Home of Awareness
Traditionally, an ashram is a place to study ancient Indian wisdom. Ashram Curaçao serves as an ideal place to become aware of Self, while specifically focussing on self-inquiry and inner silence.
Advaita Vedanta or Non-duality, is recognized as the main understanding of this ashram. Non-Duality is one of the oldest schools of Hindu philosophy. It refers to what our true nature is. Recognizing your true nature is called enlightenment, nirvana, moksha liberation, or simply, freedom.
This causes a better understanding of how we approach life and each other. This also means that we have fewer prejudice both towards others, and ourselves. This is a no-nonsense and very direct insight into the core of what we are. Some may call this a spiritual approach but we consider it a natural approach.
- Nothing is outside of Self -
This beautiful and serene place is located in rural Fuik. Besides existing as a physical location, the ashram is also a platform that cultivates an atmosphere of kindness, empathy and insight, through profound teachings led by founder Dolph van Stapele. Retreats, workshops and other practices are offered to develop a greater awareness on who we really are as individuals and as a society.
The ashram provides basic facilities consisting of living quarters, a communal area, syntropic and permaculture gardens. A quiet location where you can be in peace for as long as you need. Being in an ashram helps minimize worldly influences that can be distracting in our self-inquiry, and increases general peace of mind.
Benefits of visiting the Ashram
* Experiencing balance in a turbulent world
* Understanding the Ego Mind.
* Understanding the inner workings of the mind
* Expanding your spiritual awareness
* More inner peace
* Being content with yourself
* Comprehending emotional values
* Interpreting the sense of “I”
* Dealing with your own presumptions
* Understanding human nature
* Learning how to meditate and why you should or shouldn't do it
Dolph (47), father of 2 beautiful kids, has been a filmmaker for 25 years. As a cameraman, he's traveled the whole world and told stories through his lens on every level. Besides running the Ashram, filming is still a great passion.
In addition to storytelling, Dolph has always had a philosophical interest in the origin of the mind.
From the age of 10, he experienced life in a much less complicated way than most people do and was surprised by the way we humans collectively call pain upon ourselves. Although there was the same pain it became quickly apprehensible and recognisable why it was there. So what was really happening? Why was there a different life experience? What was life anyway? Who am I really? These existential questions became urgent.
After a decade of searching in a variety of spiritual and non-spiritual directions to find some clarity on the purpose of life, he discovered the ancient Indian wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, which translates to Non-duality. 'The Science of Being', as it is often referred to.
To get his deep questions about life answered, Dolph surrendered himself to his quest for Self-inquiry guided by his Non-duality teacher Jan Koehoorn. And it wasn't without revelations. Soon he discovered that real peace isn't something you obtain, it is what you truly are. That realization slowly morphed into the sense of being one with everything else.
Through the ashram he now shares his knowledge with a wider audience. Dolph guides you through the mind, which is where our daily life takes place. And to a place beyond the mind, called consciousness, where the very fabric of the Self harbors.
He does this as a life coach in a 1-to-1 setting or in groups. The latter is called satsang.
Dolph coaches in different ways. As a Reiki Master with energy work. On daily life as NLP coach or more existential level as spiritual life coach. But these are mere labels of the same consiousness. And all this is the playground of Non-Duality.