Newsletter November 23, 2011

The New Chapel construction work is progressing well as per plans. Heating and Ventilation duct work, the electrical connections, plumbing is completed. Acoustic and Video system wiring is also in progress. The elevator installation has begun and it is continuing. The front porch construction is progressing as well. Almost all the windows have been placed. Inner walls are being put up now. Click here to see New Construction - Updates and Photos.

Past Events

Monthly Bhagavad Gita class at Middletown, CT – Sun., Nov. 20

Swami Yogatmananda conducted the monthly Bhagavad Gita class (Chapter 09 cont.) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (11 Training Hill Rd, Middletown, CT) from 10:30 AM -11:30 AM on Sunday, November 20 to about 18 devotees.

Weekly Classes

Bhagavad Gita class – Nov. 18, Friday

Chapter 12, Verses 2-4

For most of us, the most psychologically effective spiritual path is to direct our love and emotions towards God. To know intellectually that God is the all-pervading Reality is good, but it is difficult to connect to this Truth as our lives and actions are more-guided by our emotions rather than our thoughts. But if we can direct our emotions to the divine, we will see that we can actually change our lives. This path in which we connect emotionally to a personal God is called bhakti (devotion), or the science of devotion. “Personal God" refers to our specific interpretation of the Infinite. Because we take in the world around us through the mind and sense organs, what you understand as God is certain to be different from others’ interpretations. The personal God is an individual’s personal interpretation of God. Just as a woman is connected to all her relatives in a different way (i.e. her relationship with the children is different from her relationship with husband), God is connected to us all, but His relationship with each of us varies. The important thing is to strengthen the connection we have with God. In Chapter 12, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that those people who are devoted to a personal God are not inferior to those who follow the path of knowledge. In fact, bhaktas (devotees) are most dear to Him, because those who think of God as their nearest and dearest and feel that God is guiding their lives, live in a state of constant communion with Him. Many devotees use a picture or image of God in their worship; when their connection to God is deepened, this worship is not of an image but of God Himself. Indeed, devotion means deepening, strengthening, intensifying this bond with God. In Verses 3 and 4, Sri Krishna states the necessary characteristics of devotees who can worship the imperishable & unmanifest God: A control of their senses, B. even-tempered, and C. devoted to the well-being of all around

Providence by Swami Yogatmananda – Nov. 20, Sunday

Roger Williams named the river and this city "Providence" in honor of the Divine Grace that manifested in bringing him to this place. The word ‘Providence’ brings many questions, such as: How does God take care of us? Why does God so often seem not to protect us from the harsh blows of life? And if God is perfect, then why is the universe so obviously imperfect? The neo-Platonic Greek philosopher Plotinus, whose views are strikingly similar to those of Vedanta, offers insights into such questions. In the Third Ennead, Plotinus there are two chapters titled ‘Providence’. He explains that every part is connected to the whole. Each seemingly separate individual is actually a cohesive part of the whole, and everything is connected. In his words, "[T]here is here . . . no part standing isolated from the rest, and therefore nowhere is there any wronging of any other, any opposition." Sometimes people seem to be aligned and cooperating, while other times they engage in conflict, yet all this forms the whole. The apparent discord is a necessity, as it facilitates a momentum that makes us aware of the distance between ourselves and the Divine. This offers the possibility of fulfilling the purpose of life, which is to return to The Oneness. The method for fulfilling this purpose is to reduce the ego: Lesser the ego we have, the closer we are to God. Providence does not always give us what we think we want, but instead provides for us in such a way that the ego keeps getting hit in the course of our pursuing likes and dislikes. Pain facilitates learning and growth. Enjoying pleasures and having an easy time in life can make us complacent, but when we experience pain, we turn to God, thus bringing us closer to The Oneness.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class – Nov. 22, Tuesday

Devotees were enjoying the blissful company of Sri Ramakrishna at the car festival. Sri Ramakrishna began to sing and dance with the devotees in front of the car carrying the divine image of Lord Jagannatha. His dance was full of joy and devotion. Swami Saradananda, in describing the dance of Sri Ramakrishna, says that his movements were as if he was like a wave dancing on the Ocean of Bliss. The devotees felt this divine intoxication too. Filled with this divine fervor, Narendra sang some songs to Divine Mother. In one of the songs, comes a terrifying description of Mother Kali. But in spite of this terrifying external form, Her inner bliss overpowers the devotees. Narendra used to doubt Kali; but when Sri Ramakrishna told him to pray to Mother Kali for removing his financial difficulties, and he ended up praying only for Knowledge, devotion and dispassion, then he accepted the Divine Mother. He then requested Sri Ramakrishna to teach a song of Kali – that was one of the songs he sang today. Sri Ramakrishna was very much pleased to see Narendra in a spiritual mood, singing with tears in his eyes. Narendranath, who appeared to be a Jnani from outside was full of devotion from within. Sri Ramakrishna asserted to Girish not to bring anybody to Him by force as nothing will happen before the right time.

There were many interesting questions asked to end the class.