S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 - V O L . 3 N O . 8 theVEDANTA Kyokai N E W S, U P DAT E S A N D M I S C E L L A N Y F RO M T H E V E DA N TA S O C I E T Y O F JA PA N z z Thus Spake “Spiritual practice means to keep the mind steady at His lotus feet and to be absorbed in His thoughts...” The Holy Mother “God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth...” The Christ KIYOSATO OUTDOOR RETREAT PART I - VENUE AND SCHEDULE The venue for this year's appreciated by many who came Summer Outdoor Retreat was and participated as they could. Monthly Calendar: on the campus of KEEP, the The main party arrived on the • Birthdays • Kiyosato Experimental KEEP campus at about 4 p.m on Educational Project. It was Friday, September 2. From 5 Swami Advaitananda Friday - September 2 founded in o'clock the shrine Swami Abhedananda 1946. It is was set up and other Monday - September 26 located in the arrangements and Swami Akhandananda Yatsugatake room allocations Monday - October 3 Highlands of were made. At 6 • Kyokai Events • Yamanashi o'clock evening Prefecture, vespers began with No September Retreat about 2 hours prayers, readings No October Retreat from Tokyo. and meditation. This * KALI PUJA * was followed by Will be celebrated at the Attending for supper at 7 p.m. and a gathering Zushi Center the full four-day schedule was Tuesday, November 1, 7-10 PM for introductions and general not required, as so many announcements with everyone (See Announcements ...page 11) attendees could not take the time retiring at 10 p.m. nnn away. This was [con’t page 2] In This Issue: • Swami Talks in Korea ... page 4 • Kiyosato Outdoor Retreat - Part I • Vedanta in Korea ... page 5 Venue and Schedule ... page 1 • Indian Embassy Talk - ‘Harmony” ... page 6 • Kiyosato Outdoor Retreat - Part II • Thought of the Month ... page 7 Some Comments ... page 2 • Gita Discourses Continue in Shimbashi ... page 8 • July Zushi Retreat ... page 3 Buddha's Birth Celebration • Important Announcements ... page 10 • August Zushi Retreat ... page 3 • A Story to Remember ... page 10 ! “Don’t Seek God - See God” Part II • Swami Visits Ibaraki Prefecture ... page 10 The Vedanta Kyokai - September/October 2005 - Vol. 3 No. 8 - Issued by Nippon Vedanta Kyokai Kiyosato Outdoor Retreat - Part 1 The full-day's schedule The swami gave talks on A rest period followed The final day, Monday, was observed on both these days starting at 9 lunch and at 2 o'clock included a brief discourse Saturday and Sunday and a.m. and concluding at Swami led a relaxed by Swami and the started with a wake-up about 10:30. Both of Q&A session and a solicitation of verbal call at 5 a.m. Meditation these discourses were on guided meditation. Tea impressions from was observed from 5:20 the subject, "Tension Free was served at 3:30 and attendees. Over one hour to 6:20 when morning Life, the Hindu View". then the group followed was then allotted for all to services with chanting, Afterward attendees the swami on sightseeing write a review paper on bhajans and readings enjoyed free time and at walks in the ranch area the Retreat; more time for continued till 7 a.m. The 11:15 observed the and forests surrounding optional meditation; next hour consisted of offering of food to Sri KEEP. Evening vespers lunch at noon and a optional guided yoga Ramakrishna at the began half-an-hour formal closure with the exercises or personal shrine and optional earlier on these days, with remaining attendees. • reading time. Breakfast meditation till just prior the evening schedule was served at 8 a.m. to lunch at noon. keeping with that of the first evening. COMMENTS: KIYOSATO OUTDOOR RETREAT PART II “I enjoyed the fresh air, the punctuality of the schedule.” “The ‘silence’ periods were very conducive to reflection.” “The atmosphere was great for mediation.” “I was intrigued by the concept of discrimination between me, my body, and my mind. “The lecture content was so relevant for my life now. I felt an environment of love.” “Through this retreat my life-rhythm was reconfirmed.” [We will take up Part III, The Discourses, in our November issue.] The Vedanta Kyokai - September/October 2005! ! ! ! ! ! Page 2 July Zushi Retreat Buddha’s Birth Celebration On Sunday, July 17, the Zushi Retreat cele- Lord Buddha's Teachings in Modern Life" in brated the birth anniversary of Bhagawan Bud- Japanese. dha. At 10:30 a.m. offerings were This talk was followed by a meditation made to honor Lord Buddha as and a lunch prasad of Japanese and guests gathered, observed and medi- Indian dishes. tated. At 