Newsletter April 02, 2014

 

 

Newsletter Archives

 

 

SPECIAL MUSICAL EVENT in MAY

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Scheduling Mishap – Sun. April 06 & 13

Please note that there has been a scheduling mishap in the e-mail and paper monthly announcement for April.

• On Sun. April 06, Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Vedanta Convent, Santa Barbara, will speak on ‘Learning from the Ramayana’ (NOT on Sun. April 13)
• On Sun. April 13th, Prof Sukalyan Sengupta , UMASS/Dartmouth MA, will speak on: ‘Rama-Lakshmana Dialogue’

 

Day-long Meditation – Sat. April 05, 11:00AM – 8:00PM
On Sat. April 05, there will be 'Long Meditation Session' in the chapel, beginning with 11:00 AM 'guided meditation/music hour'.  People wanting to participate must be in the building before 12:00 noon, when the entry will be closed. Doors will open at 6:30PM for 7:00 – 8:00 PM Aarati (singing, a reading & meditation).

 

Children’s Sunday ‘Spiritual-Arts & Storytelling’ Class – Sun. April 06
The ‘Kids Only! children’s program (ages 5-12) will be conducted from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the children’s/chapel-observance room under the guidance of Prof Dorothy Abram. Please e-mail Dorothy only at: Dorothy.Abram AT jwu.edu for any questions. 

 

Walk-in Hatha Yoga – Sun. April 06
Hatha Yoga classes are conducted every Sunday, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM, in the Lower Level (LL), by a Vedanta devotee. Walk-in rate is $5.00 per class. For details, contact Pat only at:  pat.blake8-AT-gmail.com

 

*Rama Naama Chanting - Tue. April 08, 6:30PM - 7:00PM*
To honor the birthday of Sri Rama, there will be the chanting of 108 names of Sri Rama (Rama Naama Sankirtanam) beginning at 6:30 PM, BEFORE the nightly 7 PM Aarati. Front door will open at 6:00 PM.

 

**Visiting Swami Speaks - Thurs. April 10**
Swami Yuktatmananda, head of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta Center, NYC, will speak on ‘Imperatives from the Bhagavad Gita’ on Thurs. April 10 from 7:15 – 8:30 PM, immediately after the Aarati singing. All are encouraged to attend. Bring someone along!

Bharathnatyam Dance Classes – Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00 PM
To learn traditional South Indian Classical dance, taught by classical dancer Anuradha, please call her only at 704-707-5430 for complete information

 

Sitar and Tabla lessons – Sundays, 4:00 – 5:00 PM
To learn to play beginner’s level sitar or tabla, taught by Koyel Ghoshal, please contact her only at koyelg-AT-yahoo.com

 

Day-Long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. April 26, 9:30am - 7:00pm

Subject: ‘Let us be Spiritual’

Speaker: Swami Ishatmananda, Minister-in-charge, Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago

Prior registration required. Registration fee: $20.00 per person (Online Registration: $21.00 per person).

Click here for more information and to register online. (Schedule subject to change)

 

Check out some of the archived Sunday Lectures (from Jan. & Feb. 2014) on our website:

http://vedantaprov.org/lectures.html

 

Visit Ben Baker's blog on Dualistic, Qualified-Nondualistic & Nondualistic approach on knowing Self through Sri Ramakrishna's life:

http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/2014/03/sri-ramakrishnas-teachings_27.html

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, April 04	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class based on the book, ‘Karma Yoga’ of Swami Vivekananda, Ch 8
Saturday, April 05	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 Noon: Guided meditation and singing 7:00PM Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Sunday, April 06	5:00 – 6:00 PM: ** ‘LEARNING from the Ramayana’ by Pravrajika Vrajaprana, a nun from Santa Barbara Vedanta Society ** Please note that the e-mail & paper April monthly announcement has a scheduling mix-up on date/speakers--this is correct info
Tuesday, April 08	6:30 -7:00 PM: A Special Chant/Music on Lord Rama (RAMA-NAAMA) 7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Vedanta Study Class on the book, 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna,' Ch. 47, pg 889-890

 

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. 4' 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

Walk-in Hatha Yoga – Sun. March 30
A few students attended the Hatha Yoga class from 10:00 – 11:00 AM, conducted in the Lower Level (LL), by a Vedanta devotee

 

Sanskrit Class - Sun. March 30
Five students participated in the second Sanskrit class (all classes on written translation & grammar) held at the Vedanta Society from 3:00 - 4:00 PM.

