Newsletter November 11, 2009

Past Events

1) On Thurs. Nov. 05 Swami and two devotees attended the monthly Attleboro-based interfaith group, this month held at Trinity Church, Cranston, to discuss November's topic: 'Is your prayer life enough to sustain your inner peace?' with about a dozen religious representatives.
2) On Thurs. Nov. 05, Swami spoke on 'Contemplation and Meditation', general Vedanta, led a guided meditation, and answered questions to about twenty-two students and faculty in the interfaith room at Wheaton College, Norton, MA from 4:30-6:00 PM.

3) Swami was in North Carolina from Nov. 07-09. He conducted lectures on Vedanta topics in Greenville, Raleigh and Durham. He returned early Monday evening.

Synopsis of last week's classes

Friday, Nov. 06 - Bhagavad Gita - CH-4 Verses 37-39
Yajna, or sacrifice, is the ladder by which the aspirant ascends to higher and higher levels of spiritual awareness. The purpose of every lower level is fulfilled only when one renounces it to go to higher level. Take for example a staircase: the purpose of the third step is only fulfilled when one ascends to the fourth step. Similarly in spiritual life, as the aspirant renounces ignorance, s/he is not simply giving up the lower forms of awareness, for they are included and subsumed in the higher levels of awareness: the lower levels achieve their purpose as the aspirant moves beyond them. The speed at which the aspirant moves from one level to another is not essential. What is essential is the direction: is the aspirant moving from lower to higher truth. As the aspirant moves towards the higher truth, the knowledge of his Self, his/her life is accordingly purified. Impurity arises from one's false identification with the body, which in turn gives rise to desires, and, therefore, impure actions. If one possesses an abundance of shraddha-that is, a transformative or motivational conviction-as well as self-control, he will surely receive spiritual realization.

Sunday, Nov. 08 - Rabi'a: The Sufi Mystic - Father Paul Dupuis
Rabi'a, the Sufi Mystic lived in the 8th Century in the city of Basra (now in Iraq). She is regarded as the first Sufi saint who introduced the concept of divine love to the Islam. She was born in a poor but pious family and after her parents' death was sold into slavery. She would work very hard all day long and pass the night in earnest prayers. Once her master saw her surrounded by mysterious light while she was praying; and freed her from slavery. Then a new life of seclusion and devotional worship started. Soon she became widely known as a great spiritual soul and many people flocked to her for guidance. Her whole life was occupied by the love of God. Worldly things could never impress her. She had an absolute faith that God does everything. Her spiritual theme was to love God for God's sake alone and not for the reward of heaven or fear of hell. She never encouraged miracles and taught that the real Power is outside the miracles. She died in Jerusalem at a ripe old age.
Her poetry captures the glimpses of her God-centered life. "…I am not afraid of the Fire, And I do not ask You for the Garden. But all I want is the Essence of Your Love, And to return to be One with You, And to become Your Face."
"I love You with two loves- a selfish love And a Love that You are worthy of. In my selfish love, I think of You to the exclusion of everything else. In that other love, I no longer see any creature, but I see only You…."
"O God, my whole occupation, And all my desire in this world, Of all worldly things, Is to remember You. And in the Hereafter It is to meet You. This is on my side, as I have stated. Now You do whatever You will."

Tuesday, Nov. 10 - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Chapter 39)

By reading the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, one gets a sense of the purpose of life, as the writer of the book Mahendranath Gupta got by visiting Sri Ramakrishna. The Master is in Calcutta describing his experiences of 'sadhana' to the devotees. This word 'sadhana' can be translated as the 'means by which the goal is achieved'. It is practice, a road in which gradual transformation occurs.
Our life is full of fear and anxiety due to jealousy and competition. There is one place that is safe and where there is no competition and that is at the feet of God. The Master mentions how he actually saw someone with trident sitting near him when he was meditating; he warned the master that the moment his mind moves away from the lotus feet of God, he will kill him. We do all things that we feel our life depends upon. If we can see that our life depends upon sticking firmly to the meditation, then we will of course do it. We are lax about spiritual practice but are extremely particular about money etc, for we know that our life depends upon money. If we understand that our survival depends on 'sadhana', then we will do it meticulously.
The Master spoke of the Nitya -- that which is permanent and the Lila -- the changing phenomena. We should focus on the unchanging for lasting happiness.

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