Upcoming Events

Tue, Jan 19 – Birthday of Swami Saradananda. A special chant in the morning and evening; birthday Bio-reading in the evening after Arati.

All lectures/classes will continue to be available LIVE and stored on our Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFof5116HcBYIpUFvKet1Uw) too.

Entrance door remains open for limited times as follows:

• Tue & Fri lectures:   6:45 – 7:35 pm
• Sun services:  4:45 – 5:05 pm
• Morning meditation :   5:45 – 5:55 am
• Evening meditation:  6:45 – 7:15 pm

Weekly Schedule (in addition to Daily Schedule given below)

Past Events

Sat. Jan 09 -Birthday of Swami Shivananda. A special chant in the morning and evening; birthday Bio-reading in the evening after Arati.

Mon. Jan 11 – Swami gave two zoom online classes on Basics of Hinduism to World Religions Class of La Salle Academy, Providence.

Synopses of Past Classes
(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda)

Friday, Jan 08 – Stories from Srimad Bhagavatam
Class 38: The perception of multiplicity makes for time, space, and causation. This perception, however, is due to ignorance. We are not aware of the intrinsic non-duality. Maitreya explains to Vidura how creation proceeds. He explains that the whole creation is based on the one-without-second, unchanging reality. When we don’t think of the underlying reality, the world becomes real and God becomes unreal for us. If we were to see God, the world would dissolve. Now Maitreya explains that nothing is ever created nor actually destroyed. The basic “material” of creation is God, and there is in fact no real transformation happening there.  At the time of the dissolution of the universe, all of creation undergoes a process of “involution.” It then resolves into a state known as “pralaya,” in which the entire manifestation becomes completely “involved” in its basic cause.  There are three levels of dissolution (praylaya): nitya-pralaya (daily, sleep), naimittika-pralaya (Brahmaa going to sleep), praakrta-pralaya (Lord taking a nap). Maitreya explains this to help us feel the transitory nature of existence and the enduring reality of God. Maitreya tells Vidura that the universe existed before and will exist again. After the pralaya, the universe repeats the process of expression or “e-volution”.  During the pra-laya, the universe is in a latent or seed form. The projection from the seed takes nine forms. Maitreya goes on to describe the various levels and aspects of creation and to explain the origin of the “cosmic I”.

Sunday, Jan 10 – Let Us Become Truly Selfish
The dictionary defines being selfish as being concerned excessively and exclusively with oneself or for one’s advantage, pleasure, or wellbeing, without regard for others. When we find fault with others, we waste time, lose friends, irritate our mind, and develop a bad habit that we cannot stop. Thus, by this we hurt ourselves; so, this is not selfish. Running after objects of sense enjoyment: they keep changing, we get even more desires, and we end up in a Tantalus hell, in which desires are more intense, more painful, and result in agony. This is also thus not selfish. Running after money, we become like King Midas, with no joy, love, or peace. This is not becoming selfish. Yama tempted Nachiketa with incredible enjoyments, but Nachiketa knew that such enjoyment is really pain.
What makes us truly selfish? Not finding fault with others, and not running after sense enjoyments or money. We need to control the senses and the mind, which is difficult. We often try to take the easy way out. It may require time to control the senses and the mind, and we need to do so to our capability. When we do so, it makes us feel the truth that joy is within. The sense organs have two functions: 1.to sense and 2.to grab. We can use them to know the Truth. Swami Vivekananda said that service to others is for our own benefit. We see that the Self in others is the same as the Self in ourselves. We work without regard for others, because we are all others.

Tuesday, Jan 12 – Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play
Page #580-581 : Sri Ramakrishna as a Guru, and Sadhus of Various Orders
The company of Sri Ramakrishna and His teachings facilitate bringing out the potential divinity in human beings. His life perfectly demonstrates when the subject-object awareness goes away every single thing is seen full of life. That’s how Sri Ramakrishna and Jatadhari  – a Ramait monk, could see living little Rama in the metal idol.
There is a story of another Ramait monk, full of faith in God’s name. He used to carry a water pot and a holy book. He worshipped that book every day and read from it. All the pages of this book were imprinted only with the name of Rama.  The sadhu had a firm faith that everything is in God’s name. Not only that but even the form of the God is also in His name. By holding on to the name one can realize God. Story of sage Valmiki depicts the power of God’s name. Constant repetition of His name, as instructed by the sage Narada was enough to transform a wayside robber into a great saint – Valmiki.  Name has such great potential. One can continue to take Lord’s name anywhere in any circumstances. The study of scriptures is needed because we don’t have the tenacity, purity or faith to take God’s name all the time. Hence, we need to engage in different activities like shravana, manana and nidisyasana. That helps us in constant remembrance of the Lord. For pure minded people God is everywhere. They don’t need any extra efforts to see the divine presence in and around.
When we run after the sense pleasure, we ultimately land up having pain. We continue to get deluded by Maya till we develop true love for the Lord. If we hold on to the Lord we become one with the Lord and immortal.
Sri Ramakrishna has shared many such stories about these visiting monks with the author and other direct disciples.