A Quarterly Publication of

RAMAKRISHNA MISSIONSINGAPORE

MITA (P) No. 033/09/2008 ISSUE No. 62ISSN0218-7183 JUL-SEP 2009

Yogin Ma 3

Karma Yoga 12

Volunteers’ Day 17

Swamiji Honoured 22

State of spiritual

enlightenment or

illumination.

Nirvana releases

humans from the

cycle of birth,

suffering, death

and all forms of

worldly bondage.

in this issue ...Pearls of Wisdom 1

Editorial 2

Yogin-Ma 3

Karma Yoga 12

Volunteers’ Day 17

Swamiji Honoured 22

The Ramayana-13 26

“I want Peace” 29

Relief Work In Sri Lanka 32

Programme

Festival Calendar

Edited and Published by Swami Muktirupananda, President, Ramakrishna Mission,179 Bartley Road, Singapore 539784 Tel: 6288 9077 Fax: 6288 5798.Printer: Regional Press Pte Ltd & Production: Viga Graphics & Printing Services

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earls ofPPPPP isdomWWWWW

Uddhava Gita

Translated by Swami Madhavananda

Òri bhagavÀn uvÀca

YathÀgniÆ susamrddÀrciÆ karotyedhÀmsi bhasmasÀtTathÀ madviÚayÀ bhaktiÆ uddhavinÀmsi krtsnaÒaÆNa sÀdhyati mÀm yogo na sÀmkhyam dharma uddhavaNa svÀdhyÀyaÆ tapastyÀgo yathÀ bhaktirmamorjitÀBhakytÀhamekayÀ grÀhyaÆ ÒradhayÀ’tmÀ priyaÆ satÀmBhaktiÆ punÀti manniÚtha ÒvapÀkÀnapi sambhavÀt

The Lord said:

As fire kindled into a blaze burns the faggots to ashes, so, OUddhava, devotion to Me totally destroys all sins.

O Uddhava, neither Yoga, nor knowledge, nor piety, nor study,nor austerity, nor renunciation captivates Me so much as aheightened devotion to Me.

I, the dear Self of the pious, am attainable by devotion alone,which is the outcome of faith. The devotion to Me purges evenoutcasts of their congenital impurity.

(To be continued)

Uddava Gita, IX.19-21

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�Editorial

Ashrama

Ashrama is a Sanskrit word which popularly means a hermitage orthe dwelling place of monks. Though the word has other meaningsalso. In such quiet places monks meditate and engage themselves

in spiritual practices. People who are world-weary often spend hours ordays in such peaceful resorts to relax their tense nerves. Without suchunwinding life becomes dreary and meaningless unceasing struggle. Apause, a respite in the midst of these struggles provides a glimpse of thedeeper dimensions of life. Sleep gives needed brief rest to the physicalbody and hectic mind. Sadly, the modern life has become so stressfulthat even this natural rest is eluding the grasp of man. The question is,is there a way out of this trying situation?

One of the beautiful names of God is Ashrama – the bestower of rest andpeace to the weary souls. For people who are wandering in the forest ofthis world with tired body and worn out mind, the resting place is God.He is the abode of lasting peace, so say the scriptures. None has to runhere and there in search of peaceful places or seek the help of physiciansor other experts. The remedy lies within one’s easy reach and that toowithout much expense.

God is the indweller in every heart. He is potentially ever present. He isnearer than the nearest. Chanting of His name, meditation upon Himbring the much sought after rest and healing calmness to the feverishmind. He is eternal and unchanging. Other objects dear to us are subjectto change, decay and death. It is futile to fret over them. Repetition ofHis name arrests the wandering and worrying mind and makes it steady.As the mind slows down it experiences freshness and quietness. Soalso meditation upon the divine form of God removes all disturbingthoughts. A mind free from noisy thoughts is silent mind, a mind at totalrest. So this Ashrama, a place of everlasting calmness and rest lies inone’s heart. After much futile search outside one comes back to oneself.

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Lay Disciples - XX

Yogin-MaDr Chetana Mandavia

Sri Ramakrishna was such adynamo of spirituality thathe churned out a number of

saints; they included his monasticdirect disciples, as alsohouseholder men and womendisciples. His women discipleswere remarkable, each one greatand unique, possessing superiordivine wisdom, spiritual powers andinexhaustible spiritual wealth.These women saints were not onlyinitiated to the sainthood by SriRamakrishana, they had themission to fulfil: to help the HolyMother Sri Sarada Devi in herspiritual ministration and in hersincere efforts to nurture theRamakrishna Order, which was stillin its formative years.

Yogindra Mohini Biswas, awonderful blend of tranquilcomposure and a spirit of service,familiarly known as Yogin Ma wasone of Sri Ramakrishna's prominentwomen disciples. She was sostriking in her attainments that sheevoked very distinctive responsefrom Sri Ramakrishna and the HolyMother. Sri Ramakrishna hadremarked about her, “Yogin is not

an ordinary woman - she is like thebud of a thousand-petalled lotuswhich slowly blossoms anddelights all with its beauty andfragrance.” At another time he said,“She is a Gopi perfected by God’sgrace.” But the statement of theMaster which gives the bestjudgment of the spiritual eminenceof Yogin Ma was, “Among womendevotees Yogin has thecharacteristics of a Jnani”. SriSarada Devi had said, "Yogin is asoul perfected by rigorous spiritualdiscipline- a Tapaswini."

Yogin Ma was born on 16 January,1851 in a wealthy family of northCalcutta. At the age of seven, aswas the custom then, she wasmarried off to Ambika Charan Das,also hailing from a rich andaristocratic family. However, shewent to live with her in laws onlyafter she was mature. But a happymarried life was not meant for her.Her husband was a debauchee andhe squandered all his wealth andbecame virtually a beggar. Shestruggled hard to convince herhusband to change his way of lifeand to lead a respectable life, but

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all her efforts seemed to have beenfutile. At last, leaving her husband,she returned to her parental home,bringing with her their daughter(Ganu). By then Yogin Ma's fatherhad died, but her mother welcomedthem heartily.

First Meeting with Ramakrishna

This was a turning point inYogindra's life. She felt as if shewere in an abyss of darkness fromwhere no ray was visible. A deepanxiety about how to spend the restof her forlorn life made her restless.At last, a ray of hope entered in herlife in the form of Sri Ramakrishna.Balaram Basu, a staunch devoteeof Sri Ramakrishna, who was adistant relative of Yogindra, took herto his residence where SriRamakrishna was supposed tocome. That was in 1883. Yogindrasaw Sri Ramakrishna staggeringlike a drunkard in a state of divineecstasy. She completelymisunderstood the Master's mood,thinking that he was reeling underthe influence of wine, as was thepractice in vogue among someShakti worshippers. She was sorelydisappointed.

