Newsletter September 26, 2012

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Sitar-Tabla Fusion Concert – Sat. Oct. 13

On Oct. 13, from 6:00PM – 7:30PM, there will be a sitar-tabla ‘fusion’ concert (east/west rhythms) in the lower level (LL) of the Vedanta Society. Light refreshments follow. All are welcome. A $15.00 donation is suggested.

 

Spiritual Retreat - Sat. Oct. 27, 9:30 am - 7:00 pm

Main Speaker: Swami Ishtananda, Vedanta Society, St Petersburg, Florida

Subj: Dealing with EGO

Prior registration required. Registration Fee $20.00 per person (For online registration: $21 per person)

For more information and to download registration form OR Online registration: http://www.vedantaprov.org/spiritualretreat.html

 

Weekly Programs

Friday, Sept. 28	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Study Class on Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 15
Saturday, Sept. 29	8:30-10:30AM: Karma Yoga (cleaning & other works) 11:00AM - 12.00 noon: Guided Meditation and Prayer-music 7:00 – 8:00PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading from Sri Sarada Devi The Great Wonder and meditation
Sunday, Sept. 30	5:00PM – 6:00PM: Swami Yogatmananda will speak on ‘Looking at Hologram’. 6:00PM – 7:00PM- Soup Supper 7:00 – 8:00PM – Aarati (singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Oct. 02	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class, Ch. 44 (Pg 837)

 

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
Evening :	7:00 – 7:15 PM: Aarti (devotional music), with a short reading from Swami Chetanananda's book: ‘Mahendra Nath Gupta ‘M’ 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Meditation

 

Past Events

Brown Hindu Students' Ganesh Puja – Thurs. Sept. 20

Twenty Brown University students from the Hindu Student Association performed a puja for Ganesh, under the guidance of Swami Yogatmananda, on Thurs. Sept 20, from 8:15 – 9:15PM. Swami also provided an introduction as to what Ganesh stands for; the students chanted, sang devotional songs and concluded with Prasad snacks.

Monthly Bhagavad Gita class at Middletown, CT – Sun. Sept. 23

Swami Yogatmananda conducted the monthly Bhagavad Gita class (Ch.11 concluded & Ch 12 began) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (11 Training Hill Rd, Middletown, CT) from 10:30-11:30 AM.

 

Cheer! Here is the Award News !!!

Kite Architects, the firm that designed the new chapel and other additions at the Vedanta Society, has won the ‘Rhode Island Monthly’ Gold Award for this design in its category for 2012 (In addition, they have won four other design awards too, for other projects. This is a record). This has been announced in this month’s issue. The prestigious award is given every year by the ‘Rhode Island Monthly’. Our hearty congratulations to Kite Architects!

 

Weekly Classes

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

Bhagavad Gita - Sept. 21, Friday

Ch 15 Verses 1,2: The Lord has been explaining to Arjuna how to fix our minds to the unchanging reality of the indwelling Self, which is the Supreme, ever-existent reality. In the first verse of the 15th chapter, Lord Krishna compares the universe to an imperishable banyan tree with its roots above and its branches down below. This universe is unique, like this tree, in that at its root it is connected with ultimate Divine experience, but it is nonetheless prone to creation and therefore “branches” downward. As the leaves provide nourishment to the tree, so too the scriptures nourish and protect the knowledge of the Truth. One who knows this tree, who knows the root and how this root gives rise to the branches, knows the complete nature of reality. In the second verse of the 15th chapter, Lord Krishna continues the analogy between the banyan tree and the changing reality, which comprises and perpetuates phenomenal existence. Just as the branches of the banyan tree are prone to growth, everything at the phenomenal plane of existence is prone to get divided and grow exponentially. We can see our works are like that: our actions give rise to further actions, and so we are bound by the results of our actions. It is specially stated for human beings as humans are known to have ‘conscience’ to judge the right and wrong and thus automatically the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ karma results for them. By suppressing our likes and dislikes, and by doing what is right according to the dictates of one’s conscience, we can transcend the bondage of action and become free.

 

The Truth of Truth - Sept. 23, Sunday

The notion of truth is intrinsic in us all. This notion of truth forms the basis of our understanding and judging what is right. Because relative truth changes, we search for ultimate truth. The Brihadaranyaka Upanisad speaks of the Truth of the truth, or the Unchanging and relative truth. Balaki, a learned and puffed up young man, meets King Ajatshatru, and says he will teach the king about Brahman/God. The king replies that for this statement of his about teaching what is God, he will give him 1,000 cows. Balaki talks about celestial or superior beings. The king replies that they are still relative, so how can they be God? King Ajatshatru demolishes all of Ballaki’s arguments, so that Ballaki’s pride turns to humility, and he asks to learn about God. Swami Vivekananda says that our concept of God evolves. The earlier concepts are true, but they are not the ultimate truth. Analogies for the emanation of the universe from the Self e.g.- the spider creating a web, and sparks coming from a fire are to answer the question ‘where the raw materials came from with which God created the world’. King Ajatshatru takes Ballaki to a sleeping man, who is not awoken by calling him names, but is woken up by grabbing his hand. When sleeping, he represents the relative truth, but when awake, he represents a glimpse of the ultimate truth. One person is not another person, but he or she is God and all differences cease there.. An example is given of the sun reflected in ten pots of water. Does The Sun become ten suns? If all the pots are destroyed, then The Sun alone is - which alone was really there, anyway. The Sun is The Truth of all reflected, illusory appearances – which are true.

Sankara beautifully clarifies this Truth of the truth idea by showing that what appears as individual self in ignorance is really the supreme Self when knowledge dawns. Vedanta teaches fearlessness and confidence in our intrinsic divinity. As the sun is not caught in the pot, we are not caught in the body. Relative truths are only true in their contexts, but divinity is intrinsic in everything. That is the Truth of truth. 

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class – Sept. 25, Tuesday

Master emphasizes on having devotion, love for God. Love helps one to form a strong bond. Intellectual understanding is not enough. Ordinary human mind is not attracted to Lord instinctively. One has to cultivate, develop that love for God through regular, sincere spiritual practices.
The presence of God can't be felt when the mind is full of worldly thoughts. To experience the bliss of the divine one must transcend the world. Running away from the world is not the solution. The world exists as long as the sense of enjoyment from various names and forms exist. One must try to see the oneness in all names and forms. The awareness of oneness will remove the desire to enjoy. This is a very difficult idea to be practiced:  to see the same awareness pervading in all.
Pundit recited a hymn from the holy scripture of Bhagvatam. The hymn describes Lord to be everything that exists. The world and the God are not two separate entities. As the ocean is filled in each wave similarly God is filled in the world. One gets attracted to the world, but the true source of that attraction is God alone. When this concept of oneness is experienced then one will be able to transcend the world and see Lord alone everywhere.
After listening to this hymn Master went into Samadhi. It was very easy for him to get merged into the 'ocean awareness' from the 'wave + ocean awareness'. Any thought, sight could cause the Master to lose His external consciousness and merge in Samadhi. He touched the Pundit in that state, which brought about a devotional upsurge in Pundit. After the Pundit left, Master retired for the day.

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