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Reach Issue 56 January 2021 Daintree Rainforest Reach https://glampinghub.com/ Newsletter of the Vedanta Centres of Australia Sayings and Teachings IN THIS ISSUE 1. News from Australian Sri Ramakrishna on a True Teacher Centres Adelaide He alone is the true teacher who is illumined by the light of true Brisbane knowledge. Canberra Source: Great Sayings: Words of Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Melbourne Vivekananda; The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture; Calcutta; page 9. Perth Sydney Sri Sarada Devi on Herself Obituary: Reflections on the Life of Late Sri Ramakrishna left me behind to manifest the Motherhood of God to the world. Dr. Amrithalingam Source: Great Sayings: Words of Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami by Swami Sridharananda Vivekananda; The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture; Calcutta; page 20. 2. Feature Article: Shinto Swami Vivekananda on Man Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life —think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. Source: Great Sayings: Words of Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda; The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture; Calcutta; page 35-36. e welcome you all to the Vedanta Movement in Australia, as epitomized in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, and invite you to involve yourselves and actively participate in the propagation of W the Universal Message of Vedanta. Issue No. 56 January 2021 Page 1 Reach 1. News From Australian Centres 11 September 2020 to 10 December 2020 Adelaide 16 East Terrace, Kensington Gardens, SA 5068 Email: [email protected] Contact: Dr Raman Sharma on (08) 8431 9775 Mrs Pathma Iswaran on (08) 8379 5336 URL: http://vedantaadelaide.org Daily Activities The Centre functions from 7.30am-12.30pm and 4.00-8.00pm. The evening vesper service to Sri Ramakrishna is performed from 7.00-7.30 pm followed by bhajans, devotional reading Worship of Mother Durga in Adelaide and meditation. Regular Activities Swami Manyananda conducted classes and discussions on the Vedanta Sara - ’Fundamentals of Vedanta’ every Wednesday from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon. Swami Manyananda is also conducting classes on the Narada Bhakti Sutras on Sundays from 11: 00 am. Every alternative Saturday, Swami Manyanan- da has been conducting a reading and discus- sion on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna before Some of the Devotees at the Kali puja / Diwali function the evening aratrikam. Celebrations Other Activities Durga puja or navaratri was celebrated on Satur- day, 24 October 2020. The programme includ- The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Ve- ed puja, Vedic chanting, bhajans, pushpanjali, danta Centre of Adelaide was held on Sunday, prasad distribution and a short talk on the 11 October 2020. Swami Sridharananda, Swa- ‘Significance of Durga Puja’ by Swami Man- mi Manyananda, Swami Dhanyananda, Br yananda. In the evening there was the chant- Ram, the executive committee members and ing of the Mahisasura Mardhini Stotram and many devotees were present. Swami Sri- bhajans. dharananda also gave two talks on ‘The princi- ples of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Movement Kali puja or diwali was celebrated on Saturday, 14 for the present times’ and ‘Significance of Kar- November 2020 with puja, bhajans, push- ma Yoga’. panjali and prasad distribution. Page 2 January 2021 Issue No. 56 Reach 7:00 pm — 8:00 pm at 134 Fleming Rd, Chapel Hill, Qld) on alternate Fridays. Chanting of the Sri Ramanama Sankirtanam was held fortnightly at the Centre on ekadashi days (7:30 pm — 8:00 pm). Devotees took turns in decorating and wor- shipping Sri Ramakrishna's image every week at the Sri Selva Vinayakar temple, South Mac- lean, Qld. Swami Atmeshananda conducted Vivekachud- amani classes for the Vedanta Group at Toowoom- ba on the first Wednesday of every month. A class on the Ashtavakra Gita was conducted The Annual General Meeting at Adelaide at 101 Sharpless Drive, Springfield Lakes, on a fixed day of the month. On the third Saturday of every month, the Brisbane Bhagavad Gita was studied online by the Vedanta group at the Gold Coast from 5.30 96 Vedanta Drive, (next to 2 Poppy Cresent), p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Springfield Lakes, QLD 4300 On alternate Fridays, the Centre’s volunteers cooked food at its soup kitchen for the benefit of the needy. An average of 100 meals per week Email: [email protected] are cooked by volunteers, packed into contain- Contact: Swami Atmeshananda (07) 3818 9986 ers and frozen. They are distributed free of cost URL: http://vedantabrisbane.org through the Westside Community Centre, Goodna Street Life shop, Queensland Youth and Fami- lies Support Services and the Base Youth Sup- Daily Activities port