 |
 |
|
|
Have a Question ?
If you have questions regarding spiritual life, Vedanta, Hinduism etc, you can email us at answers ATvedantaprov.org
Newsletter June 03, 2015
Upcoming 'Special' Events
Comprehensive Yoga Conference - Fri. June 19 - Sun. June 21
In celebration of the International Day of Yoga ( June 21st), the Vedanta Society of Providence in collaboration with the Center for Indic Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the India Association of Rhode Island (IARI) will offer a three-day Yoga conference on the practical aspects of Yoga including lectures, demos and workshops by experienced teachers and practicing subject-matter experts.
Friday, June 19 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Saturday, June 20 - 9:30am - 5:00pm
Sunday, June 21 - 5:00pm - 7:30pm
Click here for more information.
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.
Classical Violin & Tabla Concert – Sun. June 14
From 6pm – 7:30pm, immediately following the Sunday Service Lecture, Pt. Jagan Ramamoorthy, prominent disciple of Padmabhusan Rajam, will perform classical Violin concert in Lower Level (LL), accompanied on Tabla by Amit Kavthekar, disciple of Ustad Allarakha; currently studying under Pandit Sudhir Mainkar. No entry Fee; suggested donation $15.00/person.
Day-long Meditation - Sat. June 06, 2015, 12noon – 8:00PM
This is a continual long meditation session, starting with guided meditation at 11:00 AM. Must be IN bldg by 12 noon when entry will be locked; Can leave any time, but cannot re-enter until 6:30PM. Simple Veg. lunch-foods, snacks, teas/juices will be provided.
Bhagavad Gita class, Middletown CT – Sun. June 07, 10:30am - 11:30am
Swami Yogatmananda will conduct the monthly Bhagavad Gita (Ch.18 cont.) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (10 Training Hill Rd, Middletown, CT). All are welcome.
Children’s Sunday ‘Spiritual-Arts & Storytelling’ Class – Sun. June 07 , 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
For children under age 12 only. Contact Dorothy Abram at Dorothy.Abram-AT-jwu.edu
Swami travels to Indianapolis - Wed. June 03 - Thurs. June 04
Swami will travel to Indianapolis early Wed. morning to attend the inaugural opening of the Hindu Temple of Indianapolis. Swami will return mid-day Friday, June 05.
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, June 05 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Swami Yogatmananda on 'Kenopanisad', a Vedanta Upanisad Text. |
| Saturday, June 06 |
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 7:00 PM-8PM: Aarati (singing, a short reading & continued meditation) |
| Sunday, June 07 |
5:00 – 6:00 PM:A talk on - ‘Making a Dough-nut Hole’ by Swami Yogatmanandaa 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music), a short reading & meditation |
| Tuesday, June 09 |
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 936 |
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
Swami at New England Tech – Fri. May 29
Swami Yogatmananda taught a 2-hour class on basic Hinduism & Vedanta to a Religion class at New England Tech, East Greenwich RI from 9:00 am – 11:30am. Students were very engaged and asked many questions.
Synopses of Last Week's Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)
Study Class - 'Kenopanisad' - May 29, Friday
As spiritual aspirants, we need to be beware of the tendency for becoming
egoistic about our spiritual practice. We should be careful not to succumb
to these feelings. In the Kenopanisad, the teacher uses stories about devas
(virtuous beings) and asuras (demons) to represent the tug-of-war between
our tendency towards spiritual life (represented by the devas) and our
tendency towards worldly life (the asuras). When spiritual tendencies are
dominant in us, we feel, "I have done a great job! I have conquered worldly
desires." With that "I sense" becoming prominent, we begin a downward slide
towards worldliness and bondage. The story reminds us that whenever our
spiritual tendency prevails, it is because of God's strength, not because of
the strength of the ego.
Introspection is the primary tool for success in spiritual life. We are
prone to blame our shortcomings in spiritual life on others- on society, on
jobs, on family- all these things, we feel, keep us from reaching our
spiritual goals. It's a common idea that we have, that right now we are
bound, but we are doing spiritual practices and will soon become free. But
it is this sense of limited "I" that is actually the bondage. The vanishing
of the "I" is the freedom. Images and symbols are (usually) necessary for
spiritual life.
No One But Me to Blame, May 31, Sunday
The poem No One But Me to Blame, by Swami Vivekananda, is a salutation to
the Buddha. It advocates a fearless search for the truth, in which all
responsibility rests with me. Yet, we tend to blame others for our problems,
and say God didn't make things right, or our parents didn't raise us right.
Help can only come from within. A big obstacle is that we want a comfortable
religion instead of the truth. Suffering is an effect of what we have done.
We don't remember God except when we have problems. Sometimes God seems
cruel and sometimes nice. The last message of the Holy Mother was: If you
want peace, do not find fault with others. We won't feel depressed if we
blame ourselves because if the blame lies with us, the solution lies with us
too. A friend of the Buddha tempted him to doubt his path by saying the
result was not certain. The Buddha replied that there was no hope in his
former life, but only in the path he had taken up. Satyakama, in the
Chandogya Upanishad, boldly told his teacher that he did not know who his
father was, and didn't argue when his teacher told him to tend cattle
instead of making him study the various books.. He first learned about
Brahman from the animals and other non-humans and only then from his
teacher. The Bhagavad Gita says that we are our best friend when we are in
control of our mind, and our worst enemy when we are not. Swami Vivekananda
says not to cover our wounds with gold leaf. We forget our search for the
truth, thinking some Guru or God will shower grace on us. Swami Vivekananda
tells the story of a holy man who embraced a pole and cried for it to
release him. This was to illustrate that no one is holding us down in this
world. We cry that the world is bad, but there is no one but me to blame.
Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - June 02, Tuesday
The gift of spiritual wisdom is the greatest gift and the giver of that
wisdom is the greatest giver. Sri Ramakrishna was constantly busy in this
activity of imparting spiritual wisdom to all his devotees in spite of his
tremendously failing health. He was liberally giving out everything he has
gained, to all his devotees.
Master very vividly explained his experience of the state of God
Consciousness. This is the process of shifting the awareness from the world
to the divine. It is a complex and gradual process. At the first three
stages, the awareness revolves only around the material world. The knowledge
obtained at these stages through the sense organs, is very limited and
incomplete. With intense spiritual practices, the mind is lifted from
material level. At this stage, one starts to feel the existence of the soul.
But one does not go to this stage naturally. With great efforts and constant
practice one can lift the awareness from the worldly level to spiritual
level. In that process the nervous system evolves making that person ready
to receive the complete knowledge. Master has given a very poetic and
concise description explaining this whole process in his own life.
Master had seen all the devotees of his inner circle in various visions
shown by the Divine Mother. As per the visions, slowly all the devotees
started coming to the Master and gaining the Divine realization. Narendra,
who was very eager to experience Samadhi, requested the Master for the same.
Master admonished Narendra for having such a petty desire as He was aware of
the bigger plan for Narendra, which was for the benefit of the humanity.