Newsletter December 12, 2012

Newsletter Archives

 

Announcements

Guest Lecture - Sun. Dec. 16

Bishop Paul, (Celtic Orthodox Church), will be delivering the 5PM Sunday lecture on 'Divinization Through Uncreated Light'. All are welcome.

 

Swami Yogatmananda visits INDIA – Thurs. Nov. 15 through Thurs. Dec. 20

All 'daily- meditation & prayer schedules' and 'weekly- classes schedules' will continue as usual, with several guest speakers. Please check monthly announcements and weekly newsletters for ongoing ‘lecture-titles & speakers’.

Click here for his itinerary.

 

Blessed & Holy Hanukkah (Chanukah) : Sat. Dec. 08 thru Sun. Dec. 16

 

Weekly Programs

Friday, Dec. 14	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Video Lecture
Saturday, Dec. 15	8:30 – 10:30AM:Karma Yoga/cleaning 11:00am – 12noon: Guided Meditation Program (overhead guided meditation CD while Swami is away); and singing 7:00 – 8:00PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading from Sri Sarada Devi The Great Wonder and meditation
Sunday, Dec. 16	5:00 – 6:00PM: Bishop Paul, (Celtic Orthodox Church), will be speaking on 'Divinization Through Uncreated Light' 6:00 – 7:00PM- Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00PM – Aarati (music, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Dec. 18	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study class on 'Songs in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Songs by Trailokya Nath Sanyal’ by Roshni Darnal

 

Daily Programs

Morning :	5:45 – 6:45 AM: Meditation 6:45 – 7:00 AM: Chanting followed by a short reading from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
Evening :	7:00 – 7:15 PM: Aarti (devotional music), with a short reading from Swami Chetanananda's book: ‘Mahendra Nath Gupta ‘M’nn 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Meditation

 

Past Events

1) ‘Attleboro’ Interfaith Group: Thurs. Dec 06,day –

Two Vedanta devotees and eleven other interfaith leaders/members of the monthly 'Attleboro-based' interfaith group assembled at the LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro MA from noon to 1:30PM to discuss - "What does your faith tradition say about loving those who persecute you? How do you apply that (principle) in your personal life?" A ‘tour-explanation’ of the new holiday exhibit on artistic renderings/depictions of Christian saints followed.

 

2) Guest speakers conducted weekly classes at the Vedanta Society, Providence.

Click here to see photos.

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

Tapas - a talk by Swami Mahayogananda - Dec. 07

Etymologically Tapas means that which generates power. Swami Prabhavananda describes Tapas as conserving energy and directing it towards the goal of Yoga, the union with the Self. Upanisads advise us to seek Brahman, the ultimate reality, through Tapas. Usually Tapas is translated as austerity or penance and thus gets a negative connotation; in fact, it is a positive quality that brings great joy, in mastering the body and mind. According to Swami Brahmananda, real Tapasya (performance of Tapas) means becoming truthful and conquering lust and other subtle cravings (Vasana). It is a mental discipline and not torturing of the body/mind.

Gita (Ch. 17) describes three aspects of Tapas: 1) Tapas of Body – physical purity, guilelessness, nonviolence, restraining of senses and worship of the Divine and holy people. 2) Tapas of speech – speech should be truthful, non-offensive, pleasant and beneficial; regular study of spiritual books. 3) Tapas of Mind – serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of heart. Sri Krishna further describes three types of Tapas – 1) Sattvik Tapas – that which is practiced with shraddha (the attitude that harnesses all our faculties for realization of the ultimate goal) and not desiring any reward. 2) Rajasik Tapas – performed with ostentation, the objective is to gain honor, fame; the results are transitory. 3) Tamasik Tapas – performed with the foolish notion, torturing oneself or with the intention of harming others.

According to Swami Vivekananda, Tapas for this age is serving others through Karma Yoga. Swami Vivekananda’s life is a wonderful example of Tapas.

 

Be Always Expecting Me - a talk by Swami Mahayogananda – Dec. 09, Sunday

This title relates to a story from the book ‘The Eternal Companion’ where a novice (later Swami Gnaneshwarananda), one morning hurriedly left his room without putting it in order and on his way met Swami Brahmananda, the then President of the Ramakrishna Order. Uncharacteristically, Swami Brahmananda expressed the desire to see his room and Swami Gnaneshwarananda, feeling ashamed, asked if he could come at a later time, since he was not expecting him. Swami Brahmananda replied: “My boy, you must always be expecting me.” Swami Gnaneshwarananda understood the deeper significance that one must always be prepared to receive the Lord. The order or disorder of one’s personal quarters reflects the state of one’s mind and vice versa. In the bible, Saint Paul lists three stages of spiritual life: faith, hope, and love. In the beginning, a spiritual seeker theoretically believes in the existence of God and the faith is mixed with doubts. As the person sincerely follows spiritual practices, gets a glimpse of his/her higher nature and a deep spiritual certitude (hope) evolves, expecting the spiritual illumination. When one becomes established in spiritual realization, the life emanates love since the person experiences presence of the Lord all the times.

The more we expect to realize God, the sooner we will. Many a times, naive enthusiasm of the beginning soon wanes and the aspirant gives up the struggle. Swami Vivekananda says that purity, patience, and perseverance overcome all obstacles. In order to prepare oneself to receive God, one must have regular practice of meditation and japa, year in and year out, as the Holy Mother says, we don’t know when the auspicious moment will come. Jesus’ parable of ‘ten bridesmaids holding their lamps awaiting for the bridegroom’ and ‘the story of Shabari from Mahabharata, awaiting for Lord Rama’, give us the same message. Although spiritual illumination comes only through the grace of God, struggle and self-effort are of utmost importance. A premature spiritual experience can shatter the person’s physical frame. We are struggling to attain God and God is also actively seeking us. We must hear the divine call and open the door of our heart.

 

Songs in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Songs by Ramprasad

- a talk by Abhijit Sarcar – Dec. 11, Tuesday

A brief biography of the poet Ramprasad was presented. Sri Ramakrisha loved Ramprasad's songs and many a times sang those in order to answer a question of a spiritual seeker.

Two of Ramprasad's songs were discussed in detail, one that hilights the necessisty of spiritual practice and the other that shows the relation of a devotee to the Mother of the Universe.