3:30 the afternoon session began From 11 a.m. Swami Medhasananda with a reading and then Swami led a led the chanting Vedic Mantras and Q&A session interpreted by Ms. Yuko Buddhist Sutras in Sanskrit and the Sasaki. Following this the harmonium congregation chanted Buddhist Su- was brought out and guests joined tras in Japanese . This was followed the Swami in by a reading from a Buddhist text. bhajans (devo- tional songs) before con- Swami then introduced Professor Keiyo Arai, a cluding the session with a visiting lecturer at several universities and the guided meditation in chief priest of the Jutokuji Buddhist Temple in Japanese. Tea was served Tokyo, who gave a talk entitled 'Relevance of at 4:30. August Zushi Retreat “Don’t Seek God, See God” - Part II On Sunday, August 21, Swami Medhasananda con- Swami went on to explain that the reason we can- tinued his talk entitled, "Don't Seek God - See God", not see it is that we are superimposing name, form a topic he first took up for the May Retreat (see TVK and action on the reality, so we see many names June issue) and inspired by similar words from forms and actions. Consciousness has taken con- Swami Vivekananda. In that discussion Swami had crete forms - we cannot see H2O as water vapor, incorporated various sources including scripture and but as water and ice. Take the coil of rope in dark- the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda ness mistaken as a snake. Our ignorance being the to support the truth that God is omnipresent and darkness and we superimpose a snake for the rope therefore "everything is the supreme reality". How and we see a snake. We superimpose layer upon ordinary devotees could practice this truth and the layer. benefits of such practice would conclude this discus- sion. "The myriad forms of God are temporary, that con- sciousness is eternal," he continued. "Remove and "Not only human beings and animal beings, but eliminate these super-impositions. Jesus said let matter, too, is made of consciousness. These are them see who have eyes to see. Each soul is poten- also God," said Swami. "Then again," he asked tially divine." The swami said that our vision has rhetorically. "if I can't see God, what is the rele- become jaundiced and we have to cure our vision. vance of such teachings to me? In my life? If this is We are hypnotized by the body, mind and senses - the truth, then everyone should be able to realize it, the ego. The cure is concentration on our true not only a special or privileged few." [con’t on page 4] The Vedanta Kyokai - September/October 2005! ! ! ! ! ! Page 3 August Retreat ... from page 3 nature, the Atman; existence-knowledge-bliss-absolute, through discrimination and meditation. As we progress through this process we will begin to see the divinity in our family, friends, then in all, in living beings and inanimate objects. "If we love God, then we want to serve God. Love, an abstract idea, must have expression. A natural reaction is to serve that God in others. Work is transformed to service, and this service is transformed into worship," said Swami. We offer only the best to God, and this is practical application not theoretical understanding. As Swami Vivekananda explained, we have this theoretical understanding that God is everywhere and in everything. Yet, if we get a shove on the street and fall, we immediately jump up and confront the person who did it. All this theoretical understanding is gone. We don't reflect; 'Well, God has given me a shove.' Immediately, we confront the person. "This is the fundamental difference between theoretical and practical Vedanta. It has no meaning unless it is practiced, and it must be practiced to be realized. The difference between intellectual understanding and practical realization is a heaven and hell difference." • Swami Talks on Sri Ramakrishna in Korea by Mija (Aruna) Kwak There was a special lecture on Sri Ramakrishna given by Swami Medhasananda of the Vedanta Society of Japan on 16 August 2005. The venue for this presentation was the Sri Krishnadas Ashram located in Changwon, South Korea. Swami talked on Vedanta and the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna for two and half hours. Even though the smallish room, designed to comfortably accommodate 20 people, was filled to over-capacity with 70 interested people on this hot and humid day, all in attendance were held captive by the swami's presentation. Some listened with eyes closed and with the swami's chanting of Vedic mantras the entire talk on Sri Ramakrishna seemed also as a mantra.