Chinmaya-Tej. July/August 2012 Vol. 23, No.4. Chinmaya Mission San Jose Publication

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1 Chinmaya-Tej July/August 2012 Vol. 23, No.4 Chinmaya Mission San Jose Publication

2 Mission Statement To provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become a positive contributor to the society. Chinmaya Lahari Think for a moment - is there anything that we do well today with confidence or any amount of mastery that has not been taught to us? If, for every perfect act in the world, in any activity, we need the guidance of an instructor, we can very well understand the need for a Guru in the spiritual path; for there we have to deal with the subtlest forces and the enormous confusions of the vehicle called the mind, and with its moods called delusions. The Guru-disciple relationship is unavoidable. Every great Master has been under the guidance of a Teacher. It is not true to say that we can reach the goal just through books. A Teacher is necessary. But you have to understand very carefully. To say the Guru is necessary does not mean that the Guru will take the responsibility, that all you have to do is meet the Guru and thereafter he will carry you to the goal. The relationship between the Teacher and the taught is exactly like that of the gardener and the flowers on the bush. The gardener does not create the flowers from the soil and the manure; the flowers must themselves come from the bush. The gardener can only tend its roots, water it, protect it, see that it has the correct amount of sunlight and shade - all these externals he can provide. But no gardener can guarantee the blossom; it has to come only from the bush itself.

3 ontents Volume 23, No.4 July/August 2012 From The Editors Desk Chinmaya Tej Editorial Staff... Status of Building Project... 3 Chinmaya-Tej... 5 Radha-Krishna... 6 Chinmaya Lahari The Seventh Pearl What Does the Guru Do? Chinmaya Mission West Krishnalaya Rejuvenation A Dialogue on Inner Purpose Lord's Chosen Flute Meditation with Talks on Vedanta Bala Vihar Locations & Choir Bhakti Rasamrutam Tapovan Prasad Scheme of Study for Chinmaya Study Groups BalViHar Magazine Gita Chanting Classes for Children Community Outreach program Vedanta Study Groups Adult Sessions Satsangs with Br. Prabodh Chaitanya Prabodhji's Classes at Bala Vihar Locations Prabodhji's Classes at Sandeepany Swami Tejomayananada s Itinerary page1

4 From The Editors Desk Tej, is a bi-monthly publication of Chinmaya Mission San Jose. CMSJ is in the process of getting the necessary permits to build the New Facility. The City of San Jose is studying the building drawings and when they are approved we shall begin the construction of our New Building. We are happy to show you some elevation drawings of the projects. We invite you to visit the site when you can. News and events update via e-newsletter on CMSJ web-site is serving our timely announcements. Please keep us updated with your addresses and send them to Cmsj-news@chinmaya.org If you do not hear from us or Chinmaya Tej, please forward your address and to me indicated on this page. Chinmaya Tej is also available for viewing on our website. Chinmaya-Tej will be mailed to all Sponsors and Members of Chinmaya Mission San Jose. Send your subscription marked, Chinmaya-Tej, CMSJ, 1050 Park Ave., San Jose, CA Chinmaya Tej Editorial Staff Editor Uma Jeyarasasingam / umakj@sbcglobal.net Co-editor Rohini Joshi Electronic Editorial Advisor Satish Joshi Contributors Subbu Venkatkrishnan, Swamini Saradapriyananda, Swami Tejomayananda Design & Layout four waters media,west Sacramento, CA Printing PigMint Press, Redway, CA Data Base Kapil Vaish Mailing Autozip, Ukiah, CA Contact Ph: (650) Fax: (650)

5 status new building Hari Om! As Bala Vihar enrollment and attendance at events grows, the Chinmaya vision - to provide maximum happiness, to the maximum (number of) people, for the maximum time - continues to inspire the entire Chinmaya Mission San Jose community. In the midst of increasing challenges, our commitment to excellence remains strong as ever. It is quite evident that the present Sandeepany San jose Facility is not adequate to support needs of all our activities. Our need for a new facility emerges from this situation. New Building Plan & Status We started the New Building project on Maha Shivaratri in 2006 and acquired the property - an old church - on Clayton Road in San Jose, in January 2008 (2 buildings, ~11,000 sq ft total, 1.7 acres), at a cost of $2.6M and are in the process of building a new ashram from the ground up on the property. Architectural plans for the new ashram have been approved by the City of San Jose and we have been granted a Planned Development permit. Construction drawings are being reviewed by the City and this will culminate in obtaining a Building permit that will help us commence construction. We expect construction to begin by Q continued on next page page3

