Newsletter October 15, 2008

Past Events

1) Spiritual Retreat - Sat. Oct. 11

'Sound, Word, Meaning and Mantra' was the topic of the day-long retreat for the sixty-four devotees. Swami Atmarupananda from Vedanta Society Southern California was the main teacher. The program included three discourses, guided meditation, group chanting, music, meals, singing of Sri Sarada Nama Sankirtan and Aarati.

Discourse I began with parallel sayings from Tibetan Buddhism: 1) see all forms as emptiness 2) hear all sound as mantra and 3) see all beings as Buddha with Vedanta saying: 1) see all forms as manifestation of Brahman 2) hear all sounds as mantra and 3) see all beings as God. The 'catch' is that illumination can occur quickly either way IF one can properly and efficiently carry out the three steps. The concept of 'sound' as physical/vibration; mental/interpretation; intuitive/awareness; also sound as noise; word, or music was defined and explored in depth. Vedanta interpretation of the Zen koan 'sound of one hand clapping' is: OM/anahata/the unstruck sound. Swami Vivekananda stated that there was never a time when the human race did Not have language, as it requires some form of a language concept to develop another language. Atman is where all sound is and emerges from. The word 'japa' essentially means 'to mutter; to invoke in a low voice'. Mantra means "that which, by thinking of which, one crosses over ocean of samsara (ignorance)", "an instrument of transformation when the mind truly becomes yours". Mantra is intrinsically connected to the reality that it represents (Budddha, Jesus, Ramakrishna, etc).

Discourse 2 - One great value of practicing japa is the ease of it's usage: it doesn't require education, specific language skills, intellect, etc. Thought and language are in the Absolute Itself, although the Absolute is beyond them. Book of St John reads: ' In the beginning was the Word..', etc,. This is same as in Rig Veda: 'In the beginning was the word manifested as Supreme Brahman'. Science looks at creation as matter-stuff; religion looks at creation from standpoint of sound/word. Beyond the physical speech (Vaikhari) and mental speech (Madhyama), there is 'pashyanti' speech - 'meaning whole' or 'unitary perception'. All these emerge from 'para' speech- the supreme reality.

Discourse 3 - Some of the general guidelines for performing japa were discussed. Recite the mantra rhythmically, regularly and properly.The mantra and the deity associated with the mantra are same. Sri Ramakrishna says that once one gets to point of delight in taking name of God, then no more is to be done. Actively Wait for Reality to Reveal itself. Practice of four yogas (Raja yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga) can be done effectively with the help of mantra-japam.

Lively question-answer sessions were part of each discourse. Click here to see photo.

2) Swami Yogatmananda conducted the monthly Bhagavad Gita class on Oct. 12 from 10:30 - 11:30 AM at the Sri Satyanarayana Temple in Middletown CT.

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Bhagwad Gita - Oct 10

CH. 3 Verses 4-5: Unless we begin the work, we cannot finish it and unless we finish it, there is no scope to real rest. All may wish to give up work; but only those who have completed the life's work and thus reached the ultimate goal, are free to give it up. So Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, who wants to give up the work: "wait; the state beyond work does not come unless one begins work." Just by taking up the outer signs of Sannyasa, one does not become perfected. As long as there is ego, there is no possibility of stopping work even for a moment. The ego will keep on rattling the mind and then the body too.
So, the choice is do work in the right fashion or wrong fashion, doing it either in the spirit of Yoga or doing it through desires. If you are on the highway, you have to keep on driving. If you drive in the right direction, you reach the destination and then there is rest. Otherwise driving never ends and no question of rest.

Sunday - Changing Our Mythic Universe - Swami Atmarupananda - Oct 12
Mythology has emerged from a deeper level of human mind. Every one of us has a mind through which all our experiences are filtered. The mythic universe of one person can be conflicting at times with that of another person and as a spiritual aspirant one has to make choices and resolve it.
Three fields of experience that every philosophy and hence mythology (through stories) deals with - 1) field of self 2) field of world 3) field of God. Each one of us is a philosopher having some ideas about these things.
1. God - For a theist or an atheist, God is a placeholder for what is real and hence valuable in life. Spiritual life means changing our sense of reality and seeing God or the Self as the most real and hence the most valuable thing in life. According to one's liking, one may think of God as personal or impersonal. God is not a judge but the Love, the Consciousness, the deepest reality within me.
2. World - Through the filter of our mind, we see the world as good or bad. As a spiritual aspirant, look at the world as manifestation of God.
3. self - Many times people develop a sense of guilt and weakness. A spiritual aspirant should see himself/herself as a pure person. How can one remain impure by thinking/meditating on God? Meditate on the divine image or light residing at heart which will purify our self image.
This is changing our mythical universe.
Although mind is not a field of experience, it is certainly the instrument of experience. Until the highest realization, everything comes to us through mind and hence we have to take the best possible care of mind so that it will be a perfect instrument for achieving the highest goal of life.

Tuesday - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Class - Oct 14

When Sri Ramakrishna was in samadhi, he was not aware of his body or the external world. No boundaries of any type existed. It was all an ocean of bliss and Oneness.
Names and forms are illusory, yet he recognized one substance comprising all and that One was God. The cause of our suffering is taking these names and forms to be real. Ramakrishna wished to teach people the truth. To impart this knowledge was no easy task, given the individual differences among people. He tailored everything he said to the specific person he was talking to.
"What need is there of penance if God is worshiped with love….". Love of God, leading ultimately to the seeing of God everywhere is the goal of all religious practice like penance etc. Sri Ramakrishna explains that there are two classes people. A jivakoti, who practices meditation, rites, has love for God and will ultimately reach divine consciousness but cannot come back from there to the relative plane. There is another type, however, the isvarakotis, who is like a bus driver. He gets the Knowledge and transports people from here to there as a divine messenger. He comes back to serve mankind.