Upcoming Events

Swami Travels to Huntsville, AL and London KY – Sat 4/06 to Mon 4/08 – Swami will be giving spiritual talks at Huntsville, AL on Sat and Sun and then at London, KY on Sun and Mon evenings, returning to Providence in the early afternoon on Tue, 4/09.

SPECIAL LECTURE: Sun, April 07, 5:00-6:00 pm: Lecture by Rev Linda Forsberg, First Lutheran Church, East Greenwich, RI on Universal Values in Christianity.

Day-long Meditation: Sat, April 06, Noon to 7:00 pm. The doors close for entry at noon. Will open only at 6:30 pm for the evening Arati/meditation. Simple vegetarian lunch, snacks etc available.

Kids ONLY: Sun, April 07, 4:00-6:00 pm. Children in the age group 7-12 are welcome to learn Yoga, drawing, stories, enjoy some play, fun and snacks.

Sat. May 11, 9:30 am to 7:00 pm: Spiritual Retreat by Swami Atmajnanananda, Vedanta Center, Gr Washington DC
Topic: Parliament of Religions (Christianity and Sikhism)
Prior Reg Required. Reg Fee: $30; (Discounted Fee: $20, if paid by April 28)
Click here for online registration.

Weekly Schedule (in addition to Daily Schedule given below)

Past Events

Sat, Mar 30, 1:00 pm: Swami went to Andover, MA and gave the concluding talk at the Whole Gita Chanting session at the Chinmay Maruti Temple.

 Click here to see photos.

Synopses of Past Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated)

Friday, March 29 – Study Class on Svetasvatara Upanisad
Class 24, Verses: Ch 3, 8-10:
There is no happiness, no cessation of human suffering, within the realm of the five senses. We see that the advancement of worldly knowledge, over the course of thousands of years, has not reduced the misery in the world. Competitions, jealousy, greed continually plague the human mind. That being so, humans in every age have sought to go beyond the realm of the five senses and to see the transcendental reality. By adopting the transcendental method, we will discover the truth and obtain the happiness we seek. Let us feel the presence of the one being that pervades the whole of existence – whatever we experience with the brain and our sense organs. When we see the sameness of the Lord which is omnipresent, we will see the benevolence of the Lord as well. Until then there will be no peace. Violence exists in the human mind because of the perception of multiplicity. Behind the multiplicity is the one Lord who is the “I” in “I am” and is the same in the hearts of all. True happiness is ushered in as we begin to feel oneness within our hearts. Each person desires to be a sovereign, and we are really, but only when we associate ourselves with the supreme Self which controls everything and guides the intellect of all beings. Our intellect will then not be sullied by interacting with matter and desires.

Sunday, March 31 – Skipping the Sweet Snares
The Bhagavad Gita says that it is very difficult to transcend Maya, and that only those who take refuge in God can transcend and realize the Divine. A snare is a deceptive promise of happiness. Initially, we do not feel that we are getting caught. Facing snares is like walking in a field full of landmines. Our happiness depends on learning how to skip the snares. Doing what we at first think is impossible requires determination and confidence. Sri Ramakrishna said that those who want to attain God or advance in their devotional practices must guard themselves against the snares of lust and wealth. We call the body ‘I’, and what is connected to the body we call ‘mine’. If we say that something is mine, it is like stepping on a landmine. Everyone has his or her pet idea of how to help the world. Doing good to the world with a pet idea is a snare. We can do good to the world by becoming unselfish. Realizing the Truth, with God in the heart, is the best thing we can do for the world. Otherwise we get caught in Maya. The Bhagavad Gita says that one whose senses are under control is established in wisdom. We need to be vigilant, and hold onto God. Otherwise we get ensnared and unconsciously meet the ruin in the chain attraction -> desire -> anger -> delusion/confusion -> losing the goal.

Tuesday, April 02 – Study Class on ‘Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play’
Sri Ramakrishna as a Guru Page # 448
Sri Ramakrishna always lived at the threshold of the Divine Reality and the world of names and forms. He verily understood that the divine reality permeated in and through these names and forms and also beyond the names and forms. Ordinarily people get caught in the names and forms forgetting their reality. When the awareness comes that the body is a mere instrument to fulfill a higher purpose in life, it gives rise to spiritual aspiration and the search for a Guru.
Sri Ramakrishna believed in all the three philosophies of dualism, qualified non-dualism and nondualism. He denied none. These three philosophies can be understood and experienced depending upon the spiritual evolution.
In dualism the world and the God are seen as two separate entities. The God is looked upon as a creator and the controller of the world. In qualified non-dualism the attribute-less Brahman is manifesting through the world of names and forms. In the non-dualistic experience everything is ONE appearing, without any actual change, as MANY. It is just an appearance.
Sri Ramakrishna could very well understand all these three stages and guide the spiritual aspirants according to their mental state. That was the specialty of His teacher-ship.