Opw!311:Year 13 Issue 5

In This Issue

1. Vedanta Section: Atma Bodha - Shloka-12

2. Letter Section: Predicting Future

3. Traditions Section: Gita Jayanti

4. Story Section: The Ashes

5. VM Programs: Mission / Ashram Progs

From Poojya Guruji

Vedanta SandeshSpreading Love & Light

Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta MissionSharing the message of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma

Nov 2009

On the Net since 1995

Started by:

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji

Editor:

Swamini Samatananda Saraswati

Published from:

Vedanta Ashram

E/2948-50, Sudama Nagar

Indore-452 009, India

Web:

www.vmission.org.in

Email:

vmission@gmail.com

Hari om!

Gita is the only scripture of Hindu’s whose ‘jayanti (birth-day)’ is cel-ebrated every year. As per the Hindu Calendar it is on the 11th day(called Mokshada Ekadashi) of the Shukla Paksha of the month ofMargshirsha. This year (2009) it is on the 28th of Nov.

This divine discourse comes in the Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata,and constitues its 25th to 42nd chapters. These 18 chapters are to-gether referred to as the Bhagwad Gita. Penned by Sri Veda Vyasa thecelebrated author of Mahabharata, the discourse, in a dialouge betweenSri Krishna and Arjuna. It was a real story. The discourse which comesto us is narrated by Sanjay to the blind King Dhritrashtra on the 10thday of the great war. Sanjay was bestowed with special powers to see& hear anything which happens at the field of Kurushetra. While Sanjayhad this power to narrate right from day 1, yet the blind King did notwant to hear about the supposed thrashing & killing of Pandvas by hissons, who had some of the greatest warriors of the times in their side,like Bhishma Pitamaha, Dronacharya and Karna. But on the 10th dayan unimaginable news came, about the fall of Bhishma Pitamah, and itwas then that the King asked Sanjay to narrate the events, and that iswhen the world came to know about this great & divine discourse.

Sanjay was almost ecstatic while revealing the events of day 1. Thatevent turned to be the turning point of the war. It was this divine dis-course between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. If it was not for this discourse,then the history would have been different. Unable to discern what isright and wrong, Arjuna got incapacitated by the stress of indecisive-ness, and had requested his charioteer, Krishna, to take the chariotback. He had decided not to fight his own kith & kin, ‘just for’ kingdom.Luckily Arjuna confessed to Krishna his grief and indecisiveness andalso requested Krishna to enlighten him on what is really right. Thenstarted this great discourse wherein Lord very logically reveals the art &science of discerning what is right and wrong. In fact this discoursebecame a basis of reveal the entire Vedic view of life. Bhagwad Gita isbasically a treatise in discerning what is right & wrong. It reveals the Art& Science of Right & Quick Decision-Making.

Love & om,

Swami Atmananda Saraswati

Vedanta Section

Atma Bodha - Shloka 12

Panchikrutmahabhut Sambhavam:

The gross body or sthool sharira, means our

physical body with all its hands & legs etc. That which

is perceptible by our eyes. This body is made up of

Panchikruta Mahabhuta’s–or the Grossified Five

Elements. The five elements being Space, Wind,

Fire, Water and the earth. At the time of creation

these five elements are created in a definite sequen-

tial manner. At first they manifest in their subtle

form and are know as ‘Tanmatra’, which means they

are not percievable. These elements are a product

of maya and hence they also have the three at-

tributes of Maya, namely the sattva, Rajas and

Tamas aspects. Different levels of the body are cre-

ated with each guna of these five elements. Like

the gross body is created of the Tamasic aspect of

the five elements. These Mahabhutas charecterised

by the Tamo guna undergo a process ofVedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

The jiva is constantly suffering and dancing to the changing tunes of the objective world, situations

outside, and the changes of his own body, mind and intellect. His mentality and actions are influenced by

the variety in names and forms. Vedanta reveals that the basic cause of this suffering is the super-imposi-

tion of all these worldly embodiments on the ‘Self’ which is free of all these forms and their modifications.