Nevertheless, she went toDakshineswar to meet SriRamakrishna in order to verify herjudgment. The Master received herwarmly and talked on spiritual

matters with his usual sweetness.Yogin Ma realized how foolish shehad been to mistake SriRamakrishna’s behaviour in aspiritual mood as that of adrunkard. She took refuge at his feetand was immensely happy to findSri Ramakrishna as theembodiment of purity and spiritualbrilliance. She intensified herspiritual practices under hisguidance. The magic of SriRamakrishna started working onher. She felt intoxicated while shewas with the Master and this wouldlast for almost a week. She wouldgo to him prepared to ask manyquestions, tell him her problems,but in his presence, all her doubts,agonies vanished. Encouraged bySri Ramakrishna, she also startedthe study of the chief Puranas, theRamayana and the Mahabharata.In July 1885, Sri Ramakrishna paida visit to her house. Golap Ma, whowas also there, said to the Master,“Ganu's mother (Yogin Ma)requests you to bless her room withthe dust of your feet. Then the roomwill be turned into Benaras, andanyone dying in it will have notrouble." The Master fulfilled YoginMa's wish.

Once in Dakshineshwar, Yogin Mapassed by Sri Ramakrishna whowas standing in the northern porchof his room. She had gatheredflowers from the garden in the

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corner of her sari. When the Mastersaw her, he enquired about what shewas carrying. She showed him theflowers, knelt and placed them athis feet. Sri Ramakrishna becameecstatic and blessed her, touchinghis foot to her head. Gopaler Mawas standing nearby and suggestedto hold his foot to her chest. YoginMa followed her instruction. Timeelapsed. Long after theMahasamadhi of the Master, whenshe was doing japa, she heard adivine voice speak, “Your chest hasbeen imprinted with auspiciousmarks from the lotus feet of VishnuGadadhar.”

Another great blessing the Masterconferred on Yogin Ma was theboon of passing away while inSamadhi. One day SriRamakrishna in divine mood saidto Yogin Ma, “Look, your Ishta(Chosen Ideal) is within this(pointing to his body).” By sayingso, the Master indicated his owndivinity as well as the relationshipof the disciple to her Chosen Ideal.The Master also taught Yogin Matwo basic principles of spiritual life—how to do japa using the fingers andhow to meditate. In addition to awealth of instructions received fromthe Master, Yogin Ma was fortunateto have two visions. In the first visionSri Ramakrishna’s instruction madeYogin Ma think of the Master andthe Holy Mother as ‘one

undifferentiated being.’ This visionled her to serve both SriRamakrishna and Sri Sarada Deviwith unwavering fervour until the endof Sri Sarada Devi’s life.

She had another unusual vision afterthe Master’s Mahasamadhi whenshe was with the Holy Mother atVrindavan. They both wereextremely sad at the great loss,when he appeared in a vision to bothof them, and said, “Here I am.Where I have gone? It is just likepassing from one room to another”.We see here the extraordinarydevelopment of Yogin Ma under theguidance of the Master as well asSri Ramakrishna’s judgment of herattainments. The Master had onceblessed her by the words “You willget everything.”

Relationship with Sri SaradaDevi

There was an excellent rapportbetween Yogin Ma and the HolyMother. They were about the sameage and when the Masterintroduced Yogin Ma to Sri SaradaDevi, they instantly liked each otherand a strong bond of mutualrespect and deep love developedbetween them. Yogin Ma used togo to Dakshineshwar at weeklyintervals and sometimes spentnights there. After the Mahasamadhiof Sri Ramakrishna in 1886, Yogin

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Ma was the constant companion ofthe Mother. The Mother felt greatlyrelieved to have Yogin Ma by herside so that she could unburden allher worries to her. The Holy Motheronce said, “Yogen is my Jaya (oneof the two principal attendants ofthe goddess Durga) - my attendantmaid, my comrade, mycompanion”. Yogin Ma’s attitudetoward Sri Sarada Devi wasmaternal and protective. HolyMother, on the other hand, lookedupon her companion as her beloveddaughter and friend, and showeredher blessings on her. Once, theMother had to go to her nativevillage. Seeing her off Yogin Mawent to the Mother’s room.Overwhelmed with grief, she weptbitterly. Sri Ramakrishna was thenjust passing by the room, and sawYogin Ma. Sensing her grief, he

called her to his room and narratedhis marvellous spiritual experiencesto console her.

Yogin Ma had deep insight intomundane and spiritual matters andan amazing common sense. Shecould comprehend any situationquickly, and could suggestimmediate solution. This made heran invaluable friend and adviser tothe Mother. She always sought heradvice in spiritual matters also, notto speak of many other knottyproblems she was confronted within her daily affairs. Sri Sarada Deviheld her in such love and regard thatshe used to praise her to thedevotees and insisted them tofollow her example and discussspiritual matters with her. Once,while giving initiation to a person,the Holy Mother somehow sensed

Udbodhan House

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a lack of devotion for SriRamakrishna in him. Anxiously, shesought Yogin Ma’s opinion. Shepromptly replied, “ Well, Mother, itdoes not matter. The Mantra youwill give him has the power tochange him in time. Don’t worry,initiate him.” The Mother acceptedher companion’s counsel, and YoginMa’s prediction proved to becorrect. The man wasmetamorphosed into a greatdevotee of Sri Ramakrishna.

Yogin Ma’s mother lived in theneighbourhood of Udbodhan, theHoly Mother’s house, where shelived from 1909 to 1920, till herMahasamadhi. Yogin Mashouldered many responsibilities ofthe Mother’s household. She alsoaccompanied the Mother during hervisits to Kamarpukur andJayarambati, the birth places of SriRamakrishna and the Holy Motherrespectively, and to other places ofpilgrimages whenever the Motherhappened to go.

Sri Sarada Devi lived a silent life.Her spiritual eminence was knownonly to a few. Yogin Ma, however,was one of the few privileged towitness her exalted spiritualexperiences including those ofSamadhi (superconscious state).One day, the Holy Mother askedher to go to Sri Ramakrishna andplead for the boon of Samadhi forher. Yogin Ma did as she was told;

but the Master kept silent. Onreturning to the Holy Mother, shefound her seated on her prayer mat,performing the worship. She was inan exalted mood, laughing, crying,or remaining motionless for a while.Yogin Ma was surprised to see herecstasy. When the Mother camedown to the normal plane, Yogin Maasked her, “You complain that youdo not experience Samadhi, butwhat is all this?” An abashed HolyMother smiled.

