In Memory of...
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This website was created in memory of Janavi Held whose life was cut short by a relentless illness on December 8, 2018. It aims to honor her brave journey into eternity, while trapped in a temporary body that gave her much pain. Join us, in celebrating Janavi's search for her permanent home and all the inspiring poetry and artwork she left us along the way: her "love- offerings" to the world. In her own words:
"I tend to be restless and during the course my life I have moved often, and I have had to reconcile with the obvious: that the home I have been seeking--a permanent home--does not exist in this world. Here, the inevitable specter of death looms always nearby, yet it is kept at a distance by the ego’s, quite natural, desire to exist eternally.
So what is this deep desire for a home that does not fade and crumble under the heavy weight of time? I have sought the answer to this question my whole life, and I have come to realize that knowing and realizing are very different things. Many religions have the same basic ideals: the soul lives on after the body dies, individual souls have an eternal relationship with God, to put to it simply. But how to realize, or become enlightened to my real spiritual nature? That takes practice. I hope that--gradually--through writing, and making art, and other spiritual practices, I will unearth a glimmer of eternity. Part of that practice is offering the gifts of life and love back to the supreme divine, and the divine in others, including you. So I create all my art, and writing, as such love-offerings. Janavi Held (a.k.a Sri Jahnavi Dasi) |
So what is this deep desire for a home that does not fade and crumble under the heavy weight of time?" 
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My work speaks of the spiritual journey I have been on, trying to locate my soul, and find meaning in this world, even with all the apparent contradictions, which abound in this realm of the temporary."
Janavi Held
Available Now! |
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WHISPERS FROM HER DEATHBED:
A Posthumous Poetry Collection This book is a posthumous collection of poems in which we hear Janavi Held enter into an intimate dialogue with time, nature, pain, and her own mortality, as she withers away from a mysterious chronic illness. Baring her soul in these honest and brave poetic narratives, Janavi chronicles the musings of a youthful and exuberant spirit longing to dance, while confined within a painful body that inhibits dancing. This existential tension catalyzes the author’s immersion into artistic and spiritual growth. Through poignant verse and philosophical meditation, we are given bittersweet glimpses into how Janavi dove deeply into her core, and learned to embrace the experience of dying as a natural and integral part of life. The book, edited by Catherine L. Schweig, features cover art by talented Illustrator Landis Blair. All proceeds from the books go toward the Janavi Held Endowed Poetry and Art Grant established in her memory. TO ORDER your own copy Just click here. 
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