The nature of the problem is associating or imposing the properties of the non-self(Anatma) on the Real

Self(Atma). This fact was revealed in the previous sloka too that all properties of physical appearances,

castes, and roles are superimposed on the Self which is basically free and untouched by them. Having

understood the case and the nature of the problem, what then is the solution to it? As a cure to this

problem the scriptures reveal that it is important to discriminate between the Atma(Self) and the Anatma(Non-

Self) and keep aside the entire spectrum of the Anatma. In this process of discrimination one comes to see

the limted, ephimeral and illusionary nature of the Anatma and discover the Atma which is the changeless,

self-effulgent, blissful substratum. To bring about this discrimination and negate the non-self it is important

to know the nature of Anatma. But the first question is, what all comes under Anatma? What all we can

possibly impose on Self. The non-self has a wide spectrum of things. They comprise from the most evident

& gross things to very subtle unmanifest ‘objects’. Various Upanishads have classified this entire range of

Anatma in different ways. One of the ways is to club this entire spectrum under three categories called the

three bodies, the Gross, Subtle and Causal bodies. In the present sloka the Acharya reveals the nature of

the Gross body or the Sthool Sharira.

.

Creation of Gross Body

Panchikrutmahabhut sambhavam karmasanchitam

shariram sukhdukhanam bhogayatanamuchyate

Panchikrutmahabhut sambhavam: born of the five-fold compounds of the great elements;

karmasanchitam: acquired of the resultant taints of karmas; shariram: the body; sukhdukhanam:of the joys and sorrows; bhogayatanam: the seat of enjoyment; uchyate: is said to be.

Sthula sharira or the gross body is born of the five-fold combination of the great elements, is

acquired of the resultant taints of past actions and is the seat of enjoyment of pleasure and pain.

12

Page # 5

grossification called Panchikaranam. After this pro-

cess the subtle elements become grossified, and it

is with these grossified elements that the physical

body is formed. This explains - panchikruta-

mahabhut -sambhavam.

Karmasanchitam:

A very significant fact revealed here is that

this gross body and all the objective world is born of

the five elements our human body is the fruit of great

virtuous deeds performed in earlier lives. So the

teacher says that merely by the possession of this

body you indicate a relatively virtuous life lead ear-

lier. The great value of this human body lies in the

exclusive pottential of not only gaining the knowl-

edge and experiences of the world outside but more

importantly because it is the human body alone that

has the pottential of being Self-conscious or know-

ing the true nature of the self. No other body has

such a potential. Even the divine and luxurious form

of a celestial being is blessed only with worldly luxu-

ries which are ephimeral in nature. It is only in the

form of a human being that one can rise above the

portals of the limited body , mind and intellect and

awaken in the realms of limitlessness.

Shariram sukhadukhanam:The gross body in sanskrit is called ‘Sthool

Sharira’. Here the word ‘sharira’ also is a very sug-

gestive & pregnant word. It means that which is

perishable. So the moment we use the word sharira

then we become conscious of one of the most im-

portant characteristics of all the three bodies, and

that is their ephemerality and changing nature. Infact

as the scriptures reveal and as we too can directly

see it for ourselves, right from birth to death in the

entire journey of life the gross body goes through

different modifications. Physical body alone is born,

it alone grows, decays & finally dies. The Acharya

says that this physical body is the office where the

jiva resides to experience the various pleasures and

sorrows.

Bhogayatanamuchyate:

Hence the gross body here is called the seat

or counter where the jiva sits and makes his trans-

actions of give and take, of experiencing highs and

lows. The eyes, ears, nose, hands, legs etc are the

physical counters through which we percieve the

outside world and its experiences.

The message conveyed in this sloka is to be

able to see the ephimeral and changing nature of

this gross body and through such an understanding

redefine our relationship with it. Instead of identify-

ing with the physical body as ‘I’ and suffering its limi-

tations, know the body to be your office through

which you interact with the world . To be able to see

that I am not this body but this body is mine, paves

the path of our liberation from our false perceptions

and consequent sufferings. Also unveiling the Self

‘as it is’, pure self effulgent and blissful. So lets end

it on a note where you dont say its ‘your birthday’

because you are basically unborn, but lets say its

the manifestation day of this body and thank god

for it.

