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A Celebration of the life of Sue.
(Susan Elizabeth Little, alias Swami Vimuktananda Sariswati or just plain Oma)
Sue / Vimukta in better times. (Coming on tea time, just spent a day, going around places with Quaker connections.)
On the Monday the 17th of October we celebrated her life, firstly at the cremortorium, then at the Quaker Meeting House in Keighley where Sue had been a regular attender over the last dozen years. We then went to one of her favourite places: "Cobbles and Clay" in Howarth for refreshments.
The crematorium was at Oakworth (keighley), Sue had already talked to Kath about organising the funeral for her, and had agreed on the outline of the service, Friends, family pulled together to help Kath add details and select readings and music for the service. We had spent a holiday, not long ago, in the lake district, looking around places with Quaker connections, mainley Quaker meeting houses and burial grounds, one we looked at was "Colthouse" near Hawkshead. We spent a happy few hours around the meeting house and in the burial ground, enjoying the peace and solitude and the grand views across the valley. During her last day of life, she again requested that she would like it if her ashes were scattered there in the burial ground.
Music to be played as the coffin, family and friends enter. Doors of my heart From Ashram Chants, sung by Swami Nishchalandanda Sariswati Your browser does not support the audio element. Opening words Good morning and welcome to this place made sacred by the presence of everyone here. We are drawn together by the death of Susan E Little, also known as Swami Vimuktananda Saraswati. We are here to share our love for her and for one another, and to celebrate the memory of his spirit that will continue to live on in our hearts. Susan’s spiritual background encompasses both the Quaker and Yoga Traditions. I have tried in part to include both of these today. My name is Kath Fitzgibbon, I am an Interfaith Minister and also a friend of Susan for the past 16 years. I too share with you the grief and loss of a dear friend and yoga sister. Susan asked me to lead this service two weeks before she died so I feel very honoured to be with you today. Robert helped me in preparing this service and I want to acknowledge his great courage and steadfastness. Opening Prayer O Spirit of Life and Love, Source of all that is, Resting Place of all that has been, we are thankful for this day. We are grateful for this opportunity to celebrate the life of Susan. I welcome in particular Robert her partner, Josh and John her sons, Rachel Josh’s partner the mother of Charlie Susan’s beloved grandson, Dick her father, her brother Roger, Ivis, Roberts Mother and her husband Henry. Her favourite Uncle and Aunt Dennis and Jenny. We remember also those who have died, Susan’s mother Sue…..and her brother Richard who are with us in spirit. Although we will miss her, we are grateful that her life touched ours and that she spent time among us on this earth. We ask for the strength to comfort each other in our grief. We promise to remember Susan, her sharp wit, her gentle kindness and the twinkle in her eye; we wish to experience again the way she made us feel. We pledge therefore to keep her in our hearts. We ask that you respect this sacred time together to honour her life, no matter what your belief or faith. Amen Poem by Joyce Grenfell You’ve just walked on ahead of me. And I’ve got to understand You must release the ones you love And let go of their hand. I try and cope the best I can But I’m missing you so much If I could only see you And once more feel your touch. Yes you’ve just walked on ahead of me Don’t worry I will be fine But now and then I swear I feel Your hand slip into mine. If I should die before the rest of you Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone Nor, when I’m gone, speak in a Sunday voice. But be the usual selves that I have known Weep if you must Parting is hell But life goes on So sing as well. Silence and reflect. We know and accept, as best we can, that death will come to each of us in its own time. Susan’s death came after a period of illness. Our grief will take many forms in the days, weeks, months and years to come. It will surprise us at moments when we least expect it. Our experience will be different for each of us. We may feel numbness, anger, fear and loneliness as well as sadness and loss. Painful as it is, let us not turn away from our grief, for in sharing our lives together, sorrow is inseparable from joy and grief is the price we pay for love. Let us turn to each other for comfort in our grief, we who share the loss of this much loved woman.. Let us be honest with death. Let us not pretend that it is less than it is. It is separation; it is sorrow; it is loss; but neither let us pretend that death is more than it is. It is not annihilation; as long as memory endures her presence will be felt. It is not an end to love; it is not an end to joy and laughter. Susan believed that death was liberation and return home. Eulogy Susan E Little was born on 13th August 1953 in Redruth Cornwall, to Richard and June. She was the oldest of 3 children her younger brothers were Roger and Richard. Her early childhood was spent in Libya where her father was employed as a Civil servant. She had a keen interest in Amateur dramatics and was in a local amateur dramatics group. She had a strong desire to be of service to others and started to work as a Residential Social worker in Bristol. She went on to become professionally qualified Residential Social Worker doing a one year full