Newsletter October 30, 2013

 

Newsletter Archives

 

Upcoming Events

 

Long Meditation Session – Sat. Nov. 02
This coming Sat., Nov 02 will be the second 'Long Meditation Session' in the chapel, beginning 12 noon - immediately after 11AM – 12 noon ‘guided meditation/music hour.  People wanting to participate must come before 12:00 noon, when the entry will be closed. Doors will open at 6:30PM for 7:00 – 8:00 PM Aarati (singing, a reading & meditation)

Bhagavad Gita class at Middletown, CT – Sun. Nov. 03
Swami Yogatmananda will conduct the monthly Bhagavad Gita (beginning Ch.14) at Sri Satyanarayana Temple (10 Training Hill Rd,Middletown, CT) from 10:30-11:30 AM. All are welcome.

Children’s Sunday ‘Spiritual Arts & Storytelling’ Class – Sun. Nov. 03
This coming  Sunday, the  'Spiritual Arts & Storytelling’ class from 4PM – 6PM,  for children age 12 and under, under the direction of Prof Dorothy Abram will meet for the second time.  Please e-mail Dorothy.Abram AT jwu.edu for any questions.

 

Bharathnatyam Dance Classes – Sundays 3:30 PM – 5:00PM
To learn traditional South Indian Classical dance, taught by classical dancer Anuradha, please call her only at 704-707-5430 for complete information.

 

Day-long Spiritual Retreat - Sat. Dec. 07, 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM

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.)

 

Check out our blog for this entry: Would it be better to be "Slavish or Self-driven?" on one's spiritual journey? A new post on the Vedanta Society of Providence blog addresses this question: http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/

 

Weekly Programs (in addition to Daily Programs given below)

Friday, Nov. 01	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’:ch 2 (based on the book of Swami Vivekananda)
Saturday, Nov. 02	8:30 – 10:30 AM: Karma yoga/cleaning 11:00 AM – 12 noon: Guided meditation and singing 12noon – 6:30PM: ‘LONG MEDITATION SESSION’ (no entry allowed after 12 noon) doors open 6:30PM for Aarati 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing), a short reading and meditation
Sunday, Nov. 03	10:00-11:00 AM: Hatha Yoga Class 5:00–6:00 PM: A talk on: ’Here and Now’, by Swami Yogatmananda 6:00 PM– 7:00 PM: Soup Supper 7:00PM – 8:00 PM: Aarati (devotional singing, a reading and meditation)
Tuesday, Nov. 05	7:00 PM: Aarati (devotional music) & meditation 7:30 – 8:30 PM: study class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Ch. 45, pg 865

 

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

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 - Oct. 25, Friday

If properly performed, work has the capacity to take us to the goal of life. Although we think our present work is unsuitable for Karma Yoga, and so are tempted to change the work, each and every work has the same potential of becoming Karma Yoga. In order to transform an ordinary work into a form of Karma Yoga, it is necessary to change the attitude with which we do the work. Different times, climes, and individual temperaments give rise to varied and relative senses of duty: In one society it may be quite immoral to marry more than once in life; in another society remarriage after the death of spouse is socially acceptable. Swami Vivekananda emphasizes that our first duty, always and everywhere, is to not hate ourselves, to have faith in ourselves, and to then have faith in God. What does it mean to say we have faith in God, if we don’t first have faith in the fellow who is making the statement? Our moral sense depends on our sense of duty—our sense of what has to be done, regardless of likes or dislikes. By having faith in ourselves and performing our duties properly, we will become stronger mentally and physically, and thereby spiritually. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Strength is religion.” Whatever sense of duty we possess, let us make good use of it by performing our work as Karma Yogis.

 

Quanyin or Avalokitasvara - Oct. 27, Sunday
God is universally worshipped as Mother. Lord Buddha is worshipped as Avalokitasvara (also spelled as Avalokitesvara), usually in female forms, but sometimes in male forms. God is infinite and beyond conception, so we need a human form with which to connect. God is impartial, yet we need a God of compassion who pays attention to my needs. The Buddha had a vision that the lotuses that were just on the surface of the water (that needed sunlight to grow) represented the people who could benefit from his teachings. Avalokitasvara listens to the sound of weeping, suffering humanity, and shows each person the path according to his or her constitution. Avalokitsvara or Quanyin has various names and forms in different countries. There is a story of a king who mistreated his daughter, yet she sacrificed one of her eyes and hands to cure him of a fatal illness. God as Mother represents a mother who does not give up her child whatever the child does, like the Holy Mother’s relationship to her devotees. Om Mani Padme Hum is a chant that indicates the beneficial presence of the primordial sound, viewed as a lotus in the heart.

 

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna class - Oct. 29, Tuesday

Dr. Sarkar, due to his strong scientific orientation, had many doubts about God-incarnation. He used to argue a lot with Master on this issue. Perception by sense organs is used as a ‘test’ for something being real. But the plane of sense perception has some limitations. To perceive things outside the scope of sense perception, one must elevate him/herself to a higher plane of knowledge. The best example of such existence of which we all are aware of but still can't perceive it by senses is the existence of 'I'.
The Master said - "Unless the man is guileless, he can't so easily have faith." Truth has to be very simple. It can't be complicated. To perceive this straightforward Truth one must become guileless. Then the Truth is revealed. This is the necessary and sufficient condition to realize the Truth. All other spiritual practices suggested are helpful to become straightforward and guileless. Otherwise, the ego clouds the understanding and the most apparent reality cannot be perceived by that clouded understanding. Master says that God can't be realized without the childlike faith.