Newsletter September 24, 2008

Past Events

1) Immediately after Bhagavad Gita class last Friday evening, Swami Yogatmananda and a devotee traveled to Rochester, NY to conduct a day-long spiritual retreat on 'Story of Prahlada' at the Rochester Hindu Temple on Saturday, Sept. 20. He returned to Providence on Sunday Sept. 21 and conducted the Sunday Service here.
Click here to see photo.

2) Birth anniversary of Swami Abhedananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was observed on Tuesday, Sept 23 in the morning with a chant and in the evening with a song, a biography reading and Prasad.

3) Swami Yogatmananda conducted the monthly class on Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 6) on Sun. Sept. 14th, from 10:30 - 11:30 AM at the Sri Satyanarayana Temple located at 10 Training Hill Rd, Middletown CT.

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Bhagwad Gita - Sept. 19

Introduction: The Bhagavad Gita is an allegorical battlefield of our life. It is about relative good and evil and ultimate liberation. We all have struggles in our lives and it sometimes becomes hard to decide how to act. The conflict must be resolved. There are tendencies that guide us to act according to likes and dislikes. Against these, are tendencies that guide us to what is right. Arjuna is shirking away from decision to fight. Lord Krishna responds: "Don't give in to this unmanliness. It doesn't become you." He shows that the soul is immortal, forms keep on changing. Names give the illusion of reality of form.
The intellectual understanding of "I am not the body" can become a practical experience through the practice of yoga, which is the science that converts the intellectual concept into the practical experience.
This brings us to the beginning of Chapter 3 which begins with Arjuna's burning question felt in every heart that is seeking expression. "If this Knowledge of the Self is supreme, then why you push me into the terrible work?"

Sunday - Practice of Truth- Swami Yogatmananda - Sept 21
Vedas and Upanishads hold that truth must be a primary practice for a spiritual aspirant- even before entering the spiritual life. If one is not being truthful, then one is actually not even eligible to study the scriptures. Truth is both the means (as a process) and the end result (Ultimate Reality) of the spiritual quest. Truth commands respect, at least in principle, with all persons and groups. How to put 'conscientious truth' into practice is many times the dilemma, especially if a 'truth-telling' might be hurtful/disastrous in some cases. So, the practice of truth actually means, not just speaking literal truth; but right or proper total conduct. how to speak properly; how to act properly in each situation is what is recommended in Mahanarayana Upanishad: (ritam and satyam). Shankaracharya's commentary on Taittiriya Upanishad emphasizes the practice of alignment of intention, thought, and action for a proper/truthful result. The Buddha's Eightfold Path was described, emphasizing the dharma virtue-practice of 'alert consciousness' (mindfulness at every moment).Follow holistically, proper thing to do or say. Develop proper intention and proper vision without the coloring of personal judgment or selfishness influencing that process. Anecdotes from the life of various senior Swamiis and Sri Sarada Devi were given to exemplify aspects of truthfulness shaped to fulfil required for specific situations. The continual practice of 'relative' truthfulness in one's life eventually evolves into Ultimate Truth. Universal Consciousness becomes established in Truth itself, as prayed in the Vedic chant "…May my mind and speech enable me to grasp the truth…O Self-Effulgent, be revealed unto me…". .

Tuesday - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Class - Sept. 23

After attending the play at the Star Theater, Sri Ramakrishna speaks to Narendra among others. Narendra comments that the whole world is a theatre. The Master agrees and explains that sometimes we see the play of vidya, the knowledge that leads us to liberation and other times we see the play of avidya, or the play of ignorance that binds. When Narendra counters:"All is the play of vidya." Sri Ramakrishna says yes, but that's true only after one has attained Knowledge of Brahman - The Absolute.
We are like actors and the world is a big stage. We are watching and also acting. We run into trouble when we perceive what we are watching is real, and not just a play. Sri Ramakrishna elaborates that both vidya and avidya are Maya and requests Narendra to sing for him a beautiful, uplifting song. The song alluded to the supremely blissful ocean of Oneness apparently divided by illusory walls of time and space; we need to transcend both to get the ultimate bliss. We are really not different at all. The waves can't be separated from the ocean. Concentration and devotion to God are primary ways to transcend time and space.