Newsletter June 30, 2010

Past Events

1) Spiritual Retreat - Sat. June 26 - 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Swami Atmajnanananda, Vedanta Center of Gr. Washington DC, spoke on: "The Thunder Cries: Da, Da, Da" (An illuminating Tale from Brihadaranyaka Upanisad) at the 30th day-long retreat held at Providence Vedanta for the forty-nine devotees who attended. The program consisted of guided meditation, devotional music/singing, snack-time, luncheon and three discourses before the program ended with singing of Aarti and chanting of Sri Sivanam Samkirtanam and dinner.
The three different classes of beings are gods (devas); humans, and demons. Each asked Prajapati (Lord of all creatures) the same question and each received the same answer: "da". The gods interpreted the sound-syllable-response to mean 'control yourself'; the humans interpreted "da" to mean 'be charitable, generous'; and the demons interpreted it to mean 'be compassionate'. All were correct from the position-standpoint of growth and understanding that they were at; likewise, each of us understands teachings of Vedas and Upanishads according to individual learning, temperament and constitution. The gods struggle to control passion/desires; humans with greed and demons with anger/cruelty. dama is restraining of external sense-organs from being aroused/excited/influenced. If one cannot control the (negative) thoughts from arising, then at least the urge to act out that thought must be controlled: this is self-transformation (conversion) of one's lower mind impulses to higher mind tendencies. The second discourse concentrated on aspects of 'dana' (charity) versus possessiveness; clinging; coveting; attachment, etc. Learn to do everything at every moment of day and night as an offering to the Divine/Universe. Learn to be responsibly charitable. Eight degrees of giving from Jewish philosopher Maimonides was listed. Give materially, educationally and spiritually for the welfare of others. The third discourse concentrated on developing sympathy, compassion and ultimately, universal oneness with and for all beings.
Click to see photo.

2) After the evening service on Sunday June 27, Laurie & Dean performed 'Electro-acoustic Meditative music', with wind-controlled synthesizer and hammered dulcimer.

Synopsis of last week's classes

Friday, June 25 - Bhagavad Gita (Ch. 6, Verses 45-47)

The Lord is answering the question by Arjuna that if the aspirant dies before achieving the progress he has made gets carried over to the next life. Now he underlines the truth that he has told earlier also: Yoga =the conversion of theory into practical experience is the essence of spiritual life. Without this, all so-called religious/spiritual practices become lifeless. It is not sufficient only to read Scriptures; this alone will not bring Realization. Once the Scriptures have been read, they must be acted upon. Sri Krishna says this person is to be revered more than those people who look religious but who may not "practice what they understand." Therefore, Lord says, Arjuna--and all of us--must become Yogis. The final verse of Chapter 6 sets the stage for the coming chapter, which introduces Bhakti Yoga. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that the aspirants whose hearts and souls are absorbed in their struggle for God Realization are dearest to Him. Karma yoga was the dominant theme of the first six chapters, but starting with the seventh, Sri Krishna will outline the path of controlling and training the mind through devotion.

Sunday, June 27 - On Consciousness - Swami Atmajnanananda
According to Vedanta philosophy Consciousness is the source of everything. The most intimate experience of Consciousness that we have, is the existence of 'I', which cannot be denied. Vedanta discriminates between real and unreal based on the concept of Consciousness and comes to the conclusion, as described by one of the four Mahavakyas, that Brahman, the ultimate reality is pure consciousness. It is transcendent and remains unchanged. In Western philosophy, the 'Existential Phenomenology' as propounded by Sartre, the French Philosopher echoes similar thoughts. It takes into account everything as a phenomenon; even ego is an object of experience and is different from consciousness. The mind distorts the pure consciousness by adding layers or colors to the perception. In Vedanta, Sakshin, the pure consciousness is the real witness and experiences everything without the mediacy of sense organs. In devotional terminology, It is the personal God and in philosophy, It is the Atman. Consciousness is the Subject and can never be known through subject-object perspective. According to Sartre, Consciousness is what allows the world to exist; Consciousness knows what it is only through the knowledge of what it is not; Consciousness knows it is not a being, nor a nothingness. That is the language Used by Bhagawad Gita in Ch 13.
In Vedanta Brahman or Consciousness is beyond space and time, and yet It manifests in this universe through Its inscrutable power, Maya. Brahman can be compared to light that illumines everything and yet remains invisible. As the single ray of light becomes variegated through the prism, similarly Brahman gets variegated as this universe through the prism of Maya. Brahman can be compared to water, that water has no shape of its own and takes the shape of the container. Water is odorless, colorless; so also Brahman is without any attributes, Nirguna. As water flows down to the lower level, so also Brahman wants to manifest, coming down to our heart. How Consciousness is responsible for projection of the universe? Sartre says that all Consciousness is self-consciousness. It can be best described with the famous analogy of two mirrors facing each other. Who sees who? - the question can never be answered. The only conclusion that cannot be disproved is - the reality of existence of 'I', where 'I' is the Consciousness.

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