Newsletter February 05, 2014

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Chinmay ‘Swaranjali’ Music – Sun. Feb. 16
Chinmaya Swaranjali Boston, a devotional music group who perform regularly at Chinmaya Mission in Andover, MA, will perform  ‘Music as Bhakti Yoga’ from 6:00PM – 7:30PM, immediately after the 5-6PM Sunday Lecture. All welcome. No entry Fee. Donations accepted.

 

To read a new post on the Vedanta Society of Providence blog about the use of mantra, please visit:

http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/2014/02/mantra-in-method-of-discernment.html

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, Feb. 07	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class on the book ‘Karma Yoga’ by Swami Vivekananda
Saturday, Feb. 08	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation and singing 7:00PM – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Sunday, Feb. 09	5:00PM – 6:00PM: A talk on 'Yoga=Working Skillfully' by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 PM– 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Feb. 11	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 - 8:30 PM: Vedanta Study Class on 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', Ch. 45, pg 879

 

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, Vol. 3 7:00 – 7:25AM – A short ritual worship/Puja. Open to all.
Evening :	7:00 – 7:15 PM: Aarti (devotional music), with a short reading from 'Swami Brahmananda: As We Saw Him: Reminiscences of Monastic & Lay Disciples'(compiled/edited by Swami Atmashraddhananda) 7:15 – 8:00 PM: Meditation

 

Past Events

Swami at N.E.Tech – Thurs. Jan. 30
Swami taught basic Vedanta/Hinduism to an early afternoon class at New England Tech. Inst. in East Greenwich.
Long Meditation Session - Sat. Feb. 01, 11:00AM - 8:00PM
On Sat., Feb. 01, 16 devotees participated in the fifth 'Long Meditation Session', beginning with 11:00 AM 'guided meditation/music hour'. Being the birth anniversary of Swami Brahmananda, there was a special morning chant and a special song in the evening after Arati to be followed by Biography reading and prasad.
Children’s Sunday ‘Spiritual-Arts & Storytelling’ Class – Sun. Feb. 02
The ‘first Sunday-of-the-month’ children’s program (ages 5-12 ) was conducted from 4:00PM – 6:00PM in the children’s room under the guidance of Prof Dorothy Abram, with about six children learning about performing a simple worship, and continuing to learn to sing ‘Namaste’.
Salutations! – Mon. Feb. 03
On Monday, Feb. 03, the birth anniversary of Swami Trigunatitananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was  observed in the morning meditation with a chant, and biography reading in the evening after the Aarati. 

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

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

KARMA YOGA (based on the book by Swami Vivekananda) class - Jan. 31, Friday

In Karma Yoga, everything we’re already doing becomes spiritual practice if given the proper turn. In Chapter Five, we saw that when we try to do good to the world, the world doesn’t change much, but we become gradually illumined through the process, as through this we express our intrinsic divinity.  In Chapter Six, Swami Vivekananda explains how the attitude with which we approach work dictates the effects the work has on our character.  As we sow, so shall we reap.  If we perform work with a positive spirit, these positive feelings will increase.  If we work with a negative attitude, this will go on increasing.  Also, the subtle vibrations sent out by our minds can cause those same vibrations in the minds of others.  Our actions must bear fruit; we cannot stop the effect of our actions.  It is impossible to perform negative or selfish actions and to somehow avoid the consequences of this.  No action can be entirely good or bad.  What is the goal of work?  Can the world be made perfect?  Absolutely not!  We have already seen that by helping the world we only help ourselves.  But through work, when we try to help others, we forget our little selves.  Forgetting ourselves is the key, for true happiness consists in killing selfishness.  We seek happiness in the world, in doing good to others, but true happiness comes from giving up the little self.  This happens naturally if we work without attachment in a spirit of loving service. 

 

Health-care: Physical, Mental and Spiritual – Feb. 02, Sunday
When we are healthy, we have no complaints, our physical and mental functioning is alright, we feel energetic, and we have no disturbing pain in body or mind. The three layers of health – physical, mental, and spiritual – are intertwined. The antahkarana is the inner instrument that powers the body. It has four functions: manas or mind, buddhi or deciding faculty, memory or storing faculty, and the ego. The gross body is physical, the subtle body is mental, and the causal body is spiritual. To stay healthy, we need proper intake for both body and mind (good food and good thoughts), discipline and routine, and physical and mental exercise. The body and brain get destroyed at death, but the mind reincarnates into another body. To be healthy, we need to tag experiences properly in the memory, set our priorities by training the mind to do what I should be doing (the most important priority, according to Sri Ramakrishna, is to realize God), have consistent goals, and avoid excessive elation and depression by maintaining equanimity through meditation and reading and listening to good thoughts. The spiritual layer is neither seen nor felt – it is neither body nor mind. It is awareness, or the sense of ‘I am’. To be spiritually healthy, we need to keep the spiritual goal foremost in our life. The ‘I’ is the same in all, like water is the same in different bottles. We should not make a permanent judgment based on changing characteristics – every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. To be spiritually healthy, we need to recognize the spiritual unity of all existence.

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class - Feb. 04, Tuesday

Master commented about Nityagopal -"My mind tells me that Nityagopal's present state will undergo a change. His entire mind will be concentrated on me-on Him who dwells in me." When one realizes that God alone is everything in life he/she automatically focuses all the efforts towards that supreme goal. Nothing else appears to be more important than that. There are various worldly problems like lack of money, lack of health or lack of peace which keep bothering us and we try to find the solutions for the same in the world. In this endeavor we forget God - the most important objective of human life. Though Sri Ramakrishna did not have any worldly learning or wealth, people used to get attracted towards him because of the manifestation of spirituality through Him. He is full of pure spiritual wisdom, which can bring light into one's life.
Master mentioned the importance of Japa- repeating the name of Lord silently and in solitude. Silently means one must try to connect the word to the thought and go deeper and deeper within. One must practice this in solitude i.e. in the company of God. Both are important. With each repetition of holy Mantra one moves closer and closer to the Ideal. As the Japa progresses one can feel and see the tangible presence of God. Gradually the meaning of mantra shines forth in one's mind.