Newsletter November 27, 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

 

BLESSINGFUL HANNUKAH & THANKSGIVING!

 

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. 29	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Vedanta Study Class on ‘Karma Yoga’ by Swami Vivekananda
Saturday, Nov. 30	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, Dec. 01	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:‘Discovering Equality’ by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 PM– 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Dec. 03	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Ch. 45, pg 869

 

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 at Holy Family Parish – Sun. Nov. 24
Swami Yogatmananda lit an opening candle and  attended the annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service, conducted by Father St Godard,  at the Holy Family Parish, WoonsocketRI with about one hundred parishioners and well-wishers attending.

Swami at High School – Tues. Nov. 26
From 8:30AM–12 noon, Swami Yogatmananda taught basic Hinduism/Vedanta to four senior-level world religion classes (about ninety students total) at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI.

 

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. 22, Friday

In his lectures on Karma Yoga, Swami Vivekananda describes the internal aspect of work, namely the way in which work changes the awareness of the worker. Swami Vivekananda repeatedly emphasizes that the manner in which the work is performed is of consequence in this respect of self-transformation - the type of work performed matters not at all. Every type of work has an equal capacity to provide the means to our liberation if performed properly. Therefore, we must do the work at hand, paying close attention to the way in which we perform the work so that it may become a means to our spiritual liberation. In the third chapter of Karma Yoga, Swami Vivekananda describes precisely how to work in order for our work to lead to liberation. Human beings have wants and needs at various levels: physical, mental, and spiritual. Since most human beings identify with the body, we tend to place a high value on service rendered at the physical level; Swami Vivekananda reminds us that removing another’s physical needs is indeed a great service, but the value of the service rendered is to be gauged by the degree of the need and the extent to which the service spreads and endures. Whereas the physical and mental needs of human beings reappear after having been temporarily satisfied, spiritual growth brings fulfillment forever. Whatever work we choose to perform, we must insulate ourselves from the work and not get attached; if we can learn to work without being bound by the work, we will enjoy everlasting fulfillment.

 

‘Mine and Yours' – Nov. 24, Sunday
Everything we see springs from the Divine Mother, Who is the cause of both bondage and liberation.
The aspect of Causation, which gives rise to the division of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ is the 3rd one being discussed during these Sunday lectures; the other two – i.e. ‘Space’ and ‘Time’ have been discussed on earlier two Sundays during this month. ‘Space’ is the separation of objects, and time is the separation of events. Objects and events form connections and relationships, giving rise to mine and yours. What is mine has neither permanence nor exact demarcation, as in a toenail that is cut off being no longer mine. I protect what I see as mine and try to acquire what I see as yours. Good karma is prompted by conscience, while bad karma is prompted by desires and lust. Karma creates bondage as one act gives rise to another, resulting in transmigration. Chasing happiness creates bondage when what we seek brings misery with it.  Shankara pointed out that we superimpose subject and object on each other, and all bondage is based on this confusion. Everyone says I am before giving their name, so we are all I. Thus ‘I’ is all-pervading. The sense of I & mine should be overcome by saying Everything is Yours, O Divine Mother. When we see that all is One, the question of why God allows suffering disappears, because suffering arises from the experience of multiplicity.

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class - Nov. 26, Tuesday

Dr. Sarkar has been visiting Sri Ramakrishna for quite a few times by now. These visits have unknowingly transformed the doctor. His discussions with Sri Ramakrishna and His devotees are now mostly about God and not about medical matters. This is how the company of holy men influences our lives – it is transformational, but at times quite imperceptibly so. It is in the company of saints that we see the gap between what the life should be and what it is. It also gives us a feel for the peace and love that saints possess and exude. Their company serves as an inspiration to transform our lives on those lines. Spiritual practice is needed to make this transformation permanent. We realize that circumstances are not to be blamed for the problems in our lives. Our problems are due to our egotism and our attachments – me and mine. The solution for this is also deep within us, our true Self. A capable teacher acts as a catalyst to bring out the solution within us that we must continue to reinforce through repeated practice. This practice includes a combination of devotional practices (Bhakti) and developing rational understanding (Jnana).