths, and that idea of unity became the central tenet of the community.
That first evening, I attended a service (or puja) at a small candle-lit temple created within the farmhouse. The space was filled with pictures and statues of deities, mostly from Hinduism but also from Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditions. The scent of sandalwood and camphor oil filled the air. The puja consisted of many chants and bhajans, the ringing of bells and tinkling of cymbals, call-and-response songs accompanied by the pulse of drums, and the drone of a harmonium. A group of monks and nuns (all Westerners who had clearly studied Sanskrit) circulated aarti lamps in front of each deity, the flame representing and uplifting the power of each image, and the triumph of light over darkness. Later, the light was offered to each person as a blessing. While energetic and engaging, the service was also still and mysterious.
After the puja, the community gathered for a meal of curry and rice before I was shown to my sleeping quarters, a garden shed with a simple cot and paraffin heater. The sheds were hidden in the trees above the creek, and although accommodations were spartan, I slept well and woke to a glorious dawn chorus of songbirds. This was just as well because the first puja began at 5 a.m.
Parallel Paths
The same year, I also discovered Unity at the festival of Body Mind and Spirit in London and began attending services. Ten years later, I was ordained a Unity minister. My commitment to both movements began together and has continued for more than 45 years.
I find the two seemingly different organizations complement each other and teach a similar message of oneness. I love the name The Community of the Many Names of God because it speaks to the truth that there is endless diversity of being and understanding, yet at the core, all is one. As Hindu scriptures say, “God is formless but takes many forms.” In Unity we understand the metaphysical truth of our oneness in Jesus’ statement: “The Father and I are One.”
I like the scientific clarity of the Unity teachings but I also appreciate the intense visceral experience of pujas at Skanda Vale, underpinned as they are with deep scriptural teaching. I choose to approach my spirituality in fullness of body, mind, and Spirit, which is why both paths appeal to me.
I admit there have been times at a ceremony at the temple when my brain was rebelling at the idea of worshiping statues, offering light and colored powders, and sometimes ritually washing the images and covering them with yogurt, milk, and honey. It seemed crazy—until I dropped down into a conscious awareness that each image is symbolic and represents aspects of creation which include me and everyone else. The purpose of the offerings is to uplift and celebrate the spiritual beauty within ourselves and all creation, giving back to that which has provided everything for us. Each statue is like a divine idea, a facet of truth glinting on the diamond of reality.
In June 2023, I returned to Skanda Vale on the 50th anniversary of its founding. This time, I came with my wife, my daughter, and her family. We witnessed many special events and pujas, including a procession around the ashram, ritual fire offerings, and the installation of a new temple. The community was filled with excitement and joy.
From its humble beginnings, the ashram had expanded to 250 acres with several farmhouses, four temples, a dining hall, and excellent guest accommodations, all thoughtfully situated within the idyllic landscape. The ashram also operates a hospice nearby. It grows most of its own vegetables and provides free meals for the hundreds of pilgrims who visit annually.
Throughout the ashram, each of the four temples has its own flavor. The original one, now substantially expanded, is dedicated to Lord Subramanium (or Skanda), the second son of Shiva who represents the energy of the righteous warrior overcoming evil (like St. Michael in Christianity). On a hill sits the Maha Shakti temple, dedicated to the divine feminine, especially in her ferocious form as Kali or Durga. This temple is full of energy and transformative power. An outdoor temple to Sri Ranganath, a form of Vishnu, is surrounded by ponds full of lotus and iris blossoms. The newest temple is dedicated to Indian saint Shirdi Sai Baba, whose teachings combine the wisdom of Islam and Hinduism.
Every time I walk out of a service here, surrounded by the quiet green countryside of Wales, I realize I have entered yet another temple: the rich diversity and beauty of Mother Nature. The inner and the outer are reflected in each other.
A key teaching of Skanda Vale is the principle of ahimsa (harmlessness). The monks and nuns are vegetarian, and the community is full of animals. Many are rescues, and no living thing is ever harmed. Herds of Highland and Jersey cattle, horses, goats, deer, numerous birds (including several peacocks), and three elephants (retirees from circus life) make their home here.
In fact, one highlight of our recent visit was being invited into the elephant enclosure at feeding time. The elephants examined us with their trunks extended, touching our faces. The monk explained it was their way of saying hello and finding out about us. It was an honor to be so close to these wise old beings of tremendous strength and gentleness. Even our bubbly grandkids looked on in awe and bravely offered fruits to their dexterous trunks.
Values in Common
We found it hard to leave the ashram at the end of our stay. So much exuberance and aliveness filled the air here that it seemed like a taste of heaven on earth. I began thinking about the particular qualities that the monks, nuns, and devotees exhibited there—qualities that Unity-minded folks (myself included) could appreciate and find helpful.
Foremost for me is their discipline and dedication. They approach their many tasks—leading pujas, feeding everyone, looking after the animals and gardens, and running the business of a large community—in a joyful, patient, and centered way I find commendable. Like the monks, we are called to practice the presence in a daily agreement to do what is ours to do with willingness and perseverance. How can I be most helpful to myself and all whom I meet? I can harness the discipline of remembering who I am and the endless possibilities before me. Do this and success is assured.
A second quality those at the ashram display is spiritual energy and focus. Spiritual energy, or the feminine quality of Shakti (as it is called in Hinduism), charges our inner batteries and impels us forward. This spiritual energy is alive throughout the cosmos. Its intensity shines in the stars and its faithfulness courses through our arteries and veins. A vital truth about divine energy is that the more we use it and share it, the more of it there is to use and share. Its nature is joy, and joy given freely is endless.
A final quality that naturally follows discipline and energy is love expressed as compassion and helpfulness. Knowing that our essence is love is wonderful, but that love can remain somewhat dormant if we don’t act on it. The monks and nuns at Skanda Vale understand this and give freely, releasing attachment and offering the fruits of their service to God. I frequently ask myself, How can I be helpful today? Just by stating this question, we awaken powers within us that can guide us to new possibilities and help fulfill our purpose as beings of light and love.
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Rev. Paul John Roach (“Lifting the Veil at Skanda Vale,” page tk) is the author of Unity and World Religions (Unity Books, 2022). Formerly, Roach served as minister of Unity of Fort Worth, Texas, as a board member for Unity World Headquarters, and as the host of World Spirituality on Unity Online Radio. Visit pauljohnroach.com.