One night Yogin Ma saw theMother entering into a high spiritualmood by hearing the incomingsweet sound of flute. During herstay at Calcutta in 1888, she sawthe Mother in a state of Samadhion the roof of Balaram Babu'shouse, and at the house of NilambarMukherjee, near Belur. Thus,through Yogin Ma, we also haveglimpses of the Mother’s spiritualexperiences and her greatness.

In spite of her intimate associationwith Sri Sarada Devi, once a doubtcropped up in Yogin Ma’s mindregarding Holy Mother’s spiritualgreatness. Sri Ramakrishnaappeared to her in a vision andasked her not to doubt the HolyMother. He told her, “Can anythingmake the Ganga impure? Regardher (Holy Mother) in the same way.Never doubt her. Know for certainthat she and this (meaning himself)are one and the same.” After that

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experience, Yogin Ma hadunshakable faith in Sri Sarada Devi.In the year 1918, when Golap mawas seriously ill, the Mother hadremarked, “ Yogin and Golap knowall the stages of my life. With themgone, how can I stay here? Ah,those will be blessed who speak ofYogin Ma and Golap Ma.”

Her Life – An amalgamation ofAsceticism and Duty

Yogin Ma's life is a glowing exampleof the ancient Indian ideal ofwomanhood and austerity. Sheused to spend most of her time inworship, japa and meditation; inaddition to looking after her agedmother, and performing thehousehold duties of her own, as wellas that of the Holy Mother’s. Herwhole life was full of intensetapasya and selfless service.Along with the Holy Mother she didan extremely difficult form ofspiritual practice, calledPanchatapa, with flaming fires onfour sides and the burning sunoverhead. Once she relinquishedwater for six months at a stretch,only taking milk instead. She alsospent a whole winter on the strandof Prayaga, the confluence of theGanga and Yamuna at Allahabad.

Once she had a vision of Krishnaand Balaram. Krishna prophesizedthat the intensity of her worship

would decrease on account of hergrandchildren. His words proved tobe true. Her widowed daughterGanu died, and the responsibilityof rearing her three orphan boys fellon her. She was forced to bepreoccupied with this new duty,which she performed very well withthe help of Swami Saradananda.Eventually one of them became amonk of the Ramakrishna Order.

A very vivacious picture of her round-the-clock daily routine has beengiven by Sister Devamata, anAmerican devotee. Writes she inher book Days in an IndianMonastery, “ She got up at four inthe morning, had bath in the Gangawith prayers and chanting, wenthome for meditation and about halfpast seven she came to the HolyMother’s house. She cutvegetables, performed worship inthe shrine, served noon-meals to allthe devotees, did vesper service inthe shrine and served eveningmeals. Intermittently, she would goto her home located nearby, didhousehold work, cooked and fedher mother.” This schedule speaksof her dexterity, meticulousness,duty-consciousness, regularity,one-pointedness and devotion to theHoly Mother. There was no roomfor even minimal changes in theroutine. Sometimes, when she wasunwell, Swami Saradananda wouldforbid her to take bath in the Ganga,

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Yogin Ma

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but she would not relent, as thatwas a religious duty and should notbe put aside. She seemed to haveonly one object in her mind: to servethe Holy Mother and her childrenwith love and fervent devotion whileperforming her spiritual practice ona regular basis. Very appropriatelythe Sister says, “She did notabandon her householder life, butno nun in a cloister was more rigidin her spiritual observance thanshe… No service was ever omitted,no care neglected”. Her house wasa happy resort for many devoteesof Sri Ramakrishna and the HolyMother including many directdisciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Shewas a skilled cook; SriRamakrishna, the Holy Mother aswell as the monastic disciples allliked her culinary preparations verymuch. Swami Vivekananda oftenasked her to prepare his favouritedishes.

Swami Asheshananda, (the formerHead of the Portland VedantaSociety, U.S.A.), was the attendantof Swami Saradananda. He lived atthe Udbodhan House for five yearsand had the blessing of Yogin Ma’sand Golap Ma’s holy company.Writes he, “What impressed memost about them was theirregularity in spiritual practice. Theywere living examples of saintliness,and we loved and respected themfor their devotion, deep spirituality,and humility”. Highlighting Yogin

Ma’s profound respect for themonastic ideal, he reminisced, “Oneday I was writing letters in SwamiSaradananda’s room when YoginMa entered. Accidentally her foottouched my robe. She immediatelyfolded her palms and saluted me. Iprotested, ‘The touch of your footis a blessing, Yogin Ma. Pleasedon’t feel embarrassed!’ Shereplied, ‘You are a monk. Your ochrerobe is the symbol of renunciation.It is this renunciation that made SriRamakrishna great; you arefollowing in his footsteps. A littlecobra is as poisonous as a bigcobra!’ Her words made me realizewhat a great responsibility liesbehind the wearing of the monk’srobe”.

Yogin Ma’s grandson wrote in anarticle: “From evening right up tonine in the night we saw hermeditating statue-like - straight,erect, externally dead, butobviously in touch with someluminous reality within.” The HolyMother also once remarked, “Yoginused to meditate with suchconcentration, that even ifmosquitoes sat on her eyes, shewas unaware of them.” She hadexperienced Samadhi at LalaBabu’s Kunj in Vrindavan as alsoin her own house. On hearing ofthis, Swami Vivekananda once saidto her, “Yogin Ma, you will passaway in Samadhi (superconsciousstate), for once a person

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Sources- First Meetings with Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Prabhananda.- They Lived With God by Swami Chetanananda.- Article by Swami Asheshananda published in the November-December 1954 issue

of Vedanta and the West.

experiences this blessed state, andthe memory of it is revived at thetime of his death.”

Besides her immense spiritualaccomplishments, Yogin Mapossessed prodigious memory.She memorized many stories fromthe Ramayana, Mahabharata andthe Puranas and helped SisterNivedita in writing her book ‘CradleTales of Hinduism’ by narratingstories from these epics. Owing toher close association with theMaster and his devotees; SwamiSaradananda frequently used herrecollections in his monumentalbook, ‘Sri Ramakrishna the GreatMaster’. Every month, before themanuscript of the book was sentto the press, it was read aloud toYogin Ma, who offered her valuedsuggestions. One of herdistinguished achievements washer initiation by SwamiSaradananda at Puri into Tantriksannyasa. Her asceticism, purity,humility, modesty, poise,sweetness, forbearance, spiritualastuteness, renunciation, andpersonal contact with SriRamakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi,as also the selfless servicerendered to them and to thedisciples of the Master- all

contributed to the greatness of herlife.

