Newsletter May 20, 2015

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

New 6-Weeks Hatha Yoga Course - May 06 - June 10
Beginning Wednesday, May 06, a six-week ‘Mindful Flow’ Hatha Yoga class will be conducted at the Vedanta Society under the teaching of Ellen Schaefer of One Yoga Center, RI. The 6-week course will be $30.00 Pre-paid; and $10.00 per class walk-in. Contact Ellen at 401-368-9647.

 

Day-long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. June 13, 9:30AM - 7:00PM

Sub:'Crest Jewel of Discernment' (Viveka-Chudamani) of Sankaracharya

- by Swami Ishatmananda, Minister, Vedanta Society, Chicago

Reg. Fee $20.00 per person. Prior Reg. required. Register by mail or at the Vedanta Society or online.

Click here to download reg. form or to register online.

Other ongoing Classes:
1) $5.00 Walk-in Hatha Yoga with Hannah Resseger on Tuesdays from 6pm – 7pm: Contact Hannah ONLY at:  key2life-AT-gmail.com
2) Bharathanatyam (South Indian) Classical Dance Classes  on Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00 pm: Contact Anuradha ONLY at :  704-707-5430

 

Summer Events 2015 -Reserve the dates

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, May 22	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Swami Yogatmananda on 'Kenopanisad', a Vedanta Upanisad Text.
Saturday, May 23	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation/chanting and singing 7:00 PM-8PM:  Aarati (singing, a short reading & continued meditation)
Sunday, May 24	5:00 – 6:00 PM:A talk on - ‘Man Does Not Live on Bread Alone’  by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music), a short reading & meditation
Tuesday, May 26	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Swami Yogatmananda on 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', Ch 49, pp 932

 

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. 6' 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

Nepal Earthquake Relief Work:
So far we have received $6,190.00 as donation for this purpose. Vedanta Society of Providence has sent $7,000.00 to the Ramakrishna Ashram in Nepal, who is carrying on the relief-work in in the affected areas.

The brief report of the relief work being carried on can be found at: http://rkashramnepal.org/?page_id=508

 

Swami at Interfaith – Thurs. May 07   
Swami participated in the monthly ‘Attleboro-based’ Interfaith meeting, conducted at LaSallette Shrine, Attleboro MA to discuss: “A lot of debate recently has gone into the slogan “Black Lives Matter.” What can we do (personally & in faith church)  for everyone to believe that their life truly matters? 

In June, Vedanta Society will host the Interfaith meeting.

 

Swami travels to New Jersey – Sat. May 16
Swami Yogatmananda traveled early Saturday morning to Livingston and Berlin, NJ and  delivered Vedanta talks to about thirty-five devotees each place.  He returned Sunday afternoon.

Vocal-Saxophone-Tabla Concert – Sun. May 17
Immediately following the 5–6pm Sunday Lecture, an Indian Classical Music concert from was conducted in the Lower Level (LL), with Madhuvanti Bhide (Vocal); Phil Scharf (Soprano Saxophone) and Amit Kavthekar (Tabla), who is disciple of Ustad Alla Rakha. About forty music enthusiasts attended.

Click here to see photos.

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

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

 

Study Class - 'Kenopanisad' - May 15, Friday

The teacher is telling the student that he who thinks he understands what God is, understands not.  God is not an object to be qualified or quantified; He cannot be "understood," in the normative sense of the word. Therefore, to begin, the student must know that he knows nothing.  The ignorant person attaches the notion of "self" to body and mind; the spiritual aspirant must endeavor to transcend association with name and form, since God is beyond all names and forms and is the Self manifesting in and through every appearance.  In the Judeo-Christian tradition, this idea is expressed when Moses hears the voice of God coming from the burning bush: "I am that I am."  God is the screen upon which the world is projected.  The screen gives existence to the images appearing on the screen, and simultaneously exists independently of the images.  So God exists in and through everything, and is beyond everything, too. We must try to feel the same self we identify 'in ourselves' as the One Self infused in and around all things.  These ideas are very difficult to grasp with our limited awareness.  Out of compassion, the sages have tried their best to put this into words.  Through spiritual practices, such as meditation and karma-yoga, the mind becomes purified, and realization of this ultimate truth begins to dawn in the student's awareness.  Only direct experience of God can generate in the seeker a permanent, lasting conviction of God as the Self of all. 

 

I Am That I Am - May 17, Sunday
I is the primary existence that cannot be doubted. God said to Moses: I am that I am. Divinity cannot be specified any other way, because that would be limiting it. Lord Krishna said to Arjuna: I am the Self of all. The sages can grasp I Am but cannot describe it. Ten friends cross a river and count to make sure they are all there. Each one leaves out himself, so they count that there are nine. This symbolizes the missing entity, which in Vedanta, is the only thing that can bring satisfaction and freedom from fear. I Am is present even in dreaming and deep sleep. We can have either the vagueness of no specifications or the confusion of contradictory and shifting specifications. When we introduce ourselves, we start by saying I Am, which is our primary name, which never changes. If we do not know the unchanging Self and know a lot of other things, this is not true knowledge. Knowing the Self is the only way to find satisfaction, happiness, and peace. Everything else is shifting and changing. Neither time nor space affect I Am. The body changes and even dies, and I remain intact. So the Gita says death is not a matter for grief. I here and I there are not different, as there are many waves, but just one ocean. Swami Vivekananda, in a poem to Mary Hale, says: I was, I am, I shall be. We can serve the I Am in others as a spiritual practice.

 

Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - May 19, Tuesday

Master was moved to Cassipore Garden house from the house in Shyampukur which was in the heart of the city of Calcutta. Cassipore was little away from the hustle bustle of the city and the devotees thought that the place will be more comfortable for the Master. Master left his mortal body at this place.
The conversations recorded in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna covers roughly 4 years of the Master's life. M , the recorder of the Gospel first came to visit the Master in the month of Feb 1882 .He was chosen by the Master to do this very important job of recording  his message and passing on the same to the world. 'Gospel' covers the conversations (of course, only those when 'M' was present) from 1882 almost till the end of Master's mortal life.
Sri Ramakrishna's life has two important periods. The first:  intense spiritual practices to acquire the divine knowledge.  His yearning for God realization was so strong that he knew nothing other than intense Sadhana. Second: of distributing this spiritual treasure obtained from the spiritual practices to all the genuine seekers. He became even more liberal in distributing the spiritual treasure to one and all during his stay at the Cassipore Garden house as he was aware that the play will come to an end soon. Master's body was getting weaker on account of the disease but his zeal knew no bounds and he was incessantly busy in distributing the divine bliss to all the devotees at Cassipore.