Services. Meditation and the chanting of hymns were Every Friday the Centre's Food bank distribut- conducted between 6:15 am and 7:15 am on all ed groceries to the needy. An average of 12 gro- days except Sundays when it is held from 7 am cery hampers along with cooked food and free to 7:30 am. bread was distributed to the needy. Vesper service (aratrikam), bhajans, and readings The Maa Sarada's kitchen prepares and sells from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna were held food at a reasonable cost to people. On an aver- between 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm. age, about 120 persons avail themselves of this Members were encouraged to visit the Centre service. The kitchen is efficiently managed by and discuss topics concerning spiritual life. volunteers. On Fridays, a Justice of the Peace (JP) renders Regular Activities service at the Centre from 10 am to 11 a.m. Peo- ple needing the service access this free service. Sunday mornings:- (a) Yoga class from 8:00 am to 9:15 am. (b) Srimad-Bhagavad Gitā Class (10:00 am—11:00 am). (c) Bala Sangha or chil- Other Activities dren’s classes and Yuva Sangha (10:00 am— The Centre organized children's vacation pro- 11:00 am during school term ). grammes during school holidays on 21, 24 & A class on the Brahma Sutras was conducted 28 September & 1 October 2020. Meditation, on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Yoga, story-telling, painting workshop, posi- tive affirmations, gardening and a creative A Vedic Chanting class was held on Wednes- writing workshop were conducted. 30 children days from 8:30 am to 9:30 am online. participated in this programme. Classes on Meditation and Spiritual Life from Issue No. 56 January 2021 Page 3 Reach Dance, Nadananjali School of Dance, African Fusion Music, dance by The Thai Culture and Language School of Brisbane, dance by Eshwaralaya Kalaikoodam, dance by The Flamenco Studio and Drums by Toko-Ton Tai- ko Japanese drumming group. Swami Sri- dharananda's video message was played and Dr. Ashim Majumdar, Vice President of the Centre welcomed the audience. Ashneel Pa- darath gave the vote of thanks. Due to Covid restrictions, a maximum number of 60 persons were allowed to be present. However, the event was broadcast live on Facebook and Youtube. Children’s Vacation Camp in Brisbane The Government of Queensland supported the event through their grants programme. On the occasion of the National Mental Health Week, the Centre organized a workshop entitled The Annual Multicultural Programme of the 'Mind your mind' on 18 October 2020. A panel Centre was conducted on 10 October 2020. A of expert speakers and presenters on mental special stage was erected at the Centre's lower health conducted the day long workshop. ground floor area to conduct the programme. Around 35 persons participated in this. The in- Senator Shayne Neumann, Federal MP, Ms. teractive sessions were informative and instruc- Charis Mullen, MP (representing Hon. Stirling tive and was much appreciated by the partici- National Mental Health Week pants. Annual Day Multicultural Event A devastating hail storm hit Springfield Lakes on 31 October 2020. The Centre distributed cooked meals to the YMCA, Springfield Lakes - Hinchliffe, Queensland Multicultural Affairs who had set up a camp for people affected by Minister), Councillor Nicole Jonic, Ipswich City the hail storm on 13 November 2020. council and other dignitaries attended the pro- A volunteer appreciation programme was or- gramme. The event consisted of Welcome to the ganized on 13 November 2020. After evening Country by Shannon Ruska, an Aboriginal rep- prayers, many of the volunteers were recog- resentative, dances by Walker School of Irish nized and acknowledged for their selfless ser- Page 4 January 2021 Issue No. 56 Reach Other News A sum of $12, 500 was received by the Centre from the Community Energy and Efficiency and Solar Grants programme. This amount, along with a generous donation of $15, 600 by a devotee helped the Centre to install a 30KW solar system at the Centre which was commis- sioned on 20 November 2020. This will help in reducing greenhouse footprints and the Cen- YMCA, Springfield Lakes vice to the Centre. A thanksgiving hamper was given to the family of each volunteer. Celebrations During navaratri, Sri Durga Saptashati (Sri Sri Chandi) was chanted every day from 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. from 17 to 25 October 2020. A few devotees attended them in person and it was broadcast The Vedanta Centre’s Solar Panels tre’s power bills. Forthcoming Programmes During the school holidays in December and January, the Centre will conduct holiday camps for children aged from 5 to 11. The dates for these are 14 to 17 December, 11 to 14 January 2021 and 18 to 21 January 2021.
Recommended publications
  • THE LION of VEDANTA a Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order Since 1914