He spreads his ray of love without a stress

Despite, he gets a curse or a bless

Little Lily don’t be arrogant

Out of your ignorance you will repent

Don’t niggle over petty affairs

Life is larger than what you cares”

Nature bestows every creature with boons

Majority still remain goons

Little Lily realised her ignorance

Bowed before Sun for her sappy arrogance

Today, Lets all take an oath

Love and forgive all and never be a Goth

-Shreejith

Little lily in the pond

Spake to the sun with a taunt

“Your heat is blemishing my beauty”

Sun said, “O Dear! to render heat is my duty”

Little lily got annoyed

Wanted the sun to be destroyed

The wise old pond told the Lily

“My dear beauty, don’t be silly

He is mighty yet the modest

Very disciplined yet not an egotist

His ray gives life to all creatures

He is the one who nurtures

He shower his rays unconditionally

For every being to live blithely

Little Lily And The Sun

Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

Gita Overview

Author: Sri Veda Vyasa

Found in: Mahabharata: Chapter 25 to 42 of Bhishma

Parva

Number of Shlokas: 700

Shlokas by:

Dhritrashtra: 1

Sanjaya: 41

Arjuna: 83

Lord Krishna: 575

Subject Matter:

The Art & Science of discerning the real Dharma, or

What is really right in a given circumstance for a given

person. It is a philosophical treatise with a universal ap-

peal. Aptly referred to by Swami Atmanandaji as ‘The Art

of Quick & Right Decision Making’.

It is a dialogue between Lord Krishna & Arjuna, who

had fell into profound grief because of his inability to dis-

cern real Dharma. This short discourse gave him that wis-

dom and insight and he could do his duty thereafter with-

out any problem, and rather made history.

Page # 9

Predicting Future

I see the dark

clouds over the future

as a blessing, rather

than an obstacle.

Come what may, I

shall face it, say all the

great batsman and

players. We need to

prepare ourselves for

the worst and then

make every present

the best. The best

way to live is to think

that this is the last day

of your life. Then the

best in you gets a

chance to manifest.

- Poojya Guruji

Hari om !

Can I ask a still fundamental question? Have you ever wondered on the necessity of

predicting future? Such discussions apparently presume the propriety & importance of

predicting the future. Then maybe 'we' will be able to prepare ourselves better for the

possible eventualities, etc. Isn't it? May be this is wrong. Lets think of its pros & cons.

I personally find that predicting future literally amounts to ruining it. It is like someone

telling you the secret of a suspense movie beforehand. There is joy in suspense, in its

slow unfoldment. This helps to invoke the best out of us. Unpredictability helps us keep

on our toes. Only those people want to predict future whose happiness lies beyond the

horizon, who do not know the art of living their present moments in joy. Basically they

dont know how to live. Past is dead & gone, future is yet to come, but present alone is.

The future too shall come to you as present. So the most important thing is to make the

best of each & every moment that has come to you 'right now'. Make the best of

present. The joy of confident people is in facing challenges, not in eating some already

prepared stale pudding. Let that joy be for the children and other incapacitated ones. I

am sure an ideal management expert will be that guy who can face 'any' challenge that

comes his way with a cool, confident and intelligent mind. We need to have this

confidence and intelligence, and then there is no need to get a peep into what lies in the

womb of dark future. I see the dark clouds over the future as a blessing, rather than

something which is an obstacle. Come what may, I shall face it, say all the great

batsman and players. We need to prepare ourselves for the worst, aim for the highest,

but finally make the best of every present moment. The best way to live is to think that

this is the last day of your life. Then the best in you gets a chance to manifest, all latent

potentialities come out. Give yourself that chance, rather than live in insecurity & lack,

and then hope & pray for a good turn of events. Present is indeed a present from god.

If present is so important then why bother about predicting future? This has been and

shall always be the pastime and worry of weak minds. Only the insecure & unsatisfied

desire for a peep into the future. It reveals not only a dissatisfied mind but an insecure

one too. That is not the way to live. This way of life will keep us eternally dissatisfied.

Those who try to predict future, have a notion that human endeavors & manipulations

are better than the situations given by nature or god. Creations of finite minds is no

where comparable to amazing and extraordinarily beautiful creations of omniscient god.

The sun, moon, stars, human body, brains, animals, birds, flowers, an atom with all its

electron & protons etc, are all creations of that amazing unseen artist, which we simply

dis-cover. What 'is' is anyday far more beautiful than what 'should be'. So I think it is

more wise to awake to what 'is' rather than waste your time, energy and life in thinking

about what 'should be' or can be. The enlightened ones say that awakening to the truth

of life was the turning point in their lives, and not eternally working for a manipulated

future with a small insecure dissatisfied mind. Such people have already ruined the

ecosystem of our beautiful blue planet to disasterous levels, and there are endless wars

and conflicts going on all over. All the social problems are the product of such small-

minded, comfort-seeking, weak and insecure people. So scriptures like Gita say that the

learn to make the best of every moment 'right now'. Believe fully that everything is good,

and thus aim to awake to the truth of life, here & now.

