Upcoming Events

Thu, Oct 10, 6:30-7:30 pm: Swami will be speaking on Durga Saptasati (700 verses on Durga) at the Hindu Temple of RI at 40 Crystal Rd, Warwick. All welcome.

Sunday, Oct 13, 5-6 pm: Sunday lecture by Prof Prasanta Pal on Human Mind: Interface Between the Inner and the Outer World. Followed by usual Arati and Soup supper

 Swami Travels this weekend: Swami will leave for Detroit (MI) and Indianapolis (IN) on Sat morning. He will be giving a short retreat on Saturday at the Hindu Temple in Indianapolis and then a lecture there on Sunday morning; then will give 3 lectures in Detroit-Ann Arbor area on Sun evening and Monday, before returning to Providence on Tue morning.

Daylong Spiritual Retreat: Saturday, Oct 19, 9:30 am to 7:00 pm.
Swami Ishadhyanananda from Vedanta Society, Sacramento, CA will give classes on 2^nd Chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Prior registration required. Registration can be done by email, mail or in person in the book-store. Reg fee $30 ($20 if paid on or before Sat Oct 12).
Click here for Online Registration  and more information.

Weekly Schedule (in addition to Daily Schedule given below)

Past Events

Thu, Oct 03, 6:30-7:30 pm: Swami spoke on Durga Saptasati (700 verses on Durga) at the Hindu Temple of RI at 40 Crystal Rd, Warwick. About 25-30 attended.

Durga Puja: Sat Oct 05; 11 am to 7 pm. The festival was celebrated with a ritual Puja, Prasad-lunch, Video, Bharat-natyam dance about Mother Durga and a lot of music. Over 125 devotees attended.

VEENA CONCERT BY DURGA KRISHNAN: Sun, Oct 06, 6:30-800 pm: Celebrated Carnatic style musician and Veena player Durga Krishnan gave a beautiful rendering of various raaga-s on Veena. She was ably supported by Sri Krishna Saikripa on Mridangam and Shanthi Ganesh on Veena. About 35 attended the program.

Click Here to see photos of above events.

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

Friday, Oct. 04  – Study Class on Svetasvatara Upanisad
Class 40  Ch 5, Verses 7-8:
Our craving for objects of the world leads to dissatisfaction. If we want peace, we must transcend the (perceived) multiplicity around us and see the one reality that pervades everything. By invoking devotion to God, we will begin to feel this unity.  Devotion is love, directed toward God. Through devotion, all multiplicity is merged into that One; That alone is real and is the source of everything. Each of us has accrued karmas, results of our actions, over many lifetimes. The results of our past actions inevitably come to us, whether we remember the action or not. According to our karmas, our paths in life get decided. There are 3 paths described by the scriptures: a higher path, for righteous actions (dharma); a lower path, for actions with negative results (adharma); and the knowledge path (jnana), which transcends both other two and take us to our true nature.  If we inculcate in ourselves devotion to this one power, we will be able to feel our connection to the one source– God. We will see the One appearing in all forms: functioning in apparently different ways in these forms, giving the illusion of multiplicity, yet truly One.

Sunday Service, Oct. 06 – The Birth of the Divine Mother
The opening song was Durgastavarajah, sung by Srikanth Srigiriraju.
We have two tendencies The good (spreading love, kindness = the devas), and the bad (throwing anger, selfishness, violence = the asuras). The devas and the asuras are in constant battle with each other. In the causal body we see ‘I’ and the world and want to enjoy the world. In the subtle body, the mind starts functioning and we make plans to fulfill our desires. Finally, gross objects are pursued. The Divine Mother takes birth at all three levels. Spiritual struggle goes on mainly in the mind. By the mind we are bound and by the mind we are freed. In the Chandi, the asuras were victorious over the devas. The struggle went on for a thousand years, indicating the need to have patience. Then, the devas, who had been competing with each other, unite in a cooperative effort. They each radiate a great light. This luster becomes the Devi – Divine Mother called Durga. Mother Durga goes on to defeat the demon Mahishasura, who represents the ego, which is the biggest challenge in spiritual life. We need to unite all our propensities, such as the desire to travel, or to benefit society, into our spiritual life.

Tuesday, Oct 08 – Study Class on Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play
Manifestations of Power as a Guru Pg 466-469:
Sri Ramakrishna did not marry under any parental pressure, nor to fulfill his desires and not even because of residual karmas. His marriage was based upon the spiritual injunction to teach the humanity.
As per the scriptures, the marriage is a graded course to renunciation. That gradually teaches the control of natural sexual instinct. As per Rajayoga the force or the energy is one. If that is wasted in sense enjoyment then one can’t direct it towards spiritual upliftment.  As the awareness is shifted from mere sense enjoyment to higher ideal in life, the same energy is automatically directed towards spiritual practices. But if the transition of awareness does not happen at once then it is taught through a graded course. By applying discernment, one can learn that the happiness does not lie in any external object. It is inherent to all of us. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that some desires can be renounced just by discernment but for other strong desires one should try to fulfill in a limited manner. While fulfilling these desires, the mind should be trained to look at the emptiness of these desires. If one follows this discernment, slowly the mind will stop going after these desires and will aspire for the higher goals. Same principal has to be applied in the married life. One should try to transcend that relationship towards the higher ideal. As one practices continence, one realizes the higher goal of marriage. It is not for the sense enjoyments but mutual spiritual development.
Master demonstrated this ideal through his own life. He not only married but slept in the same room with Holy Mother for eight months. He lovingly trained his young wife in all domestic matters. At the same time, he looked at her as veritable manifestation of Divine Mother. He worshiped her as the goddess Shodashi and offered everything at her feet. Master enacted this play of love to teach householder devotees the true purpose of marriage. He demonstrated how to use marriage as a tool for the spiritual upliftment. He practiced it hundred percent. If we try to follow this even partially, it will benefit us all.