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Newsletter Oct. 12, 2016
Upcoming Events
Day-long Retreat – Sat. Oct. 15, 10:00AM - 7:00PM
Topic: '700 Verses on Divine Mother', to be presented by Swami Yogatmananda.
Prior Registration necessary.
Registration Fee:
On or before Oct. 08: $15.00 per person;
If registered and paid after Oct. 08, Fee: $25.00 per person;
(For online registration, $1.00 additional)
Registration can be done online or download reg. form and mail the check.
Click here for more information.
Wednesdays Hatha Yoga – Sep. 14 - Oct. 19, 5PM –6:30PM
NO HATHA YOGA CLASS ON OCT 12.
Six-week series of Hatha Yoga classes, on Wednesdays from 5pm –6:30pm, taught by Ellen Schaefer of One Yoga Center, Foster RI will be conducted at the Vedanta Society. Cost is $30/for 6-week session or $10.00 walk in per class. Please contact Ellen only at: 401-368-9642
Swami Travels – Oct. 28 - Nov. 13
Swami will be traveling to San Francisco, CA to participate in re-dedication ceremony of the Old Temple and deliver talks; he will then travel to Australia for 10 days. Upon returning, he will again be in CA; then Indianapolis IN. He will be back in Providence on Sunday Nov. 13th night.
Weekly
Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)
| Friday, Oct. 14 |
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, Oct. 15 |
10:00AM – 7:00PM: DAY-LONG RETREAT |
| Sunday, Oct. 16 |
5:00 – 6:00 PM: Sunday lecture: ‘Rosetta Stone’ by Swami Yogatmanana 7:00-8:00 PM - Meditation in chapel |
| Tuesday, Oct. 18 |
7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class by Swami Yogatmananda on 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', Ch 51, pp 968 |
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. 7' 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
Sri Durga Puja/Worship Day – Sun. Oct. 09, 11AM - 7:00PM
Over ninety devotees attended in the Sri Durga puja program, with Swami Yogatmananda performing ritual worship. There was also a short reading, devotional singing, Prasad luncheon, VIDEO of Puja at Belur Math, with explanations provided during the proceedings. From 5-6pm, a Kuchapudi Dance performance with Prafulla Velluri & students was attended by about forty-five devotees. Swami Yogatmananda further elaborated on the significance of the dances.
It was followed by the chant-singing of 108 names of Divine Mother (Sri Sarada Nama Sankirtanam) and Mahimasura-Mardini (Killer of the Buffalo Demon) hymn. Prasad dinner concluded the days events.
Sri Durga Puja at Vedanta Society of CT - Sat. Oct 8
About thirty-five devotees attended the Vedanta Society of CT the Durga puja/worship program from 2 pm –5:30 pm, conducted by Swami Yogatmananda at Suvosree Chatterjee’s home in AVON, CT.
Click here to see photos of above events.
Synopses of Past Classes
Study Class on 'Jnana Yoga' - Oct. 07, Friday
Class #36:
Time, space and causation have no existence in the Absolute, but because they are facts of our relative reality, we cannot know the Absolute. When we imagine the Absolute through constructs of time, space, and causation, the truth becomes fragmented and we are filled with questions and doubts. When we ask about the cause or origin of the Absolute, we are assuming that the Absolute is dependent on something else. But the Absolute is without cause and without effect. That which is free cannot have any cause, by definition. We are inclined to ask, “Why do terrible things happen in the world?” or, similarly, “Why do bad things happen to me?” But no solution can be found (on the relative plane), because contradiction is built in the constitution of the relative plane; and there is no problem to solve on the Absolute plane. The only solution is to merge into the Absolute. What can we do to become free? We must go beyond causation. We should stop asking such questions as, “Why am I here?” and, “Who made me?” If we stop asking questions, which presuppose causation, we will become free. Otherwise we will continue to be bound by cause and effect.
It is not possible to “know” God/the Absolute. Our conception of knowing something means it is caught in the web of our mind. If we “know” the Absolute, that means it’s bound in this net and thus has become limited; it is no longer absolute. Is God then unknowable, if knowing God means limiting that which is, by definition, unlimited? God is neither known or unknown. “Known” and “unknown” are both categories, and God cannot be bound by categories. Going beyond the dichotomy of known and unknown, we can realize God.
Sunday Lecture – Kuchipudi Dance on Mother Durga by Prafulla Velury and Students - Oct. 09, Sunday
Swami Yogatmananda, while introducing the performer-team, said- dance is one of the ways in Hindu worship to offer oneself to God.
Prafulla Velury, who was the teacher and main choreographer: ‘We will start with a dance based on a prayer in praise of Lord Ganesha, and then another dance in praise of Amma (The Mother). The next dance is a dance in praise of Mother Saraswati, followed by a dance in praise of Lord Shiva. Shiva’s speech is the scriptures. The four Vedas represent branches of the Kalpataru. The next dance is a prayer to Durga Maheswari, asking her to please save us, as she maintains the whole universe.
Swami then spoke of the salient features of the Divine Motherhood, while thanking the dance-group.
Study Class - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna – Oct. 11, Tuesday
(On this auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami, the last day of the worship of Mother Durga – a special passage from the ‘Gospel’ was chosen for discussion)
Page 126-127,
Oct 22, 1882
Mother Durga is formed by the unison of all the good tendencies (Devas) focused at a common goal to defeat the destructive demonical tendencies (asuras). When the demonical tendencies prevail, they give rise to the ego. Ego is the root cause of all the agony. Worship of the Mother Durga is done to destroy all the evil tendencies and to invoke all the good tendencies in human mind. Generally, such worship is done to achieve the worldly objectives like wealth and success. But the true meaning of this worship is to enshrine the Mother in our heart for the salvation of the self. This is the primary objective of human life. All the efforts and time are wasted in running after the transitory things in life. The worship of Divine mother symbolizes how one should lead his/her life by directing everything he/she possesses towards the fulfillment of the sole purpose of human life. After that the Mother will reside in his/her heart forever.
In the course of conversation Master asked M about his spiritual practices and his awareness about the God - with form or without form. He also explained how it is difficult to focus on the formless aspect of God in the beginning. Till the time one is aware of his/her own body one should try to concentrate on God with form. One should try to look at the images or idols as the embodiments of Consciousness.