Newsletter December 19, 2012

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Salutations! – Friday Dec. 21

The birth anniversary of Swami Premananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, will be observed with a morning chant, and in the evening with a song, a biography reading and prasad.

 

Swami Yogatmananda returns from India

Swami Yogatmananda will conduct the Friday Bhagavad Gita class at 7:30PM; the Saturday 11AM – 12noon ‘guided-meditation’ program and will speak on Sunday Dec. 23 from 5PM – 6PM on ‘Sermon on the Mount’.

 

Christmas Eve - Mon. Dec. 24

From 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Christmas Eve will be celebrated with mini worship of Jesus followed by readings, music, contemplation and prasad offerings. All are Welcome.

 

Weekly Programs

Friday, Dec. 21	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study class on 'Bhagava Gita, Ch. 16'
Saturday, Dec. 22	8:30 – 10:30AM:Karma Yoga/cleaning 11:00am – 12noon: Guided Meditation and singing 7:00 – 8:00PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading from Sri Sarada Devi The Great Wonder and meditation
Sunday, Dec. 23	5:00 – 6:00PM: Swami Yogatmananda will speak on 'Sermon on the Mount’ 6:00 – 7:00PM- Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00PM – Aarati (music, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Dec. 25	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: No Class; Christmas Holiday

 

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

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

Click here to see photos.

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

My favorite Verses - a talk by Joan Chadbourne & a Video Lecture - Dec. 14, Friday

One of the outstanding features of Bhagavad Gita is its presentation of the universal truths that are echoed in all great religions of the world, such as seeing the loving divine consciousness in all manifestations. Our goal of life is to identify with this Consciousness. Some Verses from Gita were discussed.

A video-lecture on ‘Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’ by Swami Gautamananda, head of the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India was also shown.

 

Divinization through the Uncreated Light - a talk by Bishop Paul – Dec. 16, Sunday

The two basic philosophical and theological questions are how to explain evil and whether reality is dual or nondual or both. The Abrahamic religions speak of a creator God and His creatures, but the mystical traditions in these religions do not have such a pat answer. In the Christian tradition, God is light. The eye or light of the soul is the source of all light. The Greek word nous represents faith or the intuitive understanding rather than rational or speculative knowledge. Adam was originally in a luminous state, so he needed no clothing. He lost the light, which is recovered in the resurrection. Our goal is to come back to the likeness of and union with, God. This requires cleansing of the lower self. We need to put the love of God before all things. Paradise is not a place, but is the love of God. Three stages of evolution are: purification, illumination, and divinization. From having prayerful thoughts and feelings, we become prayer by praying unceasingly. Because of desires and ignorance we do not see the inner light. That is why Jesus says to cut out the eye or hand that offends you; that means to turn away from the undesirable actions/places so that we will be able to discover the inner light. 'God is Light' is not a metaphor, but a mystical reality. It is a visible characteristic of divinity that has manifested in the lives of many saints. When two beams of light intersect, they have no boundary, as when saints and God are one. Lightning coming from the eyes of St. Seraphim blinded his disciple Nikolai. On Mount Tabor, Jesus was transformed into bright light and his disciples witness that light, which they had not seen before. The burning bush that Moses saw was the light of God in a manifestation that Moses could see. On the Day of Judgment, we are not judged on our morality, but whether we have acquired the inner Light. Loving contemplation on God in the heart with fullness of faith is the way to experience the inner light and hence God. Let our heart become a manger and the divine incarnation be born there.

 

Songs in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Songs by Trailokyanath Sanyal

- a talk by Roshni Darnal – Dec. 18, Tuesday

Trailokyanath Sanyal was one of the Brahmo missionaries, who assisted in combining the ideals of traditional Vaishnavism with those of Brahmo Samaj. Through hundreds of devotional songs which he composed, he developed Brahma Sangit, devotional songs of Brahmo Samaj, as an art form. Sanyal’s songs are till this day sung extensively with prayers of the Brahmo Samaj. One of his most famous compositions – ‘Nibir Andhare’ was one of Sri Ramkrishna’s favorite songs. Sanyal’s songs are truly inspiring and devotional. He was an ordained teacher of music and was known as the singing apostle of the New Dispensation. He had given himself a name “Premdan”. Keshab Chandra Sen took part in one of the plays Navabrindavan, written by Sanyal, illustrating the principles of the New Dispensation. He traveled extensively as a missionary and had many well-wishers and followers throughout the country.