Newsletter June 23, 2010

Past Events

Gita Class at Middletown, CT - Sun. June 20
From 10:30 - 11:30 AM, Swami Yogatmananda conducted the monthly Bhagavad Gita class (Ch 7 # 14, 15) at Sri Satyanarayan Temple, 11 Training Hill Rd Middletown, CT.
RI Home School Network - Tues. June 22
Swami participated in a multi-faith and 'non-faith' discussion which focused on the first amendment of the constitution and also discussed concepts on conscience and consciousness at a RI Home Education 'home' with about ten students attending and teacher facilitating.

Synopsis of last week's classes

Friday, June 18 - Bhagavad Gita (Ch. 6, Verses 40-44)

In the sixth chapter, Sri Krishna outlines how our progress is dependent upon the degree to which we succeed in bringing the mind under control. Arjuna raises several doubts: Is there any shortcut by which the aspirant can bring the mind under control? No, there is no shortcut! What if the aspirant is working towards the Yoga and is trying to control the mind but dies before reaching the goal? Is all the progress lost?
"No", the Lord answers "that progress carries over into the person's next life." In the Indian conception of reincarnation, the soul chooses its next body according to the tendencies of the past life. Thus, Sri Krishna explains that an aspirant will be reborn to parents where the spiritual progress gets facilitated. May be he is born of well to do and spiritually-minded parents; this will allow this soul to live with a family who will encourage and nurture spiritual practice. Or s/he will be reborn into a family of Yogis,- a rare great privilege.. When the soul is reborn, it is again attracted to spiritual practices, takes up the path it began upon in its previous birth, and continues its progress, where s/he left.

Sunday, June 20 - The Third Eye - Swami Yogatmananda
Sense organs along with mind construe our world. We are sure that all knowledge comes to us through sense organs; therefore the efforts to learn more go in the direction of inventing new instruments as appendages to amplify and intensify the power of sense organs. This is how science progresses. But there is one perception that does not come to us through any sense organ and yet there is nothing more certain in life than that. That is the perception of 'I am'. Knowledge of the real Self comes by transcending the limitations of sense organs and in Hindu Mythology, it is called the 'third Eye'. Mythological stories describe how Lord Shiva's third eye burns the universe into ashes. Our sense organs do not create the reality but rather distort it; when the third eye opens - that is to say when the knowledge of the Self dawns through spiritual practices, it removes the distortion and the person sees the Truth. Kathopanisad describes the Self as hidden in the cave of consciousness of every being and is not seen by the sense organs. One can see 'It' by refining the awareness. Sri Sankaracharya in his commentary, explains the process of refinement through the practice of self-discipline and control of mind. Through 'third eye', the mystery of one's own nature and the nature of the universe is unfolded and all doubts are completely resolved. Sri Ramakrishna says that by practicing spiritual disciplines, the mind and sensory system undergo transformation and instead of perceiving the objects, everything is seen as divine. Meister Eckhart says that you can see God with that Eye with which God sees you. Bhagavad Gita (15th ch.) mentions that the soul is perceived only by those who have the Eye of knowledge. When the Third Eye opens, the hold of sense organs goes away and one enjoys real freedom. Tao Mystic Chuang Tzu in his poem 'The Kingly Man' describes the person of Knowledge - '...Grows boundless, wide-minded, draws all to himself....Had he all the world's power he would not hold it as his own...His glory is in knowing that all things come together in One And life and death are equal.'

Tuesday, June 22 - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

The Master explained through the stories that what we call love is more often than not nothing more than attachment. Maya or illusion acts as a beautiful con artist duping us to believe that we love when we are really just attached. The real source of love is God that is within all; God is that Oneness that is the source of true, unadulterated love. Narendra and Girish got in an argument regarding an Incarnation of God. Narendra said how could one possibly believe in such a thing without proof. Girish, on the other hand, took the position, that one should take it on faith that God incarnates as a human. Girish chided Narendra and said Narendra wouldn't believe it even if an Avatara appeared in front of him. The 'proof' is again a subjective idea - what is sufficient as proof for one may no be enough for another. The evidence presented by the sense-organs, how-so-ever defective, serves as proof enough for some; some others question that, specially when it comes to areas not accessible to the senses.

There were a couple of interesting questions after the class.

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