time course at Birmingham Selly Oak Colleges and this is where she met Robert her partner of nearly 40 years. She went on to be employed by Barnardos (in Birmingham) in this role. After John her first son was born She was keen to develop her knowledge and skills and started an Open University degree. After 3 years of playing mother, (playgroups, toddler groups etc.) she transferred to Aston University to complete her degree. After one year Josh was born but she still managed to finnish her degree, After University, she worked for a while for Reeds Employment Bureau, in the Social work department as a consultant. Sue then Joined "The Well" an alternative health centre in Kings heath for three years, it was while here her interest in yoga was rekindled, and she started going to Ann Fletchers local yoga classes. Her interest in organic ecological issues developed, She found employment at a pioneering organic company called Organic roundabout selling the early boxes of organics vegetables. At the same time she started to become interested in Yoga in Birmingham and in particular Satyananda yoga being a pupil pf Swami Satykapresh at her centre in Kings Heath. She later trained in this tradition and 29 years ago she first encountered Mandala Yoga Ashram in Wales where she continued to visit up till shortly before her death. She said this was her second spiritual home. Her prominence in the Yoga world grew. She started running Yoga classes from her home in Birmingham and she was seen as an expert being asked to conferences and was involved in training students in Yoga both in Birmingham and also at the Ashram . Where she later became an External assessor. When she moved to Keighley 12 years ago she was delighted that her yoga basement was officially designated a satyanda centre by Swami Niranajan. She visited India several times the last one being in 2013 to visit the Satyanandas ashrams and took groups with her. She was a dedicated sannysin, a person who dedicated their life to the service of others. In 2009 she was one of the key organisers of a major conference in Harrogate when Swami Satsangi visited. This was an amazing feat which took place at the Girls College in Harrogate. Her amazing qualities of being able to organise this event were truly stunning. Hundreds of people from all over the world came and it was ground-breaking for many of us me included. She ran several yoga classes in Yorkshire and had many inspired students who later on became teachers in their own right. She continued to be asked to be the lead yoga teacher at conferences. Her kindness and strength were evident as well as an extensive knowledge of yoga philosophy. She loved Chanting and mantra and her voice was powerful singing Sanskrit with joy. She loved Shiva chants in particular and she found strength in Ganesh the remover of obstacles. She took his statue into the hospice with her. She was a person that was available and open. When Robert fell ill 3 years ago with a heart condition she nursed him back to health. One of the greatest pleasures she had was the birth of Charlie her grandson. She said that this gave her a new lease of life after she discovered she had Parkinson’s and her beloved Brother Richard died. She accepted all this with acqninimity and grace. In January of this year the diagnosis of cancer was confirmed, with radio therapy and chematherapy quickly following. She visited the ashram several times this year to deepen her yoga practice and to connect to her spiritual core during this time of intensity. She spent her birthday at the ashram in August and she was joyful and happy being with Charlie, josh and Rachel. A precious time for her. She had a great sense of humour in spite of all she was going through with various treatments and was open to all aspects of this journey with an open heart. She accepted her prognosis with a strength and depth that was inspirational. She was admitted to Manorlands hospice two weeks before she died and she spoke to me of feeling wonderful and ready for her final journey. She said that she felt she understood what the yoga scriptures described in their texts. The being in the present moment and open to Being. I was with her shortly before she died with Robert and Shelly and we were able to chant to her her favourite’s chants for over an hour and to remind her of her yoga practices to assist with her passing. Susan was a true Yogi, a true Swami, a true spiritual teacher and a woman of great kindness and sincerity. She led a good life and I have experienced her unconditional love and kindness. She was Determined and forthright and at the same time she was able to laugh at herself. The following music is Sue chanting one of her Shiva Chants . Om Namoh namash shivia by Swami Vimuktananda Saraswati Your browser does not support the audio element. Reading from Rachel and Josh Reading from Pushpanjali /Shelley Mandala Ashram put this on their website in tribute to her. Our love and heartfelt best wishes go to her dear family, friends and her numerous students whose lives and hearts have been touched by the quality of her teaching, the depth of her sharing and her love. The ashram itself has lost a very dear friend, supporter and external teacher. Vimukta first visited the ashram in its very early days in the late 1980s and remained a staunch and generous supporter and visitor throughout the ashram’s first 30 years. She used to say that the ashram was her second home and she seemed to feel so at ease within the simple spiritually-orientated life of the ashram. She enhanced the ashram in so many ways, including through her willingness to give, her understanding