    THE LION of VEDANTA a Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order Since 1914

    nd Price: ` 10 YEAR OF PUBLICATION 㼀㼔㼑㻌㼂㼑㼐㼍㼚㼠㼍㻌㻷㼑㼟㼍㼞㼕 THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 Jagadamba Ashrama, Koalpara, Jayarambati, West Bengal May 2015 2 India's Timeless Wisdom Just as the farmer reaps the fruit according to the seed that he plants in the field, a man reaps spiritual merit or sin according to the acts he performed. —Traditional Saying Editor: SWAMI ATMASHRADDHANANDA Managing Editor: SWAMI GAUTAMANANDA PrintedPri and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trustst 2 fromThe No.31, RamakrishnaV edanta KMathesari Road, ~ Mylapore, ~ MAY Chennai2015 - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110 㼀㼔㼑㻌㼂㼑㼐㼍㼚㼠㼍㻌㻷㼑㼟㼍㼞㼕 102nd YEAR OF PUBLICATION VOL. 102, No. 5 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914. For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org CONTENTS MAY 2015 Gita Verse for Reflection 165 Editorial Rowing the Boat of Life 166 Articles Down the Memory Lane—The First Centenary Celebration of Sri Ramakrishna’s Birth 174 Swami Sambuddhananda Transformation of Narendranath into Swami Vivekananda: A Snapshot 179 Asim Chaudhuri Worshipping God through Images: A Hindu Perspective 186 Umesh Gulati The School in Chennai Started by Swami Ramakrishnananda 192 A Monastic Sojourner New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda
  • Introduction to the 'Message of the Upanishads'

    Introduction to the 'Message of the Upanishads'

    Swami Ranganathananda Introduction to The Message of the Upanishads THE CHARM AND POWER OF THE UPANI$ADS Table of Contents The Principal Upanisads...................................2 From Obscurity to Prominence...........................5 What the Upaniads Contain..............................7 Satyasya Satyam............................................8 Inquiry into the 'Within' of Nature.....................10 Science and Religion.....................................11 Sruti versus Smrti.........................................14 The Message of the Upanisads [Published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai] is a study, verse by verse, of three of the principal Upanisads, namely, Isha, Kena, and Katha. The first contains eighteen, the second thirty-five, and the third one hundred and nineteen verses. Though constituting a small portion of the total Upanisadic literature, they yet con- tain a lucid exposition of all the essential ideas of this im- mortal literature. Scholars are divided as to the date of the composition of the Upanisads. Many of them are agreed, however, that most of the principal Upanisads belong to the period prior to the advent of Buddha in the seventh century before Christ. There are over two hundred Upanisads, many of them sectarian in character and palpably post-Buddhistic and even post-Sank- aracarya. The Message of the Upanishads – Swami Ranganathananda The Principal Upanisads The principal Upanisads are accepted to be those which Shankaracarya (A.D. 788-820) chose to comment upon; they are ten in number and are enumerated in the Indian tradition as follows: Isha, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, MandUkya, Taittirlya, Aitareya, Chandogya, and Brhaddranyaka. According to some scholars, Sankara also commented on an eleventh Upanisad, the Svetashvatara. In his commentary on the Brahma-Sutra, he refers to four more, namely, Kausi- taki, Jabala, Mahanarayana, and Paingala.
  • Reflections at the Intersection of Science, Religion, and Development 

