January 2001
Vedanta Society of Portland
The following are the Society's services and special events for this month.
Except where noted, all lectures are given by Swami Shantarupananda.
All are welcome.


l
Sunday Mon.  Tuesday Wed. Thursday Fri. Sat.
   1
 12 Noon  Special Celebration
Kalpaturu Day and
Swami Premananda

 2



 7:30 PM Scripture Class
"The Mahabharata" (DVD show)

 3
 
 
 

 

 4




 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

5 6
7
 11:00 AM Service
Meditation and How To Overcome Mental Tension
Guest Speaker:
Swami Pramathananda		 8
 12 Noon  Special Celebration
Swami Turiyananda 		9
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
"The Mahabharata" (DVD show)

10 11
 
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

12 13
 
 

 
14
 11:00 AM Service
Swami Vivekananda and the West

 

 15
 
 
 
 

 6 PM  Special Celebration
Swami Vivekananda

16 17 18
 
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

 19 20
21
 11:00 AM Service
A Spiritual Son of God 		22 23
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
"The Mahabharata" (DVD show)

 24

 

 25
 
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

 26
 
 
 

 6 PM  Special Celebration
Swami Brahmananda

 27
28
 11:00 AM Service
A Life of Dedication
 12 Noon  Special Celebration
Swami Trigunatitananda 		29
 12 Noon  Special Celebration
Saraswati Puja 		30
 
 
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
"The Mahabharata" (DVD show)

31

 
Visiting Swamis
Swami Aparananda, Head of the Vedanta Society of Berkeley, visited our Center from December 25 to 29, 2000.

Swami Pramathananda, Head of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, Canada, will visit our Center from January 6 to 8, 2001. He will give a talk on "Meditation and How to Overcome Mental Tension" on January 7, Sunday, at 11 a.m.


 

Special Programs

Kalpaturu Day

Monday, January 1, 6 PM, in the Shrine Kalpataru Day, puja, reading, singing, flower offering and pot luck dinner.
 

Swami Vivekananda

Monday, January 15, 6 PM, in the Shrine Swami Vivekananda's Birthday - puja, singing, flower offering and pot luck dinner.
 

Swami Brahmananda

Friday, January 26, 6 PM, in the Shrine - Swami Brahmananda's Birthday, puja, singing, flower offering and pot luck dinner.

 
Please note our New Email Address:
swami@vedantasociety.org
 
 
 
We Wish You a Happy New Year

 
 

New Booklet

The Last Disciple of Holy Mother: Reminiscences of Swami Aseshananda,
by Swami Shantarupananda.

It is a short booklet on the life of Swami Aseshananda written with depth of feeling and insight. Those who knew Swami Aseshananda will be reminded of his dedicated life, and those who never met him will be charmed by reading about his simple life permeated with depth of spirituality.

Price $2.95. Postage extra.
 

 

New Publication

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Vedanta Society of Portland.

Chronology of Swami Vivekananda in The West

A graphic presentation of the history of Swami Vivekananda's visits to the West,
Based on: Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries, by Marie Louise Burke,
complied by Terrance D. Hohner and Carolyn B. Kenny (Amala)

Price $19.95, plus postage and handling of $4.00.

 
What is Vedanta?

Vedanta is a sanskrit word which literally means 'the end of the Vedas' - the Vedas being the scriptures of the Hindus.  The Vedas are divided into two main portions: the work-portion, which describes how one should work and do worship, and the knowledge-portion.  Included in the knowledge-portion are those books which deal with spirituality and philosophy.  These books are called the Upanishads, or the Vedanta.  Veda means 'knowledge'; therefore, Vedanta also means 'the end of knowledge,' or 'the highest knowledge.'  It is claimed that at least six thousand years ago this body of spiritual knowledge was experienced and discovered in India by its sages and seers.

The principles of Vedanta are impersonal, universal and eternal.  They are about God, soul, and the world.  Vedanta teaches that each soul is potentially divine - the infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.  The goal of human life is to manifest this innate divinity through meditation (Raja yoga), devotion (Bhakti yoga), selfless action (Karma yoga), and discrimination (Jnana yoga).  Vedanta preaches the unity of the Godhead and accepts every faith as a valid means to realize God.  As the Rig Veda, the oldest scripture of the Hindus, declares, "Truth is One; sages call it by various names."  Vedanta is a religion, a philosophy, and a way of life.

In modern times the eternal vedic truths were re-experienced and re-discovered by Sri Ramakrishna (1836 - 1886).  He also practiced other religions and came to the same conclusion as is mentioned in the Rig Veda, that "As many faiths, so many paths."