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If you have questions regarding spiritual life, Vedanta, Hinduism etc, you can email us at answers ATvedantaprov.org
Newsletter October 28, 2015
Upcoming Events
Meerabai Bhajan Concert - Wed. Oct. 28
On Wed. Oct. 28 at 7:30PM, a devotional Music Concert of Meerabai Bhajans, set to soulful melodies by the great Indian musician Dilip Kumar Roy, will be performed by Priya Chopra and Neeta Saraf along with the instrumental accompanists. All are welcome; No Fee; Donations accepted.
Just Kids! : Children’s Time - Nov. 01, Sunday, 4PM – 6PM
The Just Kids! Children’s program (ages 6-12 only) will meet from 4PM – 6PM, under the direction of Professor Dorothy Abram, assisted by Peter Travisano & Chet Boncek . All young children welcome.
DAY-LONG RETREAT - Sat. Dec. 05, 10:00AM –7:00PPM
Topic: ‘The CAVE of the HEART’ by Swami Chidbrahmananda, Vedanta Center of Greater Washington DC.
Prior registration required Fee: $20/person.
Online registration will be available soon.
Interfaith Meetings on Thursday, Oct 29:
Swami Yogatmananda will participate in the annual ‘Heroes of Faith’ breakfast meeting at ‘Rhodes on the Pawtuxet’ from 7:30 to 11:00 am and then an Interfaith Peace Meeting at Burnside Park in downtown Providence at 1:00 pm.
Hatha Yoga classes:
1) ‘Walk-in’ ($5.00) Hatha Yoga class on Tues. evenings from 6:00pm – 7:00pm with Hannah Resseger.
Contact Hannah only AT: key2life-AT-gmail.com
2) New 6-Weeks Hatha Yoga Course - Sept. 30 - Nov. 04, 5:00 - 6:30PM
Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30, a six-week ‘Mindful Flow’ Hatha Yoga class will be conducted at the Vedanta Society by Ellen Schaefer of One Yoga Center, RI, from 5:00 - 6:30PM. The 6-week course will be $30.00 Pre-paid; and $10.00 per class walk-in. Contact Ellen at 401-368-9642.
Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)
| Friday, Oct. 30 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class #5 by Swami Yogatmananda on 'Jnana Yoga’, a book by Swami Vivekananda |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 |
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning
Eastern Standard Time Clock-Changes |
| Sunday, Nov. 01 |
5:00 – 6:00PM: A talk - Problem of 'Incapacitation', by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 – 6:15 PM: Aarati (devotional music) |
| Tuesday, Nov. 03 |
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 941 |
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
Vedanta Society of Connecticut Durga Puja – Sat. Oct. 24
Sixty-plus devotees along with Swami Yogatmananda, participated in Durga Puja observed at the new CT Vedanta Society location at:
100 Cherry Brook Rd, Canton, CT, from 3:00PM – 6:00PM.
Swami in Waltham, MA – Sun. Oct. 25
Swami Yogatmananda delivered a talk on ‘Durga, the Killer of Buffalo Demon’ and performed traditional Aarati at: N.E.Prabasi, JKF Middle School, 655 Lexington St, Waltham MA from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Sun. Oct. 25. About one hundred people attended.
Classical Music (Vocal) Concerts
1) Morning Raagas – Sat. Oct 24
Sarathi Chatterji (senior disciple of Pt Rajan & Sajan Mishra), performed morning melodies (raagas) from 10:30am – 11:45am on Sat. Oct 24 to about twenty five music enthusiasts. He was accompanied by Pt. Asish Sengupta on Tabla and Sumit Mishra on Harmonium.
2) Devotional Classical Vocals - Sun. Oct. 25
On Sun. Oct. 25, about thirty music enthusiasts listened to Pt. Subhadra Desai (Disciple of Pt. Madhup Mudgal), who performed Classical VOCAL melodies, accompanied on Tabla by Asish Sengupta and Sumit Mishra on Harmonium.