6 Building Details The permit allows construction of approximately 23,500 square foot building for assembly use with associated parking of 90 spots. A shrine for Lord Shiva, meditation hall, an auditorium, acharya s quarters, guest rooms, books store, commercial style kitchen and dining area, a total of 15 rooms for classroom instruction, etc. is part of the new building plan. At a given time, 370 children/ adults can be accommodated in the classrooms, and the assembly area capacity is 340. For special programs we have conditional use permit with demonstrated off-site parking. Ground Breaking The ground breaking function for our new ashram was completed on July 22, 2011 in the auspicious presence of our beloved Guruji, HH Swami Tejomayananda. Construction Work To Be Done From a limited perspective, ground breaking could be viewed as a culmination and success of a long project a great initiative and lots of hard work by the New Building Project Team. Yet in another way it is the beginning of a new project where quite a bit still needs to be done. A construction project of this magnitude naturally requires multiple conditions be met with the city and other relevant agencies. We hope to comply with all requirements in obtaining a building permit in Q to enable us to begin construction thereafter. Thank You and Warm Regards, CMSJ Board of Directors 4page

7 Chinmaya ~ Tej Thank you for asking about Chinmaya Tej. Pujya Gurudev initiated and launched the CMSJ Newsletter in Later, finding the CMSJ Newsletter to be, in his words, like a catalog, i.e., woefully inadequate for the purposes he had in mind, he gave detailed guidelines to transform it into a formal, informative, useful, and high-quality publication. Thus Chinmaya-Tej was born. The manifold purposes of Tej, as laid out by Gurudev, are as follows: 1. It is the voice of CMSJ. 2. Gurudev wanted CMSJ s publication to be of high quality and comparable to CMW s Mananam and other Chinmaya Mission Publications. 3. It is the official publication of CMSJ. When CMSJ was first registered as Non-Profit Organization, there were queries from various government agencies as to whether CMSJ had an official publication, from which they could learn about CMSJ, our history, mission, and values. Tej served that purpose. 4. Tej is CMSJ s mode of outreach and communication to spiritual seekers beyond those who are able to attend CMSJ s discourses in person. Extra copies of each issue of Tej are printed so as to be available for new seekers. 5. Gurudev also instructed us to cover Vedanta topics in the Tej. Accordingly, Tej has articles on Vedanta topics for beginners as well as advanced readers. Other Details about Tej: 1. The annual cost to produce 6 issues of Chinmaya Tej is $21,000. It is paid for by CMSJ s Annual Membership contributions, Bala Vihar revenues, and general donations. 2. Chinmaya Tej is also available online. Hard copies of Chinmaya Tej are distributed only to members of CMSJ who reside in California. page5

8 Radha-Krishna Swami Sharadapriyananda Under the dark shadows of the tamala tree waits a fair girl, fairer than the full-blown jasmine. Her heart throbbing with ecstasy and pain, her lips breaking into rosy smiles and desperate sobs, she awaits the eternal lover. The Dark One never comes. Even if He appears, it is only for a brief interval. He comes in a flash and vanishes in a wink, throwing her into a gloom deeper than before. The story of the lovelorn Radha and the playful Krishna is the theme of many Indian art forms. Dance, drama, music, painting, sculpturing, and poetry have all been enriched by the Radha- Krishna love theme. Who is this girl Radha? Did she really exist? Wherein lies the secret attraction for millions in India for Radha and Krishna? The Bhagavata Purana by Vyasa, who was a contemporary of Krishna, does not mention Radha, but describes the similar love of innumerable gopis for Krishna, and His exploits with them. Among them there appears to be a gopis named Radhika, yet Vyasa does not attach special significance to her character. In the later literature of the Vaishnava Tantric books, the name of Radha comes into prominence. She becomes a living reality through the works of Mahaprabhu and Jayadeva. As understood by any serious thinking student, Radha and Krishna represent the mortal individual and the immortal Lord respectively, and Radha s pining for Krishna is the pining of the individual for the Lord. Of all the things that can be said of the love of a devotee for the Lord, why this particular choice of comparing it to the love of a married woman for an illicit lover? The supreme Godhead is without name or form and is attributeless. Ultimately, it has to be realised 6page

