Center of Greater Washington, DC

3001 Bel Pre Road · Silver Spring, MD 20906

Phone: (301) 603-1772 E-mail: [email protected] Website: vedantadc.org

JANUARY 2020 SCHEDULE

Minister: Swami Sarvadevananda Resident Monks: Swami Atmajnanananda Swami Brahmarupananda Swami Chidbrahmananda Br. Kumar

Ramakrishna Order of India

Sunday Lecture: 11 AM Tuesday Discussion Group 10 AM Talks with Swamiji 5 Swami Mahayogananda Own the Day Wednesday Discussion Group 11 AM Practice of the Presence of God 12 Swami Chidbrahmananda The Beauty of Age Wednesday Night Class 8 PM Vivekacudamani 19 Puja See Under Special Programs Thursday Discussion Group 10 AM 26 Swami Brahmarupananda Bha g avad Gita What is in a Name? Friday Night Class 8:00 PM

3 Gospel of Sri

10 Bha g avad Gita

17 Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

24 Life of Holy Mother

31 Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

1 Special Programs Social Service

The Vedanta Center participates in a volunteer 1 January Kalpataru Day program at Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring. Please Puja 11 am: let us know if you would like to take part. Service is : Flower offering and bhajans 12 noon on the third Friday of the month. 12:30 pm: Prasad lunch

19 Swami Vivekananda Puja Grocery Gift Cards 11 am: Introductory Talk We urge all of you to take part in our gift card 11:30: Puja, Bhajans, Flower Offering program. Gift cards for Giant, Shopper’s, and 1 pm: Prasad Lotte/Assi Plaza may be purchased at the Center following the Sunday lecture or during visiting hours, Ram Nam and are used just like a debit card when purchasing Ram Nam will be held at the Center on Saturday groceries. This is an important part of our monthly January 4 at 7:30 PM, immediately after evening arati income and a way to support the Center at no cost to and meditation. All are invited to stay for potluck you. dinner following the program. Vedanta Medical Clinic

Karma Yoga The Vedanta Medical Clinic offers free medical services to all, regardless of income level, insurance We invite you to join us Saturday mornings from coverage, or immigration status. Hours of operation 9 am to 1 pm in performing various weekly chores are Wednesday morning, 9 am to 12 noon, and of the center: maintenance, gardening and land- Sunday afternoon, 2 to 5 pm or by special scaping, cleaning, office work, etc. appointment. Please call 240-516-6726.

Temple Hours

The temple will be open for morning meditation at 5 am and daily Puja at 7:45 am, and will remain open throughout the day until the close of evening meditation at 8 pm. Evening arati begins at 6:30 pm. Devotees may enter through the double doors at the main entrance to the temple or through the front door entrance to the Center. All are welcome.

Parents with small children are welcome to watch the Sunday lecture on the movie screen in the lower level of the temple while their children are free to quietly play.

Interviews

Those who would like to come to the Center for a private meeting with a resident swami or one of the visiting swamis may schedule an appointment either by phone or in person.

Web Site

Please visit our Web Site at www.vedantadc.org. Listen to lecture recordings, see photographs of the center, and find out about upcoming events.

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Swami Vivekananda on Service

Awake, awake, great ones! The world is burning with misery. Can you sleep? Let us call and call till the sleeping gods awake, till the god within answers to the call. What more is in life? What greater work? The details come to me as I go. I never make plans. Plans grow and work themselves. I only say, awake, awake!

Be grateful to the man you help, think of him as God. Is it not a great privilege to be allowed to worship God by helping our fellow men?

Do you love your fellow men? Where should you go to seek for God — are not all the poor, the miserable, the weak, Gods? Why not worship them first? Why go to dig a well on the shores of the Gangâ? Believe in the omnipotent power of love. Who cares for these tinsel puffs of name?

Doing good to others out of compassion is good, but the Seva (service) of all beings in the spirit of the Lord is better.

He who wants to serve the father must serve the children first. He who wants to serve Shiva must serve His children, must serve all creatures in this world first. It is said in the Shâstra that those who serve the servants of God are His greatest servants.

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