    Reflections at the Intersection of Science, Religion, and Development 

    The Lab, the Temple, and the Market This page intentionally left blank THE LAB, THE TEMPLE, AND THE MARKET Reflections at the Intersection of Science, Religion, and Development Edited by Sharon Harper KUMARIAN PRESS © International Development Research Centre 2000 Published in Canada by the International Development Research Centre po Box 8500, Ottawa, on, Canada K1G 3H9 http://www.idrc.ca/books/ Published in Europe and the United States of America by Kumarian Press Inc. 1294 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, ct 06002, usa http://www.kpbooks.com/ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. All paper used in this book is recycled as well as recyclable. All inks and coatings are vegetable-based products. Canadian Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: The lab, the temple and the market : reflections at the intersection of science, religion and development / edited by Sharon Harper isbn 0-88936-920-8 ccg cat. no. E97-7/2000E 1. Economic development — Religious aspects. 2. Technology — Religious aspects. 3. Religion and science. I. Harper, Sharon, 1965- . II. International Development Research Centre (Canada) HD75.L33 2000 338.9 C00-901336-9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The lab, the temple, and the market : reflections at the intersection of science, religion, and development / edited by Sharon Harper. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. isbn 1-56549-116-5 (alk. paper) 1. Economic development—Religious aspects. 2. Technology—Religious aspects.
  • Christian and Hindu Swami Ranganathananda Moulding Our

    Christian and Hindu Swami Ranganathananda Moulding Our

    358 MARCH - APRIL 2011 Monastic Spirituality: Christian and Hindu Swami Ranganathananda Moulding Our Lives with Sri Ramakrishna’s Teachings Swami Bhuteshananda Divine Wisdom MASTER: "Once a teacher was explaining to a disciple: God alone, and no one else, is your own.' The disciple said: 'But, revered sir, my mother, my wife, and my other relatives take very good care of me. They see nothing but darkness when I am not present. How much they love me!' The teacher said: 'There you are mistaken. I shall show you presently that nobody is your own. Take these few pills with you. When you go home, swallow them and lie down in bed. People will think you are dead, but you will remain conscious of the outside world and will see and hear everything. Then I shall visit your home. "The disciple followed the instructions. He swallowed the pills and lay as if unconscious in his bed. His mother, wife, and other relatives began to cry. Just then the teacher came in, in the guise of a physician, and asked the cause of their grief. When they had told him everything, he said to them: 'Here is a medicine for him. It will bring him back to life. But I must tell you one thing. This medicine must first be taken by one of his relatives and then given to him. But the relative who takes it first will die. I see his mother, his wife, and others here. Certainly one of you will volunteer to take the medicine. Then the young man will come back to life.' "The disciple heard all this.
  • Sri Ramakrishna & His Disciples in Orissa

    Sri Ramakrishna & His Disciples in Orissa

    Preface Pilgrimage places like Varanasi, Prayag, Haridwar and Vrindavan have always got prominent place in any pilgrimage of the devotees and its importance is well known. Many mythological stories are associated to these places. Though Orissa had many temples, historical places and natural scenic beauty spot, but it did not get so much prominence. This may be due to the lack of connectivity. Buddhism and Jainism flourished there followed by Shaivaism and Vainavism. After reading the lives of Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and direct disciples we come to know the importance and spiritual significance of these places. Holy Mother and many disciples of Sri Ramakrishna had great time in Orissa. Many are blessed here by the vision of Lord Jagannath or the Master. The lives of these great souls had shown us a way to visit these places with spiritual consciousness and devotion. Unless we read the life of Sri Chaitanya we will not understand the life of Sri Ramakrishna properly. Similarly unless we study the chapter in the lives of these great souls in Orissa we will not be able to understand and appreciate the significance of these places. If we go on pilgrimage to Orissa with same spirit and devotion as shown by these great souls, we are sure to be benefited spiritually. This collection will put the light on the Orissa chapter in the lives of these great souls and will inspire the devotees to read more about their lives in details. This will also help the devotees to go to pilgrimage in Orissa and strengthen their devotion.
  • 1 EDUCATION New Dimensions PUBLISHERS' NOTE Swami