9 as such. However, in the earlier stages of sadhana, the mind, which is accustomed only to the sense perceptions, cannot easily conceive of a formless, nameless, attributeless reality, and refuses to get away from its usual haunts among sense objects. For such a mind the concept of a personal God with a beautiful form, a sweet name and loving qualities, is easier to comprehend. The devotee is able to love the Lord with the love of a parent, a friend, a servant, or a wife. Of all human relationships, the best and foremost is the relationship between husband and wife, who are united together in the eyes of man and God. Theirs is a lifelong association of togetherness in joy and sorrow. They are equal partners in life, who give and take with a sense of belonging to each other. The love of a wife for her husband encompasses all other relationships in their variations. She serves like a servant, feeds like a mother, advises like a well-wisher, loves like a friend and all the while pleases him in all the roles. Hence, this particular relationship of a devotee and the Lord is considered the best, because it involves the total personality of the devotee. Love knows no rules and cannot be bound by laws and dogmas. The love for the infinite Lord can grow to an infinite stature. In its higher flights, this love cannot be restrained by the limits of the legitimate love of a wife for her husband, in which no risk is involved. So the bhakti acharyas (teachers) have spoken of a love that is far deeper in its intensity, wider in perspective and higher in flights - a love that breaks the bonds of convention and propriety, and runs after the Lord with the abandon of a married woman for her secret lover. Thus the concept of Radha-Krishna prema (love), which is eternal and limitless, is established. Of all human relationships, the best and formost is the relationship between husband and wife, who are united together in the eyes of man and God. Theirs is a lifelong association of togetherness in joy and sorrow. This concept is sufficient for a devotee who accepts a personal God without question, and gets united with Him in supreme love. In the case of seekers on page7

10 the jnana marga (path of knowledge), the rational intellect questions the validity of all this and needs to be convinced in a rational way. The acharyas were too perceptive not to understand the needs of a thinking, reasoning intellect. Hence the Radhika of the Bhagavata Purana gets changed into the Radha of the Vaishnava literature in order to add deeper symbolism for the benefit of intellecturals. Upanishads declare that the Lord and the individual are ever together, inseparable from one another. The Mundakopanishad declares: Two birds (jivatma and paramatma), bound one to the other in close friendship, perch on the self-same tree. One of them eats the fruits of the tree with relish while the other looks on without eating. (III:I:I) The Lord is never without His creative expression, the jiva (the individual). By the same token, the jiva, which is only a reflection of the Lord, can never exist without the Lord nor be separate from Him. All the jiva s successes and achievements are the Lord s alone. The word Radha is derived from the root radh, which means to accomplish, to achieve, to succeed. Thus the couple, Radha- Krishna are one in two and two in one -- like a flower and its fragrance. Though every individual is a combination of the two, it is not every Radha that is worshipped, but only the Radha who has turned away from the lures of the world to pine for the unknown Krishna. The following beautiful symbolic illustration points out the true meaning of Radha. In the rainy season, the rain comes pouring down. It falls everywhere, over hills and dales, on the plains and on the seas. The rain water thus pouring down is pure, naturally distilled and sparkling. When such water gathers on the peak of a mountain, it is pure, calm and crystal clear. 8page

11 But the water cannot permanently remain there, and it starts flowing down. It becomes a stream, gathers momentum, and begins to collect dust and more water from other sources as it comes down. By the time it reaches the foot of the mountain, it becomes an invincible, mighty river, violent and muddy, rushing ahead toward the depths of the ocean. At this stage let us suppose that the river wishes to stop. There is only one way to accomplish this and that is to turn around and retrace its steps toward the peak of the mountain. The journey upward will not be an easy one and will be painstakingly slow. Every step in the climb will consist of breathless panting, of giving up a little bit of the dirt and water collected while coming down. The Upanishads declare the Lord and the individual are ever together, inseparable from one another. Yet, as the river retraces its steps toward the source, it becomes more and more pure, more beautiful and clear. By the time the original heights are reached, it will be as pure as when it was born. This downward trend of a stream is called dhara in Sanskrit, and the retracing of the steps in the reverse direction becomes radha. The jiva, with its extrovert tendencies, rushes into the world (dhara); the seeker, turning inward, eagerly seeks the Lord (Radha, the beloved of the Lord). The Lord now and then bewitches her with His vision, thereby making her feel His absence all the more. A Radha pining for her Krishna, forgetting all worldly ties, is the most beautiful spectacle of all, and she, along with her Krishna, is enshrined in the hearts of all seekers. M page9

12 Chinmaya Lahari All students, at some time, walk slowly under the crushing load of their own fatigue. Pilgrims, all of them, they wander on looking for help in walking the path straight to their goal. They search for ideas that can refresh them; they search for the Teacher, who softly advises his beloved disciples in the secret chambers of his own sacred retreat. But rarely do they understand the crack whip style of the Teacher without softness or delicate consideration in the approach to correct the erring student. A few criminally sweet lashes, with the kindly cruel whip of horrible impatience, coming with a tough love for the welfare of the beloved disciples still sleeping in samsara sorrows, can do wonders. The great Vedanta masters rebuke their disciple children and send them out, because the Knowledge they seek is something to think of, find out and realise alone. Such Teachers never try to interfere with the intellectual decisions of the student. Even to the student s direct questioning, the Teacher never gives a direct answer. The Teacher knows he can turn, change and influence directly the student s mind because of the student s love and reverence for him. So great Teachers never say anything and brutally push the students aside. They do not allow the students s adoration to warp itself into a personality cult. To the students, the Master can give nothing more than encouragement and some guidance from time to time. Alone to the Alone, all alone. ~Swami Chinmayananda 10page

