Newsletter February 11, 2015

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Maha-Shivaratri – Tues. Feb. 17
On Tues. Feb. 17, Aarati will begin at 6:45PM, followed by the chanting of Shivanaam Sankirtanam (108 names to Shiva) and a special talk by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana on 'Shiva'.

Please note: Shivanam Sankirtanam chant-singing (starting at 7PM approx) and the talk will be Live-Streamed at http://vedantaprov.org/livestream.html

All are welcome.

 

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

 

A new post on our blog asks us to consider a "Yoga of Play." You can read the post by visiting: http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/2015/02/yoga-of-play.html

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, Feb. 13	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, Feb. 14	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation/chanting and singing 7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation
Sunday, Feb. 15	5:00 – 6:00 PM: A talk - ‘Self-Surrender - Easy or Difficult?’ by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana 6:00PM – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM - 8:00PM : Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Feb. 17	6:45 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:00 PM: Shivanam Sankirtanam chant-singing 7:30 – 8:30 PM: A talk on 'Lord Shiva' by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana.

 

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

Day-long Meditation - Sat. Feb. 07, 2015, 12noon – 8:00PM
About  ten devotees participated in the monthly 'Day-long Meditation Session'.

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

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

 

Study Class - 'For Seekers of God' - Feb. 6, Friday
In several incidents shared in tonight’s study class, Mahapurushji reminisces about his early meetings with Sri Ramakrishna, and about his father and mother.  Sri Ramakrishna was acquainted with Mahapurushji’s father and recounted his spiritual dedication and achievement.  Mahapurushji’s family was very wealthy and pious.  His mother died when he was nine  years old.  He had to marry as part of an arrangement that would allow his sister to be married, but Sri Ramakrishna taught him in a special ritual so that he could remain celibate.  (This is why, years later, Swami Vivekananda would give him the name ‘Mahapurush’).  Soon after the marriage, his wife died. Later, when Mahapurushji told his father that he was becoming a monk, his father gave his sincere blessing to his son.  In another incident, a monk asks Mahapurushji to explain Sri Ramakrishna’s statement that, “This is the last birth of those who come here.”  Mahapurushji explains that Sri Ramakrishna meant both that those who had seen him in person, as well as those who cultivated sincere reverence for him, would achieve liberation.  True liberation involves complete self-dedication.  The monk complains that progress is very slow, and Mahapurushji assures him that even small measures of progress are significant, and that everything a devotee is able to accomplish is thanks to the Master’s grace.  Although the monk doesn’t feel that the activities he’s engaged in are sufficiently spiritual in nature, Mahapurushji explains that the works the monk does for the mission are not motivated by worldly desire, and therefore will help strengthen a spirit of renunciation and dispassion. 

Several accounts are given of Mahapurushji reminiscing about Swami Vivekananda and his relationship with Chhavildas, a member of the Arya Samaj, as well as Swamiji’s interactions with several “distinguished passengers” on a train, who criticized “these sannyasins” for being “responsible for the downfall of India.” Swamiji’s superior intellect and reasoning gave him the ability to argue elegantly and convincingly in favor of his beliefs.  According to Mahapurushji, Swamiji despised the name and fame he received, but he knew he had to be an instrument for Sri Ramakrishna’s message.  

 

Holy Mother’s Life - as an Ideal for the Modern World – Feb. 8, Sunday
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi Kept her divinity hidden and appeared like an ordinary village woman to those around her. Although she had no formal vows of sannyasa, her life was full of purity and renunciation. Motherly love and compassion are the hallmarks of her life. The greatest traps for an ordinary person are money, sense pleasures, desire for name and fame and power. Holy Mother could have enjoyed the lime-light of name and fame because of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda's widespread fame; but she chose a simple life of serving the devotees in various ways, be it in the kitchen or guiding them in mundane as well as spiritual matters. She showed to the modern world of materialism how to lead a blissful life, not by running after sense pleasures but by keeping one's mind on God. The true worth of our life is the extent of joy we are able to give to others. Holy Mother exemplified this through her immensely unselfish and detached life. True desirelessness brings equanimity of mind. Our primary attachment is to our identity and ego. Holy Mother remained unaffected by the worship and honor given by devotees and the troubles created by her petty minded relatives. She performed household duties, bearing pain and pleasure equally. She did not have a calculating mind and taught transitoriness of worldly possessions. Her ego was completely effaced by the divine awareness. Total lack of one's own identity and identifying oneself fully with others made her real Mother. She had a divine sight that Sri Ramakrishna exists in different forms in this world and her serving others is like serving Sri Ramakrishna.  St. Thomas Aquinas wrote an unfinished masterpiece, and when asked to finish it, said as a result of his spiritual vision: “All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me.” When we meditate on the life of the Holy Mother, we can see that the glamour and glitz, and competitiveness of the world are nothing but dust and straw.

 

Study Class - 'Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play' - Feb. 10, Tuesday
We continued the discussion on the various spiritual attitudes as practiced by Sri Ramakrishna. In Madhura Bhaava an aspirant thinks of oneself as the wife and God as the husband and loves God will one’s heart and soul – like the pure love of  the Gopis towards Krishna. The Gopis surrendered their bodies and minds to Krishna and would be completely lost in remembrance of him. Sri Ramakrishna took on this mood so totally that he acted, dressed, talked and thought like a woman. In a very short span of a few days, He realized God in the form of Krishna.

 

Sri Ramakrishna then took on the practice of  non-dual Vedanta, which involves meditation on God without form and attributes. Sri Totapuri, a monk established in the non-dual mode, providentially arrived in Dakshineshwar and decided to instruct Sri Ramakrishna on this path. Sri Ramakrishna went beyond all forms, even his chosen deity - Mother Kali. He went into the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi where He exhibited no sign of life. His consciousness was completely withdrawn from the body and was merged with Brahman – this is considered to be the highest state of spiritual realization.

 

Sri Ramakrishna then practiced the path of Islam. A Sufi saint, Syed Wajid Ali, initiated Sri Ramakrishna in the Sufi mode of devotion to Allah. In this path, Sri Ramakrishna not only thought of Allah as the Master, but also as the Beloved. Sri Ramakrishna was so completely absorbed in Allah that He did not visit the other deities and temples. He stopped His usual devotional singing that He used to do throughout the day. In a period of 3 days , He achieved the state of  total absorption in Allah, the culmination of this path.

 

As Sri Ramakrishna practiced these various disciplines, He used to practice them exactly as He was instructed by His gurus, taking on the path in its totality. He had complete trust and faith in His gurus. This faith and strictness of discipline are key to spiritual progress and are crucial lessons from Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual practices.