Chinmaya-Tej Web-site:www.chinmaya.org Chinmaya Mission San Jose Publication Vol.20, No.1 January/February 2009 MISSION STATEMENT To provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become a positive contributor to the society. Chinmaya Lahari It Is It The guru sat surrounded by his disciples, facing the majestic Himalayan range. The vision of the peaks was veiled by heavenly clouds manufacturing snow behind a thick curtain. One disciple asked, “Gurudev, what is meant by the statement that Atman is sat-cit-ananda?” The Guru instantly understood the doubt of the disciple: “Electricity expresses itself as light in the bulb, heat in the heater, and sound in the radio. How do you explain this to the person who does not know what electricity is? We would have to say that light, heat, and sound are electricity. But when you touch the live wire and have the direct experience of electricity, you know that neither light nor heat nor sound is in electricity.” “In the same way, in the gross body, Atman, or the self, expresses itself only as sat, existence. Your bones contain no intelligence, do they? Similarly, in the subtle body, Atman expresses itself as cit, intelligence; and in the causal body as ananda, bliss.” “Therefore, that which expresses itself as sat-cit-ananda is the Atman. In Paramatman there is neither sat, cit nor ananda.” “Then what is it?” “Go and find out for yourself! It cannot be explained.” s Table of Contents s From the Editor’s Desk . 2 CMSJ: Status of New Building Project . 3 Himagiri Vihar: Wanderings in the Himalayas . 4 Shwami Chinmayananda & Himavadvibhuti Swami Tapovanam. 14 Mahashivarathri/February 2009. 20 Chinmaya Youth Camp #17. 21 Chinmaya Study Groups . 22 Bhakti Rasamrutam . 23 Swaranjali (Youth Choir) . 21 Balavihar/Yuva Kendra Lanuguage Classes . 24 Chinmaya Balavihar First Grade Classes. 25/26 Bala Vihar Locations, Shiva Abhishekam, Swaranjali Choir. 27 BV Magazine . 28 Tapovan Prasad Magazine . 28 Br.Prabodhji's Satsang . 30 Vedanta Study Groups . 30/31 Prabodhji's Adult Classes in the Bay Areas . 30/31 Br.Prabodhji's Classes at Bala Vihar & Sandeepany . 31 Swami Tejomayananda's Itinerary . 32 1 FROM THE EDITORS DESK Chinmaya Tej, is a bi-monthly publication of Chinmaya Mission San Jose. CMSJ is in the process of getting the necessary permits to build the New Facility. The City of San Jose is studying the building drawings and when they are approved we shall begin the construction of our New Building. We are happy to show you some elevation drawings of the projects. We invite you to visit the site when you can. News and events update via e-newsletter on CMSJ web-site is serving our timely announcements. Please keep us updated with your e-mail addresses and send them to “[email protected]” If you do not hear from us e-mail or Chinmaya Tej, please forward your address and e-mail to me indicated on this page. Chinmaya Tej is also available for viewing on our website. Chinmaya-Tej will be mailed to all Sponsors and Members of Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Send your subscription marked, Chinmaya-Tej, CMSJ, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95126. CHINMAYA TEJ EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Uma Jeyarasasingam ([email protected]) Co-editor: Rohini Joshi Electronic Editorial Advisor: Satish Joshi Contributors: Swami Tapovanam, Swamini Saradapriyananda, Subbu Venkatkrishnan, Prakash Bettadapur Design & Layout: four waters / four waters media Printing: Bill Browning/PigMint Press, Redway, California Data Base: Kapil Vaish Mailing: Autozip, Ukiah, California Contact us: http://www.chinmaya.org • Phone: (650) 969-4389 Fax: (650)428-1795 2 Status of NEW BUILDING PROJECT Hari Om Friends! After formalizing the architectural design, we submitted a preliminary comprehensive review application with the city of San Jose in mid-Jan 2009. Various departments including Fire, Public Works, Civil, Planning, etc., reviewed our plans and provided feedback on their observations by end of Feb’09. Based on this feedback, updates are being made to the design so as to reasonably comply with the city’s recommendations. We expect to return with these updates before end of Apr’09. In the meanwhile, we also sought audience with members of the city council and planning commis- sion. Thus far, we have met with one council member and one ex-chair of the planning commission and provided them updates on our plans. We plan to meet another council member in mid-May. We expect that the council members will be favorably disposed towards our project once they get updates through such meetings. On the financial side, we had set a goal to raise $1M by the end of 2008. With