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Past Events

Swami's lecture at Boston Vedanta - Sun. May 04
Swami Yogatmananda conducted Sunday Satsang on 'Parables of Buddha' at Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, 58 Deerfield St Boston, MA on May 04 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 noon.

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Bhagavad Gita Class - May 2

Ch. 2 (Verses 56-59):Sri Krishna tells three significant characteristics that one can see in a person established in wisdom. It will be very helpful, if we can feel the contrast in these respects, between such person and an ordinary person not established in wisdom: 1. Attachment goes away. 2. There's no anger. 3. No fear.
After realizing the Highest, that person doesn't get overly elated or depressed, but is rather steadfast in wisdom. He knows the world is a passing show so he is detached and becomes emotionally strong. Unlike an ignorant person whose sense organs run outward to their objects nearby to grab them, for such a soul these organs go inside much like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs when it sees danger. One can see this in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. One may abstain from sense pleasures for various reasons like health etc, but the taste/relish for them still remains. Thus a torturous mental hankering for them continues. But after God realization, even the taste (& thus hankering too) disappears. Without any external control, that person is always in spontaneous control.

Sunday - Six Stanzas on Nirvana - Swami Yogatmananda - May 4
Physical and mental dimensions of our personality are continuously in flux and hence cannot become our real identity. Sankaracharya's Nirvana-Satakam (Six Stanzas on Nirvana) addresses this most important and pertinent inquiry in human life - 'Who am I?'. Nirvana is the ultimate state of one's being where all duality and conflicts cease, supreme peace reigns in the midst of intense activity. Every stanza of this hymn start saying that none of my attributes are really 'I' and the refrain tells the real nature of 'I'. Body, mind, intellect, five sense organs etc. are my instruments and not 'I'. The real 'I' is consciousness absolute (abstraction of all attributes/particularizations of consciousness), bliss absolute, the Shiva (auspiciousness absolute). In contrast to the bliss absolute, ordinary bliss is limited, doesn't last long and is always paired with misery. I am not the five types of breaths (panca -vayu). I have no aversion or liking, no greed, no delusion. I am the eternal existence and hence I have no duty, no desire, no liberation (because bondage is an illusion). I am beyond virtue or vice, pleasure or pain. Since the ultimate goal is realized, I do not need mantras, holy places for pilgrimage, scriptures or rituals. As I do not identify myself with body and mind, I have no fear of death. However one may try, one cannot draw a boundary where 'I' ends and world begins; thus I am formless and omnipresent. Real 'I', the Knower cannot be known objectively. The realization of this supreme Consciousness brings total fulfillment in life.
Although the descriptions in this hymn sounds too lofty, too poetic and ethereal to be practical, one must remember that this IS the practical experience of the sages and each of us is capable of having this fulfilling experience.

Tuesday - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Class- May 6

In the path of knowledge, duality vanishes. It is the Vedantic way, the reasoning road. A devotee asked if this was the path to follow. There is also the path of bhakti or love and devotion. This approach, although initially means that I and God are different, ultimately brings the experience 'I and my God are one'. Love keeps bringing I and God closer and closer until we become one. The path of bhakti is easier for most of us because our lives are governed for the most part by the emotions and NOT by intellect. Maya makes things appear differently and some think that the path of knowledge is superior to that of devotion. This confusion afflicted Arjuna who wanted to follow the "superior" road. What is right for one may not by right for another. What is right for you is what is best for you. Lord Krishna wants Arjuna to follow the path of love, so he gives psychologically correct advice and removes any doubts his student has about it.
We should be interested in the destination, not the mode of travel. We should take the path of least resistance. For the majority of us, this means bhakti yoga.
'Why there has to be either bhakti OR Jnana? Why not follow both?' - a question was asked. Many joined in the interesting discussion to answer it. Yes, bhakti & jnana are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they compliment each other. So one should practice a combination and depending on one's constitution, one path takes the dominant role over the other.