Newsletter June 10, 2009

Past Events

Swami Yogatmananda spoke on "ONE-ness" from 11:00 AM - 12:00 noon at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of MA, 58 Deerfield St, Boston on Sun. June 07 to about eighty congregants.

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Bhagwad Gita - June 05

Ch. 4 Verse 18 contd.: We heard in the last class that in Verse 18 Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that a true yogi is one who can see action in inaction, and inaction in action. When we feel like we are working, it is because our hands, feet, etc. are moving, but those body parts are not the real "I." When we feel we are doing nothing (i.e. relaxing in a chair), our body may be still but our mind continues to be active. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that if one realizes this truth, he is the most intelligent among human beings, a true yogi, and has accomplished "all works" (i.e. everything that needs to be done in life). No actions really do us any good except for those which bring us towards the realization of this truth; all other actions are useless activities. No matter what we do in life, we will always be asking ourselves, "What next?" There will be no real fulfillment and rest from work unless we realize this truth. After that, there is no "next," nothing more to achieve. In that sense, such a person has finished all the works.

Sunday - One-ness - Swami Yogatmananda - June 07
The 'One' (or Brahman or the Self) in Vedanta is not the 'one' among 'many' but the 'One' which includes 'many'- the source of everything and yet beyond everything. The absolute 'One-ness' encompasses all multiplicity and is not a matter of theoretical discussion but of practical experience that comes as a result of change in one's awareness through spiritual disciplines. As various things made from clay are different only in names and forms, but their 'clay-ness' always persists; similarly in all names and forms the 'Self' always persists. Why is it so important to experience this principle of 'One-ness'? Because, whatever we aspire in life (knowledge, happiness, love etc), all get fulfilled in this experience. The way to experience this 'One-ness' according to Kena Upanisad, is to penetrate each vibration of awareness and see the all pervading 'One-ness'. Mundaka Upanisad calls this knowledge of The One unchanging principal 'the higher knowledge'.
Mystics of different religions speak of this 'One-ness'. 13th Century Kabalist Moses De Leon says: 'God is unified oneness...The sublime inner essences secretly constitute a chain linking everything from the highest to the lowest...divine essence is below as well as above, in heaven and on earth. There is nothing else.' The great Sufi master of 12th century Ibn Al-Arabi says- 'He sees Himself by Himself... He knows Himself by Himself....He is not within you; nor are you in Him. He does not exclude you, nor are you excluded from Him..' Abstract all the changing attributes and what remains is God - 'The One'. The main obstacle for this experience is our ego which needs to be eradicated through spiritual practices. We have to acknowledge that the 'One-ness' lies in the spirit and not in manifestations.

Tuesday - Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - June 09

Words of Sri Ramakrishna bring us understanding of our true divine nature. They are like nectar or ambrosia (the mythological drink that makes one immortal). We die because of our erroneous identification with the body. Sri Ramakrishna's words remove this misplaced identification and thus, make us immortal. It is clinging to the changing aspects of life, rather than Brahman, the unchanging. It's the unchanging that is God, the divine within us. We have to recognize Mother Kali (the changing), together with Brahman and know they are one and the same. Like heat and fire for instance. Ramakrishna said to the devotee who was going out to get a cab for Girish, "Don't forget, to get the cab". We often don't remember the true purpose of our lives, which is God-realization. As humans, we are fortunate in that we can know right from wrong, have the ability to transcend likes and dislikes, and use this life to realize the Truth. This is living it wisely.