Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple, Illinois - June 29
Swami Yogatmananda, Swami Bhaumananda (from India), Chicago Swamiis and some Providence devotees had a tour of the inside rooms of the first building phase of Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple (of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago IL). On Sun July 01, from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, they attended the first consecration ceremony, which included Ganapati, Navagraha and Sri Ramakrishna Homas, (24 homas total) and chanting led by priests from neighboring temple and ritualistic group-walk around the ceremonial tent. More than two hundred forty persons attended this ceremony.

 

Independence Day Program - July 04

About sixty devotees attended this program at Sri Sarada Ashrama, Marshfield, MA, observing (America's) Independence Day and the message of Swami Vivekananda. Devotional music was led by Joe Dwyer and the poem "Statue of Liberty', by E. Lazarus was read by Jamuna Prakash. Swami Yogatmananda mentioned that everyone is 'ruler' of their own (multi-layered) universe as viewed by Vedanta. Therefore, as Swami Vivekananda admonished, each person is responsible for the re-claiming of their own freedom and independence from earthly bondages, without imposing or enforcing their ideas or ideals upon others' spiritual manifestation-process. Swami Tyagananda stated that to Native Americans everyone else is an 'immigrant'. Vedantically, if one feels the universe as one's own, then everywhere is be viewed as 'home' at all levels (personally/politically/economically etc); otherwise one is an immigrant even in their native-born country. Swami Vivekananda sang 'Let Us go Back to Our Own Abode' to Sri Ramakrishna at their first meeting. Learn to become a spiritual immigrant and go beyond all levels of sense-bondage.

 

Retreat - Bhagavatam: 10 (47.1-21) - Sat. July 07 - Swami Yogatmananda
Skanda X: Ch 47: 'Uddhava and the Gopis of Vraja', 'Ode to the Honeybee' was discussed in this retreat. God is essence of Love; intensification, invocation and direction of all love' outpouring is God. All so- called love towards other beings and objects is mere reflection; what one actually loves is the 'Self'. The supreme love of gopis for Krishna is ultimate parable of supreme devotion and direction of their soul's yearning to become one with the Lord. True love is not physicality or mere togetherness; a true lover gives all and everything to the Beloved with no return expectation and continually longs to discuss and hear about Krishna, Lord, God. Through such devotion, even one's mind -thoughts-actions belongs to God. Even emotions of envy, jealousy, anger directed at the 'honeybee' show continued intense love for God. Uddhava consoled the gopis explaining that their all-consuming yearning for Krishna, experienced as ultimate 'love-in-separation' dedication yields fulfillment; spiritual separation from God can never occur to any devotee who exhibits such Love. Question-answer session followed.

 

Retreat - Worship (Puja) as a Spiritual Discipline - Sat. July 21 -Swami Tyagananda
The process of personally performing a ritual as worship according to the Sri Ramakrishna Math method was the topic in this workshop. Worship is not only for priests in temples, as Sri Ramakrishna was in the Kali temple, but also for individuals to understand the theory, significance and discipline of performing worship as a support to meditation. A worksheet delineated the 1)Principles of worship 2) Nitya/preparation steps 3) Fivefold purification steps 4) Divinization process 5) Invocation 6) Offering of Objects puja and 7) Concluding prayer/Prasad. Transliterated English chants for each step was included. Other forms of worship were briefed upon. Benefits of worship are a reduction of ego, increased humility and sense of service-orientation.. A devotee's sincerity and devotional intention in 'chanting' is of importance; not the cultural language. The purpose of all prayer, meditation and worship is 'correcting of one's vision'. Proper and regular visualization during worship is not mere imagination; it can result in actual surrounding Light.

 

Satsang - Sat July 28
A satsang with Swami Yogatmananda was conducted at the lakeside home of a devotee in Wareham MA to commemorate the birth of 'M'-Mahendra Nath Gupta, author of Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Music, two readings, explanations, questions, chanting of Sri Sarada Nama Sankirtanam and luncheon was included.

 

Guru Purnima - Sun July 29
Swami Yogatmananda explained that removal of ignorance is the greatest sign of compassion from a Guru. The voice of God reaches a devotee through the teachings of guru. Learn to look upon guru as manifestation of God; attend to the divinity aspects within the human form of the teacher. He read from Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Ch 4, Pg 28 and also read a letter received from President of Belur Math last July 11, 2006: …'remember that none other than Sri Ramakrishna is the Guru, Ishta; pray that your hearts' darkness's get removed.' Swami Tyagnanda discussed 'Art of Merging' as spiritual practice, asking that we examine what merging really entails. Guru does not have an independent nature/existence apart from the Ishta. From devotee to Guru to Ishta to Atman/Infinity know there is Nothing But Satchitananda. Through guru-worship, one is worshipping/ honoring all past, present and future Teachers. Become the Divine Spirituality which is the Source of Existence. Music, Reflection and luncheon concluded the program for the seventy-plus devotees who attended.

 

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