The End of a Hallowed Life

The Holy Mother left her body in1920. This was a severe blow toYogin Ma; consequently, her healthbroke down. She now yearned foreternal union with the Master andthe Mother. However, she was stillher old self, strong and dedicated,hence, in spite of her failing health,she accompanied SwamiSaradanada in 1923 to Jayarambatito attend the consecrationceremony of the Holy Mother’smemorial temple. During her lastdays, Yogin Ma frequently enteredinto Samadhi. She passed away in1924 at the Udbodhan House at theage of seventy- three. Sheepitomizes Swami Vivekananda’svision of the women of future, whichhe saw in his life-time. He hadYogin Ma in mind when heprophesized that India wouldwitness the pristine glory ofwomanhood. “Such lives” saysSister Devamata, “are like river. Thesun may draw up its waters, butthey fall again to refresh the earth”.Certainly, her life will surely remaina perennial source of inspiration togenerations to come.

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Karma YogaSwami Muktirupananda

Introduction: Yoga means a pathor a spiritual discipline that leadsto God. There is not one but

are many. Direct experience ofTruth or Reality can be obtainedthrough spiritual disciplines. Christsaid, “Seek you will find, and knockit will open.” Without seeking,without knocking it is difficult to findTruth. There are different Yogas.One may ask why many? Becausewe are many, we are not one.Therefore there are many religionsand numerous sects. One religioncannot satisfy all.

No person is alike. We are alldifferent, our mental and physicalcapacities vary, so also our interestand propensities. Our innatenatures are dissimilar. Even infamily we notice contrastingnatures. The human society is notan exception. Variety is the beautyof life. Uniformity is death. We canonly find uniformity in machines androbots and not in living beings. Sothese Yogas are meant to suitdifferent mental temperaments. Ifone takes up that spiritualdiscipline suited to his interest andcapacity he will make goodprogress.

There are four popular types ofYogas meant for active, emotional,introspective and rational types ofpeople.

a)Active type of people areinterested in work, their tendencyis always towards work. Whenthey are engaged in activities theyare happy and feel fulfilled. For themKarma Yoga appeals.

b)Some are emotional. Love andemotion are dominant in their lives.Worship, rituals devotional musicand prayers attract their hearts. Forsuch people Bhakti Yoga, way toGod through love appeals.

c)Some are of introspective andmeditative type. They want toknow through their ownexperiments and investigationabout truth. Raja Yoga – or way toGod through psychologicalexercises is for them.

d)Some are intellectual type. Theywant to see everything in the lightof reason and rationality. If kingdomof God is within me why I can’t seeit, what veils it, thus he enquires.Belief and faith do not convince

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them. Jnana Yoga – way to Godthrough knowledge is suitable forthem.These Yogas are not exclusive ofone another. It does not mean ifone pursues a particular yoga hedoes not have any connection withothers. It is not so. One can takeup one or two or three yogas andmake progress. We can take upthe practice of any yoga whereverwe are and to whatever religion webelong to.

Karma Yoga means – way of Godthrough work. Work is staple ofhuman life. We see activity innature and in human beings. Ourbody is active and our mind isactive. Therefore the work we dohas great significance. The Gitatells us the secret of work. Merework is different from Karma Yoga.

What is the goal of a person?Freedom is the goal. We want tobe free. All our activities in life aredirected towards this goal. Wewant to be free – free from what?Free from sorrows, wants, worries,anxieties, fear and always to be ina state of happiness and joy.Freedom in other words ishappiness.

All human beings are busy andworking all the time, but they arenot happy. It shows mere workdoes not bring happiness orfreedom. Is freedom a dream or

poetic imagination of someone? Ina thundering voice the Gita says itis possible for everyone to becomefree. Our wish to be happy is allright, but the means we employ arewrong. Through the practice ofKarma Yoga we can loosen ourfretters and experience the higherstates.

The Gita is the masterful treatiseon Karma Yoga. In it we find thelucid exposition of work fromdifferent angles. The text tries toimpress upon us that we cantransform the ordinary work to thestate of yoga. Yoga liberates usand takes us to the higherdimension. The Gita elucidates: 1)What is work? 2)Work and Life 3)Why should we work? 4) How towork.

1)What is work?Any action we perform physical ormental is karma. All our physicalactions and thinking or knowing,come under karma. In simple wordswhatever we do and try not to do iskarma. In trying not do something,the effort to restrain us is required.That effort is also karma.

2)Work and Life?Work is the chief component ofhuman life. There cannot be lifewithout work – life evolves throughwork. We cannot remain withoutwork or activity. “No one can everremain even for a moment without

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doing any work, for all are made toact helplessly, by the gunas (forcesof nature). “ (Gita III-5).

“Actions cannot be entirelyabandoned by an embodiedbeing”(Gita 18-11). So work is likeour shadow and it follows uswherever we go. A human beingcannot shake off work. Since wecannot avoid work, then why notuse it wisely to cut our bonds andfree ourselves. Voluntary andinvoluntary work goes on withoutour knowledge.

3)Why should we work?

Is it possible to remain idle andshun the work? Suppose we stopall physical actions and sit quietly,what happens? The mind goes onfunctioning. There will be endlessstream of thoughts about the painand pleasures experienced in thepast and anticipation of them in thefuture. The mind does not stop. Itis karma. Such a person is calledin the Gita a hypocrite (III-6).Therefore action is superior toinaction or deliberately avoidingwork (III-8). Even the baremaintenance of the body requiresaction. So when the net of karmais inescapable of man, it is betterto learn the secret of how to work.Therefore by knowing this secretwe can stop miseries, which arethe results of our ignorance.

4)How to workWe all work and we all thinkcontinuously with only a little rest.Is it not sufficient? No, it is not. Ourwork and thinking produce moreanxiety, worries, fears, tension andmisery than happiness. We are allworking to get more happiness, butwe do not get it. That shows thatsomewhere something is wrong.Perhaps there is something wrongwith the way we work and the waywe think. How to think in this worldneeds training of the mind,reeducation of it. Our frozen ideasabout work should go.

