Motto: Atmano mokshartham jagad hitaya cha, liberation and for the Newsletter of the Vedanta Centres of Australia welfare of the world.” Vedanta Centre of Sydney, 2 Stewart Street, Ermington, NSW 2115, Australia. Website: www.vedantasydney.org; e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] Other websites: www.spiritualbookstore.org.au, www.spiritualbookstore.com.au Phone: (02) 8197 7351; Fax: (+612) 8197 7352. Discrimination and Dispassion One is safe to live in the world, if one has Viveka (discrimination of the Real from the Unreal), and Vairagya (dispassion), and along with these intense devotion to God. — Sri Ramakrishna Great sayings: Words of Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda; The R. M. Institute of Culture; Kolkata; p. 3. Steady the mind The mind is by nature restless. Therefore, at the outset, to make the mind steady, one may practise meditation by regulating the breathing a little. That helps to steady the mind. But one must not overdo it. That heats the brain. You may talk of the vision of God, or of meditation, but remember, the mind is everything. One gets everything when the mind becomes steady. What is the good in doing Japa for a whole day if there is no concentration of mind? Collectedness of one's mind is essential, then only His grace descends. — Sri Sarada Devi The front and side view of Sri Ramakrishna Temple at the Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi The Holy Ramakrishna Math, Niralanagar, Lucknow, U.P. India. Mother; Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai p. 49 and The Gospel of The Holy Mother – p. 242. Function Date Faith in God Guru Purnima Friday, 31 July 2015 Whatever may be the position of Philosophy, whatever may be the Sri Krishna Janmashtami Saturday, 5 September 2015 position of Metaphysics, so long as there is such a thing as weakness in Durga Puja (Maha Ashtami) Wednesday, 21 October 2015 the human heart, so long as there is a cry going out of the heart of man in Spiritual Retreat Melbourne Saturday, 27 June 2015 his very weakness, there shall be faith in God. Welcome — Swami Vivekananda We welcome you all to the Ramakrishna - Vedanta Movement and invite Teachings of Swami Vivekananda Advaita you to attend our programmes and actively participate in the propagation of the Ashrama, Mayavati, Himalayas, p. 89. Universal message of Vedanta as epitomized in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. Reach Issue No. 32 Page 1 January - April 2015 News from and activities of the Vedanta Centres of Australia and New Zealand for the period from January to April 2015. ADELAIDE CENTRE schools in Brisbane, on Wednesdays. deed of handover and thanked the donors for their generosity. A large Monthly activities: c) Discussion groups on the first Monday of every month in number of devotees from all over a) Swami Sridharananda Sunnybank Hills, QLD. Australia and overseas participated. continued his three-days-a-month b) A devotees' meet was held on visit to Adelaide and delivered d) A class on Ashtavakra Samhita on Sunday, the 29th of March 2015 at discourses on the Srimad-Bhagavad alternate Thursdays at Springfield, the abovesaid venue. Swami Gitā at the Dulwich Community QLD. Sridharananda delivered two talks on Centre, 14 Union Street, Dulwich SA e) A class on Meditation and the significance of leading a spiritual 5065. A dedicated group of devotees Spiritual Life on alternate Fridays. life. attends his talks. These talks have f) A class on Viveka Chudamani at also been recorded. For details of the c) An information session on 'Yoga Toowoomba on every alternate therapy' was conducted at the Centre programmes organized by the month. Adelaide Chapter please contact Dr. by Mrs.Menaka Thomas on April 17, Raman Sharma on 08 - 8431 9775 or e g) Sri Ramanama Sankirtanam 2015. Therapy sessions are offered to -mail: [email protected] or singing every fortnight on Ekadashi interested people on Sundays. Mrs. Pathma Iswaran on 08-8379 5336. days. Celebrations: b) Every month on a prescheduled h) Sanskrit class for beginners a) Kalpataru Day was celebrated on Sunday a reading from The Gospel every week at the Centre. the 1st January 2015 at the of Sri Ramakrishna’ including i) ‘Bala Sangha’ – Children’s classes Indooroopilly Senior Citizens' club. discussion on relevant points was on every Sunday (except during The programme consisted of formal conducted at devotees’ homes. school holidays). worship, talks on Sri Ramakrishna, Other activities: j) Yoga Classes at the Centre on devotional music and distribution of dinner Prasāda. A large number of A satsang was conducted by Swami Sunday mornings by Dr. people participated in the event. Vedamritananda on 12th of April Unnikrishnan Pillai. 