Newsletter July 30, 2014

 

Newsletter Archives

 

NOTICES:
1) Beginning MONDAY morning, June 23, the Center's daily and weekly activities will be suspended until Saturday, September 13.
2) Next newsletters will be posted on August 27.
3) The LIBRARY will be open only on Tuesday evenings (July 08 – August 19) through the summer.

4) Visit our blog: http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/ for some new entries.

 

Upcoming Events

Vedanta Study class -Tuesdays - July 08 thru August 19, 7:00 – 8:30PM
Prayer, Meditation, Study and Discussion on: 'Mysticism of Sound & Music' (based on Hazrat Inayat Khan’s works) Open to All. (Pl. scroll down for synopses of past classes.)

 

'Meditate-a-thon' Retreat – Fri. Aug. 01 6PM thru Sun. Aug. 03
This is a residential Meditation Retreat; Limited Accommodation; Prior Approval from Swami Absolutely Required.

(NO WALK-INS!)

 

Residential Vedanta Retreat at Rochester – Wed. Aug 06 , 6PM to Sun. Aug 10, 1PM
Swamis Yogatmananda & Kripamayananda will conduct the annual ‘camp-style’ residential retreat at the Hindu Heritage Summer Camp Monroe New York (near Rochester).

Theme is: ‘Kathopanishad -2’. 

For registration visit www.omhhsc.org or contact Vedanta Society.

Click here for the flyer.

Children’s Day Camp – Tues. Aug. 12 thru Sat. Aug. 16
Children’s DAY-camp from 9:30am to 4:30pm; for  ages 8 to 12 only; under direction of Prof Dorothy Abram. This summer’s theme:  ‘Wondrous Trees and Magical Plants’.

 

For all above retreats, contact by phone (401-421-3960) or email ([email protected]) for registration.

Krishna Festival – Sun. Aug. 17, 11:00AM – 2:30PM
This program is to celebrate Birthday of Sri Krishna. Worship, Chants, Dance, Discussions and Devotional Music By Shuchita Rao. All welcome.

Past Events

1) Swami to Ganges MI – June 26 - 29
Swami Yogatmananda and devotees traveled to Vivekananda Retreat, Ganges MI. Swami conduced  a retreat on ‘Nasadeeya Suktam’ to about thirty devotees. Sunday, June 29 he  delivered  an evening lecture at the Hindu Temple of Chicago. Then Swami traveled to Rochester, NY and returned to Providence on Thursday July 03.
2) 'Independence Day' Program - July 04, 11:00AM -2:00PM
About fifty devotees, friends & neighbors participated in the annual ‘Independence Day’  program at Jhaveris residence in Framongham, MA, which included  short talks, music, readings and luncheon.
3) Guru Poornima – July 12, 11AM – 2:30PM
About sixty+ devotees observed Guru Poornima function, which consisted of worship/puja, flower offering, devotional singing, a few readings, a short talk by Swami Yogatmananda and prasad-luncheon.
About forty devotees attended the 6 – 7:45PM Kirtan by ‘Chinmay Swaranjali’ group.
4) Get-Together of Devotees – July 13, 11:00AM – 2:00PM
About sixty devotees along with Swami Yogatmananda attended the annual ‘Thinking of ‘M’ get-together to honor 'M' (chronicler of  the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) at the home of T. K. Roy in West Wareham MA, with readings, reflections and music. Sumptuous luncheon was provided.
5) Teacher-training at Bridgewater – July 15
About a dozen middle-school teachers from several districts attended this annual teacher training of basic Hinduism/Vedanta taught by Swami Yogatmananda.
6) Interfaith Vigil – July 15
Swami Yogatmananda participated in a 'Call for a Better World' interfaith peace vigil, conducted in Manning Chapel, Brown University, to honor the sanctity of life with short prayers, chants, comments and song from about ten different faith representatives. About 85 people attended
7) Young Adult Residential Retreat  - July 25 - 27
Ten young adults, ranging from age 16 thru 29, participated in the residential retreat themed: ‘Facing the Reality’ from Friday evening through Sunday noon. There was guided mediation; yoga-taichi session; readings from: ‘Teachings of Swami Vivekananda’ and selections of ‘Noble Eightfold Path', with discussions; video shown: ‘Beyond Reasoning’; nature walk; individual presentations; meals and snacks.

Click here to see photos.

 

Synopses of Summer Tues. Classes

Study Classes 'Mysticism of Sound & Music' (based on Hazrat Inayat Khan’s works) - Jul. 8, 15, 22, 29

Inayat Khan (1882–1927) was a musician par excellence – both as a vocalist and as a Vina player. He was also a deeply spiritual man following the tradition of the Sufi teachers of the Chisti order but was never constrained by the formal borders of the tradition. Instructed by his Sufi master, he traveled to New York in 1910. He was told: 'Go my child into the world, harmonize the East & West with the harmony of thy music; spread the wisdom of Sufism, for thou are gifted by Allah, the most Merciful & Compassionate.'

After spending a few months without getting much scope to get into his spiritual mission, the turning point came in his life when he went to San Francisco. Here he gave a presentation at the Vedanta Society’s Hindu Temple (the first Hindu temple in America). Swami Trigunatita, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was the there heading the Vedanta Society then. Much impressed by Inayat Khan’s presentation of the spiritual treasure hidden in his music, the Swami gave him a certificate of honor and a gold medal. Inayat Khan initiated one lady -Mrs Ada Martin - as teacher in Sufism. Soon after he gave up his music for the sake of God. ‘To serve God one must sacrifice what is dearest to one; and so I sacrificed my music’ he says.

The book ‘Mysticism of Sound and Music’ is a collection of lectures and question/answers. He tells about the nature of attraction towards music and how it helps a person to transcend the ‘form’. It has the tremendous capacity to powerfully express THAT which art of painting or poetry can only suggest. He points out that the image of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Learning, is holding a Vina. The creation comes out of the music and gets dissolved in it. ‘In the beginning was the WORD’…is the famous Biblical saying.

The music has a great role in harmonizing the souls, The lines of distinction between races, religions, nations etc are dissolved in the music. It also generates harmony in one’s thoughts, words and actions..