Think. Will you still want to predict your future? :). With love & om,

Swami Atmananda

Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009 Page # 10

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Vision Of The Gita - A God-Centric life

As we celebrate Gita Jayanti on the 28th of Nov this year, let us see what

the significant message of the Gita is.

Amidst the conflicting chaos not just outside on the battlefield of Kurukshetra

but more so in the mind of the confused and grieving Arjuna, Lord Krishna gives

a new lease of life with his song divine, which could be very aptly called as ‘The

Art Of Living’. A message that holds as much weightage for all of us even today,

as much as it held for Arjuna and his times more than 5000 years ago.

If one had to express the message and Vision of the Gita in a nut shell it

could be said that Gita is that Art of living which is a God-centric life. An art of

living which is like having a courtship period with our beloved god. A life where we

are an instrument in the hands of god and our life is charecterised by uncondi-

tional love, an inspired, integrated, selfless and holistic attitude of service to God.

There is no doubt that we all are striving to live life to the best of our abilities. In

this journey we do have our joys and sorrows, our ups and downs. But somehow

acquiring certain things in life is not a life lived positively or healthily. The question

is that amidst our achievements at various levels of relationships, finances, work

etc are we truly happy and at peace with ourselves and others? This is where we

all may have a question mark in our lives.

The Gita says we can see life from two points of views. We can see life

either from our individual point of view or from God’s point of view. We can either

have an individualistic approach to life or we can relate with life from the point of

view of totality. An individualistic person always says ‘Me & My’. Me and my body,

me and my family, me and my work, me and my gains and losses. The nucleus of

such an individualistic attitude is the ‘egoistic self. But life speaks for itself. A

person who is constantly living a self centred life lives a life of duality and con-

stantly suffers the pangs of his own sense of doership and enjoyership. He has

his highs of a bloated ego when he is blessed with success and has his lows

when he falls on his face with failure. And life goes on to become a constant roller

coaster.

A man who lives a God-centric life does not see his existence as an iso-

lated individual person. Instead he sees himself as a part of a whole. He sees

himeslf as a flower of the big and colourful garden that God has created and

makes his offerings at the feet of his beloved master as per His’s wishes. He

works as an instrument in the hands of God. The attitude of such a person in all

his endeavors has a unique fragrance of universal love and selfless service to

Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

Page # 11

god. Actions of such a devotee of God are not motivated by self-centredness.

Infact he believes his deepest motivations are an inspiration and will of God, trans-

lating itself to bring a smile on the faces of one and all. Thus he lives a refreshingly

inspired life, bubbling with dynamism and creativity. A life where boredom, dull-

ness, fatigue and a sense of retirement dont exist. He enjoys the very performance

of actions, rather than wait for some joy that will come in the future as a fruit of

action. Challenges for such a person is like God himself playing a game of tennis

with him, where he sends his shot and the devotee replies it with a sporting spirit of

faith and inner courage. He does not insist on changing the situation but faces it as

a will of God. And at the end of it whatever the fruits of action its a blessing.

This Vision of life expressed in the Gita indeed blesses us here and now with

a positive life, but it also prepares us for a more sublime goal in life. That is know-

ing the truth of Self, the world around us and its creator.

May Lord Krishna bless us with this divine vision of life.

Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and

watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that

little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it hadgotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off

the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled

wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment,

the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would

contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with

a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting

cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening

were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it

would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go

through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

“Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed

better than inaction.”

“Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of

self-knowledge. Observe your discipline. Arise.”

“There is neither this world nor the world beyond nor happi-

ness for the one who doubts.”

Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is

Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be.

What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.

No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who

is master of his life, whose soul is one with the soul of all.

Quotes from Bhagwad Gita

Page # 13Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009

Ashes on Lord Shiva

Once upon

a time ...

Stories fromShiv Purana

Once Goddess Parvati said to Lord Shiva, I wish to understand,

why do you always smear ashes on your body? What is the reason for

that? Shiva told her the story.

