Newsletter November 05, 2008

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Video Show - 'Yoga Unveiled- evolution & essence of a spiritual tradition' Part 2 - Oct 31
Produced by Gita and Mukesh Desai, portions of the DVD 'Yoga-Unveiled: evolution and essence of a spiritual tradition ('Origins of Yoga', 'Modern Yoga' and 'Yoga as Therapy') were viewed.

Sunday - All About Duty - Swami Tyagananda - Nov. 02
In his lectures on Karma Yoga, Swami Vivekananda points out that 'duty' is an abstract term that cannot be defined objectively. Idea of duty varies according to different states in life, different nations/religions/environments etc. But from subjective standpoint, any action that takes us towards God is our duty. One idea of duty universally accepted is- practice of non-violence. According to Bhagawad Gita, our duties depend upon birth and position in life. We should always see the duties of other people from their eyes and not according to our own standards. What works best for our society/nation need not be same for other societies/nations.
'…doing the duty which is ours at any particular time is the best thing we can do in this world' -says Swami Vivekananda. We get what we deserve in life. Often forgetting this people grumble against their duties. A grumbler is attached to the results of the work and his/her life ultimately becomes a failure. A person should not be judged by the mere nature of work but by the spirit in which s/he performs it. Our capacity to do higher duties will come to us if we carry out our present duties in the best possible way. Do work as a science so that it will liberate us. The secret of work is - 'Let the end and the means be joined into one'. By doing our work with cheerfulness, whole-heartedness and without any attachment to results, all selfishness and sensuality will vanish and spiritual illumination will come.

Tuesday - Sri Ramakrishna on Truth & Simplicity - Christopher Sparks - Nov. 04

The discussion on truthfulness and simplicity in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna began by posing three orienting questions: First, what is truthfulness and what is simplicity? Second, what is the relationship between truthfulness and simplicity? Are they distinct, independent spiritual virtues or are they interdependent, mutually-supporting spiritual virtues? Third, what roles do truthfulness and simplicity play in leading one to a deeper communion with God?
As devotees of Ramakrishna, we want to look for the answers to these questions as manifested in his life. Ramakrishna emphasizes that truthfulness is the primary spiritual discipline of the Kali-Yuga. If we take a look at Ramakrishna's life, we see that truthfulness includes truthfulness in speech, truthfulness in action--which consists in the performance of a right action in accordance with one's moral duty, and truthfulness in discrimination, which consists in distinguishing between the illusory forms of changing existence and the non-dual reality of God. There is a special relationship between the practice of truthfulness and Truth; namely that through the practice of truthfulness one attains to the Truth, or God realization.
In the Gospel, Sri Ramakrishna demonstrates that simplicity consists in being childlike, but not childish. A childlike nature consists in depending on God as one's very own. The simplest relationship is one in which love is freely given and freely reciprocated between the devotee and God.