Why does work often bringsuffering? If we go little deep into it,we realize it is not work thatproduces misery, but what weexpect to gain from that work. Thisexpectation – this desire bringssorrow. This is called attachmentto work in the Gita. When theexpectations are not fulfilled webecome frustrated. Love of workand expecting something from workare two different things. One bringsjoy and other brings attachment orslavery. A slave is a miserablehuman being. The Gita says:”perform work without attachment”(III-9).

Love work and work for work’s sake.What does it mean by work forwork’s sake? When we perform anywork, either small or big, we have

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to brush aside all distractions andconcentrate the whole mind on it.Other than this work nothing elseshould be there, forget everythingelse. Ex-Dish washing, brushingone’s teeth, cleaning the room orstudying or any other work. Withsuch absorption perfection in workis possible. We are at our bestwhen the mind is totally absorbedin the work. When the work is overthen forget about it. Do not broodover it and do not fuss about it. Itis over, it is finished. The simpleformula is – when you work forgeteverything else and when the workis over forget the work. You andwork should become one. Not doerdoing something but only the doing.When children are absorbed insomething they forget everything.Later they get absorbed insomething else forgetting the earlierone. Therefore nothing leaves anymark on their minds. Such is theirconcentration. At home we talk andthink about our office work. At workplace we think about our home. Ourmind never remains on the present– ‘now’. We have to practise doingone simple work with our wholeattention. This is training of themind.

Another way of working with non-attachment is also mentioned in theGita (III-9). “Perform all works as anoffering to God otherwise theybecome cause of your bondage”says the Gita. To avoid stress,

anxiety, fear and sorrow whileperforming your work, you offerthem to God - your deity. Offer allwork to Him and leave the outcomealso to Him. “O Lord, I have donemy best. The outcome of this workis left to you. I will not burdenmyself with it.”

We have to reach a state where wedo not find any difference betweenwork, worship and prayer. As wego on offering our work to God ourworries and anxieties become lessand less. “Worshipping Godthrough performance of work donewith a spirit of dedication, a manattains perfection” (18-46). Offeringall our work to God is yoga. Thework, instead of binding us, makingus slaves leads to freedom and joy.Work is not a burden nor boredom– it is the untrained wily mind whichcauses all the troubles.

Therefore Karma Yoga gives usgood training to turn our everydaywork to break our fetters.

Work Quotes:Swami Brahmananda:

-Why are you afraid of work? Workfor Him. You can overcome alldisinclination for work if youconsider it as dedicated to God.Know that all work is the Lord’swork.

-If you work with the idea of pleasing

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men, you will be disappointed.Learn to work for the Lord insteadof working for yourself.

-This is the true secret of work: Firstllearn to like your work.

-Every work is sacred.

Swami Brahmananda

Swami Turiyananda :

-Work binds and also it unbinds-Work for work’s sake. Your wholemind should be fixed upon the work.Let that be your ideal, the be all

and end-all of life. Never mindsuccess or failure.-Ready to attach and ready todetach any minute. We take up awork and get attached to it.- Wecannot detach ourselves from it. Wemust have the power to give up atwill – to leave everything behind.-If you give your entire mind to thework at hand, it will turn outperfectly and you will benefit by it.

Swami Saradananda :

-Remember these things

1) An impure person can never bea good worker.

2) A true worker works with skill andefficiency. He is tolerant of otherpeople’s viewpoints.

3) Japa and meditation are the saltof work.

“You have no right to the results ofyour work.” The result depends onvarious factors among which youreffort is only one. The aspirant musttry all means for the fulfillment ofhis immediate duty but should notbe disappointed if he is notsuccessful. For though one of thefactors may be fulfilled well, yet thework may not turn out successfulfor want of other factors. Hence doone’s best and be at peace withoutbeing anxious about the result iscalled Karma Yoga.

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Volunteers’ Day

“How can I help you?” seems tohave been the mantra pervadingthe Volunteer Appreciation Day

proceedings hosted by theRamakrishna Mission on 1 May2009.

During a brain-storming session inwhich all the volunteers participated,ideas and suggestions came fastand smooth how each one of uscould help those who need somekind of assistance during the

current economic downturn. Thiscould take the form of counselling,passing information and assistanceto procure jobs or other forms ofsupport.

But more of it later.

The day’s function, third in theseries to thank and appreciate itsvolunteers for their generoussupport extended to the Mission’svarious activities – spiritual, cultural,

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educational and medical – startedwith an Invocation by a group ofyoung children who attend regularchanting and religious classes runby volunteers, of course.

The Assistant Supervisor of theBoys’ Home, Mr Suguneswaranrendered a song in Tamil on SriRamakrishna..

In his welcoming address, SwamiMuktirupananda, President of theRamakrishna Mission, underlinedthe importance of volunteers withoutwhose service and support noorganization or institution engagedin welfare activities can moveforward.

“Whether young or old we areinspired by the same ideal basedon love, compassion and a senseof fulfillment. This feeling offulfillment comes when we do a littlegood to others. We have no self-interest, no self-gain, “ he added.

He noted that the ideal of socialservice is quite old. This isembodied in the Bodhisattva spiritof Lord Buddha who took repeatedbirths to alleviate the sufferings ofpeople. The same Samaritan spiritworked for the good of the worldthrough the selfless and purecharacter of Jesus Christ. While theideal is old, the mode of serving haschanged to suit modern dayconditions.

He emphasized that the Darwinisttheory of ‘survival of the fittest’ haslong been replaced by the idea ofcollective well-being of all. Hequoted the famous biologist JulianHuxley as saying that the futurehuman evolution would not bephysical but psycho-social.Psycho-social means to transcendthe limitations of the body andmind. Psycho means to forget thereligious, racial, political andnational prejudices when we thinkof welfare of others. Human welfareis more important than one’s pettyopinions and beliefs. Socio meanswe belong to one human family.Because we are interconnectedand interdependent.

He urged volunteers to rise abovenarrow personal ideas and devotetheir energies to alleviate humandistress and misery.

The chief guest, Ms Bridget LewTan, founder President of HOME,recalled how the organization tookroots more than a decade ago forthe alleviation of the plight of foreignworkers coming to Singapore whohad little or no protection under thelaw.

She related her early contacts witha group of Sri Lankan domesticworkers who were in distressbecause of unscrupulousemployers and agents. Sheorganized temporary

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accommodation for them andhelped sort out their problems. Thisbrought on more workers indistress and they came fromdifferent countries such asBangladesh, Philippines etc all ofwhom had faced almost identicaldifficulties.

