Newsletter May 29 , 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

Spiritual Retreat on Saturday, Jun. 01, 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM

Speaker: Swami Atmajnanananda, Resident Minister, Vedanta Center of Gr Washington DC

Subject: VIVEKANANDA’S Song on Samadhi

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

For more information and Online Registration:

http://www.vedantaprov.org/spiritualretreat.html

 

Music Concert - Jun. 02, 6:00-7:30 PM

Immediately after 5:00 PM Sunday Service on 'Be Attached’ by Swami Atmajnanananda, UDAY BHAVALKAR, a well-known Dhrupad-style vocalist from India will perform.

 

Update: In June, all Tues. and Friday classes will be on Bhagavad Gita.

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, May 31	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on Bhagavad-Gita Ch 18 cont.
Saturday, June 01	9:30 AM – 7:00 PM: Day Long Retreat; Center open to Registrants only 7:00PM: Aarati (devotional singing) and Shiva Naam Sankirtanam
Sunday, June 02	5:00–6:00 PM: A talk 'Be Attached’  by Swami Atmajnanananda (Vedanta Society, WAshington DC) 6:00 PM– 7:30PM: Music Concert by UDAY BHAVALKAR, a well-known Dhrupad-style vocalist from India
Tuesday, June 04	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on Bhagavad-Gita Ch 18 cont. In June, all Tues. and Friday classes will be on Bhagavad Gita.

 

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
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

1) Swami to NY – Sat. May 18
Swami Yogatmananda participated in a panel discussion on ‘Unity in Diversity’ at Vedanta Society, New York, on Saturday afternoon with several other Swamis and speakers. He returned Sunday morning. 

Click here to see photo.
2) On Sun. May 26, Swami Yogatmananda  conducted the monthly Bhagavad Gita class (Ch.13 continued) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (10 Training Hill Rd,Middletown, CT) from 10:30-11:30 AM .

 

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

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

 

Bhagavad Gita class -May 24, Friday

Ch. 18, Verses 36-39: The search for happiness is the most fundamental search in our lives. Sri Krishna explains that there are three types of happiness, which correspond to the temperaments of various human beings. One achieves sattvica happiness who knows that the source of happiness is actually in the Self and not in ephemeral pleasures and who makes tenacious efforts to evolve spiritually. This is joy of evolution, of climbing up against the gravity of earthly things. As one evolves spiritually, coming into more and more contact with the true source of happiness, peace, benevolence, and serenity result. Rajasica happiness consists in mistakenly thinking that happiness is in a particular object. The pleasure lasts for a moment, but the bondage remains. The end result of rajasica happiness is suffering because pleasure is sought where it is not. One achieves tamasica happiness (if it can really be called happiness at all) who miscomprehends everything; has his/her joy in delusion. The expression of this tamasica happiness is sleep, laziness, irritations, quarrels etc. The lord has told these things so that we will become more and more aware of these the three tendencies that are in us. When rajasica happiness comes, let us remind ourselves, “I’m doing it for happiness, but I am going to incur the bondage and suffering that will come by performing this action.” And when tamasica happiness comes, let us remind ourselves that this is a delusion, and degrading to myself. We should remind ourselves about these tendencies and go to higher and higher levels of happiness. As our happiness becomes higher, our life will become higher.

 

Prajna-Paramita: The Intelligence Supreme – May 26, Sunday
This talk was given on the occasion of the triple blessed day of the birthday, enlightenment day, and the day of leaving the body, of the Buddha. The Prajna-Paramita Stotram is a Mahayana Buddhist hymn glorifying the Supreme Omniscience. When enlightenment comes, all bondages and suffering disappear. Omniscience is seen as a compassionate mother that removes all suffering. (and grandmother too, as the sages who shower wisdom on ignorant are like their parents, and Prajna-Paramita is the  mother of these sages!) To receive the wisdom (prajna) that is free from all taints, we must be free from all taints. When we see the Tathagata (Buddha) we don’t get attached to illusions, as we see them come and go – i.e. they are impermanent. The awareness and the person who has the awareness are not separate. The great heroes renounce earthly things and then renounce even the supreme joy of that ultimate freedom, by coming down to teach us, at our level. It takes great effort to attain this wisdom, whereupon all attachment, even for the wisdom, goes away. The wisdom is all-pervading, so it is said to be in no space. Those who take refuge in the wisdom without knowing it also attain the same result through devotion. We may praise the Prajna-Paramita to purify ourselves, but it is really beyond all words. The author of the hymn dedicates the hymn so that the whole universe may be aspirants of this Supreme Omniscience.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Class - May 28, Tuesday

Sri Ramakrishna says that in spiritual struggle, ego is the key obstacle. Ego is present as I-consciousness tied with changing body & mind. It is so persistent that it lingers under all circumstances. This is the cause of bondage and repeated births. Such an ego is injurious as it makes us do terrible things. This happens because we take on a false identity of this body, mind or their relationships with the world. Our true identity is God that dwells within us. It is only when a man relinquishes the false “I” and realizes the in-dwelling God in Samadhi that the bondage ends.

Sri Ramakrishna says, however, that ego cannot be eliminated. It must be directed by building a relationship with God – that of a servant, a devotee, a friend, a person of reason etc. Such an ego is a harmless “ripe ego” and is our great friend. It aids us in performing spiritual practice. Saints have this type of ego. It remains even after returning from Samadhi. It is only an apparent ego and does not cause the breach of oneness comprehended in Samadhi. A saint with “ripe ego” behaves like a child who is not attached to anything and readily accepts different situations placed in front of it. In contrast, there is an ego of old age, that reinforces the ego of scholarship, wealth worldly cleverness etc. This is the “unripe ego” that leads to many shackles. These shackles are a result of several bondages that are accumulated over a number of years in running after enjoyments – every enjoyment yields temporary pleasure but results in a corresponding bondage that remains.