    1 EDUCATION New Dimensions PUBLISHERS' NOTE Swami

    EDUCATION New Dimensions PUBLISHERS' NOTE Swami Vivekananda declares that education is the panacea for all our evils. According to him `man-making' or `character-building' education alone is real education. Keeping this end in view, the centres of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission have been running a number of institutions solely or partly devoted to education. The Ramakrishna Math of Bangalore (known earlier as Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama) started the `Sri Ramakrishna Vidyarthi Mandiram' in 1943, as a hostel for college boys wherein the inculcating of moral and spiritual values in the minds of the inmates was given the primary importance. The hostel became popular very soon and the former inmates who are now occupying important places in public life, still remember their life at the hostel. In 1958, the Vidyarthi Mandiram was shifted to its own newly built, spacious and well- designed, premises. In 1983, the Silver Jubilee celebrations were held in commemoration of this event. During that period a Souvenir entitled ``Education: New Dimensions'' was brought out. Very soon, the copies were exhausted. However, the demand for the same, since it contained many original and thought-provoking articles, went on increasing. We are now bringing it out as a book with some modifications. Except the one article of Albert Einstein which has been taken from an old journal, all the others are by eminent monks of the Ramakrishna Order who have contributed to the field of education, in some way or the other. We earnestly hope that all those interested in the education of our younger generation, especially those in the teaching profession, will welcome this publication and give wide publicity to the ideas contained in it.
  • Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda

    Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda

    Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda India 2010 These precious memories of Swami Prabuddhanandaji are unedited. Since this collection is for private distribution, there has been no attempt to correct or standardize the grammar, punctuation, spelling or formatting. The charm is in their spontaneity and the heartfelt outpouring of appreciation and genuine love of this great soul. May they serve as an ongoing source of inspiration. Memories of Swami Prabuddhananda MEMORIES OF SWAMI PRABUDDHANANDA RAMAKRISHNA MATH Phone PBX: 033-2654- (The Headquarters) 1144/1180 P.O. BELUR MATH, DIST: FAX: 033-2654-4346 HOWRAH Email: [email protected] WEST BENGAL : 711202, INDIA Website: www.belurmath.org April 27, 2015 Dear Virajaprana, I am glad to receive your e-mail of April 24, 2015. Swami Prabuddhanandaji and myself met for the first time at the Belur Math in the year 1956 where both of us had come to receive our Brahmacharya-diksha—he from Bangalore and me from Bombay. Since then we had close connection with each other. We met again at the Belur Math in the year 1960 where we came for our Sannyasa-diksha from Most Revered Swami Sankaranandaji Maharaj. I admired his balanced approach to everything that had kept the San Francisco centre vibrant. In 2000 A.D. he had invited me to San Francisco to attend the Centenary Celebrations of the San Francisco centre. He took me also to Olema and other retreats on the occasion. Once he came just on a visit to meet the old Swami at the Belur Math. In sum, Swami Prabuddhanandaji was an asset to our Order, and his leaving us is a great loss.
  • List of Marathi Books S.N

    List of Marathi Books S.N

    LIST OF MARATHI BOOKS S.N. ITEM CODE ITEM NAME ITEM PRICE AUTHOR 1) M05210 AADHUNIK BHARAT Y9 M:10 ₹ 10.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AADHUNIK MANAVALA UPANISHADANCHA SANDESH 2) M9512 ₹ 12.00 SWAMI SHIVATATTWANANDA Y4 M:12 3) M11150 ACHARYA SHANKARA Y15 M:50 ₹ 50.00 SWAMI APURVANANDA 4) M20635 ADARSH SHIKSHAN M:35 ₹ 35.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 5) M13520 ADBHUTANANDANCHI ADBHUT KAHANI Y7 M:20 ₹ 20.00 NAGPUR 6) M09225 ADHUNIK BHARAT ANI R.K.-S.V. Y19 M:25 ₹ 25.00 SWAMI SHIVTATTWANANDA 7) M14130 ADHYATMA-MARGA-DIPIKA Y9 M:30 ₹ 30.00 SWAMI TURIYANANDA 8) M17425 ADHYATMIK SADHANA Y12 M:25 ₹ 25.00 SWAMI ASHOKANANDA 9) M18030 ADHYATMIK SAMVAD: SW. VIDNYNANANDA Y3 M:30 ₹ 30.00 SWAMI APURVANANDA 10) M7115 AGHORMANI VA GAURI MA Y4 M:15 ₹ 15.00 SWAMI SHIVTTWANANDA 11) M16840 AGNIMANTRA (MARATHI) Y35 M:40 ₹ 40.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 12) M12625 AKHANDANANDACHNYA SAHAVASAT Y13 M:25 ₹ 25.00 SWAMI NIRAMAYANANDA 13) M09320 AMCHI MUKHYA SAMASYA ANI SRK AND SV M:20 ₹ 20.00 SWAMI SHIVATATWANANDA 14) M159150 AMHI PAHILELE S.V. M:150 ₹ 150.00 K V S BENODEKAR 15) M2085 AMRIT SANDESH M:5 ₹ 5.00 NGP 16) M246250 AMRITASYA PUTRA M:250 ₹ 250.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 17) M13060 AMRUTAVANI (MARATHI) Y26 M:60 ₹ 60.00 NAGPUR 18) M10780 ANANDADHAMA KADE Y4 M:80 ₹ 80.00 SW APURVANANDA 19) M25215 APALA BHARAT APALI SANSKRUTI M:15 ₹ 15.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 20) M22410 ATMABODH Y20 M:10 ₹ 10.00 SWAMI VIPAPPANANANDA 21) M04725 ATMASAKSHATKAR:SADHANA VA SIDDHI Y38 M:25 ₹ 25.00 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 22) M16615 ATMA-TATTWA Y11 M:15 ₹ 15.00 SW VIVEKANANDA 23) M24960 ATMONNATICHE SOPAN M:60 ₹ 60.00 SWAMI
  • VII. the Swami Swahananda Era (1976-2012)

    VII. the Swami Swahananda Era (1976-2012)

    Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California: From Swami Vivekananda to the Present VII. The Swami Swahananda Era (1976-2012) 1. Swami Swahananda’s Background 2. Swami Swahananda’s Major Objectives 3. Swami Swahananda at the Vedanta Society of Southern California 4. The Assistant Swamis 5. Functional Departments of the Vedanta Society 6. Charitable Organizations 7. Santa Barbara Temple and Convent 8. Ramakrishna Monastery, Trabuco Canyon 9. Vivekananda House, South Pasadena (1955-2012) 1. Swami Swahananda’s Background* fter Swami Prabhavananda passed away on July 4, 1976, Swami Chetanananda was assigned the position of head of the A Vedanta Society of Southern California (VSSC). Swamis Vireswarananda and Bhuteshananda, President and Vice- President of the Ramakrishna Order, urged Swami Swahananda to take over the VSSC. They realized that a man with his talents and capabilities should be in charge of a large center. Swahananda agreed to leave the quiet life of Berkeley for the more challenging work in the Southland. Having previously been in charge of the large New Delhi Center in the capital of India, he was up to the task and assumed leadership of the VSSC on December 15, 1976. He was enthusiastically welcomed, and soon became well established in the life of the Society. Swami Swahananda was born on June 29, 1921 in Habiganj, Sylhet in Bengal (now in Bangladesh). His father had been a government official and an initiated disciple of Holy Mother. He had wanted to renounce the world and become a monk, but Holy Mother reportedly had told him, “No, my child, but from your family two shall come.” (As well as Swahananda, a nephew also later joined the Ramakrishna Order).
  • VI. Literary Works (1950-1976)