13 The Seventh Pearl Savour the Fragrance of Forgiveness Forgiveness is the secret beauty in any spiritual seeker s life. Not to forgive is to maintain the passions bottled up in us and then we are never empty enough to lift ourselves in our soaring meditations. Forgive liberally your enemies... in fact, nothing can annoy them so much! They expect you to kick back and so have planned to break your ribs with return kicks. All these planned onslaughts become empty and hollow when you just forgive them. Many enemies become true friends when lavishly and lovingly forgiven. Forgiveness is the fragrance which crushed Tulasi leaves on the fingers that crush them in a thoughtless act! Sandalwood perfumes even the axe that hews it down! The more we rub sandalwood against a stone the more its fragrance spreads. Burn it, and it wafts its glory in the entire neighbourhood. So is the enchanting beauty of forgiveness in life. Swami Chinmayananda page 11

14 What Does the Guru Do? by Parveen Bahl (from Tapovan Prasad, July 2005) The Shastra openly and boldly declares, You are that you seek. Also it says, The knower of Brahman is Brahman! This being the case is it not most logical to question the need for a Guru? In effect, I have to do nothing to achieve or gain what I already have or am. Can anything be added to me? Fullness or perfection being my very nature, what is it that anyone can give me? It is true that the Guru cannot give you what you already have. In my hand I hold a string of rare and valuable pink pearls. For anyone to give me the same string of pink pearls, which I hold in my hand is logically not possible. Though no one can give me the same string of pearls, the jeweller can evaluate them and convey to me their true worth. Knowing the great value of what I have, instantly turns my mind to that which I may have thought of as worthless. The higher the value the jeweller attributes to the pearls, the greater will be my attraction to it and the more concentrated my attention. My mind is mesmerised by the value and beauty in my possession. 12page

15 The Guru is the jeweller. He only points to the Self in you, making you aware of your true worth and your intrinsic value. In the world we find people suffering from either an inferiority or a superiority complex. An inferiority complex requires no explanation and a superiority complex, psychologists tell us, also stems from a basic sense of inferiority. There will be few takers for the statement, I think I am worthless! On the face of it, it is shocking, but scratch the surface, loosen some of the soil of the mind and take a deep hard look. The stark truth stares you in the face. Worthless or of poor worth is how most perceive themselves to be. Beginning with this valueless creature the Guru transforms his disciple into an invaluable being. Pointing to your uniqueness, he lovingly accepts you as you are. For him to accept you as you are is easy, for he sees the perfection in you. Focusing on the perfection, he turns the disciple around to face himself. This acceptance, which we crave from all and sundry, which flows effortlessly from the Guru is what brings the disciple to His feet. Secure in the knowledge of the possession of the pearls, does the owner need to prove his ownership? The truly wealthy wear with ease the mantle of affluence. Similarly a Man of Knowledge has nothing to prove. He is content and without desire, only because he knows himself. Desire can come to an end only when there is nothing more to be gained. Why is the Guru loved and venerated? We all love to hear good things about ourselves. We effortlessly gravitate towards those who extol our virtues. Is it small wonder that the Guru, who, with complete love, accepts us as we are and points out our infinite and unique Nature, should be accorded the highest accolades? The Man of Perfection requires nothing. He can only give, for giving is His nature. In His kingdom, love alone exists. He makes no effort to accept or change. Acceptance and change happen in his very being. Love is His essential nature. If one is fortunate enough to be enriched and encircled by the presence of such a Guru, is there anything left to ask for? At such an altar can any prayer go unanswered, any need be denied, any desire go unfulfilled? Can even the need to ask remain? In the presence of the Guru, lifetimes of impressions melt away, as clouds driven by a strong wind slowly disintegrate and float away. He is like the strong wind, blowing through the mind of the disciple, coaxing him to give up his false identifications, surrender his ego and grow to accept his true stature. His task is monumental yet he smiles and with love in his eyes, begins in the mind of the devotee, the process of purification necessary for his Awakening! page 13

