 |
 |
|
|
Have a Question ?
If you have questions regarding spiritual life, Vedanta, Hinduism etc, you can email us at answers ATvedantaprov.org
Newsletter November 18, 2015
Upcoming Events
Swami at Holy Family Church – Sun. Nov. 22
Swami Yogatmananda will be participating in the annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Program at Holy Family Church, South Main St Woonsocket RI, at 3:30pm. All are welcome.
Musical Presentation of Devotional-Poetry - Sun. Nov. 22
Ramchandra Joshi will sing devotional musical-poetry (God with & without Attributes) by various saints from 6:15 -7:30pm on Sunday, Nov 22, in the lower Level (LL), immediately following the 5-6PM Sunday Service Lecture. Rajesh Pai will accompany on Tabla All are welcome. Donations accepted.
Salutations! – Mon. Nov.23 and Tues. Nov. 24
The birth anniversaries of Swami Subodhananda and Swami Vijnanananda, direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, will be observed on Monday, Nov. 23and Tuesday, Nov. 24 respectively, in the morning with a chant and in the evening with a song, a biography reading and prasad.
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.
Click here for more info & online registration.
Hatha Yoga class:
‘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
Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)
| Friday, Nov. 20 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class #8 by Swami Yogatmananda on 'Jnana Yoga’, a book by Swami Vivekananda |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 |
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Aarati (singing, a short reading) & Meditation |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 |
5:00 – 6:00PM: A talk - 'Significance of Thanking', by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 – 6:15 PM: Aarati (devotional music) |
| Tuesday, Nov. 24 |
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 942 |
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
Some of the Sunday Service lectures of September and October 2015 have been posted on our website.
Swami to New Jersey – Wed. Nov. 11
Swami Yogatmananda traveled to the Voorhees Vedanta group in New Jersey to perform a Kali puja and deliver some talks to about sixty local devotees. He returned Thursday evening.
Swami to Alabama – Nov. 14 - 16
Swami conducted a mini-retreat with about thirty-five devotees participating, and delivered a few lectures at the Huntsville, Alabama Hindu Temple, with about two-hundred attendees. Swami returned Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 17.
Synopses of Last Week's Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)
Study Class - 'Jnana Yoga’ (a book by Swami Vivekananda) - Nov. 13, Friday
Class #7:
We have been seeing that our understanding is muddled up— our true nature is peace and bliss itself, but we associate ourselves with the body. Through jnana yoga, we utilize a process of discernment to uncover who we really are. However, our tremendous attachment to sense pleasures causes us to not be able to discern correctly. We might take the nihilist position— “I can never know anything or understand everything, so it is best to forget about these questions about the Self.” In the quest for happiness, we get frustrated; but still do not see any way out and take the option of surrendering to the life of the senses. The other path is to be courageous and search for the true source of happiness. Humans have been trying for generations to locate the source of consciousness. Consciousness functions throughout the body, but it is not the body. It functions throughout the brain, but it is not the brain. Consciousness is expressed through the brain, but it not generated there. The body and mind are changing, but our true existence is unchanging.
Who is Kaali?- An Exploration in Time - a talk by Sravani Bhattacharjee - Nov. 15, Sunday
While most Hindu gods and goddesses are benign, Kali is portrayed as fierce and terrible. Her name signifies destruction (Kaal = Death or Time). Yet to her ardent devotees, she is the source of ultimate peace and Bliss. How? To truly understand Kali, it is helpful to see her through the “lens” of Principle, Parable, and Practice (which are the 3 essential tenants of Hinduism). During the Vedic period, the universal principles of Divine Motherhood, Purusha-Prakriti, Brahman-Maya developed. Epics and Puranas explained these principles through a myriad of Parables. Markandeya Purana depicts Kali as a dark, fierce, warrior Goddess who springs from Durga’s forehead and slays the demons and vanquishes the unbeatable Raktabija. In 9th-10th century, Tantric Sadhakas worshipped Sakti (Primordial Power) in the form of Kali. They propitiated the fierce goddess to destroy their ignorance and bestow liberation. During the Bhakti movement in India, saints like Ramprasad re-discovered the fierce Goddess as their blissful Mother, a living companion, by pouring their heart’s adoration. In the 19th century, we find a culmination of the concept of Kali in Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna experienced Kali and Brahman as ONE. Just as fire and its power to burn. Kali’s image symbolizes the eternal, inseparable unity of Shiva and Shakti, Purusha and Prakriti, Awareness and Action. Kali is our real Mother. She pervades the cosmos and opens the door of liberation to the earnest seeker. Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings embody Principles, Parables and Practice - the best “lens” to realize Kali. Surrendering ourselves to Divine Mother, knowing Her to be the Doer is liberation.
Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - Nov. 17, Tuesday
Shri Ramakrishna in a lot of pain due to his illness. Yet he is able to distribute bliss among his visitors. He is able to do this because He has the consciousness that He is not the body but the divine consciousness appearing with form. His activities, pain and suffering are a part of a staged play. The purpose of this play is for us to realize that we are divine in essence. Jesus used to say, “May you be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” By looking at the life of Sri Ramakrishna, we can conclude that while He lives and breathes like us, He is divine in essence. So we too, who live and breathe like Him are divine and perfect in essence. We can realize our perfection once our desires and cravings vanish. This requires a lot of practice as ignorance of our true divine nature has gone deep into our psyche.
While God takes a human form and teaches this to everyone, our thoughts are corruptible and instead of changing ourselves to align with the teachings of God, we shift those teachings to suit our limitations. This is why God assumes human form again and again.
Once we get even a little glimpse of the truth that we are not the body – it makes a lot of difference to our lives. How happy we feel! How free we feel! It eliminates a lot of burden that comes with assuming the identity of the body. This is a terrible ignorance that we must eliminate, to be happy. As long as we think that we are the body, so long the suffering will remain and there will be no happiness.