Newsletter January 28, 2015

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Children’s Sunday 'Spiritual-Arts & Storytelling' Class – Sun. Feb. 1, 4:00 – 6:00PM
The monthly ‘Just Children!’ program will meet from 4PM – 6PM in the children’s room.

 

Salutations! – Tue. Feb. 3
The birth anniversary of Swami Adbhutananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, will be observed on Tue. Feb. 3, in the morning with a chant and in the evening with a song & a biography reading.

 

NOTICES:

1) Swami Yogatmananda is away, traveling in India from Jan. 14 - Feb. 23.

Click here to see his travel itinerary in India.

During this period, Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana, a nun from the Vedanta Society of So. California is conducting weekly classes.

 

2) Bharathanatyam Dance Classes – Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00 PM; Contact Anuradha: 704-707-5430

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, Jan. 30	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana on the book 'For the Seekers of God' (Teachings of Swami Shivananda),
Saturday, Jan. 31	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation/chanting and singing 7:00PM - 8:00PM : Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Sunday, Feb. 01	5:00 – 6:00 PM: A talk 'Enlightenment - Historical & Mystical' by Charles Feldman 6:00PM – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM - 8:00PM : Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Feb. 03	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM:Study Class by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana on the book 'Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play'

 

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. 5' 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

North-east Snow Blizzard - Jan. 27, 2015 - Photos taken around Vedanta Society premises

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

(All classes given by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana, unless otherwise stated)

 

Study Class - 'For Seekers of God' - Jan. 23, Friday
Mahapurush Maharaj was asked by a devotee to explain why the Ramakrishna Mission was doing nothing for the Indian independence movement.  The swami explains that it was Swami Vivekananda, and Sri Ramakrishna, who started the whole movement for Indian unity and independence.  When he returned from his first visit to the West, Swamiji’s message was a rallying cry for an awakened and united India.  Swamiji was asked several times during his life if he would initiate or support a political revolution and he always declined, but, Mahapurush Maharaj explains, if Swamiji had thought a political revolution would unite the country, he would have accepted those invitations.  Many of the revolutionaries during this time had contact with members of the Order, including Holy Mother. Mahapurush Maharaj tells the  devotee that the Ramakrishna Mission and the independence movement are accomplishing similar ideas, in their own unique ways.  Swami Vivekananda envisioned the dawn of a new spiritual age, with India at its center.  Swamiji and Sri Ramakrishna awakened the kundalini of India, and Mahatma Gandhi can be seen as an instrument of this awakened kundalini.  

Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana read two other incidents recorded in ‘For Seekers of God.’  In the first, a devotee asks Swami Shivananda to explain why he enjoys meditation on some days, but not on others.  Mahapurushji explains that this is natural, but one must stick with his spiritual practice, especially during times when practice feels dry; at these times it is necessary to pray fervently for strength of heart.  The devotee should repeat the name of God at all times, without being conspicuous.  If he practices japa assiduously, he will awaken the power of japa and the name will repeat continuously by itself, even when he is asleep.  In the final incident shared in the class, Mahapursh Maharaj meets a wandering monk, and they discuss the special manifestation of the Lord that occurs in holy places of pilgrimage.  

 

'Bhakti and Jnana' – a talk by Srikanth Srigiriraju - Jan. 25, Sunday

Bhakti (devotion) and jnana (analysis) lead to the same goal although their expression in a human life is different. Bhakti Yoga is the most universal yoga and it is also the most practical one for the modern times. As a novice, one may synthesize and harmonize the 4 yogas of Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja. But as an expert one must strive to dive deep into one of these yogas with the other yogas acting as its auxiliaries. Blend bhakti and jnana in a harmonious way: in bhakti, during worship try to see the living presence of the deity in the image where as disregard these very images when following jnana.

Bhakti largely deals with Personal God although upon maturity this may change to devotion to Impersonal God. It is an inside-out approach. Jnana deals with Impersonal God, but it too begins with Personal God which is denied rather than loved (like in Bhakti) and it is an outside-in approach. The rest of the talk dealt with Bhakti and Jnana acting as its auxiliary.

Training in Devotion: Personal God is not perceivable through senses at the outset, hence visualization through imagination needs to be used. Mental training involves cultivating proper devotional moods (bhavas) and the physical training involves using these moods to intensify love for God through practices.

Mental training: The five bhavas -  shanta (God as a transcendental being), dasya (God as a Master), sakhya (God as a friend), vatsalya (God as a child), madhura (God as a Husband) can be used to connect with God just as done in human relationships. Various examples of saints who used these bhavas were given.

Physical training: Nine practices using any of the above-mentioned bhavas - worship; pilgrimages, fasting & penances; devotional songs; holy company; reading of scriptures and listening to discourses; chanting a mantra; meditation on form; meditation on God's deeds; constant remembrance.

Stages of devotion: Five stages of growth in devotion - nishtha (steadfastness), bhakti (devotion), bhava (yearning), mahabhava (intense yearning),  prema (love). The characteristics of each  stage, the obstacles faced there in along with the attitude needed to overcome these obstacles was presented.

 

Study Class - 'Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play' - Jan. 27, Tuesday
Human beings cannot easily comprehend God. We are subject to moods and relationships with other human beings – these come naturally to us. The path of devotion uses these natural inclinations of people to develop a certain mood or relationship with God. This enables them to make progress towards God realization with relative ease. These moods are subtle and pure manifestations of the gross earthly relations and gradually take us to the God. These spiritual moods are focused on love as key driver to build these strong associations. In this loving relation, we forget that God is omniscient or omnipotent; the idea of punishment is obliterated; it is transcended into an intimate relationship where we can freely interact with God according to our mood. Gradually we forget ourselves and the experience of God alone remains. However, to achieve this experience a tremendous yearning is required.

Sri Ramakrishna had this tremendous yearning to experience God, even at the cost of his own life. During his lifetime he practiced the various devotional moods to realize God. One such mood was that of a servant (Dasya Bhava). He took on the mood of Hanumaan – the form of monkey as a devoted servant of lord Rama. In this mood, His identification with Hanumman was so great that he walked and ate like a monkey, he even grew the lower part of his spine a bit as that of the tail of Hanumaan. It was at the peak of this mood that he saw Sita with his eyes open. This experience of Sita was always imprinted on Sri Ramakrishna.

While we may not be able to perform our devotional practices with such intensity as Sri Ramakrishna, establishing a relationship with God that best suits our attitude and inclination is required to make spiritual progress and eventually realize God.