A typical encounter she recalls:Meeting a group of some 30Bangladeshi workers at midnight infront of a coffeeshop. Midnight,because they work till 11 pm. Andthe venue has to be somewherebeyond the periscope of employers,lest they punish the workers forapproaching potential helpers. Theirwages have not been paid and thereis nothing the workers can do topersuade the bosses. She tookthem to an old school where theywere temporarily housed and theircase was taken up.

To get things organized, Ms Lewformed a civic movement known as

TWC2 (The Working Committee 2).This generated considerable publicsympathy. In 2004 HOME (theHumanitarian Organization forMigrant Economics) wasregistered with Ms Lew as thefounder President. The organizationis now a member of NCSS (NationalCouncil of Social Services, agovernment umbrella organizationof which the Ramakrishna Missionis also a member).

Ms Lew noted that her organsiationhad forged close ties with foreignembassies in Singapore to helpensure that the welfare of foreignworkers is taken care of.

In recognition of her services toforeign workers, she was honouredwith many awards, including the“Banaag” award from the Presidenrtof the Philppines in 2003.

Ms Lew’s experiences in dealingwith the plight of migrant workers

Swami Muktirupananda presents a momento to Ms. Lew

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came as an additional inspirationfor the volunteers as they begandiscussing the day’s topic – Howcan I help you?

As most of the participants areactive social workers in differentfields of activities, the suggestionswere varied and abundant. Themain emphasis was on helpingretrenched workers and theirfamilies, how to help them findalternate employment and arrangeinterim financial assistance whereneeded. The need to providecounselling where necessary wasalso discussed, with a view to

overcoming or reducing feelings ofdepression. Ideas on how topublicise information onopportunities for employment aswell as training or retrainingfacilities available were alsoexchanged. The importance ofmotivation in the presentcircumstances was alsoemphasized.

All participants agreed that theywould increase their vigilance anddo their very best to assist thosein need and spread usefulinformation among their own groupsto create a larger pool of assistance.

Discussion

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Swami Muktirupananda launched theRamakrishna Mission Boys’ Home website. It isa comprehensive presentation containing thehistory, aims, objectives and scope of the Boys’Home whose main objective is to provideeducation, care and protection to children wholack adequate parental support. At the same timeefforts are made to inculcate moral and spiritualvalues in them so that they grow up asresponsible, wholesome individuals.Apart fromattending regular schools, they receive tuitionfrom both paid and volunteer teachers.

Website: www.rkmbh.org

Eager listeners

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* * *

I n acknowledgement of hisprofound achievements, a largebronze statue of Swami

Vivekananda was installed at theRamakrishna Square opposite theRamakrishna Math in Bangalore on12 January 2009, his birthday.

The 9.5 feet (2.9m) statue,mounted on a metre-high pedestal,was unveiled by Mr RameshwarThakur, the Governor of Karnatakastate, at a well-attended function .Also present were Mr Lal KrishnaAdvani, Leader of the Opposition in

Parliament, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa,Chief Minister of Karnataka, MrS.M. Krishna, the former ChiefMinister, and other dignitaries.

Some 4500 people, including some2000 students from variouseducational institutions carryingbanners of the sayings of Swamijiattended the public meeting

A souvenir, An Icon of Inspiration,containing illuminating articles bymonks and scholars was alsoreleased on the occasion.

Swamiji Honoured

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Homa

The Swami arrived in Bangalorefrom Margao in December 1892during his travels through India asa Parivrajaka (itinerant monk). Withno acquaintance in the city, hewent and stayed at the Kalappachoultry (an alms house) in theMajestic area. Soon after his arrivalhe was infected with chickenpox.Since, according to the municipallaws the infection can only betreated by authorised doctors, DrP. Palpu, the Municipal MedicalOfficer, was called in. A few minutesof talk convinced Dr Palpu that hispatient was no ordinary monk andstraightaway took him to his ownhouse as his guest.

Dr Palpu, a close friend of Mr K.Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan (ChiefMinister) of Mysore State, promptlyconveyed the developments to him.

Mr Seshadri Iyersoon met the Swamiand made hisacquaintance. A fewminutes ofconversation wassufficient to impressthis shrewdstatesman that theyoung sannyasinpossessed a“ m a g n i f i c e n tpersonality and adivine force whichwere destined toleave their mark onthe history of his

country.” The Swami became themost sought-out person by theroyalty, community leaders and theintelligentsia.

Mr Shesadri Iyer soon brought the“young Acharya” (as he usuallyreferred to him) to meet theMaharaja of Mysore,Chamarajendra Wadiyar, himself anaccomplished scholar.

The Maharaja was so delighted withthe acquaintance of the Swami,then 29, that he exclaimed: “Suchbrilliancy of thought, such charm ofpersonality, such wide learningand such penetrating religiousinsight.”

During his appearance before anassembly of Pundits (religiousscholars) in Bangalore, the Swami

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outlined some thoughts on Vedantawhich he was to expand, articulateand present to a world audience inthe next few years.

While Swamiji believed that theMaharajas and their seniorexecutives could be instruments ofchange in a feudalistic society, themain aim of his two-year-long travelthrough India was to study theproblems of the masses and toseek solutions to improve theirliving conditions througheducation, modernization ofagriculture and industries andtechnical sciences.

So while staying at the Kalappachoultry he had plenty ofopportunities to see rural India. Heused to sit and rest on a stonebench attached to the front wall ofthe house of Sri Sugappa, ajeweller by profession. Later, whenSri Sugappa came to know that theitinerant monk who broke bread withthem was none other than SwamiVivekananda, he and hisdescendants preserved the benchcarefully and respectfully, treatingit as a valuable monument. Thestone-bench was officially handedover to the Ramakrishna Math inJanuary 1997.

On 27 March 2009, themonument wasconsecrated at aspecial functionpresided over by SwamiB h a u m a n a n d a ,P r e s i d e n t ,Ramakrishna Math,Pune. As part of theearly morning function,there was special puja,homa and mangalarati.

In the evening some1600 people turned upat a public meeting tomark the consecrationwhere speakers tracedthe history of theSwami’s voyageacross the world in thecause of Vedanta.

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The Ramayana-13

Rama Upholds DharmaN.Narandran

(Continued from last issue)

When dawn broke the nextday, Vasishtha and hisdisciples left for

Dasaratha’s palace in a processionbearing vessels filled with watersfrom the holy rivers and the otherparaphernalia to be used at thecoronation planned for later in themorning. The splendidly decoratedstreets were thronged with peopleexcitedly waiting for themomentous event to commence.

Approaching the palace gates,Vasishtha requested Sumantra toinform King Dasaratha that theauspicious moment was imminentand that his subjects were awaitinghis appearance.