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17 a dialogue on Inner Purpose by Eckhart Tolle (from Mananam series Divine Purpose 2010) The following dialogue condenses numerous conversations I have had with people who were looking for their true life purpose. Something is true when it resonates with and expresses your innermost Being, when it is in alignment with your inner purpose. This is why I am directing their attention to their inner and primary purpose first. I don t know exactly what it is, but I want some change in my life. I want expansion; I want to be doing something meaningful and, yes, I want prosperity and the freedom that comes with it. I want to do something significant, something that makes a difference in the world. But if you asked me what exactly I want, I would have to say that I don t know. Can you help me find my life purpose? Your purpose is to sit here and talk to me, because that s where you are and that s what you are doing. Until you get up and do something else. Then, that becomes your purpose. So my purpose is to sit in my office for the next thirty years until I retire or get laid off? You are not in your office now, so that s not our purpose. When you do sit in your office and do whatever you do, then that is your purpose. Not for the next thirty years, but for now. I think there is some misunderstanding here. For you, purpose means what you are doing now; for me it means having an overall aim in life, something big and significant that gives meaning to what I do, something that makes a difference. Shuffling papers in the office is not it. I know that. As long as you are unaware of Being, you will seek meaning only within the dimension of doing and of future, that is to say, the dimension of time. And whatever meaning or fulfillment you find will dissolve or turn out to have been a deception. Invariably, it will be destroyed by time. Any meaning we find on that level is true only relatively and temporarily. For example, if caring for your children gives meaning to your life, what happens to that meaning when they don t need you and perhaps don t page 15

18 even listen to you anymore? If helping others gives meaning to your life, you depend on others being worse off than yourself so that your life can continue to be meaningful and you can feel good about yourself. If the desire to excel, win, or succeed at this or that activity provides you with meaning, what if you never win or your winning streak comes to an end one day, as it will? You would then have to look to your imagination or memories -- a very unsatisfactory place to bring some meager meaning into your life. Making it in whatever field is only meaningful as long as there are thousands or millions of others who don t make it, so you need other human beings to fail so that your life can have meaning. I am not saying here that helping others, caring for your children, or striving for excellence in whatever field are not worthwhile things to do. For many people, they are an important part of their outer purpose, but outer purpose alone is always relative, unstable, and impermanent. This does not mean that you should not be engaged in those activities. It means you should connect them to your inner, primary purpose, so that a deeper meaning flows into what you do. Without living in alignment with your primary purpose, whatever purpose you come up with, even if it is to create heaven on earth, will be of the ego or become destroyed by time. Sooner or later, it will lead to suffering. If you ignore your inner purpose, no matter what you do, even if it looks spiritual, the ego will creep into how you do it, and so the means will corrupt the end. The common saying, The road to hell is paved with good intentions points to this truth. In other words, not our aims or your actions are primary, but the state of consciousness out of which they come. Fulfilling your primary purpose is laying the foundation for a new reality, a new earth. Once that foundation is there, your external purpose becomes charged with spiritual power because your aims and intentions will be one with the evolutionary impulse of the universe. The separation of thinking and awareness, which lies at the core of your primary purpose, happens through the negation of time. We are not speaking here, of course, of the use of time for practical purpose, such as making an appointment or planning a trip. We are not speaking of clock time, but of psychological time, which is the mind s deep-seated habit of seeking the fullness of life in the future where it cannot be found and ignoring the only point of access to it: the present moment. 16page

19 When you look upon what you do or where you are as the main purpose of your life, you negate time. This is enormously empowering. The negation of time in what you do also provides the link between your inner and outer purpose, between Being and doing. When you negate time, you negate the ego. Whatever you do, you will be doing extraordinarily well, because the doing itself becomes the focal point of your attention. Your doing then becomes a channel through which consciousness enters this world. This means there is quality in what you do, even in the most simple action, like turning the pages in the phone book or walking across the room. The main purpose for turning the pages is to turn the pages; the secondary purpose is to find a phone number. The main purpose for walking across the room is to walk across the room; the secondary purpose is to pick up a book at the other end, and the moment you pick up the book, that becomes your main purpose. You may remember the paradox of time we mentioned earlier. Whatever you do takes time, and yet it is always now. So while your inner purpose is to negate time, your outer purpose necessarily involves future and so could not exist without time. But it is always secondary. Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you have lost sight of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary. Being in the Present Moment Would living like this not stop me from looking to achieve something great? My fear is that I will remain stuck with doing little things for the rest of my life, things that are of no consequence. I m afraid of never rising above mediocrity, never daring to achieve anything great, not fulfilling my potential. The great arises out of small things that are honored and cared for. Everybody s life really consists of small things. Greatness is a mental abstraction and a favorite fantasy of the ego. The paradox is that the foundation for greatness is honoring the small things of the present moment instead of pursuing the idea of greatness. The present moment is always small in the sense that it is always simple, but concealed within it lies the greatest power. Like the atom, it is one of the smallest things yet contains enormous power. Only when you align yourself with the present moment do you have access to that power. Or it may be more true to say page 17

