Newsletter May 14, 2014

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Swami to Philadelphia, PA and Haddon & Berlin, NJ– Sat. May 17 - Sun. May 18
On Sat. May 17, Swami yogatmananda will be conducting a retreat at Sri Sarada Sangha, Philadelphia, PA. On Sun, May 18, he will give lectures at Joyful Gathering Spiritual Center, Haddon, NJ & Hindu Temple, Berlin, NJ. He will return on Monday, May 19.

 

Day-Long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. June 14, 9:30am - 7:00pm

Sub: Living Spiritually

Speaker: Swami Prasannatmananda, Vedanta Society of Berkeley, CA

Prior registration required. Registration Fee - $20.00 per person; For online registration - $21.00 per person

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

 

Ongoing Weekly Classes

1) 'Walk- in' Hatha Yoga Classes

Saturdays, 5:00 – 6:00 PM: Instructor: Hannah Ressenger; for details: 401-473-4372, key2lyfe-AT-gmail.com

Sundays, 10 – 11 AM: Instructor: Pat Blake; for details: Pat.Blake8-AT-gmail.com

2) Sanskrit Class – Sundays, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
3) Bharathnatyam Dance Class – Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Contact Anuradha at 704-707-5430 for complete information.

4) Sitar and Tabla lessons – Sundays, 4:00 – 5:00 PM
Contact Koyel Ghoshal: koyelg-AT-yahoo.com

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, May 16	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class on Bhakti Yoga, (book by Swami Vivekananda) taught by Swami Yogatmananda
Saturday, May 17	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation and singing 7:00PM – 8:00PM : Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation) - open to all
Sunday, May 18	5:00 – 5:40 PM: A talk -‘Vedanta View of AUTISM’ by Teresa Guerra 6:00PM – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00PM Aarati (singing two devotional songs, a short reading and meditation)
Tuesday, May 20	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study class on 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’, Ch 47, Pg 898

 

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

Long Meditation Session – Sat. May 10, 11:00AM - 8:00PM
Nine devotees participated in the 'Long Meditation Session' in the chapel.
Bhagavad Gita class at Middletown, CT – Sun. May 11, 10:30 -11:30 AM
Swami Yogatmananda conducted  the monthly Bhagavad Gita (Ch.15 cont.) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (10 Training Hill Rd, Middletown, CT) from 10:30 - 11:30 AM to about a dozen devotees.
Children’s Sunday 'Spiritual-Arts & Storytelling' Class – Sun. May 11
About seven children participated from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM under the guidance of Prof Dorothy Abram.

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

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

Study Class 'Bhakti-Yoga' - #2 - (based on the book by Swami Vivekananda)  - May 09, Friday 
Bhakti yoga is the genuine search for the source of all love, which begins, continues, and ends in love. According to the Vedic sage Narada, bhakti is immense love for God, the True Self. The immense love for God, the authentic bhakti, culminates in losing one’s sense of multiplicity and individuality, and gaining a sense of oneness with the beloved. Let us ask ourselves if we really possess immense love for anything in this world. Looking penetratively, we see that the answer is no. So long as a distinction between one’s self and the beloved object is felt, there is still scope for the further intensification of love. I may say that I love, “my wife, my child, my house, etc.” What is common to each of these loves? The sense of my. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the sage Yajnavalkya makes clear that it is impossible to immensely love any particular person or thing and that everything that is loved is really loved for the sake of the Self. Why should we cultivate immense love for God, or the Self? And, what happens when we acquire immense love for God? Swami Vivekananda explains that the person who acquires immense love for God loves all, hates none, and becomes satisfied forever. When we discover the Self, we discover that it is the Self of all: the same Self is interpenetrating everyone and everything. When we acquire bhakti, immense devotion, we become satisfied forever, but so long as earthly desires last this immense devotion will not come. Therefore, let us strive to give up our earthly desires so that we gain immense love for God and thereby experience the peace and blessedness that the immense love of God brings.

'Tales of Lord Buddha' – May 11, Sunday
Lord Buddha often gave his profound teachings through stories and anecdotes. Buddha mentions that Supreme knowledge is our True Caring Mother.

Some of the teachings of Lord Buddha are recorded in the Surangam Sutra, which contains a dialogue between Buddha and his cousin and disciple Ananda. In this dialogue Lord Buddha points out to Ananda the confusion that we have between the permanent and the impermanent. Impermanent is what is always changing, therefore one should not get caught in the illusion. The perceiving mind is a phantom. There is no such permanent thing. When the mind perceives anything as impermanent, we will not get tempted by it. Therefore one following the Dharma should always watch for what is permanent and what is not.

Buddha also emphasizes "neither to seek nor to avoid" idea. Disciples must balance their spiritual practice and physical needs, without indulging in pleasures. The incidents involving Jivaka and Vishakha illustrate this. The body is an instrument and the instrument must be kept fit so that it can be used for practicing the teachings. Therefore we should not neglect our body or health.

In conclusion Lord Buddha wanted his disciples to understand that practicing true austerity is being truthful. He asked everyone to be married to the Truth and that would thus lead to a path of enlightenment.

 

Study Class 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' – May 13, Tuesday

The source of happiness is not outside. It is always within ourselves. If we try to seek happiness in outside objects it will only bring us bondage. Ordinary people used to question why a holy person like Sri Ramakrishna had to suffer so much. Though Master was in such a terrible bodily pain, He was not at all suffering. He was constantly in a blissful state. The secret of that blissful state was dissociation from the superficial personality. This world appears like a dream. If one feels intense renunciation and dispassion he can't think of discharging the worldly duties first and then surrendering at the feet of the Lord. One can't provide for the worldly needs first and then plan to devote time for God realization. The worldly duties never end; instead one gets entangled in  them more and more. That way one wastes a significant and precious time in worldly duties without spiritual practices. Master very strongly rejects this idea of providing for the world first and then attending to the spiritual practices.

Dr. Sarkar visited the Master in the afternoon. Narendra was singing songs full of renunciation. Dr. Sarkar was concerned about Master going into Samadhi after hearing such songs. The state of Samadhi was troublesome for the physical comfort of Master's weak body. But the natural propensity of Master's mind was to soar high in the realm of the Infinite. A mere stimulus was enough for Him to go into Samadhi as against the mind of ordinary people whose natural propensity is inclined towards the world.