March 2000
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.


Sunday Mon.  Tuesday Wed. Thursday Fri. Sat.
1
 		 2
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

 3
 
 		 4
 
 

 6 PM  Special
Celebration:
Shiva Ratri
5
 11:00 AM Service
Sri Ramakrishna and his 
Message		 6
 		 7
 
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
The Gospel of
Sri Ramakrishna

 8
 
 
 
 
 		 9
 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani		 10
 
 
 
 		 11
 
 
 

 6 PM  Special
Celebration:
Sri Ramakrishna Puja
12
 11:00 AM Service
The Way of the 
Divine		 13
 		 14

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
The Gospel of
Sri Ramakrishna

 

 15

 

 16
 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani		 17
 
 
 		 18
 
 

 
19
 11:00 AM Service
Thou Art  
That		 20
 12 Noon  Special
Celebration:
Sri Chaitanya
 		 21 22 23
 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani		 24
 12 Noon  Special
Celebration:
Swami Yogananda		 25
 

 
26
 11:00 AM Service
Buddha and his Teachings
Swami Aseshananda (video)		 27
 		 28

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
The Gospel of
Sri Ramakrishna

 29
 
 
 		 30
 

 7:30 PM Scripture Class
Viveka Chudamani

 31
 
 
 

Special Celebrations
March 4 Shivaratri 6:00 PM
March 11 Sri Ramakrishna Puja 6:00 PM
March 20 Sri Chaitanya 12 Noon
March 24 Swami Yogananda 12 Noon

Special Programs

March 4, Saturday: Shivaratri (in the Shrine)
6 PM Worship, flower offering, Potluck dinner.
March 11, Saturday: Sri Ramakrishna Puja (in the Chapel)
6 PM worship, Homa Fire ceremony, flower offering, singing, potluck dinner.

Personal

Swami Shantarupananda gave a lecture on "Hinduism" at the Portland Community College on Tuesday, February 8 at 1 PM.
Swami Shantarupananda will visit the Vedanta Society of Berkeley from March 24 to 27.

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.

You and your friends are cordially welcome to attend the services.

 

Audio Cassette Tapes of Swami Aseshananda

Tapes of Swami's lectures are $5.99 each or $60 for the entire set of eleven titles.  Titles available are:

Holy Mother

Steps to Illumination

Three Great Blessings

Katha Upanishad

Raja Yoga

Holy Company
(evening readings)

Companion of Sri Krishna
(Reminiscences of Swami Brahmananda)

Divine Life
(Reminiscences of Swami Shivananda)

The Message of Swami Yogananda

Divine Love
(Reminiscences of Swami Premananda)

A Knower of God
(Reminiscences of Swami Vijnanananda)

 

M. (humbly): How, sir, may we fix our minds on God?

Sri Ramakrishna: Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men.  The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities; it is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God.  To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practices meditation in solitude.  When a tree is young it should be fenced all around;  otherwise it may be destroyed by cattle.
To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or retire to a secluded corner or to the forest.  And you should always discriminate between the Real and the unreal.  God alone is real, the Eternal Substance;  all else is unreal, that is, impermanent.  By discriminating thus, one should shake off impermanent objects from the mind.

M. (humbly): How ought we to live in the world?

Sri Ramakrishna:  Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God.  Live with all--with wife and children, father and mother--and serve them.  Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart of hearts that they do not belong to you.
A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village.  She brings up her master's children as if they were her own.  She even speaks of them as 'my Rama' or 'my Hari.'  But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all.

--- The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna