Newsletter September 25, 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Hatha Yoga ‘8-session’classes: Click here for the .pdf Flier

Hatha Yoga classes are beginning at Prov. Vedanta in the Lower Level (LL) beginning FRIDAY, September 20 from 5:30PM – 6:30PM & on Sunday mornings from September 22, from 10:00AM – 11:00AM.

Early-bird’ price special for eight (8) classes (Friday only or Sunday only or mixed) is $35.00; Drop-in rate is $5.00/per class. Registration and Liability forms are to be filled. Contact pat.blake8@ gmail.com

 

Swami to Washington DC – Thurs. Sept. 26
Swami Yogatmananda, Swami Atmajnananda from Vedanta Center of Washington DC, educators, legislators, and others will  participate in a White House program to honor 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Swami will return Friday afternoon.

 

Salutations! – Sat. Sept. 28
On Saturday, September 28, the birth anniversary of Swami Abhedananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, will be observed in the morning meditation with a chant, and the singing/chanting of Sri Ramakrishna Parshada Vandanam as the introduction song for the day-long retreat.

 

Day-long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. Sept. 28, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Sub: Models of the Universe

Speaker: Swami Atmavidyananda, Vedanta Society of So. California, Hollywood

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, Sept. 27	5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Hatha Yoga class 7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class to begin on ‘KARMA YOGA’ (by Swami Vivekananda) — taught by Swami Yogatmananda.
Saturday, Sept. 28	9:00AM – 7:00 PM: ‘DAY-LONG’ RETREAT NO CLEANING; NO 11AM – 12noon ‘guided mediation & music program
Sunday, Sept. 29	10:00AM – 11:00AM - Hatha Yoga class 5:00 – 6:00 PM: A talk on ‘Oratorio on Vivekananda’ by Swami Atmavidyananda, Vedanta Society of So. California 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Soup Supper
Tuesday, Oct. 01	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Ch. 45, pg 863

 

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

 

On Sat. Sept. 21, Swami Yogatmananda delivered a talk at the Cincinnati Hindu Temple to about fifty attendees as part of an all-day discussion program; on Sunday morning, he flew to Connecticut to conduct the monthly 10:30AM – 11:30AM Bhagavad Gita class at the Satyanarayana Temple in Middletown CT; he returned to Providence in the afternoon to deliver the 5PM lecture.

Classical Violin Concert – Sunday Sept. 22 
Immediately following the 5PM – 6PM Sunday Lecture, about thirty music enthusiasts attended the classical violin concert performed by Tripurendra Bhowmik, accompanied on tabla by Amit Kavthekar.

 

.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 - Sept. 20, Friday

The title of Karma Yoga’s first chapter is “Karma In Its Effect on Character.”  The word “in” is significant here.  Karma (action) has effects, both inside and outside; the focus of this text is Karma’s effect within the individual, i.e. how work brings about transformation in worker. Each action that we perform has an internal effect on our mind.  All actions create a sensation of both pleasure and pain in the mind.  Pleasure and pain come and go, but knowledge is what remains.  Knowledge is the true goal of action, but we foolishly think that pleasure is the goal of life and that this is what we should strive for.  Human suffering arises because of our striving for pleasure.  Our character is molded by the miseries and happiness in life.  Experience tells us that the miseries we face are better “teachers,” because when facing a challenging situation we become more introspective and are more receptive to the lessons contained within these difficult times.  We must be unattached to both pleasure and pain and work to extract the knowledge from the painful and pleasant experiences alike. It is important to note that, according to Swami Vivekananda, all knowledge is inherent within us; it doesn’t come from outside.  “What a man learns is what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul.”   By practicing karma yoga, we will be able to uncover the infinite storehouse of knowledge within us.
 The small actions that we perform are very important and often show a person’s true character better than a grand action does.  Each and every action should be considered significant.

 

The Truth Shall Free Us – Sept. 22, Sunday
In appearance, we are not equal, but in essence, we are all equal. In essence, there no differentiation, no limitation. From early childhood we all want to be free. We want to become like God, who is free. When we want to control the other, the other controls us, like the warden who cannot leave the prison. The sages have found that the distinction between I and the world is not real. As we go towards the truth, we find more and more freedom. It culminates in discovering our identity with God, who is ever free. We learn, ‘I am not my body, thoughts, or emotions, which are all perceived, and therefore not the self who is the Perceiver. Jesus preached that: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class - Sept. 24, Tuesday

Master's conversation with Dr. Sarkar is continued. They are discussing about the path of knowledge as one way to realize God. But this is a difficult path to practice if one is not able to transcend duality of pleasure and pain. Especially so-called intellectuals wrongly perceive the path of knowledge as superior to other paths. Even Arjuna thought so (Ch12/1). Krishna answered that path of knowledge is difficult for the people who have body consciousness. It is one thing to grasp these ideas intellectually but to put them in practice is very difficult. Each of us has to choose the path, which is suitable to his/her constitution.

Mere reading or collecting spiritual information will not lead to God realization. Hearing is better than reading as it builds a better connection. Seeing is even more powerful than hearing as it creates a very strong conviction.

To discriminate one must be impartial and not involved in or attached to the world. Holy men who have completely renounced the world have a better understanding than those who are attached to the world.
There was a q/comment – is being mindful similar to being unattached? Yes.