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Vedanta News S E P T E M B E R — November, 2018 Issued by the President of the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW Identity & the Self

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Vedanta News S E P T E M B E R — November, 2018 Issued by the President of the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW Identity & the Self Vedanta News S e p t e m b e r — November, 2018 Issued by the President of the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW Identity & the Self Identity & the Self There is no help for you The purpose of all the major religious tradi- outside of yourself; you are the tions is not to construct big temples on the creator of the universe. Like the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts. silkworm you have built a cocoon –Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama around yourself. This self is but the shadow Be of that real Self which is behind. Swami Vivekananda M ARK T WAIN Contents Everything that irritates us about oth- 2—3 News: In Brief, Obituary, Kerala Floods ers can lead us to an understanding of our- Appeal selves.-Carl Jung 3 Vedanta Memoirs: Nandu & Lalita Mehta An evil is a potential vitality in need of 4 Report: Vedanta Q&A Overcoming transformation. –Sheldon B.Kopp, Anger (If you meet the Buddha on the road kill Him!) 4—5 Coming Events T HE trouble with most of us is that we would ra- ther be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. 6 Wisdom of the Gita: Echoes of –Norman Vincent Peale Modern Science 7 Deepavali: Article by Pravrajika It is better to be hated for what you are Ajayaprana than to be loved for what you are not. — A n d r e G i d e 8 Vedanta Answers: Q & A with Swami Smarananda, Sister Nivedita— From: 1001 Pearls of Life-Changing Wisdom Insights on Identi- New Find? ty, Truth, and Success. Compiled by Elizabeth Venstra Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW www.saradavedanta.org PH: 61 2 9745 4320 Email: [email protected] Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon NSW 2132 P.O Box 817, Strathfield NSW 2135 www.facebook.com/VedantaSocietyofNSW Vedanta News Donation: $25.00– 2 years 8 issues Payable to: RSV SOCIETY OF NSW PAGE 2 VEDANTA NEWS Obituary Prof.Raja Jayaraman: In Brief Long-time supporter and keen participator in our activities passed away on Thursday 31 May, 2018, after a prolonged and brave battle with cancer. We will miss his well- informed, enthusiastic and jolly contributions to our dis- cussions and panels. New Class Pravrajika Nityatmaprana is lead- ing a weekly reading and discussion class for ladies at the Sarada Tapovan Nunnery. Held on Wednesdays from 11.00am to 12 noon, focus for the class is the book: Sri Sarada De- vi Her Divine Play, a comprehensive biog- raphy by Swami Chetanananda. All ladies are welcome to join. Enquiries: 0408 029 336 Religions for Peace Pravrajika Gayatriprana was on a panel of speakers with the theme Mysti- cism in my Religion at the Religions for Peace meeting held in NSW Parliament House on August 20. Leading representa- Kerala Floods tives from the Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Indigenous traditions also Report & Appeal spoke. Following the worst floods in over a century with hun- Vedanta Hall dreds dead and millions homeless, relief and rehabilita- Renovations commenced at the Socie- tion work on a massive scale is underway in Kerala. ty’s historic building, over 100 years old The Ramakrishna Movement has leapt into action in and rich in heritage values. The roof has been strengthened in the lead-up to retil- many parts of the state. ing, sarking, new insulation and some re- Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana, Vice-President, Sri Sarada pairs. Disabled access will be installed Math & Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, has announced that along with other improvements. Finally, the Sarada Math Centres in Kerala “are in a safe condition” the building will be repainted inside and and “have plans for starting Relief and Rehabilitation out. The work is expected to take at least work” and requests all Sarada Math Centres and “the dev- 6 months. otees and well-wishers to generously contribute for the Management Committee Relief work.” After more than 20 years of service, Requesting your help. Donations can be made direct to Betty Yeoh decided to retire from the the Society’s account. We’ll issue a receipt and the funds Management Committee finishing up in collected along with a list of the donor’s names and August. The Committee thanked her for all amounts given will be forwarded to Sri Sarada Math’s, the time and support and in any case, Bet- Thrissur Centre in Kerala. ty will continue to be a very active mem- To donate : ber. A warm welcome to Ami Trivedi who joins the Committee after being elected at BSB: 032 279 Account No: 760387 the Annual General Meeting on 26 Au- Account Name: Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society