Announcements and reminders:

• Join & Contribute with the following if You Wish:
  Blog: Everyone is free to contribute their thoughts on spiritual/religious classes or books or experiences.  http://vedantaprovidence.blogspot.com/
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vedanta.Providence/
  Volunteer Work: Cleaning, Maintenance, webcasting of lectures, etc.
• Vedanta Library and Bookstore: Open 30 minutes before every class/program.

Upcoming Events

Swami Travels – Sat. Oct 06 – Mon. Oct 08
Swami will leave on Sat, Oct 06 for Augusta, GA. He will address an interfaith gathering at the Hindu Temple on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary. He will also give a discourse there on Sunday morning on ‘Vedanta and Psychology of Violence’. Then he will proceed to Vedanta Society of Atlanta and will speak on ‘Imitation of Christ’ on Sun & Mon evenings and will return to Providence on Tue, Oct 09 early afternoon.

Hatha Yoga Classes – Every Tuesday, beginning Oct 02, 5:30-6:30 PM (Please note the change in day)
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

Daylong Retreat – Sat. Oct. 13, 9:30am – 5:00pm (Note the correct time)
– by Swami Chetanananda, Vedanta Society of St. Louis MO
Topic: ‘Stories of Vedanta Monks’
Fee: $30.00; Discounted fee $20 if paid  by Oct. 03 (Fees are non-refundable)
Prior Registration Required; Can be done online or at the Society’s office, or by mail.  For detailed information and online registration:
https://vedantaprov.org/schedule/

Weekly Schedule (in addition to Daily Schedule given below)

Past Events

Swami’s Trip to Chicago (IL) and Ganges (MI) – Sep 27-29: 
Swami reached Chicago Vedanta Society (actually in Homer Glenn, a Chicago suburb) on the evening of Thu, Sept 27 and spoke to groups of devotees. He gave an interview to a devotee in the next morning and joined 4 other Swamis to Vivekananda Retreat in Ganges, MI starting on Fri evening and continuing for whole Sat. About 135 attended. Swami returned to Providence on Sun morning.

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

Friday Study Class: Svetasvatara Upanisad – Sept. 28
A video-lecture by Swami Anubhavananda was screened.

Sunday Talk – Guru Granth– a talk by Sarbpreet Singh – Sun. Sept. 30, 5-7pm
Sikhism was started by Guru (=the one who dispels darkness and brings light.)  Nanak, Nanak was born in a Hindu family, and opposed oppression of the lower castes. He said that there is no Hindu and no Musulman. We are all human beings, and there is no difference between us. Before he passed away, he appointed his humblest disciple as the next Guru. The fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan, built the Golden Temple, and fought for the underdog. The tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, raised an army and fought the oppressive Mughal rulers. He said that after him, there be no more gurus. The scripture would be the spiritual leader, and the five beloved ones, named because they were willing to die, would be the temporal leaders. The core Sikh beliefs are belief in one God with many names, equality, honest labor and service, embracing community and society, and no discrimination. The five Sikh articles of faith are wearing uncut hair, special modest clothing, a comb to keep the hair neat, a bracelet to remind one of noble actions, and a ceremonial sword, to remind one of liberty and justice. Nanak and the early gurus worked for a living, and gave all monetary offerings to the community. As a young man, Nanak fed some holy men, which led to Guru Ka Langar, the tradition of feeding people, which is done without regard to caste. The poor can eat three meals a day, 365 days a year, at a Gurudwara.
Singing is the most important manner of Sikh worship. Sarbpreet Singh and the tabla player performed four songs from Guru Grantha. The topics included being aware of death, longing for God, finding peace in God, and the anguish of a low caste man at God for being chased away from a temple.

Tuesday Study Class: Sri Ramakrishna & His Divine Play – Oct. 02
Page #424-425: Bhava, Samadhi and Darshana
God realization is the only Goal of human life. This is universally true and does not depend on our likes or dislikes. All of us are marching towards the same goal knowingly or unknowingly. The need for infinite happiness and peace is universal and God realization is nothing but attainment of that, which implies ultimate satisfaction, cessation of desires and complete peace. It leads to vertical transformation of life.
Swami Saradananda described various stages of Kundalini awakening as explained by Sri Ramakrishna. One must stay away from the false and suboptimal practices of Kundalini awakening which misguide the seekers with unreasonable shortcuts. Such methods are capable of causing more harm than help. Sri Ramakrishna explained the various centers of awareness and the corresponding experiences. He used the senses as a tool to describe these higher level experiences. When he tried to explain the experience at the highest level of the awareness, he just entered into Samadhi unable to explain that particular state in words. But in a way he demonstrated the highest state of awareness for the earnest seekers.
After explaining the different centers of awareness and their symbolically indicated locations in the human body, he mentioned the various types and the speed at which the kundalini moves. The scriptures speak of five kinds of motions – like an ant, like a frog, like a serpent, like a bird and like a monkey. The type and the speed of the movement depends upon level and the awareness of the individual.