Newsletter November 20, 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

 

Day-long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. Dec. 07, 9:30AM - 7:00PM

Sub: Towards The Goal Supreme

Speaker: Swami Kripamayananda, Vedanta Society, Toronto, Canada

Prior registration required. Registration Fee - $20.00 per person; For online registration - $21.00 per person

Click here for more information and to register online. (Schedule subject to change)

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, Nov. 22	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Vedanta Study Class on ‘Karma Yoga’ by Swami Vivekananda
Saturday, Nov. 23	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation and singing 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading and meditation
Sunday, Nov. 24	10:00-11:00 AM: Walk in Hatha Yoga Class 3:00 – 4:00 PM: Sanskrit class 5:00–6:00 PM: A talk on: ‘I and Mine’ by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 PM– 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Nov. 26	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Ch. 45, pg 866

 

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. 3 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 Chetanananda's book: ‘Mahendra Nath Gupta ‘M’' 7:15 – 8:00 PM: Meditation

 

Past Events

 

Swami Travels – Fri Nov 15 thru Sun Nov 17
Swami attended a retreat on ‘Yoga Psychology’ at Irving, TX (Dallas) and gave 2 lectures and answered questions. 70+ devotees attended. He also gave a lecture on ‘Vedanta and Modern Psychology’ at the Vedanta Society of North Texas, Irving, TX, on Sun Nov 17 and returned to Providence on Nov 18. 

 

Religious Affiliates Meeting at Brown University, Tue Nov 19, 9:00-12:00 Noon

Swami attended the regular quarterly meeting of Brown University Religious Affiliates. He participated in the discussion on ‘Dwindling Religiosity in Jewish Community’. 

 

Click here to see the photos.

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)

 

KARMA YOGA (based on the book by Swami Vivekananda) class - Nov. 15, Friday

Symposium: Abhijit Sircar, Roshni Darnal and Chester Boncek Presented the three facets of Karma Yoga

Roshni:
Karma Yoga is the ancient teachings of performing work as a spiritual discipline.
Swami Vivekananda’s special contribution to these timeless teachings is that he makes these teachings relatable to our everyday lives in present times. Thus Swamiji adds, that by even work alone men may get to where Buddha got largely by meditation and Christ by prayer.
1. Approach work in an impersonal way, which does not mean less involvement but less
attachment..
2. Stand entirely free, have no expectations for any of the work we are doing.
3. Take the position of a giver – everything given by you is a free offering to the world,
without any thought of return, then will work bring us no attachment.

4. Work as if you were a stranger in this land, a sojourner, work incessantly, but do not bind
yourself; bondage is terrible. This world is not our permanent home; it is only one of the many
stages through which we are passing.
Roshni concluded her talk by telling about Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, whose life exemplified this ideal.

Abhijit:

Abhijit Sircar based his presentation on the 1st chapter of the book ‘Karma Yoga’.
Character is our spiritual essence, and strengthening it is the purpose of spiritual life. Our character is shaped by our past actions or Karma, and similarly future character will be shaped by our present actions. Karma Yoga is how one turns mundane actions into spiritual practice. Work becomes worship, when performed selflessly, and that is the essence of Karma Yoga.  

Selfless Action may seem like an inherent contradiction, our desires apparently being the only propellant of our activities. Swamiji, however, emphatically points out that, "Unselfishness is more paying; only people have not the patience to practice it." Through selfless action, slowly the "Thee and Thine” awareness strengthens and "me and mine" tendencies fade away.

Karma Yoga is the art of performing work, where there is full attachment to the task at hand, and yet there is complete detachment from the consequences of the work, good or bad. One retains complete calmness while engaged in intense activity. Taking up this practice, one has to practice it for prolonged period of time. And over the years, Practice will make us Perfect.

Chester:

Chester Boncek started by having the congregation join him in reading Swami Vivekananda's teaching that "Each Soul is potentially Divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by work or worship or psychic control or philosophy."

His talk included references to passages from the Bhagavad Gita and from Swami Vivekananda's writings on Karma Yoga. Paraphrasing Swami Vivekananda he stated: "View the smallest details of a man's work as they reveal his true character."

Chester also explored the giving up of the fruits of work. "It does not to me mean to do work haphazardly", he explained, "but rather give up the ego-building motives and the search for credit or fame" from the work. He discussed each path –work, worship, psychic control and philosophy-- and the fruits specific-to-each which must be given up. Chester concluded with three verses form the Ashtavakra Samhita finishing with: “You, who have been bitten by the great black serpent of egoism “I am the doer,” please drink the nectar of faith, “I am not the doer” –and be happy. AG I.8

 

‘Swasthani’ – Established in True Self – a talk by Prof. Dorothy Abram – Nov. 17, Sunday
Swasthani is a ritual that Nepalis practice. Swasthani refers to the initiates who perform the ritual, the sacred text they use, the centered space, the Goddess, the ritual, and the performance. Mostly women practice Swasthani for such boons as healing a sickness, getting a handsome bridegroom, or the return of a loved one. The women who are Swasthani initiates fast for a month by eating only one bowl of rice a day at noon, with no spices. They bathe in the river three times a day. They read one chapter of the Swasthani scripture after each noontime meal. The month culminates in an all-night community ritual, at which all 31 chapters are read. The ritual is a process of purification. One woman did Swasthani for five years for the return of her husband who was a prisoner in Bhutan, and he came back during Swasthani. The Swasthani scripture has a story about how Naga and Nagini, a king and queen, were reunited by finding sel rotis, ring-shaped breads, floating in the river. One hundred eight sel rotis are used in the Swasthani ritual, eight are fed to the spouses, and one hundred are left to float on the river. In the Swasthani ritual, initiates pray to the Goddess, and become the Goddess through this ritual practice and performance of the unification of mind, body and action through focused attention and contemplative awareness. 

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class - Nov. 19, Tuesday

Human beings live at various levels - Physical, mental and spiritual .Spiritual level is the deeper level which interrogates into the real nature of human life. Help is much needed at this level to overcome the various questions cropping up in mind in search of our true self. Healthy body and mind are the great instruments which should be used to follow our spiritual quest. Dr. Sarkar was getting that help from Sri Ramakrishna. He slowly understood the Master as Incarnation of God. As a result he developed a loving connection with Sri Ramakrishna and His devotees. Such transformation is possible in case of each one of us.                                                                              
Master spoke about loving God for love's sake. There were no expectations from God. Ordinarily people go to God with some or other demands.
Master has mentioned various ways in which connection with God can be formed. This can be done by worship, meditation or singing and chanting His name etc. One need not be monotonous on this path of God realization.

[Swami Aparokshananda from Fiji gave a short talk about the Ramakrishna Mission in Fiji and the service work being done by it for the less privileged population]