20 that it then has access to you and through you to this world. Jesus was referring to this power when he said, It is not I but the Father within me who does the works. And I can of my own self do nothing. (John 5:30 and John 14:10 (New Revised Version)) Anxiety, stress, and negativity cut you off from that power. The illusion that you are separate from the power that runs the universe returns. You feel yourself to be alone again, struggling against something or trying to achieve this or that. But why did anxiety, stress, or negativity arise? Because you turned away from the present moment. And why did you do that? You thought something else was more important. You forgot your main purpose. One small error, one misperception, creates a world of suffering. Through the present moment, you have access to the power of life itself, that which has traditionally been called God. As soon as you turn away from it, God ceases to be a reality in your life, and all you are left with is the mental concept of God, which some people believe in and others deny. Even belief in God is only a poor substitute for the living reality of God manifesting every moment of your life. Be True to Your Inner Purpose Would complete harmony with the present moment not imply the cessation of all movement? Doesn t the existence of any goal imply that there is a temporary disruption in that harmony with the present moment and perhaps a reestablishment of harmony at higher or more complex level once the goal has been attained? I imagine that the sapling that pushes its way through the soil can t be in total harmony with the present moment either because it has a goal: It wants to become a big tree. Maybe once it has reached maturity it will live in harmony with the present moment. The sapling doesn t want anything because it is at one with the totality, and the totality acts through it. Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow said Jesus, they toil not, neither do they spin. Yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28-29 (New Revised Standard Version)) We could say that the totality --Life-- wants the sapling to become a tree, but the sapling doesn t see itself as separate from life and so wants nothing for itself. It is one with what Life wants. That s why it isn t worried or stressed. And if it has to die prematurely, it dies 18page

21 with ease. It is as surrendered in death as it is in life. It senses, no matter how obscurely, its rootedness in Being, the formless and eternal one Life. Like the Taoist sages of ancient China, Jesus likes to draw our attention to nature because he sees a power at work in it that humans have lost touch with. It is the creative power of the universe. Jesus goes on to say that if God clothes simple flowers in such beauty, how much more will God clothe you. That is to say, that while nature is a beautiful expression of the evolutionary impulse of the universe, when humans become aligned with the intelligence that underlies it, they will express that impulse on a higher, more wondrous level. So be true to life by being true to your inner purpose. As you become present and thereby total in what you do, your actions become charged with spiritual power. At first there may be no noticeable change in what you do -- only the how changes. Your primary purpose is now to enable consciousness to flow into what you do. The secondary purpose is whatever you want to achieve through the doing. Whereas the notion of purpose before was always associated with future, there is now a deeper purpose that can only be found in the present, through the denial of time. When you meet with people, at work or wherever it may be, give them your fullest attention. You are no longer there primarily as a person, but as a field of awareness, of alert Presence. The original reason for interaction with the other person -- buying or selling something, requesting or giving information, and so on -- now becomes secondary. The field of awareness that arises between you becomes the primary purpose for the interaction. That space of awareness becomes more important than what you may be talking about, more important than physical or thought objects. The human Being becomes more important than the things of this world. It does not mean you neglect whatever needs to be done on a practical level. In fact, the doing unfolds not only more easily, but more powerfully when the dimension of Being is acknowledged and so becomes primary. The arising of that unifying field of awareness between human beings is the most essential factor in relationships on the new earth. page 19

22 It has been unanimously declared by all Saints and Sages that it is just an impossible task to describe the glory of one s spiritual teacher. The description is generally done in term of examples and similes. But in the case of one s spiritual teacher, all such examples become totally inadequate to express the teacher s glory since the teacher surpasses them all. The greatest glory of the Master is that not only he becomes great by virtue of his Self-Realisation but he makes his disciples also discover their True Being which is identical with his own Self and, thus, the disciples too get freed from the shackles of ignorance and its manifold binding effects. Lord s Chosen Flute Swami Chinmayananda by Br. Vivek Chaitanya (Swami Tejomayananda, when he was a Brahmachari) Param Poojya Swami Chinmayananda is one such great Spiritual Teacher of rare eminence and it is indeed my great fortune to find in Him my teacher. His is a multi-faced personality, unique in itself and I find myself incapable of describing him fully and completely. Even though such a description is not possible, yet it would certainly be worthwhile my attempting to do it as best as I can. A flute is an instrument which without any reservations or personal ambition makes itself available for the flute player to sing his melody through it. And when that flute player is Lord Krishna Himself, it is no wonder that the entire universe of sentient and insentient things and beings enchanted by His Divine Melody begins to dance in ecstasy and gets itself attuned to Him. Blessed indeed is the flute which becomes a medium for the Lord 20page