Check out some new writings on our blog: http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/
1) A devotee's comment on a book about Jewish meditation
2) A poem: The Greatest of All Wonders
Synopses of Last Week's Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)
Guest Lecture -A Romp with Reason – Swami Chidbrahmananda – Oct. 23, Friday
Last Friday, Swami Chidbrahmananda, of the Vedanta Society of Washington, DC, gave a talk titled 'A Romp with Reason'. At the beginning of the talk, Swamiji emphasized three main points: First, the most important thing in spiritual life is our sincerity and earnestness; second, in our dealings we should always come from a place of truth, harmonizing heart, mind, and speech; and third, as Jesus exhorts us, we should strive to love God and our neighbor with our whole hearts.
The biggest problem in spiritual life is being forgetful about our true nature, which Jnana-yoga alludes as 'Maya'. The world around us is carved out of our assumptions. Vedanta asks us to look at ourselves and at the world as it is; and not coloring it with the mind. We are Sat-Chit-Ananda (=the existence, the intelligence and the love). As Nisargadatta Maharaj puts it – 'By knowing what you are not, you know yourself'. Every moment is complete and full in itself. There is only 'now' and no 'past', no 'future'. Our mind creates the stories to link one moment to another, giving us the illusion of past and future; and these stories are continually changing. The follower of Jnana-yoga should be aware of how the mind is reacting each moment. In every thought and action, one should try to express the infinite nature of the Self. Then you are able to change your world and see it as a mansion of mirth, the way enlightened persons like Sri Ramakrishna saw it. The one and only motivating factor in the world is 'love'. Even in the heinous action, it is misguided, narrow love - borne out of identification with body that inflicts misery on others.
There is no evidence that the outside world of multiplicity exists. It is all oneness. As in the dream, the whole world is created by the dreamer; the dreamer makes oneself a small entity separate from the rest of the dream-world and enjoys it, so also is the case with this waking state world. We are all one, manifesting that divine love alone.
KARUNA (Compassion): In Vedanta and Buddhist Perspectives, by Prof. Anindita Balslev - Oct. 25, Sunday
Advances in science and technology have enlarged the common public space. We need to search for common values, which may be already embedded in our culture. Our social norms are derived from religion. Compassion is a universally recognized value. The great exemplars of compassion knew it not just theoretically, but through its incorporation into their lives. When the Buddha got enlightened he had to decide whether to enter nirvana by himself or stay and teach those in suffering due to ignorance. He is called the Compassionate One because he didn’t hold anything back. Reason and emotions compete to guide human actions. Pragya (wisdom) and karuna (compassion) are two sides of one coin. While the arhat sought his or her own salvation, the bodhisattva works for the universal deliverance of all beings from suffering. We can ask: Who deserves compassion? Everyone? Was compassion valid only when the Buddha was alive? No, compassion is valid for everyone and always. Both the Tathagata in Buddhism and the Isvara in the Upanishads are adored as teacher. They teach out of karuna. The Bhagavad Gita says to work with unmotivated compassion. Lord Krishna possesses everything, yet works from karuna. Swami Vivekananda put forth the idea of Practical Vedanta, to affect the lives of the marginalized and oppressed. Patanjali spoke of purification of the mind, which is necessary to attain serenity. Purification of the mind can be attained through amity towards the happy, compassion towards the miserable, goodwill towards the virtuous, and indifference towards the vicious. We need to have compassion for our friends, opponents and enemies. Karuna is firmly based on the knowledge of unity of all beings. One’s intention is important in judging our actions. There has not been much progress in doing away with misunderstanding among world religions. These ideas would have tremendous impact.
Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - Oct. 27, Tuesday
The desire to realize the changeless God diverts the worldly pursuits to obtain impermanent things to seeking the only Reality. God alone is the substratum of our existence. Because of that changeless divine presence, we can see the world - like a wave on the ocean. Existence of wave depends upon ocean but not vice versa. Similarly, the movie of this world can be seen on the screen of divine unchanging reality. There is no explanation for why this intrinsically one reality appears as many. But the unchanging principle at the background imparts the identification/ ‘that’-ness to the constantly changing objects in the world.
Sri Ramakrishna was seated with devotees. The devotees were engaged in serving him. His illness was taking a bad turn. Master mentioned about giving up the body due to physical sufferings. Devotees were equating this to crucifixion - the sacrifice of the body for the sake of devotees. Ordinary souls get the body due to their Karmas or desires. For them body is their identification. Not so for the Master. Body was like an external covering. In spite of bodily sufferings, his mind was fixed on to the Divine. He mentioned - "I see many forms of God. Among them I find this one also’ ( meaning his own form).