Sumantra hurried to the king’schamber and chanting the morninghymn, requested the king to risefrom his slumber to meet Vasishtha,the priests and the people who hadgathered to witness the coronation.

The king looked at Sumantra withsleep-deprived eyes, red withweeping but said nothing.Sumantra sensed that something

was amiss and took a few stepsback from the speechless king.Kaikeyi quickly put his mind at easeby saying that the king, having hada sleepless night thinking andworrying about the coronation, wasdrowsy. She requested Sumantrato go and bring Rama before theking.

Sumantra, thinking that the kingprobably had something importantto discuss with Rama before thecoronation, hurried to Rama’spalace. Along the way, severalpeople inquired why the king’sappearance was delayed thoughthe auspicious moment was fastapproaching. At Rama’s palacewhere Rama and Sita were gettingready, Sumantra informed Rama ofthe king’s desire to see him. Ramainformed Sita and left at once. Hefollowed Sumantra in his chariotand drove through the streetspacked with increasingly impatientpeople.

On reaching the king’s palace,Rama quickly went towardsKaikeyi’s chamber, eager to meet

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his beloved father. Lakshmanawaited at the entrance while Ramaentered the chamber. A strangesilence greeted him. The king wasseated on a couch looking as if hewas undergoing some mentaltorture. Rama fell at his feet andclasped his feet but the king witheyes closed could utter only oneword ‘Rama’. Tears flowed from hiseyes. Rama prostrated beforeKaikeyi who was standing a shortdistance away. Rama wassaddened and taken aback by thisunusual welcome and askedKaikeyi if he had unknowingly donesomething wrong to displease theking and cause such unhappinessto his father. Had someone spokenrudely to him? He could not bear tosee his father whom he worshipped,suffering such unhappiness.

Kaikeyi seized her chance toexplain that the king was neitherunwell physically nor upset with

anyone. His mind was plagued byan important matter which he wasreluctant to tell Rama for fear ofhurting him. She then quicklyrelated how, a long time ago, theking had granted her two boons forsaving his life. She wanted the kingto honour his promise now but theking was reluctant. His love forRama was making him go back onhis word and violating the rules ofdharma, something mostunbecoming of a king. Kaikeyi toldRama that he had the power toensure that the king’s promise waskept and should give the kingstrength to act righteously. Theshrewd Kaikeyi then elicited fromRama a promise that he would helpthe king honour his pledge.

Rama replied that if he was inanyway the cause of his father’ssorrow, nobody should doubt himfor he was prepared to obey hisfather to the letter without question.

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If his father so ordered, he wasprepared to jump into fire, swallowpoison or drown himself. Hesolemnly promised Kaikeyi that hewould fulfil his father’s promise.

Having secured this promise, themerciless Kaikeyi explained thatthe two boons she was claimingnow, were that Bharata should becrowned the Yuvaraja and thatRama should be banished to theDandaka forest and remain therein exile for 14 years. She remindedRama that he had given his wordand should keep it.

Rama remained calm andunperturbed by Kaikeyi’s wordswhile the king writhed in agony.Rama’s face showed neither angernor disappointment. He replied thatthe king’s promise must be fulfilledand that he would leave at oncefor the forest dressed in tree-barkand deerskin. He said he wouldgladly give up anything for hisbrother Bharata. He was hurt thathis father had doubted hiswillingness to carry out his desires.To Rama, service to one’s parentswas the only path which leads tothe other purusharthas. As a son,he was duty bound to obey hisfather’s every command. He thenrequested Kaikeyi to dispatch

messengers immediately toKekaya and summon Bharata forhis coronation.Kaikeyi, triumphant at last, urgedRama to leave for the forest fast andnot prolong the matter. She wouldsend messengers and bringBharata back.

King Dasaratha, listening to allthese, sobbed loudly, his griefuncontrollable. Telling Kaikeyi tolook after his father well and toensure that Bharata carried out hisduties well, Rama touched the feetof his father and Kaikeyi’s andhurried out of the chamber.

Lakshmana who had been standingnear the doorway to the chamberhad heard everything and wasseething with anger. His lipsthrobbed with anger and his eyesfilled with tears. Rama, however,showed no emotions but looked likea sannyasi who had renounced theworld. Passing the hall where thepreparations had been made, hewent round the vessels containingthe consecrated waters for thecoronation. Leaving behind thewhite umbrella and the other royalinsignia, he went towards QueenKausalya’s chamber to break thenews to his mother and receive herblessing before departing forDandaka.

References:1. Ramayana by Kamala Subramaniam2. Ramayana by C. Rajagopalachari

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I want peaceR.Jayasekar

The sage Narada wasrestless. He wasrespected, honoured,

adored even. People looked up tohim, admired him, loved him. Yethe himself was dissatisfied,agitated. He had mastered all thesciences and arts available tomankind, yet he felt something waslacking, but he couldn’t put a fingeron it. Hence his discontentment.

He sought out the ever youthfulseer Sanatkumara, otherwiseknown as Skanda. Approaching himwith all humility as a student andseeker, he bowed to him and said,“Please teach me, O blessed one.”Sanatkumara said in reply, “Tell mewhat you already know, then I shallteach you about what remains tobe known.”

Narada began to give a list ofsubjects he had mastered. It wasa long list, covering the entire fieldof positivistic knowledge thenavailable. They included suchdiverse topics as mathematics,music, astronomy, the science ofwar, the science of animals, the finearts, grammar, physical scienceand all the scriptures. Then he

admitted humbly, “Yet in spite of allthis knowledge, I am only a knowerof words. My heart is restless. I longfor peace, but it ever eludes me. Ihave heard that only from greatones like you can the knowledgethat gives true peace be attained.Take me, O blessed one, acrossthe ocean of sorrow.”

Peace! Shanti! What a beautifulword. All are in search of it. But howmany attain it? Even Narada, famedin all the worlds, lacked it in spiteof his vast learning. In what way wasNarada’s learning incomplete?When does knowledge gettransformed into wisdom and bringabout peace? Finding in him asincere seeker, Sanatkumaradecided to help him attain thepeace that eluded him.

“All that you have learnt is onlyname, mere form withoutsubstance,” began Sanatkumara.

Knowledge of Self

Without knowing about oneself noexternal knowledge can bring aboutfulfilment. Knowledge of the Self, theAtman as the real nature of man,

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is essential to complement theknowledge of the external world andhelp one to rise from knowledge towisdom. Slowly leading Naradathrough the various categories ofexperience disclosed by theknowledge of the external world andpointing out their limitations,Sanatkumara exhorted Narada toseek the Atman. For true and lastingpeace comes only when onerealises and abides in theknowledge that he is essentiallythe Atman, beyond all limitationsimposed by the body and mind.

