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Newsletter January 20, 2016
Notice:
This Thursday, Jan. 21 and following Thursdays for continued time (unless cancellations due to snowstorm etc.) there will be showings of the DVD series ‘GREAT COURSES’ from 8:00PM -8:45PM, immediately following the evening meditation. 7:00PM singing Aarati, short reading & meditation will proceed as usual. All welcome.
Upcoming Events
Swami Vivekananda Puja/Worship Day – Sun. Jan.31, 11:00AM –7:00PM
11:00 am: worship-ritual, 12:30 flower-offering & Prasad-lunch
2:30-4:00 pm Video;
5:00-6:00 pm: ‘Symposium’ on Swami Vivekananda
6:00-7:00 pm: Shiva Samkirtanam and Aarati
7:00 pm: Supper-prasad
All are welcome to any/ all of the events.
Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)
| Friday, Jan. 22 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Jnana Yoga Class |
| Saturday, Jan. 23 |
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Aarati (singing, a short reading) & Meditation |
| Sunday, Jan. 24 |
5:00 – 6:00PM: A talk - 'Three Body Package' -2, by Swami Yogatmananda 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Meditation
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| Tuesday, Jan. 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 50, pp 952 |
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
Salutations! – Fri. Jan. 15
The birth anniversary of Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was observed on Fri. Jan. 15 with a chant in the morning, and with a song, a biography reading and prasad in the evening.
Infusion Evolution Concert – Sun. Jan. 17
Immediately following the 5pm -6pm Sunday lecture, about forty music enthusiasts attended a concert from 6:15- 7:30pm with Infusion Evolution, who play Latin/Afro/Cuban music with a flamenco flair.
Synopses of Last Week's Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)
Study Class on 'Jnana Yoga’- Jan. 15, Friday
The necessity of anything is to be discussed when: it is not understood or felt; or it is not understood in all its aspects; or it is misunderstood. For all of these reasons, Swami Vivekananda explains that the study of religion is necessary. Although the study of Jnana Yoga certainly entails intellectual study, the primary purpose of our study is the practical experience of the truth. As human beings, there are two forms of knowledge available to us: the knowledge gleaned from the senses and the intellect, which integrates the information provided by the senses. When we scrutinize our process of knowing, we see that our senses are limited: the information coming through the senses gets modified by the sense instrument. We want to know reality itself—to answer the fundamental question, “Who am I?” The experience of " I" pervades every experience we have and yet it cannot be directly perceived by any sense organ. Through the process of Jnana Yoga, the process by which we transcend the limitations of the senses, we realize that the real man cannot be a combination, he has to be infinite, the one without a second. Doubting this truth, we may ask, “Is knowing the real nature of man useful?” When we realize that the source of happiness in life is knowledge of the real nature of man, we realize that that Self-knowledge is the most useful thing one can acquire. Continuing to resist, we may ask, “Is this knowledge practical?” YES, if we are ready to change ourselves, but NO, if we are not ready. In the third chapter of Jnana Yoga, Swami Vivekananda emphatically states that Maya is not a theory but just a statement of fact. The inherent contradictions in life cannot be understood rationally, but they can be transcended by the means of Jnana Yoga.
Sunday Talk - 'Three Body Package – 1 ' – Jan. 17, Sunday
The Vedic scriptures talk about how our make-up is three-fold. Our three bodies can be compared to the blades, motor, and electricity of a fan. Ultimately, there is one reality with no separation. Our true nature is intrinsically perfect, blissful and peaceful. There is no “body” there, and there are no “numbers”. ‘Existence, awareness and bliss’ are from our true nature, while ‘name and form’ are from ignorance. We do not know how, why and when ignorance came about – this not knowing is called Maya. If there is no desire, there is no universe. Sri Ramakrishna took a little bit of desire with him (such as for a glass of water) when he went into samadhi, so he could come down from that state and distribute knowledge to his devotees. The causal body is the basic body, with no form, shape, or size. Without the causal body, the other bodies don’t function, as a fan needs electricity. We experience the causal body in deep sleep. In deep sleep, there is no cause of happiness. The subtle body (the software) is the world of thought, imagination, feelings, storing memories, and dreaming. The gross body (the hardware) can be seen with the eyes, and touched.
Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - Jan. 19, Tuesday
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is in its original Bengali form, titled as Kathamrita which means: live stories manifested in day to day lives of great incarnations. The abstract truths of Vedanta are manifested in His life in flesh and blood so that, we may realize that these can be realized by us who are similarly endowed with flesh and blood. He is an embodiment of all religions. Therefore, when advanced aspirants from various paths came to Sri Ramakrishna they saw their fulfillment in Sri Ramakrishna. Whoever comes in contact with Sri Ramakrishna in any way will experience a transformation. Therefore, we must practice His presence, read His life stories and teachings and establish some connection with Him.
Sri Ramakrishna said that a householder should not hold the view that everything is illusory like a dream. For one who is experiencing this world, it is hard to fathom its unreality. The idea of unreality of the world does not match our day to day perception. It requires a lot of practice to attain to this awareness. For most people, therefore, the path of devotion is efficacious as we are naturally entangled in worldly things and inherently believe in their reality. Devotion leads to conviction in the teachings of the teachers and scriptures which in turn leads to the connection with the divine that slowly leads us to the ultimate realization that God is real and the world illusory. To achieve this realization one must remove all lust. We are inherently the same as God but the lust in us blocks the existence and awareness of God. The more the lust goes away, the more is God presence felt.. Kathopnishad says that when a person’s heart becomes free from all desires that verily is Brahman.