There used to be a brahmana who was descended from the

great sage Bhrigu. This brahmana began a very difficult tapasya. The

tremendous heat of the summer made no difference to him. Nor was

he disturbed by the downpour of the monsoon. He was only interested

in meditating. When he felt hungry, he used to ask the bears, the deer,

the lions and the jackals to fetch him some fruits. The wild beasts had

lost all fear of him, they served him instead. Later on, the brahmana

gave up eating fruits also. He ate only green leaves. And because

leaves are called parna, the brahmana came to be known as Parnada.

He performed tapasya for many years. One day, Parnada was cutting

some grass and his scythe slipped and sliced off his middle finger.

Parnada was amazed to find that no blood issued from the severed

joint. Instead, a sap like that which issues from plants came out.

Parnada’s vanity knew no bounds. He realized that his was due to the

fact that he had been living on green leaves for such long time. Parnada

began to jump with delight. Shiva decided that Parnada needed to be

taught a lesson. He disguised himself as a brahmana and arrived before

Parnada. Why are you so happy? asked Shiva. Can’t you see? replied

Parnada. My tapasya has been so successful that my blood has

become like the sap of plants. This sort of vantiy destroys the fruits of

all tapasya, said Shiva. What have you got to be so proud about? Your

blood has only turned into the sap of plants. What happens when you

burn plants? They become ashes. I myself have performed so much

tapasya that my blood has becomes ashes. Shiva sliced off his middle

finger and ashes came out of it. Parnada was impressed. He realized

that there was nothing that he could be proud about; here was a far

greater hermit than he. He asked Shiva who he was and Shiva then

displayed his true form to Parnada. Ever since that day, there have

always been ashes on Shiva’s body.

Sanyas Deeksha of P. Guruji, Indore:

On 10th Oct was the Sanyas Deeksha Day of Poojya Guruji. 21 years

back Poojya Guruji was given Sanyas Deeksha by Param Poojya Gurudev

Sri Swami Chinmayanandaji at his Sidhbari (Tapovan Ashram) in 1988.

Morning there was special Pooja at Sri Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple.

Evening time a special satsang and program was organized. P. Guruji gar-

landed his guruji Param Poojya Swami Chinmayanandaji and Bhagwan

Sankaracharyaji and did Aarti, and later there was chanting of Stotras, sing-

ing of Bhajans and finally a short discourse by Poojya Guruji, in which he

blessedly remembered the day and also talked about the uniqueness and

importance of Sanyas Ashram in Sanatan Dharma. Various devotees ex-

pressed their reverences to Poojya Guruji.

Diwali Decorations at Vedanta Ashram, Indore:

Vedanta Ashram was beautifully lit up with colourful lights from top to

bottom, representing the auspicious and joyous mood of Dipawali. Thanks

to the highly economical and affordable lights, everyone, whether rich or

poor, all decorate their houses and temples beautifully. Ashram and its

surrondings were specially looking very nice.

Decorations follow cleaning of the houses, in & out. After monsoons,

and before the advent of winters, this becomes an ideal time to clean up the

houses nicely. Traditions incorporate all aspects of life. Alongwith the clean-

ing is also the affirmation of the importance of Dharma. We remember this

day when Bhagwan Sri Krishna killed the great demon Narakasur, and

Bhagwan Sri Ram came back to Ayodhya. The tradition of Diwali is much

older than these incidents. Earlier it was for the welcome of Lord Yama, who

leaves for Pitr-Loka alongwith our forefathers.

Laxmi Pujan & Diwali Celebrations, Indore:

On the eve of Diwali, first there was the special annual Laxmi Poojan.

We not only thank Goddess Laxmi for all her blessings, but humbly invoke

her blessings to help fulfill all our responsibilities and duties. No work, reli-

gious or worldly is ever possible without the blessings of the Goddess of

Wealth & Resources. This is the day to thank & worship her. Poojya Swamini

Samatanandaji represented the Ashram mahatmas & other inmates to do

the puja of goddess.

Later it was all no sound but light show. Poojya Guruji prefers to be

as sensitive to the birds, animals and the environs as possible. The blasting

crackers is a terrible experience to the dogs, cows and various other ani-

mals, apart from children etc too. This tradition is a later development, and

now it has become too much of a problem, and should be minimized to

keep the beautiful spirit of the festival intact. This was followed by flow of

devotees late till the night.

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Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

Gita Gyan Yagna, Ahmedabad:

A Gita Gyana Yagna was conducted at Ramkrishna Kendra,

Maninagar, Ahmedabad by Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji on 23rd to

30th Oct. The subject matter of discourses were Mundaka Upanishad 3-1,

and Gita Chapter 14.

