Newsletter August 28, 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

Notice

 

1. Concluding Function of the Celebration of Swamiji's 150th Birth Anniversary at Belur Math in January 2014
The Concluding Function at Belur Math will consist of the following:
Devotees’ Convention on 25 and 26 January 2014
International Seminar on 27 and 28 January 2014
Youth Convention on 29 and 30 January 2014

Delegates to these meetings will be registered through our centres. All delegates from countries outside India will be treated as resident delegates. The fee, inclusive of lodging, food and transportation to & from the Celebration venue is $300 (from 24 to 31 January 2014.)
The last date for sending the names and completed registration forms is August 31, 2013.
Please contact the Minister if you wish to go, either by phone 401-421-3960 or by email infoATvedantaprov.org.

 

2. Sunday Service and regular weekly classes will resume from Sunday, September 08 (Universal Brotherhood Day Program) onwards.
3. Next Newsletters will be posted on September 11.

4. Check our blog http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/ for some interesting and thoughtful entries added recently.

 

Upcoming Events

Swami to Ridgely, NY– Sat. Aug. 31
Swami and devotees will travel to Vivekananda Retreat, Ridgely Manor, NY where  swami will conduct a retreat on: ‘Stop Not Till The Goal Is Reached’. They will return Sunday Night.

Universal Brotherhood Day – Sun. Sept 08, 5PM – 7:30PM
Theme: ‘Swami Vivekananda: Teacher of Religion without Borders’

Speakers: Rev Janet  Nelson-Cooper; chaplain of Brown University; Father John Sullivan, La Salette Shrine, Attleboro MA; and Prof Jeffrey D. Long, Religious Studies Dept, Elizabethtown College PA.

The program also includes Multi-faith music, classical dance performance, and dinner after the program. All are welcome. No fee.

Click here for downloadable Flier.

 

The daily morning and evening meditation programs; the Tuesday and Friday evening classes and Saturday guided mediation hour (karma yoga/volunteer works) all begin from Sunday, September 08 onward.

 

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.)

 

Past Events

1. Residential Vedanta Retreat at Rochester– Wed July 31 - Sun. Aug. 04
Swami Yogatmananda conducted the annual ‘camp-style’ residential retreat at the Hindu Heritage Summer Camp in  Monroe New York (near Rochester) from Wed. July 31 thru Sun. Aug. 04 on ‘KATHA Upanishad’ to about twenty-four devotes from Providence, Toronto, and Rochester area.
 

2. Seventeen youth-young adults (ages 17 to 29) gathered at Providence Vedanta for the first residential ‘youth-young adult’ retreat from Friday August 09 through Sunday August 11 1PM. The topic was:’ What We Need To Learn From Vivekananda’. There were readings; meditation and guided meditation; one hatha yoga session; karma yoga (work duties); and discussion groups.

3. From Monday morning August 12, through Friday, August 16,  the second annual ‘day-camp’ for children  was arranged. About eighteen children (ages 08 to 15) attended. The theme was ‘Magical Birds of Ancient Mythology’, focusing on Garuda, from Indian legend. The days were filled with creative arts; storytelling; theater arts; a hatha yoga session; a film; a Connecticut bird sanctuary staff from CT bird sanctuary brought four birds for children to pet and to learn about; and meals/snacks.

4. About sixty devotees attended the Saturday, August 17, 10AM – 5:30PM ‘Middletown CT devotee group’ annual summer retreat, this time  on ‘Raja Yoga’ (taught by Swami Yogatmananda), held in the Mukerji residence, Shelton CT. The day consisted of talks; devotional singing/music; meals/snacks; Q/A session.
 
5. On Aug 18, Swami went to  Livingston NJ and spoke to about fourty people; then spoke to about thirty devotees at the Berlin Temple, NJ; returned to Providence on Monday August 19.

6. This year’s adult residential retreat was a ‘first-time’ ‘Meditate-a-thon’, attended by twenty-four devotees, from 6PM Friday, August 23 through 1:30PM Sunday August 25. This was a meditation intensive retreat. All time, except small intervals for personal care, food, etc. was spent in meditation.

7. On Aug. 25, about eighty-four devotees attended the Sri Krishna Festival from 5PM – 7PM. It began with a ½ hour puja/worship; devotional music performance; a classical ‘dance-skit’ on Radha-Krishna performed by two young dance students; a talk by Swami Yogatmananda, and concluded dinner for all.

 

Click here to see photos of above events.

 

Synopses - Summer Classes

Vedanta Summer Study class on ‘Book of Splendor’ (a Kabbala Text)
Summery: Classes 4-7 on July 30, Aug 6, 13, 20
Zohar, The Book of Splendor, is the most important book of Kabbalah in Jewish mysticism. It is a huge book originating during 1st Century AD in Safed, Israel, and ‘rediscovered’ in the 13th Century, with further contributions in the 16th Century.
 
Each Sefirah being expression of The ONE, has all the sefirot contained in it. Thus, in each sefirah, there is the source of further emanation. The whole creation comes out of each of them and the process continues ad infinitum. The tiniest atom is a hologram of whole universe.

Each Sefirah has these six aspects
1.Its concealed aspect before its manifestation in that sefirah
2. In which it is manifested and apparent
3. Of its spiritual location- as an independent sefirah
4. The Aspect which enables the sefirah above it to instill in it the power to emanate further sefirot
5. By which it emanates the sefirot hidden in it, in its full splendor
6. To manifest in the next sefirah, wherein the same cycle starts again.

 

‘In the Beginning God created…’ this biblical sentence is interpreted by Zohar as ‘The Beginning or the ONE manifested as God. All creation is ‘In the Beginning’ like ‘all movie is in the screen’ .

 

Adam’s Sin is beautifully shown as being separated from the ONE. Male and Female Both are ‘Man’ have the same name ADAM. Very similar to Shiva & Shakti idea.

The Blessed Holy One Is un-known, but becomes known at the ‘gate’ – ‘gate’ signifying a joining of the illusory and the real. It indicates the life of saints, where we get a glimpse of the truth.

 

The story of Abraham & Isaac is also differently interpreted by Zohar. Isaac was 37 years old and thus was in no way under Abraham’s control. So, in Abraham’s sacrificing his Son as commanded by God may be a test of Isaac and not of Abraham. But Zohar says, No; it was test of Abraham renunciation of everything for God.

 

The contradictions involved in the universe and the resultant balance is indicated by the saying ‘water embracing fire’

The ephemeral nature of the pleasures which people get by following the unrighteous ways as against the sufferings that a righteous may have to endure is expressed by the biblical saying, The lip of TRUTH established forever but the tongue of falsehood only till I wink - Proverbs 12-19

 

Qorban = Sacrifice really means It is actually coming near, nearer and nearer, till all is ONE Therein lies Immortality too.