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Newsletter May 11, 2016
Upcoming Events
DAY-LONG RETREAT - Sat. June 04, 9:30AM –7:00PM
Topic: 'KATHOPANISAD' by Swami Sarvapriyananda, Vedanta Society, Hollywood CA
Prior registration required; can register at the Vedanta Society or online.
Fee: $30.00/person ($20.00 if registered and paid by May 20, 2016)
Click here for more info & online registration.
Great Courses Video – Thurs. May 12
Video showings of Great Courses continues from 8PM – 9PM in the Lower Level (LL).
Tuesday Hatha Yoga Classes
Suspended for now.
Hatha Yoga 6-week Course - Wednesdays May 11 - June 15
There WILL be YOGA class this Wed, May 11. A six-week ‘Mindful Flow’ Hatha Yoga class will be conducted at the Vedanta Society on every Wednesday 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
Swami Travels to New Mexico: Sat. May 14 - Wed. May 18.
Swami Yogatmananda will be travelling to Jemez Springs in New Mexico this Saturday, to give a retreat on ASTAVAKRA SAMHITA to a small group of devotees. He will be back late evening on May 18.
SPECIAL LECTURES: Sun. May 15 and Tue. May 17
Prof. Gloria Hernandez will speak on SAVORING GOD on Sun, May 15, 5:00-6:00 pm.
Prof. Sukalyan Sengupta will speak on SRI RAMAKRISHNA LIVED HERE on Tue, May 17, 7:30-8:30 pm
Check out some new Sunday lectures (videos) added to the archives.
Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)
| Friday, May 13 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Swami Yogatmananda on Jnana Yoga (based on the book of Swami Vivekananda) |
| Saturday, May 14 |
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 7:00 - 8:00 PM: Aarati (singing, a short reading) & Meditation |
| Sunday, May 15 |
5:00 – 6:00 PM: 'Savoring God' by Prof. Gloria Hernandez |
| Tuesday, May 17 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Prof. Sukalyan Sengupta will speak on 'Sri Ramakrishna Lived Here' |
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 'THE STORY OF AN EPOCH: Swami Virajananda and his Times', by Swami Shraddhananda 7:15 – 8:00 PM: Meditation. Open to all. |
Past Events
Swami at La Salle Academy – Mon. May 02
Swami gave 4 classes about general principles of Hinduism and answered questions at La Salle Academy on the morning on Mon, May 2.
Synopses of Last Week's Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)
Study Class on 'Jnana Yoga'- May 6, Friday
Class #27, Chapter 5 - Maya and Freedom
Being caught in Maya is a terrible state of affairs. Our bondage forces us to run about after anything that seems pleasurable. According to the Bhagavad Gita, one who is established in wisdom can refrain from being attracted to objects of enjoyment and sees these objects for what they are. One who is not, may restrain himself from going to those objects because of social constraints or other reasons, but he still feels attracted. When wisdom dawns, even this attraction drops away entirely. The person established in wisdom knows that he is joy itself; that joy cannot be found in external objects. All spiritual practices are for getting this knowledge, which liberates us. Once this knowledge dawns and we see that we are caught in maya, we have two options. First, we may choose to enjoy life as much as possible; this is the option is the one that almost all of us choose. But there is no enjoyment at all - it is hoping for enjoyment. We try to tell ourselves that this way of living is pleasant and positive, but really we are just lying to ourselves. The second option is to learn to listen to the voice of God, the true Self. The blows that we receive in life serve to dampen the sounds of the world and amplify the voice of God. (This is why those who are grief-stricken often seek solace in religion.) Listening to this voice, we realize that this life is a prison house, that life and death are synonymous, and ultimately we are compelled to seek something that is beyond Maya. This is real religion, which begins with a yearning for realizing God.
Sunday Lecture -'Do Not Get Scared' - May 08, Sunday
The life of a human being is full of fear. Bhartrihari, a Sanskrit poet, wrote in '100 Verses on Renunciation' that each achievement has its accompanying fear, renunciation alone leads to fearlessness. When we have things, we have a fear of them being taken away, and when we have nothing, we lose this fear. Beyond the mundane fear of worldly afflictions, there is the all-pervasive fear of drowning in the ocean of the world of transmigration. Awareness of this fear is a spiritual awakening, and this leads to an intense effort for liberation. There is a story of a man chased down a well by a mad elephant, with snakes below, and two mice gnawing on the rope by which he is hanging on. A drop of honey lands in his mouth, which represents our seeking temporary enjoyments when faced with the never-ending suffering of samsara. Sri Ramakrishna’s whole life centered on realizing the Divine. In Kathopanisad, the Lord of Death wanted to make sure that the seeker of the boon of knowledge could withstand the temptations of utmost worldly enjoyments. We should not get scared because, as Sankaracharya puts in Vivekachudamani, 'there is a way to cross over this world'. It is a well-known path, trod by many before. It is realizing that we are the Bliss supreme and absolute, which puts an end to the fear of relative existence, or samsara. In the world, we become slaves to the sensory pleasures we seek, because we go there, but happiness is here. The Holy Mother said: “Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself, 'I have a Mother.'”
Study Class - 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' - May 10, Tuesday
April 22nd 1886
The ephemeral world is the composition of matter and the three attributes - Sattva (Peace or serenity), Rajas (intense activity) and Tamas (extreme laziness). The perception in human mind is a combined experience of the matter and its qualities and it is impossible to separate the two. One forgets the original substance behind this manifested world. The reality is overpowered by the manifestation. Not only we ignore the Reality but we also associate the happiness with the manifested world. Rationally speaking the world is incapable of bringing any sort of happiness. Due to ignorance, this knowledge gets hidden. The three attributes cover the knowledge in some or other form. Sattva which means a peaceful and serene attitude, which is closest to the reality, but still there is a thin covering over the knowledge. The reality can't be seen. Rajas which depicts intense mental and physical activity deludes one by desires and ambition. The infinite desires drag one into action and takes him/her away from the reality. Tamas which shows laziness leads to inactivity due to uncontrollable overload of desires and emotions. This attribute takes one even further away from the reality. Everything that is manifested is a dynamic combination of all these three gunas. The behavior or manifestation changes depending upon the dominating attribute at any point of time. Ideally, divinity is the reality of this manifestation but the true nature is hidden. To realize the true nature, one must recognize the divinity behind the manifestation. True happiness can be obtained, after realizing our true nature. After this knowledge, the response to the manifestation changes completely. The joy one derives from this state is fathomless and incomparable.