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 - Mar. 28, Friday

In the final chapter of Karma Yoga, Swami Vivekananda discusses the goal which can be reached through the application of the science of yoga. The four yogas--karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, and jnana yoga--are not water-tight compartments; that is, they should not by necessity be practiced in isolation.  Rather, they overlap and complement each other. Each of the four yogas appeals to different aspects of our personality which have the potential to be controlled and harnessed into spiritual power. Regardless of what “blend” of the four yogas is most conducive to our personal spiritual practice, the universal goal of all paths is freedom from bondage. Individuals’ perception of what freedom is depends on what their perception of bondage is. Common to us all is a false identification with the body, which is a source of our bondage and suffering. If we truly want freedom--and deep down, we all do--we must give up this identification with the body, however painful or difficult this may be. We cannot “have our cake and eat it too”; that is, we cannot hold on to our identification with the body but also desire freedom. In “Karma Yoga,” Swami Vivekananda encourages us to work toward our goal of freedom with confidence. Achieving spiritual realization is possible in this age too, and in fact more easily, because Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji have provided us with a straightforward, practical, and sure-fire path by which we can attain the goal. If we follow the dictates of the four yogas, there is no limit to how unselfish we can become. The possibilities for the expansion of the self (as we give up the attachment to the body/”little self” in exchange for merging with the universal Self) are infinite, and the attainment of this infinite expansion is indeed the goal of all religions. 

‘Becoming United’ – March 30, Sunday

When we practice yoga, we start feeling the divine presence, and worldly desires start decreasing. Obstacles on the path are: the pull of enjoyment, the pull of logic/reason, and attachment to being a separate entity. There are struggles in spiritual life, but there are even more struggles if we don’t have a spiritual practice. Swami Vivekananda showed that ‘individuality’ is a hoax. It is not easy to have the spiritual courage to go beyond these obstacles. Even Swami Vivekananda was not ready at first. We go beyond the body, the mind, and time-space. Swami Brahmananda was reluctant to attend and participate in board meetings, and when asked why, he said that they appeared like a shadow to him. Ultimately, nothingness merges into nothingness. We realize what we really are. The prison was all in our imagination.

How does then such a person live? This is detailed in the Gita, chapter 2 verses 55 – 72. The enlightened person eats, walks, and talks like the rest of us, but has no desires. Life for such a person is full of bliss, like Sri Ramakrishna who was in bliss despite having throat cancer. The source of happiness in such a person is his or her own self, not depending on situations or objects. The saint Mirabai felt that she had to cross the ocean, but then realized that there was no ocean to cross.

'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' Class – April 01, Tuesday

M and Dr. Sarkar were discussing about Ecstasy on their way to Sri Ramakrishna. Dr. Sarkar commented that Sri Ramakrishna is a worshipper of Kali. But His understanding of Kali was not limited to that specific form. M explained Master's conception of Kali to Dr. Sarkar in detail. For Sri Ramakrishna, Kali is the Reality; Consciousness Itself, the repository of ALL forms. The same object can be perceived differently depending upon the level of understanding one has. Similarly two different objects can be seen as ONE if one has that penetrative understanding about the intrinsic value of them. One must focus on the intrinsic value, which is beyond the face value of the object. Because of such understanding of Master, His personality is all-inclusive. People of all castes and creeds can identify themselves with Him. As we have the awareness of I in all our body parts, similarly, Master felt the same self in everyone. M and Dr. Sarkar came to visit Master at Shyampukur. After commenting that He is feeling very well today, Master started His soul-enthralling conversation. He said - mere Knowledge without discrimination and renunciation is no good. Though one has intellectual understanding but if that understanding has not been inculcated in his/her being then it is of no use. One must put that knowledge into practice. That is the beginning of spiritual life. If one practices such spiritual life, then a transformation comes and dependency on physical, mental or external enjoyments reduces. One must try to withdraw from the external world and focus on the one's real nature. If such practice is missing then life will be like a vulture's life - soaring very high at one point but coming down very easily for the worldly pleasures and enjoyments. To avoid such falls one must try to put the spiritual knowledge into practice.