HAPPY HEALTHY HOLY CHRISTMAS!
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Upcoming Events

Swami visits for Livingstone, NJ – Sat. Dec. 22
Swami leaves for Livingstone, NJ to speak to the devotees there. He will be back by 11:00pm

Christmas Eve – Mon Dec 24, 7PM – 8:30PM
There will be singing of carols; readings  on the significance of Ramakrishna Order and Christianity; reflections from Swami Yogtamananda and a short offering to Jesus. Refreshments will follow. All are welcome.

Sarada Devi Puja/Worship Day – Sun Dec 30
From 11:00am – 7:00pm. Includes ritual puja/worship; flower offering by devotees; prasad luncheon; a video on Sri Sarad Devi; some devotional music; 5pm – 6pm  ‘Symposium’; followed by Aarati and  chanting. All are welcome to attend all or any part of the events.

Hatha Yoga Classes – Every Tuesday, 5:30-6:30 PM
Fee: $40 — PREPAID For 2 Month Course, $10/Per Class
Contact Vedanta Society by phone or email or contact Roshni Darnal at 401-226-5421

NO ‘SRI RAMAKRISHNA AND HIS DIVINE PLAY’ CLASS ON TUE, DEC 25 DUE TO CHRISTMAS

Weekly Schedule (in addition to Daily Schedule given below)

Past Events

The birth anniversary of Swami Premananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was observed  on Sun Dec 16 with a chant in the morning,  and a song and short biography reading in the evening after Aarati.

Synopses of Past Classes

Friday Study Class – Svetasvatara Upanishad  – Dec. 14
Class 10, Verses Ch. 1: 12-16
Our awareness of the Self needs to be cultivated with increasing intensity. There is within each of us the possibility of our true divinity being manifested.  We must not feel discouraged by the challenges of worldly life, for the spark of realization can ignite at any moment. Liberation is possible for everyone, and it is truly not difficult.  We must feel that God is in me, and we can manifest it at any time. Like rubbing two sticks together, repeatedly, to start a fire, we must continuously “rub” our minds with the reassurance that, “I am divine!”  Though this truth is vouchsafed by the great sages, this “rubbing” (meditation/yoga) is something we all must do. Any worries we have, our doubts– we must get over them. Extricating ourselves from the bondage of the world is difficult, but let us tune our lives to what we want, and we’ll get it for sure. When we know that we are that Infinite Self, nothing more remains to be known. Those who have achieved this knowledge feel the presence of the divine everywhere.

Sunday Talk – Visions of Holy Mother – Dec. 16
Peter Travisano sang Tell Me Mother Who Thou Art
In Vrindavan, Sri Ramakrishna gave both Holy Mother and Swami Yogananda parallel visions that she should initiate him, which each of them doubted, until they knew of each other’s visions. Also in Vrindavan, Holy Mother had a vision of Lord Krishna with the gopis, but she did not see Radha, because she herself was Radha. Holy Mother had a vision of Swami Vivekananda sprinkling Ganges water (that had become one with Sri Ramakrishna’s body) on the multitude, saying: “Jai Sri Ramakrishna!” This resolved the doubts that some had that Sri Ramakrishna’s goal in life of God-realization, and Swami Vivekananda’s practice of social service, were different ideas. When Holy Mother felt that no one would take care of her because she had no children or relatives, Sri Ramakrishna came to her in a vision and said that she would be tired of people calling her Mother. Because Holy Mother knew that the world was unreal, a challenge for her was holding onto the world, to do good to others. Sri Ramakrishna, in some visions, arranged for Holy Mother’s niece to be her Yoga Maya, whereupon she thought to herself, who would take care of her niece, and proceeded to take care of her. This tied Holy Mother to the world, to fulfill her purpose of spreading religion to devotees. On a south Indian tour, Holy Mother saw a Shiva Linga made by Sita, and said that it was still the same as she had left it, indicating that she had been Sita.