gust. of NSW. FOR: Kerala Flood Relief (Give your name too). PAGE 3 Vedanta Memoirs With Nandu & Lalita Mehta When Nandu Mehta emerged into the world he was already surrounded by the peaceful and vibrant per- sonalities and activities of the Ramakrishna Move- ment. His parents were among the closest devotees of the Ramakrishna Movement in Mumbai. The young Nandu spent many a weekend at the Mumbai Ash- rama with its library, hospital and temple and lecture hall, bustling with householders and monastics. “I was baptised and steeped into the Movement from childhood,” Nandu observed, during the annual Vedanta Memoirs session, a feature of our Guru Purn- ima Celebration held on Sunday, July 29, at Vedanta Initiation day for Nandu Mehta’s father (back row, Hall. Nandu’s father was initiated by Swami Shivananda, second from left with cap), 30 December, 1926, by disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Shivananda. When she married into the Mehta family, his wife Lalita also entered into the Ramakrishna Movement world. Both received initiation from Swami Vireswa- rananda, a legendary monk of the Ramakrishna Or- der, President for over 20 years and disciple of Holy Mother. The initiation was fittingly held in the small temple of Holy Mother at the Mumbai ashrama, one of only two temples (the other being at Jayramabati, birth- place of Holy Mother) “wherein Holy Mother is wor- shipped in an idol.” Swami Akhandananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna had even installed some The ‘Universal Temple’ at the Ramakrishna Mission relics of the Holy Mother there in 1934. in Mumbai and the statue of Holy Mother. The Mehta family had a long association with another legendary monk of the Ramakrishna Order and former President, Swa- mi Ranganathananda, well-known to many of us from his annual visits to Australia during his world lecture tours in the 1970s and 80s. Both also shared many happy years with Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji here in Sydney. They fondly recalled the weekends that Mataji stayed with them when the nunnery was being relocated to the current building in Burwood Heights. It was a special opportunity to discuss spiritual matters with her including the following bits of wisdom. Wise advice—Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana Vice-President, Sri Sarada Math & Rmakrishna Sarada Mission • Series of dots: Failure to do continuous remembrance [of God] or japa is not an unforgivable omission. When you see a series of dotted lines from a distance, they ap- pear not as dots but connected, just like a dot matrix printout. • Camera: There may be undesirable things around us, but we don’t have to register them in our mind. Be like a camera that is being moved around, but until you click the button, no impression is recorded on the film. • Don’t let maya fool you: Just as when you are driving on a hot day, and in the distance you can see a mirage or illusion of water, you tell yourself not to be fooled by it and that what you are seeing is not true. Similarly keep a look out for the other illusions of maya. PAGE 4 VEDANTA NEWS And anger’s a particularly ‘Through the senses, anger sneaky creature. Vedanta Q&A comes, and sorrow comes.’ Overcoming Anger – Swami Vivekananda ‘Control your anger, it’s only one letter away from danger. – Anonymous ‘It is wise to direct your anger towards problems –not Like the archetypal Hero’s jour- people.’ ney the spiritual path is full of tri- -William Arthur Ward umphs and set-backs, of deep mean- ing and consequences. ‘To be angry with the right On this spiritual journey, armed person, and to the right with the weapons of determination, degree, and at the right time, self-control and wisdom, we’re chal- and for the right purpose and lenged by three persistent foes: an- in the right way…is not easy’ ger, greed and lust that block our - Aristotle path to realizing our destiny. These villains can’t be slain or forcefully to correct some driven away like a wild pack of dogs. injustice or bad behaviour? Yes, There’re a vital part of what makes but more with a show of anger, us human, remaining with us until with self-control, not with ha- we’ve become divine. We need to tred and only if it will lead to tame and train them; transform some beneficial results. But it’s them from circling, snarling, schem- tricky territory. The word is ing threats to obedient companions, more powerful than the sword, working with us instead of against psychological damage can be us. caused. events September—November 2018 Sunday 16 September 9.30am—4.00pm Meditation Day 1-Day Retreat in Vedanta Hall Program: Relaxation & Breathing Exercises, Guided & Silent Meditation, Overview of Meditation, Group Discussion and Q & A, Inspirational Readings, Walking Medita- tion in “The Labyrinth”; Lunch, Morning & Afternoon Tea. Donation for Retreat: $20 Under the guidance of Pravrajikas Gayatriprana & Sridharaprana and yoga teacher Hiroko Yanamoto-Symonds.
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