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- Universal Brotherhood Day: Sunday, September 13
- Day-long Durga Puja celebration: Sunday, September 27
- Spiritual Retreat: Saturday, October 24
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Have a Question ?
If you have questions regarding spiritual life, Vedanta, Hinduism etc, you can email us at answers@vedantaprov.org
Newsletter June 04, 2008
Weekly Programs at Vedanta Society of Providence
| Friday June 06 | 7:00
PM –
Aarati (devotional music) & meditation. 7:30 PM – Vedanta Study class on Bhagavad Gita (Ch 2 cont) |
| Saturday, June 07 |
8:00 -
10:00 AM - cleaning |
| Sunday,
June 08 |
5:00
PM - 6:00 PM - 'Bhakti-Yoga (8): Devotion and Surrender' by Swami
Tyagananda (Ramakrishna Vedanta Society MA) |
| Tuesday, June 10 |
7:00 PM –
Aarati (devotional music) & meditation. 7:30 PM – Vedanta Study class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Ch 36, Pg 703- |
Daily Programs at Vedanta Society of Providence
| 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. III |
| Evening | 7:00
– 7:15 PM: Aarati (devotional music), a short reading from 'Spiritual
Treasures: Letters of Swami Turiyananda' 7:15 – 8:00 PM: Meditation |
Spiritual Retreat - Sat. May 31
Seventy-seven devotees attended this 22nd day-long retreat conducted at
Providence Vedanta. The program consisted of guided meditation, devotional
singing, two discourses with question-answer sessions on 'In Search of
Ourselves' by the main speaker, Swami Prabuddhananda from Vedanta Society
of San Francisco CA, a talk on 'Vedantic Tales' by Swami Yogatmananda,
refreshment breaks and luncheon , singing Sri Rama-Nama- Sankirtan and
Aarti.
The thrust of the first discourse was for an aspirant to personally
know exactly what s/he is searching for-happiness, career, love, freedom,
family, etc. Most folks become baffled by the myriad of life's daily challenges
and feelings of inadequacy, nervousness, fears, angers arise. Each and
every personal/professional life search boils down to: 'Who am I?; What
is my Real identification?' Swami Vivekananda says that one must develop
a strong sense of character and personality, without self-condemnation.
A developmentally unprepared sense of True-Self results in an inability
to distinguish fact from fancy. No one is ever (spiritually) really lost,
but everyone is totally unaware of their inner Reality. Stop asking or
comparing or relying on others; learn from yourself by continual self-inquiry
about every thought and action undertaken: 'Who exactly
is doing/thinking/believing this? Do not become spiritually impoverished
by focusing on externals, or 'jumping' out of yourself with forgetfulness
or alienation. First principle in spiritual development is to take care
of oneself first before you take on task of trying to care for others
(akin to putting oxygen mask on oneself first before attaching one to
child, elderly, etc in a plane situation).
In Discourse II, concepts of responsibility, authenticity, intelligent
methodology, and developing a witness-attitude in life was discussed.
Learn from others but do not become an unthinking conformist. Like on
a team sport, focus your energies and responsibility on your assigned
position but be available (independent) to help the overall team. Don't
stagnate -- keep going forward, even with the stumbles. Buddha exhorted
to have courage of your convictions, perceptions, judgments (and consequences)
with total mindfulness and awareness. You are what you are. Imitation
of others is (spiritual) suicide. Do your dharma according to your own
psychological, constitutional make-up. A person might socially be viewed
as successful, yet eventually feel 'burned-out' or exhausted or ill from
inner unfulfillment. Totality, Fulfillment, Atman, Supreme, God: 'IT'
is all 'HERE & NOW'-just 'See' rather than always be 'seeking' Learn
to do and then 'drop the issue'. Cut off all super-impositions through
continued practice of four yogas. Practice Witness-Consciousness: stand
aside/don't take sides; be neutral; stop the (inner/outer) weeping &
wailing; become quiet. Self is Eternal; You are That; (Hari Om Tat Sat).