In the Mundaka Upanishad the section which was dealt started with

the famous example of two birds perched on a tree, wherein one bird is

continuously bust eating its fruits while the other bird, who is an embodiment

of fulfillment, love & compassion, just watches and in fact blesses the other

one. These birds symbolize Jiva & Ishwara. The Upanishad advises the Jiva

bird to ‘see’ the other bird, learn from it, emulate it and then be blessed with

its knowledge. The final knowledge is that of oneness. In the Gunatraya

Vibhaga Yoga, it was shownhow all what is ‘seen’ is a play of Gunas, and the

the ‘seer’ is divine Self.

Check out the detailed Photo Albums of the various functions on

VM News Blog at : http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/Page # 15

Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhavnagar:

Pujya Swamini Amitanandaji conducted a Gita Gyana Yagna at Swami

Ramdas Ashram, Bhavnagar from the 23rd to the 30th Oct. The subject

matter of discourses were Ishwar Siddhi Bhashya (Vakya) of Bhagwan

Sankaracharya on Kenopanishad, and Gita Chapter 12.

Ishwar-Siddhi Bhashya is a very insightful piece of dialogue given as

an introduction to the third chapter of Keno Upanishad. In this section the

great Acharya logically reveals the meaning and nature of God. In what way

he is present in our hearts and how exactly he blesses us.

On 31st Oct, Poojya Guruji was invited to the Gruh-Pravesh ceremony

of the new house of Manohar Kusumakar. His both the sons, Dr Ravi

Kusumakar and Subhash Kusumakar, have together constructed a nice big

house at Satchitananda Nagar, not far from Ashram.

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sAshram Activities:

1. Kathopanishad by Param Pujya Guruji: After completing Kenopanishad

the Ashram inmates are now studying Kathopanishad. The discourses on

Kenopanishad, alongwith Sankara Bhashya, continued for more than a year.

Such intensive study is highly insightful & introspective. Kathopanishad dis-

courses are there 5 days a week from 8.30 to 9.30 AM.

2. Gita Classes: From 11.30 onwards for an hour there is yet another class.

That is conducted by Pujya Swamini Amitanandaji, and this is for a group of

elderly students. This session is also going on for more than a year, and now

Poojya Swaminiji is teaching the 15th chapter of Bhagwad Gita.

3. Classes On Upadesh Saar: P. Swamini Samatanandaji conducted a week

long session of Upadesh Saar (of Ramana Maharshi) discourses from 23rd-

31st Oct. to the same group of students.

Vedanta Sandesh - Nov 2009

Let a sincere seeker aspiring

for the direct knowledge of the Timeless Truth,

humbly approach that Guru alone,

who is well versed in the knowledge of Vedanta,

and also effortlessly revels in the joy of his Self,

with symbolic Samit (fuel for Yagna) in his hands.

- Mundaka Upanishad (1-2-12)

Atman is self-revealing.

It shines and everything shines thereafter.

Everything whatsoever is revealed by its light alone.

There the Sun does not shine, nor the moon,

the stars or these lightnings - how then can

this earthly fire reveal it ?

- Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-10)

Quotes from Upanishads

Forthcoming Programs

Page # 17

Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad:Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct a week long Gita Gyana Yagna at Sri

Ramkrishna Kendra, Ahmedabad from 23rd to 29th Dec.

The texts of the discourses will be announced later.

Gita Jayanti Celebrations, Indore:This year the Gita Jayanti is on 28th Nov. As usual special programs will be organized

at the Vedanta Ashram on that day. These will include chonting of the entire Bhagwad Gita,

and special discourses by Poojya Guruji and other ashram Mahatmas in the evening at the

nearby Footi-Kothi.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a week long Gita Gyana Yagna at

Bandra Hindu Association Hall in Mumbai from 8th Dec to 13th Dec. The text of the dis-

courses will be Gita Chapter 1, and Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 2.

Sadhana Camp, Indore:A four days Sadhana Camp will be organized at the Vedanta Ashram, Indore from

23rd to 27th Jan 2010.

The texts of the discourses will be announced later.

Mahashivratri, Indore:The next Mahashivratri is on 12th Feb 2010.Special Programs will be organized on

that day. Please look out for further announcement in our Blog for the occasion.

Hari om !

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Om Tat Sat