2015 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 777 Other activities: b) The Birthday of Swami Marion Road, Ascot Park, SA 5043. a) a) The Springfield Land Vivekananda was celebrated at the Ashram on the 12th January 2015. BRISBANE CENTRE Corporation donated to the Centre a large parcel of land at Springfield Worship, devotional music and a talk Daily activities: Lakes, Queensland. A public on the significance of Swami Regular worship was conducted at handover ceremony of the land and Vivekananda's teachings in modern the Centre daily in the morning. Arati bhumipuja (ground-breaking age were the highlights of the (vesper service), singing of bhajans, ceremony) to the proposed programme. readings from The Gospel of Sri multipurpose building to be built c) Mahashivaratri worship was Ramakrishna constituted the soon took place on Saturday, 28th evening programme at the Centre at March 2015. Two large marquees 181 Burbong Street, Chapel Hill, were erected on the land where QLD 4069. Contact person: Swami programmes were held. The Hon. Jo- Atmeshananda 0421 765 416, Ann Miller M.P., the 07-3720 0228, e-mail: Minister for Police, Fire & [email protected] Emergency Services and Minister for Monthly Activities: Corrective Services and the Mayor of At the Spirtual Retreat The following programmes were held Ipswich Paul Pisasale were the guests in Brisbane; of honour. Local Councillors, Members of Parliament and other a) Srimad-Bhagavad Gitā classes at dignitaries were present on the the Centre on Sundays. occasion and spoke. Swami b) Religious Instruction classes at Sridharanandaji received the Title Brisbane Centre— Sri Ramakrishna birth anniversary, the earth-breaking ceremony at the Springfield Lakes site. Reach Issue No. 32 Page 2 January - April 2015 conducted on the 17th February 2015 Weekly/Monthly Activities: sung by the students of the Swara at the Centre in the evening. a) Swami Sridharananda Sadhana Music School of Carnatic Chanting of Vedic hymns, formal continued to deliver monthly tradition led by Smt. Sundari worship and devotional music discourses on the Bhagavad-Gitā Saripalle, its proprietor. Sri Theva formed part of the programme. from the Thursday to the Saturday of Ganeshan, and Sri Sundaresan, read d) Sri Ramakrishna's Birthday a prescheduled week at the Centre. aloud an inspiring portion of a speech according to the Hindu calendar was The Thursday and Friday sessions and a letter from the Complete Works celebrated on the 20th February were held from 7:45 to 9 p.m. and the of Swami Vivekananda respectively. 2015. A special worship with havan Saturday’s sessions were held from After the introduction and welcome (fire sacrifice), chanting and 10 to 11 a.m. The recordings of these by the resident swami, the chief guest distribution of lunch Prasāda were discourses are available in audio, delivered a talk on ‘The Character the highlights of the programme. video and MP3 formats. Building Ideas of Swami Vivekananda’. e) The public celebration of Sri b) Group study through the Ramakrishna's birthday was viewing on video of the Bhagavad- The Elocution Competition conducted at the Toowong Senior Gita lecture series was held on Session started with a song on Citizens' association on the 21st Sundays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. character building by the Swara Sadhana group. Yadavan Thavesan, a February. Devotees took part in the c) Swami Chandrashekharananda programme consisting of worship, young student, dressed as a monk conducted the following programmes recited the famous Chicago devotional music and talks on Sri in Melbourne: Ramakrishna. It was followed by a address delivered by Swami sumptuous dinner. i) Classes on the Kathopanishad on Vivekananda. This was followed by Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Masters Rohan and Bibhu reciting f) Sri Ramanavami was celebrated Centre. at the Centre on the 28th March “Break all Other Idols” a poem 2015. Worship, singing of the Sri ii) Meditation sessions at the composed by Swami Vivekananda. The Ramanama Sankirtan and Centre on Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to participants of the elocution distribution of Prasāda were the 6:30 p.m. competition then spoke on the highlights of the programme. iii) Sanskrit classes for beginners and subject, “The Message of Swami advanced student on Saturdays. Vivekananda”. CANBERRA CENTRE v) Vedic Mantras chanting In the open-house discussion- Swami Sridharananda conducted occasionally. session some senior participants monthly classes on the Srimad- shared their thoughts on ‘The Bhagavad Gitā at the Belconnen d) Class on Yoga exercises was Problems that the Youth face Today Community Centre, 2 Chandler conducted by Dr. Aneja on Sundays and Their Solutions’. This was Street in Canberra. Contact person: from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. moderated by Swami Mr. J. Venkataraman, Secretary Other activities: Chandrashekharananda and the salient on 02-6258 7612, e-mail: jaishankar_ a) A Youth Convention was held at points were captured by Jayanthi [email protected]. the Centre on 15th of February 2015 Iswaran. MELBOURNE CENTRE as the extended function of the birth A fiercely contested quiz anniversary celebration of Swami competition hosted by Sri Shubroto Daily Activities: Vivekananda.