Newsletter January 16, 2013

 

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Upcoming Events

 

Salutations! – Thursday, Jan. 17

On Thursday, January 17, the birth anniversary of Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, will be observed with a morning chant, and in the evening with a song, reading of his biography and partaking of prasad.

 

Bhagavad Gita class at Middletown, CT – Sunday, Jan. 20

Swami Yogatmananda will conduct the monthly Bhagavad Gita class (Ch.13 continued) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (Middletown, CT) from 10:30-11:30 AM. All are welcome.

 

Vedanta Society Blog

The new blog of Vedanta Society has generated considerable interest through blog-posts and comments. All are invited to post and comment on this blog. Please read here the rules and regulations for this blog.

 

Weekly Programs

Friday, Jan. 18	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study class on Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 16
Saturday, Jan. 19	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00am – 12 noon: Guided meditation and singing 7:00 – 7:15 PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading from Sri Sarada Devi The Great Wonder 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Meditation
Sunday, Jan. 20	5:00 – 6:00 PM: The Dragon and the Tiger by Swami Yogatmananda 7:00 – 7:15 PM: Aarti (devotional music), with a short reading from Swami Chetanananda's book: ‘Mahendra Nath Gupta ‘M’' 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Meditation
Tuesday, Jan. 22	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - Ch. 44, p. 845

 

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’' 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Meditation

 

Past Events

 

Swami's travel to Florida - Saturday, Jan. 12

Swami Yogatmananda participated in a ‘five-faith leader’ interfaith panel to an audience of about 100 people, and delivered the Sunday Service lecture on ‘Swami Vivekananda’s Contribution to the West’ to about 45 devotees at the Vedanta Society, St Petersburg Florida, on Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13. Swami returned to Providence (mid-day) on Monday, January 14.

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated.)

 

Bhagavad Gita – Friday, Jan. 11

Ch. 16, Verses 16-21: In the 16th chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna provides us with important practical advice on spiritual life so that we can ultimately realize the goal of life. As Swami Vivekananda repeatedly emphasized, practicality is the most important aspect of religion. Being practical in spiritual life means, being attentive to both - the means and the goal. If we are attentive to the goal but neglectful of the means, then we will fail to strengthen and implement the means; and thus we will not reach our goal. The cultivation of virtues and the elimination of the vices, or anti-ideal tendencies in us, enable us to perform the spiritual practices necessary for liberation. In the 16th verse, the Lord describes the bad tendencies within us so that we may recognize them at the root, and thereby strive to take them out before it becomes increasingly difficult. Egoism, arrogance, haughtiness: these tendencies need to be eliminated by the serious spiritual seeker. We may respect ourselves, but fail to respect the God in us. We respect the changing attributes, and thus become very proud of them. But we should never be proud of those things, since in a moment’s time any one of them can be taken away. We must learn to separate the changing aspects of ourselves from the unchanging aspects of ourselves, and to hold on to the unchanging as our true identity. Lust, anger, and greed are the origin of our bad tendencies – they form the three-fold door of the hell. If we sincerely want to evolve spiritually and to reach the goal of life, we must get rid of these three.

 

Vedanta on Demand – a talk by Chester Boncek – Sunday, Jan. 13

The ancient Rishis focused on what is the human personality and what is beyond it. Sri Ramakrishna said he could renounce everything but truth. There is a divine spark in us all. Lord Krishna said that through sraddha, we find supreme peace. Swami Nityaswarupananda said that while the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita can be twisted and turned, there can be no doubt as to what the Astavakra Samhita means, and that it puts forth the principles of Vedanta. Astavakra learns the scriptures while in the womb. As a foetus, he criticizes his father Kahola’s pronunciation of the scriptures eight times, so Kahola places a curse on him that he will be born with eight deformities. Kahola loses a debate to a philosopher in King Janaka’s court, but Astavakra, as a 12 year-old, wins debate with that philosopher, rescues Kahola’s honor, and then loses his deformities by bathing in a river, and becomes King Janaka’s teacher. Astavakra taught the cultivation of truth and sincerity and the shunning of the objects of the senses as poison. Lord Krishna says in the Uddhava Gita that charity, the performance of duties, the hearing of the scriptures, and meritorious acts, lead to control of the mind. Control of the mind is the highest yoga. The impediments to such control are common to us all, and the various scriptures are check posts to see if we are making progress. Vasanas, or impressions of past actions, bring about new desires. Residual vasanas swell up and drive our behavior. Carly Rose Sonenclar, a 13 year-old girl, competed with thousands of people for an audition on the X Factor, yet she was the one who brought the audience to its feet moments after appearing on stage. Why do some people achieve such a high level of performance? Carly said she sings from the heart (instead of seeking money and fame). What holds us back when we say we want to see God? The desire to sample pleasures and hold on to them is our problem. We must do our sadhana for love. We can serve God within and without, and tap into the spirit. We do not demand Vedanta, but Vedanta demands us.

Click here to see photos.

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna – Tuesday, Jan. 15

While reading the conversations from the Gospel if we try to imagine ourselves in that situation it creates an emotional connection. Such a connection is necessary to imbibe the knowledge given through them and can be used as a guiding principle in human life. These conversations are compared with nectar, drinking which one becomes immortal. The knowledge passed through these conversations make us realize that we are not this body. The shift of awareness conquers all the problems associated with the body and one can enjoy the immortality. Sri Ramakrishna prescribes certain disciplines to experience this immortality. These practices are not just theoretical. They have been followed by the Master Himself. As a result of which we can witness the constant presence of divine bliss in spite of bodily discomforts.

 

Sri Ramakrishna is asking his visiting physician to cure Him. The conversation is going on about God resides in everyone; but still one is advised to follow this principle intelligently. Master further said "pure mind and pure atman are one and the same thing" Pure mind is mind without any desires and impressions. All the desires, except one are contradictory and cause disturbance in our mind. That ONE desire is to know our true nature. All other desires can be classified into 3 sub categories - desire to enjoy, desire for knowledge and desire for existence. These desires can't ever be fulfilled as they are about the fleeting objects. When all the desires get merged in one true desire of knowing our true nature, then real happiness will come. One can hear God's voice in such pure mind. Whatever thought comes to such mind comes from the Divine and hence should be followed.

 

Master was examined by the Doctor and after that Narendra did some singing.