In Vedantic Tales, Swami Yogatmananda told the story of Vritrasura from
Bhagawatam to emphasize the supremacy of devotion to God.
Annual General Meeting, Providence - Sun. Jun. 01
The Annual General Meeting of Vedanta Society of Providence was held immediately
following the Sunday lecture in the evening. The meeting was presided
by Swami Prabuddhananda and attended by about thirty people. Swami Tyagananda
was also present. Swami Yogatmananda spoke about the future plans. Click
here to read the annual report of Activities for Yr. 2007.
Synopsis of Last Week's Classes
Friday - Swami Prabuddhananda's Talk - May 30
Tonight instead of the usual Bhagawad Gita class, we were
treated to an impromptu talk by Swami Prabuddhananda, head of the Vedanta
Center of San Francisco. In answer to a question, Swami reminisced about
his school days in India and told us about the ferment and restlessness
in the country during the time of Mahatma Gandhi. Swami confessed he felt
homeless until he joined the order. Even before he did so he told one of
the teachers that he wanted to realize God and help people. That is exactly
the ideal emphasized by Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. He narrated his association
with great spiritual stalwarts. There were some other interesting questions
posed to Swami. We all know there has been much suffering and devastation.
It was asked, who causes plagues? Does God do that? The reply was beautiful:
"Do you want a straight answer"? The truth is nobody really knows.
What we do know is religion is realization and yoga is the method to get
there.
Sunday - Establishing A Relationship with God - Swami Prabuddhananda
- June 01
Swami Vivekananda says that religion is the eternal relationship between
the eternal soul and the eternal God. This relationship is not an unknown
thing to be acquired or not an ordinary possession which dwindles away with
time. Then what is the meaning of establishing it? Our impure mind
has separated us from God and in a psychological sense we have lost that
relationship. Mind alone is the cause of bondage and freedom. So by taking
help of the mind, we have to establish it again. One of the functions of
mind is imagination. We have to use that kind of imagination which is not
fancy but which deals with the reality creatively. Imagine the divine
presence, say in a picture of a divine personality. Impress these thoughts
on mind through repeated remembrance which will help the relationship to
deepen. The relationship can be of various types like: calmly feeing the
presence of God or in a personal sense considering oneself as servant, friend,
child, father, mother, beloved etc. of God. One can take up impersonal relationship
like that of parts and the whole. In whatever way, try to make God target
of all our emotions and feel the tangible connection.
Sometimes we think that we are impure and unfit for spiritual practices.
Always remember that God is all compassionate and a great purifier where
all the impurities will be burnt away. A touch of divine light will transform
us. Our wrong identities will vanish and we will regain our true identity
- absolute consciousness (Chit), absolute bliss (Ananda),
absolute auspiciousness (Shiva). Our social life will get transformed.
We will be able to see others as child or servant or friend of God. If one
loves God, one is bound to love others, because God lives in the heart of
everyone and hence the relationship with God can be strengthened by serving
others.
Tuesday - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Class- June 03
If we put forth effort into anything, we want assurance that
we will get the desired result. Girish Ghosh, a man of very strong faith
and devotion and yet not devoid of the rational faculty, asked Sri Ramakrishna:
"Can one realize God by sadhana (spiritual practices) "? Girish
is seeking the assurance that he will realize God, if he goes through discipline.
The problem about answering this Q is that God is not an object; it is not
a 'product' of sadhana. But sadhana is necessary to purify ourselves. Sri
Ramakrishna replies that people have realized God in various ways. Some
are born God-realized. A post-facto explanation of that is given that they
must have done spiritual practice in the past birth. But who knows? Others
get it all of a sudden, while others receive illumination in a dream. Some
practice austerities and others spiritual disciplines or sadhana. It defies
logic since it is God's grace that is at work. There can be no rules for
grace. Spiritual practice is encouraged knowing that it's not a guarantee
but rather something that makes you eligible for realization.