Newsletter February 17, 2010

Past Events

Sri Ramakrishna Worship Day - Sun. Feb. 14
On this 'good-winter-weather' day, about eighty-five devotees attended the 11 AM puja/worship for Sri Ramakrishna, from forty-five to fifty attended both the 2 PM Video on Sri Ramakrishna and the 4 PM music-hour; about seventy attended the 5 PM Symposium. The program ended with Aarati, Sri Ramakrishna Nama-Sankirtanam, meditation and dinner. See Symposium synopsis below. Click here to see photos.

Shivaratri - Fri. Feb. 12
After Aarati singing and before Bhagavad Gita class, there was chanting of Shiva-Nama-Sankirtanam.

Swami Yogatmananda at Brown University
1) Early Thursday evening, Feb 11, Swami visited a Brown University Chaplain's residence (at their weekly interfaith gathering), and discussed basic Vedanta philosophy and answered questions. Campus clergy of other faiths also attended.

2) On Sat. Feb. 13, Swami guided Shivaratri puja on the Brown campus for the Hindu student group.

3) On Mon. Feb. 15, Swami met with the Brown University Hindu Student group to discuss current concerns.

4) On Tues. Feb. 16, Swami met with other Brown campus Religious Affiliates to discuss assessment of the various religious groups' services for student population.

Synopsis of last week's classes

Friday, Feb. 12 - Bhagavad Gita (Ch. 5, Verses 20-22)
As the Knowledge removes the dross of ignorance, the life starts changing right here in this life; one does not need to wait till the death. The purity and perfection of the Truth makes its presence in the actual life in the form of equanimity of mind in gain or loss; the person does not get overly joyous even if something pleasant happens or does not become morose even if something terrible happens. S/he is established in the Brahman which is equally present in pleasure or pain. Another expression of the Knowledge is complete lack of craving for pleasure from the contact with objects or people; this is because the Knowledge has shown s/he the inexhaustible mine of true happiness within.
The pleasures born out of the contact between the sense & its object give rise to suffering; seeing this, the wise never indulge in it.

Sunday, Feb. 14 - Symposium on Sri Ramakrishna

A three-speaker Symposium was arranged as a part of the birth anniversary celebration of Sri Ramakrishna.
Dorothy Abram spoke about an incident that manifested Sri Ramakrishna's divine love and compassion when he blessed the actress Binodini Dasi (who was a social outcast) for her superb performance in the play 'Chaitanya Leela'. Sri Ramakrishna's blessings provided an impetus to the Bengal Theater to expand its awareness in the spiritual realm.
Olu Haynes spoke about Sri Ramakrishna's divine nature that reflected through love, compassion, forgiveness; his extraordinary ability to understand human nature and help people to progress in spiritual life accordingly. Everything in this universe is perfect in its own place and expresses nothing but divinity. Just as a rose bush, although thorny has a potential to bloom into a beautiful flower so also every being has the potential to realize its spiritual nature. Sri Ramakrishna shows us to love everyone from this perspective and realize one's true nature.
Tushar Puranik spoke about various incidents in Sri Ramakrishna's life that gives a glimpse of his infinite nature. Incarnations of God like Sri Ramakrishna transcends space, time and all dualities of physical existence and although their infinitude cannot be conceived fully by our limited intellect; yet probing into it according to our capacity can take us gradually towards that infinite existence.
In concluding remark, Swami Yogatmanada said that Sri Ramakrishna's divine touch has positively influenced various branches of knowledge and arts like science, religion, philosophy, music, etc. Those who aspire for the infinite existence and follow Sri Ramakrishna's teachings, are sure to have this birth as the last birth.

Tuesday, Feb. 16 - Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

We are so attached to the mind and body that this becomes our finite and diverse world. Yet we are puzzled because deep down we crave infinite reality, where there is a sense of unity and the life is fulfilled, not meaningless. We are all different at some level, but on a more intrinsic level we are the same, for we are all potentially divine. This is something Sri Ramakrishna spoke of often. Sri Ramakrishna went into and out of samadhi every now and then. Sometimes our imagination takes us on flights of fancy regarding our spiritual progress thinking perhaps we've reached the highest. It is often the deceiving power of Maya at work and an attempt at gratification of the ego. The Master elaborated on the question: can a man be like Krishna? Someone born with the characteristics of an Incarnation or an actual Incarnation is called an Isvarakoti. An ordinary man is called a jivakoti, who after much practice and grace can attain samadhi. The Isvarakoti has one foot in the relative consciousness and the other in the divine consciousness and can easily integrate the two. S/he has a different nervous system than an ordinary person making it possible for him to do this. The jivakoti, after realization, cannot come back to the relative plane. "Like Krishna" means to rid oneself of the ego. Also to go to a place beyond time and space. It is the perfection reached by elimination of the limited "I".

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