of the yogic life, and her clear and grounded approach to teaching. She could be both forthright and clear, and yet also so kind and generous, always happy to offer her time to those who needed emotional or spiritual support. Her voice when chanting or leading kirtan was exceptionally strong and vibrant. But above all, it will be her humour, the sparkle in her eyes and the love of her heart that will be missed most. Her life reminds us of the precious yet transient nature of this human life, and of the clear abiding need for yogic or mystical practice (sadhana) that can not only enhance the quality of life but also open the doors of our understanding so that we realise who we essentially ARE beyond birth, time and death. Swami Nishchalananda, Swami Krishnapremananda, Nick Edge, Maha Sattwa and the ashram team Address Life is a fragile gift, and death is one of its deepest mysteries. If we do not fear the mystery out of which we are born into this world, why should we fear the mystery into which we return when life is ended? None of us in life can be sure of what lies beyond it. What we do know is that we live on through our children and in the hearts of all those who have loved us. We know that, to quote the physicist Carl Sagan, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star-stuff.” We know that when our bodies return to the earth our atoms become the building blocks of new life. We have bid her a loving farewell, with memories spoken and silent. We are profoundly glad that she lived. We cherish the memory of her words and deeds and character. Carrying her so in our hearts, let us go from this place in comfort and peace, assured that even in this time of loss and sorrow, life remains precious and good. May Susan’s life, well lived and well loved, remind us to live our own lives to the full, to savour each moment and to love each other with all our hearts. May her death remind us to be grateful for our brief time on this Earth, and in the days ahead, may we find comfort and support for our grief among those who have gathered here today in her name. When I come to the end of the Road. Anon When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me I want no tears in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free Miss me a little but not too much and not with your head bowed low Remember the love that we once shared Miss me but let me go This is a journey we all must take And each must take alone It’s all part of Gods perfect plan A step on the road to home When you are lonely and sick of heart Go to the friends that we know Bury your sorrows in doing good Miss me but let me go. Closing Prayer / Committal Stand Spirit of Life, receive from us the person of Susan. Let the best that was in her be renewed in us. May we now give to others the love that we can no longer show to her, for the lives we now lead are her honour and her memorial. For though Susan's spirit no longer dwells in this physical form, we commit her body back to the earth as we commit the memory of her life to the safekeeping of our hearts and her spirit into the loving energy of the universe. Amen. Eccles 3:1:1 To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven A time to be born and a time to die; and here and now in this final act. in sorrow but without fear in love and appreciation we commit the body of Susan to be cremated. Benediction Blessed are those who cherish the sacred memory of those who walk with us no more, having achieved serenity in the knowledge that bereavement comes only where love abides. May the peace that surpasses understanding, the peace we give to each other by our love, the peace of the unquenchable spirit of life that will continue long after we are gone; may that peace be with us all, now and in the days to come. We invite everyone to join us for the Memorial service for Susan which will take place at the Quaker meeting house Skipton Road Keithley BD21 3BA 12-12.45 Then sandwiches and drinks at Cobbles and Clay Cafe in Howarth 70-72 Main street Howarth BD22 8DP 1-2pm Please could you send all donations to: Sue Ryder Hospice Manorlands Hebden Road,Oxenhope Keithley West Yorkshire BD229HJ Closing Music These words are from a chant that Susan loved. Nirvana Shatkam Verse on Liberation Mano Budhyanankara Chittani Naham na cha shrutra jihve na cha ghrana netre Na ve Vyoma Bhumirnna Tejo na Vayu Childnanda Rupaha Shivo ham shivoham I am not the mind, the buddhi, the ego nor the manas. None of these things am I. I am not speech, the tongue, the sense of taste nor the eyes. I am not space, earth fire nor wind. I am pure conscieousness, only pure consciousness and nothing but pure consciousness. As the music is being played, Robert and family leave, followed by the rest. Nirvana Shatkam Verse on Liberation Deva Oremal Your browser does not support the audio element.
(It was here, that Sue first started going to and joining in Quaker activities. It was one of our shared experinces, where we attended together when we were both free. In the earley days, we joined in an introduction to Quakers in Skipton, and when away from home we have been known to pop into a local meeting. Because of this, for most of the time we were in Keighley Sue carried a copy of "Advices and Quieries" in her bag, and a copy of "Quaker faith and Practice" was always in the pile of books near her at home. Her yoga teaching permiting, we at times attended the Quaker meeting discussion groups in the evening, with Sue being the more enthusiastic of the two of us.)
the continuing story.
Order of Service PDF
to Manorlands
to Cobbles and Clay
to Colthouse
to Keighley Quakers
Notes for attending