23 to sing His song that enchants the whole Universe. We find this divine relationship between Krishna and his flute beautifully depicted in our great epic, the Bhagavat Puran. Let us reflect on the above said relationship between the Lord and His flute from the standpoint of Vedanta. The Upanishads reveal the nature of God as Brahman the Pure Consciousness wielding the Power of Māyā. With this Upādhi of Māyā, God becomes the Creator and the Sustainer of this world. He provides all the Jivas with the necessary fields for performing actions and enjoying their fruits. He presides over all actions and becomes the giver of fruits and that is the reason why all the Jivas look up to Him in adoration and reverence. To do all these functions, the Lord requires a befitting Upādhi a medium to bless His Creation. Even though through His laws of nature he controls the total cosmos, but to lead the human beings to their life s Goal of Self-Realisation through the path of Dharma He requires an upādhi of a Saint who has merged his own little individuality with the Lord and, thus has made himself available for the Lord to express His will fully. The religious and spiritual history of the world shows that what these mighty Saints have achieved in their lifetime is in no way less than the achievement of the Lord Himself for they express nothing but the will of the Lord alone. Poojya Swamiji s achievements are all round. Not only has he provided the spiritual leadership at the time when higher values of life are getting shattered in the nation but he has also worked in the fields of education, health and social welfare. His missionary organisation caters for all, from children to old men and women of various aptitudes and capabilities, to find their necessary fields to work and to discover the joy of selfless service which is the most essential step leading to the goal of Self-Knowledge. To work tirelessly and to inspire others to live the nobler values of life is possible only when one has merged one s individuality with the Lord to become His Chosen Flute. Poojya Swamiji is one such person and thus viewed, he is undoubtedly that Chosen Flute in the hands of Lord Krishna the Great Enchanter of the Universe. page 21

24 Chinmaya Mission San Jose September 2012 Class Schedule Meditation with talks on Vedanta Saturday / 6:30-8:00am / Sandeepany Ashram Guided Meditation & Mandukya Upanishad Brahman is the only Reality. Nothing else is real. All the Universe, consisting of the evershining Sunday, moon and stars, is a dream - a long, long dream. How can this everlasting Universe perceived in the waking state be a dream? In the great Mandukya Karika, the illustrious Seer and Acharya, Sri Gaudapada tries to answer this question. The Karikas explain clearly and proves with various inferences and logic that this Universe is nothing but a dream. Saturday / 1:30pm-3pm / Fremont BV Location Bhagavad Gita - Ch. 6, Yoga of Meditation The Lord teaches the path of meditation by which one can attain the highest possibilities in life. To a true seeker, a thorough study of this chapter is sufficient direction and guidance to attain the highest through meditation. Saturday / 4:30pm-6pm / San Ramone BV Location Bhagavad Gita - Ch. 1. Yoga of Arjuna s Grief. The seed of all grief in our lives is our mis-understanding of our true nature. Lord in Srimad Bhagavad Gita reveals our true nature by giving Upadesha to Arjuna. Sunday / 9am-10am / San Jose BV Location Bhagavad Gita - Ch. 14: The Yoga of the Three Gunas; Ch. 15: The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit. Continuing further from Ch. 13, the Lord expounds in detail about the world of plurality and the Three Gunas. The Lord also explains that the Three Gunas decides in which womb (good or bad) one takes birth, etc. Chapter 15 is one of the most famous chapters in the Gita, often recited as a prayer before meals. Lord gives direct teaching by which the Infinite is indicated. Sunday / 10:30-11:30am / San Jose BV Location Discourses on Atma Bodha. Bhagavan Shankaracharyaji expounds on the nature of the Self and the means to attain realisaturdayion whereby one can be free from the cycle of birth and death. Monday / 10am-11:30am / Sandeepany Ashram Discourses on Sri Ramacaritamanas of Sri Goswami Tulasidas. One of the most popular texts of Hindu Philosophy is the Ramayana wherein we learn about the life, trials and tribulations of the Lord, Sri Rama and His Beloved Consort Sita. Dive deep into the manasa lake of exploits of Lord Rama and discover your true Lord within. 22page