“That which is infinite, is alonehappiness,” declared Sanatkumarato Narada. “There is no happinessin anything finite.”

True shanti comes only from theinfinite reality (Brahman or Bhumanin the words of Sanatkumara) thatsustains this universe. The finite,perishable things of the world cannever give lasting peace. So lifeshould be anchored in spirituality,for that alone will put all things inperspective and enable one to faceall situations with equanimity.

How does one become spiritual?One must have Sraddha (faith) andNishtha (steadfastness) continuedSanatkumara. Sraddha andNishtha are two very importantqualifications for spiritual growth. Inthe beginning there will be many

doubts, and therefore faith andsteadfastness are necessary totake us forward. We must have faithin the scriptures, the record of theexperiences of the realised sages.We must have faith in the Guru whoshows the way. And we must havefaith in ourselves. Such faith givesself confidence and strength to faceall difficulties and strive to becomemore and more spiritual.

You must then act on that faith saidSanatkumara. We must activelyput into practice the tenets andprinciples of our religion in all ourundertakings. As the famous sayinggoes, “An ounce of practice is farsuperior to tons of knowledge”.

Spiritual Growth

How do we know we are growingspiritually?

Swami Ranganathananda gives thecriteria very clearly: “Can you loveothers? Can you feel oneness withothers? Have you peace withinyourself and do you radiate itaround you? That is called spiritualgrowth, which is stimulated bymeditation inwardly, and work donein a spirit of service outwardly.”

To be truly spiritual one must bepure in mind, continuedSanatkumara. All spiritual practicesand religious observances have

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purity of mind as the ultimate goal.How does one become pure?Sanatkumara made a very importantdeclaration.

Ãhara suddhau sattva-suddhih;Sattva- suddau dhruva smrtih;Smrti-lambhe sarva-granthinamvipra-moksah.

“When the ahara is pure, the mindbecomes pure; when the mindbecomes pure, the memory of one’sdivine nature becomes steady; whenthis memory is achieved, all theknots of the heart (all doubts anddefects) are completely destroyed.”

By ahara we usually mean food. Buthere Sanatkumara means all thatis gathered into the physical andmental system of man through hissenses and organs.

Purity

Purity is the bed-rock upon whichspiritual growth rests. Cleaning theexternal body and discriminating thefood are both easy, but without

internal purity these externalobservances are of no valuewhatsoever. In the list of qualitiesconducive to purity,Ramanujacharya enumerates thefollowing – truthfulness, sincerity,doing good to others without anypersonal gain, not injuring others bythought, word or deed, not covetinganother’s goods, not thinking vainthoughts and not brooding overinjuries received from another.

We know we have reached the goalwhen we see God everywhere, saidSanatkumara, and concluded in anecstatic outburst.

“That Infinite alone is below, Thatalone is above. That Infinite aloneis behind, That is in front. ThatInfinite alone is to the south, Thatis to the north. That Infinite alone isall this. I alone am below, I amabove. I am behind, I am in front. Iam to the south, I am to the north.I alone am all this.”

Thus did the revered Sanatkumarabring peace to the heart of Narada.

Reference:Chandogya Upanishad (Chapter 7)

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Relief Work in Sri LankaIn keeping with its tradition, theRamakrishna Mission has launchedrelief work in northern Sri Lanka tohelp alleviate the immensehumanitarian crisis there.

Soon after the guns fell silent,Swami Sarvarupananda, head of theColombo centre, was given specialclearance by the authorities to goto Jaffna to organise relief. Hereached Jaffna on 22 May and metthe Government Agent there to chalkout plans for relief work.

To start with the Swami hasselected a camp with 306 familiesconsisting of 1320 members forimmediate distribution of reliefmaterials. Initially the Swami,assisted by a team of volunteersfrom the Ramakrishna Samity inThavady, Jaffna, will distribute food,milk powder, clothes, oil, toothpaste

and soap. Other supplies may beadded after a study of the problemsfacing the refugees.

The volunteers will also providecounselling and spiritual support forthe dispossessed people.

The supplies are being procuredfrom a budget of Rs. 3 million rupees(US$25,000). Meanwhile efforts arebeing made to raise more funds tokeep the relief work going. The targetfor the Mission’s relief work isrelatively a small segment of thepeople affected, According to officialestimates there are close to 275,000Tamil refugees in northern Sri Lankaincluding Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannarand Trincomalee.

Donations can be made toRamakrishna Mission, 40Ramakrishna Road, Colombo 6.

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TEMPLE PROGRAMMES & DISCOURSES

1. Daily6.00am Mangalarati9.00am Puja7.00pm Evening Arati & Bhajan

2. Ekadashi6.15pm Vishnu Sahasranamam7.00pm Arati followed by Rama-Nama Sankirtan

3. Saturdays5.00pm Bhajan, Cultural & Religious Classes for

Children (Temple hall – I level)6.00pm Discourse on “Meditation and Spiritual Life”

by Swami Satyalokananda (Library)7.30pm Vedic Chanting & Bhajan Class (Temple)

4. Sundays9.30am Yoga Class (Sarada Hall)11.00am Chanting & Cultural Class for Children

(Temple hall – I level)4.00pm Sanskrit Language Classes (Library)

(a) Beginners, (b) for Advanced Students5.00pm Discourse on “Svetasvatara Upanishad”

by Swami Samachittananda(Temple hall – I level)

6.00pm Discourse on “Vishnu Sahasranama”by Swami Muktirupananda (Sarada Hall)

Discourses and classes are open to all

Registration required for Yoga class

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FESTIVAL CALENDAR

July - September 2009

July 2009

03 Friday Ekadashi07 Tuesday Guru Purnima18 Saturday Ekadashi27 Monday Birthday of Swami Ramakrishnananda

August 2009

01 Saturday Ekadashi05 Wednesday Birthday of Swami Niranjanananda13 Thursday Sri Krishna Janmashtami17 Monday Ekadashi19 Wednesday Birthday of Swami Advaitananda31 Monday Ekadashi

September 200913 Sunday Birthday of Swami Abhedananda15 Tuesday Ekadashi18 Friday Birthday of Swami Akhandananda25 Friday Sri Sri Durga Puja Saptami26 Saturday Sri Sri Durga Puja Ashtami27 Sunday Sri Sri Durga Puja Navami28 Monday Vijaya Dashami30 Wednesday Ekadashi

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