overwhelming support and abundant generosity of CMSJ patrons, we handsomely beat the goal. As a result, we paid off the balance of $300K on the Clayton road property. CMSJ is currently free of all debt and is financially very strong. We expect to raise at least another $5M by September 2009. All of this is consistent with our overall financial plan. When we get ready to start the building process, we expect to seek financing from a bank to the tune of $2M, which our cash flow can comfortably support. In the meanwhile we continue to seek your support so that we do not stay in debt in the long run. Once again thanks for your continued support. Subbu Venkatkrishnan Proposed elevation drawing of the new building (view from Calyton Road). Architect, Kartik Patel. 3 HimagiriHimagiri ViharVihar Wanderings in the Himalayas Pujya Gurudev served Swami Tapovanam for many years while he lived in the Himalayas. Swami Tapovan Maharaj had travelled in Himalayas many times to Kailas. He had written on his experiences of his visits to Mount Kailas. His travelogue was written in Malayallam, his mother tongue entitled Himagiri Vihar. When Pujya Gurudev joined him in Uttar Kasi, he translated the manuscript to English and called it Wanderings in the Himalayas. Here is an excerpt from that book. by Swami Tapovanam 4 Circumambulation of the Holy Peak At Darchan, we pitched our tents and stone, over water and snow, in beside those of the natives and the benumbing cold of Kailas, at a camped with them. The sight height of 16,000 to 19,000 feet, is from Darchan of Mt. Kailas and its no easy task for the common man. surroundings — the spotlessly white In addition to these prostrations, the peak on the nor th, and the vast, Lamas and Laminis repeated the holy circular, deep-blue Lake Rakshasathal mantra “manipadme hum” quickly to the north — was most beautiful. and incessantly. The fact that the Manasarowar, lying to the east of persons engaged in the act of prostra- Rakshasathal, was out of sight. We tion — circumambulation depend rested one day at Darchan and next for their food entirely upon chance, morning after breakfast set adds still further to the rigour of the out for the circumambulation of penance. They carry no provisions Mr. Kailas. During my first visit, with them. They live upon the saktu illness had prevented me from flour or other food given to them performing that holy act, which is by pilgrims. regarded as an essential part of a visit to this sacred mountain. The One may find even Tibetan house- Lamas of the area fully believe that holders repeating their mantras at those who complete the circumam- all times. Another indispensable bulation have fulfilled the purpose act of their worship is to rotate of human life. with the hand a metal disc which is totally covered with inscriptions of a We set out on our circumambulation mantra. Mantras may often be found at about 10 a.m. There were several scrawled in bold letters on stones by Lamas and Laminis (women Lamas) the wayside and on the walls of circumambulating the Holy Mount. lamaseries. Some of them, especially the women, were engaged in the severest form of On the four sides of Kailas are four penance — prostration together with lamaseries where Lamas spend all the circumambulation. They prostrated 12 months in penance. Proceeding themselves at full length on the slowly, very slowly, we reached the ground, got up, took five or six steps western lamasery, called Chukku, forward, and then prostrated them- situated six or seven miles from selves again. Thus they proceeded Darchan. There we paid our homage around the foot of the mountain until to Lord Buddha with devotion and they completed a full circle. To go rested two or three hours in the all around the mountain prostrating company of the Lamas. Since we oneself every few feet, over earth were accompanied by a nobleman 5 of Darchan who was devoted to us, in its beauty. Big boulders of ice we were treated with special consid- appeared here and there in the water. erations at the ashram. After our rest A glass like sheet of ice, two or three we started again, and before nightfall inches thick, had formed over the arrived at the northern lamasery, surface of the lake. The pilgrims who called Dirfook, about five miles bathed in the lake and performed farther on. Here, too, we worshiped their ablutions had first to break the Lord Buddha with devotion and ice with sticks before they could take passed the night in the ashram. In a dip in the freezing water beneath. the night there was a heavy rainfall, The third lamasery, situated to followed by snowfall. the east 10 or 12 miles from the From here you get a clear and second, is called Sunthul-foolk.