Newsletter January 11, 2012

Weekly Classes

Bhagavad Gita class – Jan 06, Friday

Ch. 12 Verses 16-20: In the previous verses, Lord Krishna has explained that there are very definite qualities which the spiritual aspirant should imbibe and that if the devotee begins to manifest these qualities throughout his or her life it should be seen as a sure sign of spiritual progress.  The quality of equanimity is one such quality that begins to manifest in the life of the devotee. The devotee responds alike to pleasure and pain. His or her life is orientated around the conviction that both pleasure and pain are inevitable in life and both should be accepted as the grace of God. The devotee is above both of these and is not agitated by either of them. In the 16th verse, Lord Krishna explains he or she is mindful and particular in every action, including mundane tasks, and makes sure that each and every endeavor is performed with non-attachment, so that the endeavor does not produce bondage. The Lord tells that those who remain without desires and are beyond the relative aspects of life, such as pain and pleasure, joy and suffering, etc., are very dear to him. In the 18th and 19th verses, Lord Krishna explains that the devotee maintains emotional equanimity throughout life. We need to examine our lives to see if we react to the various situations of life with this equanimity. How do we react to what comes our way? Do inimical thoughts come? The important thing is not to get attached to anything. To be free, we have to work without getting caught in the work. Attachment brings painful reactions in life. Lord Krishna continues by explaining that the devotee of God is homeless. By this, God does not mean that one should literally be homeless, but rather that the devotee has nowhere to place the ego except with God. Home can be seen as a place where one will be honored and missed. In ignorance, it is difficult to accept the idea that we are not at all required by the world. We should remind ourselves that no one ever really needs us. If we have an opportunity to do service, we should see it as a blessing. In the 20th verse, Lord Krishna says that those who follow these teachings with faith in the Lord and with the conviction that His realization is the most important goal in life are very dear to Him. In the 12th chapter we have seen that each of us can connect with God. God is our very own, and the grace of God can come to anyone. Nobody is excluded. The path of spiritual evolution is available to each of us. This spiritual evolution must take place in us. Its manifestation is a practical exercise. It is possible if we attach ourselves whole-heartedly to God. The last eight verses of the chapter explained the qualities that manifest in the life of the devotee. The chapter is called, “The Way of Devotion,” because it explains how the life of the devotee is transformed through devotion to God.

...And They Lived Happily Ever After - Swami Yogatmananda - January 08, Sunday
Why do we like fairy tales so much?  We all want to exist in a state that leads to happiness forever to the highest degree, and we like to identify with the hero of the tale, who "lives happily ever after." The great Greek philosopher Plotinus examined the nature of happiness and explained that while the lack of well-being can be an impediment to happiness, happiness and well-being are not equivalents. According to Plotinus, happiness should be a right for everyone, including non-human animals and plants.  The question then comes: Is it truly possible to support the happiness of everyone? We find that there are two contradictory pulls at work: One force goes toward multiplicity as the basis of happiness, while the other goes toward unity. In many ways, happiness seems to be based on a competition to be "the best" (multiplicity), but at the same time, feelings of pleasure depend on a feeling of oneness (unity).  Yet, when one experiences the happiness associated with superiority, there is a prick to the conscience, because that has come at another's expense.  As Plotinus explains, true happiness is in perfection.  If a person has a desire, then there is a lacuna. Therefore, lack of desire is perfection.  As explained in the Katha Upanishad, the intelligent, wise person perceives the One Controller who is the Self of All in every particle of matter, and thus this person, AND SUCH PERSON ALONE has never-ending happiness. Sri Ramakrishna fully realized this Truth. When his body was suffering, others, including Swami Vivekananda, implored him to pray to Divine Mother to heal his throat cancer.  Yet, when he did so, Divine Mother scolded him, as he had already imbibed the knowledge that he was really the one same Being that was "eating from all the different mouths," and all desires, including a desire for good health, were irrelevant for him. Sri Ramakrishna's happiness and bliss were constant and independent of desire. Only when a person is desireless and identifies with Oneness will he or she be truly happy; that is the happiness that lasts forever.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class – Jan. 10, Tuesday

Scriptures and holy books serve the purpose of holy company. They motivate a spiritual aspirant for the higher life. Ordinarily the whole life is spent in trivial matters. Everything in this world is unreal. since we are ignorant, we spent all our life and energy running after so called knowledge, wealth and success. Nobody thinks about the basic purpose of life. Such kind of living can not bring any higher good. When one comes across life of an ideal it changes the perspective of life. Mere association with holy company can do a great good. In Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we see that people enjoyed the bliss of His holy company and by reading those accounts even we can benefit from the same.
Master is having a dialogue with Nanda Bose, who is a very learned and modern man. He asks " Does God have the power to bestow Grace?"  Generally it is seen that modern people strongly believe that one reaps the fruits of one's actions. But Master asks him to give up such ideas. By taking the name of God the effect of Karma wears away. The mind is so conditioned to the law of action and reaction that it difficult to understand the role of an external factor. One believes that the present is decided on the basis of past and future will be decided on the basis of present. Hence there is no freedom to get out of this cycle. Master advises Nanda, to take refuge in God by which one can assert the inner freedom-the real nature. That will help to come out of the cycle of Karma. Surrender all that is relative and unreal at the feet of Lord and connect yourself to Him with Love alone.
Nanda asked "can God violate the law?" Sri Ramakrishna answered that He is the creator of law so He has the authority to change it. In ignorance we try to apply the same laws even to Lord, who is beyond everything. He has given more powers to some than the others. He has the authority to do anything as He is not governed or bound by any law in the universe.