    VI. Literary Works (1950-1976)

    Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California: From Swami Vivekananda to the Present VI. Literary Works (1950-1976) 1. Swami Prabhavananda 2. Ida Ansell (Ujjvala) 3. Gerald Heard 4. Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts and D. T. Suzuki 5. Christopher Isherwood 6. Swami Vidyatmananda (John Yale, Prema Chaitanya) 7. Public Speakers and Film Personalities 1. Swami Prabhavananda wami Prabhavananda contributed greatly to bringing the essential message of Vedanta to the West. The sixteen books he S wrote can be grouped into five categories. A more detailed discussion of his pre-1950 works appears earlier in this book. (1) Translations of religious scripture (4): Srimad Bhagavatam: The Wisdom of God (1943); Bhagavad-Gita with C. Isherwood (1944); Crest-Jewel of Discrimination with C. Isherwood (1947); and The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal with F. Manchester (1948). (2) Commentaries on religious scripture (3): How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali with C. Isherwood (1953); The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta (1963); and Narada’s Way of Divine Love: The Bhakti Sutras of Narada (1971). Prior to publication of these books, the Swami gave a series of highly praised in-depth lectures on the Sermon on the Mount and Narada’s Bhakti Sutras, as well as on the Bhagavad Gita, all of which can be purchased from Vedanta Press and Catalog. Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood provided an invaluable service by making Eastern scripture intelligible to the Western reader. The ambiguity of many translations and commentaries had proved to be a great obstacle in spreading Vedantic ideas to readers in the West.
  • The Vedanta Society of St

    The Vedanta Society of St

    The Vedanta Society of St. Louis Swami Chetanananda – Minister and Spiritual Teacher RAMAKRISHNA ORDER OF INDIA July-August 2019 Sunday Services 10:30 a.m. July 7 Early Years of St. Louis Vedanta (video) By First Vedanta Students (1939-1957) 14 Reminiscences of Holy Mother and Swami Brahmananda (video) Swami Bhuteshananda 21 Teachings of Ramakrishna Swami Nirakarananda 28 The Message of the Bhagavad Gita (video) Swami Swananda August 4 Reminiscences of Ramakrishna’s Monastic Disciples (video) Swami Bhuteshananda 11 Satsang Swami Nishpapananda and Swami Nirakarananda 18 How to Cope with Dryness in Spiritual Life (video) Swami Prabuddhananda 25 Reminiscences of Swamis Shivananda and Vijnanananda (video) Swami Lokeswarananda Special Event 10:30 a.m. July 4, Thurs. Vivekananda Festival (205 S. Skinker) Chanting, meditation, symposium, music. Lunch 12:45 p.m No Classes Tuesday or Thursday (Summer Break) Membership in the Society is open to all who accept Vedantic teachings. The Society maintains a rental library for members and stocks books for sale. www.vedantastl.org YouTube: VedantaSTL ALL ARE WELCOME More Than Anyone Else Mother always wanted to feed her children with good items. The first devotee to arrive got the best things, the next got the best of what remained during his turn and so on. Every one was happy and felt that Mother ‘loved him more than anyone else.’ The same love and unbounded affection of Mother to every devotee would sometimes reveal a unique experience in their minds. Nalini Babu tells: “I went one day with Shyamdas Goswami of Beldihar to see Mother. The moment we saw her, she said, ‘Oh, how much distance you have walked! How many difficulties you have faced! First, take some water!’ Keeping both of us near her, she fed us with puffed rice and sandesh.
  • Taking Our Temperature

    Taking Our Temperature

    Editorial Taking Our Temperature In the current issue of American Vedantist, we present different perspectives on the Vedanta movement in the West, from Swami Vivekananda’s pioneering work to new models for the future. These perspectives offer a variety of views about the role of Vedanta in the West: how it was presented in the beginning, how it is being lived out in most of our centers at present, and what are our hopes for it in the future. Is Vedanta a universal philosophy independent of any particular religion? Or is it a sophisticated form of Hinduism? How has Vedanta in the West changed since Swami Vivekananda’s original presentation? Do Vedanta Centers in the West have social responsibilities with regard to the surrounding society? Should they undertake social service activities as the Ramakrishna Mission does in India? Have the centers become Hindu temples and cultural centers for a mostly Indian immigrant population? Does it matter? How should they serve what is now an American minority of members? Do native- born Americans, including the children of Indian immigrants, have different needs from the immigrants themselves? Is Indian culture an obstacle to prospective new Western Vedantists? We encourage you, our readers, to send us your opinions on these questions. From its inception, one of AV’s main objectives has been to foster a sense of community among Vedantists in the West through the sharing of views and experiences. Such sharing can encourage us to reexamine our own lives, and can also contribute to strengthening our combined efforts. We have inherited a legacy of high spiritual idealism.