25 Wednesday / 10am-11:30am / Sandeepany Ashram Kathopanishad: Dialogue with Death revealing the Truth about the Self. Nachiketa demondaystrates the qualifications of an ideal student and his dispassion for the world which makes him fit for the Self Knowledge. Lecture followedesday by guided meditation. Tuesday & Thursday / 6:30am-7:30am / Sandeepany Ashram Brahma Sutra: Brahma Sutras constitute the central text of Vedanta Philosophy. The Vedanta doctrines enshrined in the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, etc. are summarized in the Brahma Sutras. These are also known as Vedanta Sutras, the Sutras that give exposition of Brahman as revealed by the Vedas. Tuesday & Thursday / 7:30pm-8:30pm / Sandeepany Ashram The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is the greatest of the Upanishads by its size as well as substance. The six chapters are divided into three kandas which deal with upadesha, upapathi or exposition and meditation. 3rd Friday month Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 Sandeepany Ashram 1050 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA San Jose BV Location Lincoln High School, 555 Dana Avenue, San Jose, CA Fremont BV Location Washington High School, Fremont Blvd.,Fremont, CA San Ramon BV Location California High School, 9870 Broadmoor Drive, San Ramon, CA Home Satsang with Br. Prabodh Chaitanya 1st Friday of each month / 8pm - 9pm Text: Sat Darshanam Kirtida and Kamlesh Ruparel s Residence Seaton Ave, Saratoga, CA / Ph: nd Friday of each month Text: Dakshinamurty Stotram Geetha & Sanjay Rao s Residence Cupertino Road, Cupertino, CA / Ph: Sweta & Jnana Dash s Residence 6789 Glenview Drive, San Jose, CA / Ph: All classes and meditation sessions are free Please visit for more information. page 23

26 Bala Vihar Locations Fremont San Ramon San Jose Washington High School 38442, Fremont Blvd. Saturdays: 1:30 pm Contact: Lakshmi Prakash / (510) California High School 9870 Broadmoor Drive/San Ramon, CA Saturdays: 4:30 pm Contact: Meena Kapadia / (925) Lincoln High School 555 Dana Avenue, San Jose Sunday: Session I-9:00am, Session II-10:30am, Session III-11:45 am Contact: Uma / (650) Shiva Abhisheka & Puja at Sandeepany San Jose Conducted by Mission Members Time: 7:30-8:30 pm / Every 2nd Monday of the month Swaranjali Youth Choir San Jose Choir sessions are held every alternate Sundays between 2:00-4:00 p.m. Venue: Sandeepany / San Jose Teachers: Prema Sriram, Jaya Krishnan, and Jayashree Ramkumar Contact: Prema Sriram: NANSUK@aol.com Those who are interested in joining the choir as a vocalist or musicians may please contact Prema at the address above. San Ramon Choir sessions are held once every two weeks, Saturdays at 2:00pm - 3:00pm Venue: California High School 9870 Broadmoor Drive, San Ramon, CA Teacher: Shailaja Dixit / Contact: Shailaja at (925) Those who are interested in joining the choir as a vocalist or musicians may please contact Shailaja at the above number. Fremont Choir is held weekly on Saturdays, 12 noon - 1:00 pm Venue: Washington High School / Fremont Teachers: Natana Valiveti and Rajashri Iyengar Contact: Natana at natana@yahoo.com Those who are interested in joining the choir as a vocalist or musicians may please contact Natana at the above address. 24page

27 Bhakti Rasamrutam (The sweet essence of Devotion) Swaranjali, Chinmaya Youth Choir, has produced 10 CDs containing 100 Bhajans, glorifying the Lord in many Indian Languages. The Bhajans are rendered by 15 students of Swaranjali, with devotion, an offering to the Lord as their contribution to the New Building Project. Choir participants who sang on the Bhaktirasamrutam album were trained by Prema Sriram, Jaya Krishnan and Jayshree Ramkumar. The CD is entitled, Bhakti Rasamrutam, the sweet essence of Devotion. All details on this CD are posted on our web-site, chinmaya-sanjose.org. This is a rare gift which is very inspirational and uplifting. The proceeds from the CDs will add to our Fund-raising efforts. Thanks to all who contributed their time and talents to the production of the CD. page 25

28 Our thanks to all our Sponsor families who have continued to support us for many years and to all Member families who have found our programs to benefit their children thereby supporting us. We have room for more Sponsors and Members. Please invite your friends to join the larger Chinmaya Family of the Bay Area. CMSJ SPONSORSHIP... Annual Contribution $500 CMSJ MEMBERSHIP... Annual Contribution $200 Chinmaya - Tej.... Annual CT Sponsors $300 Chinmaya - Tej.... Annual Subscription $50 (Receive Chinmaya-Tej only) Tapovan Prasad A Monthly Spiritual of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide Published by Chinmaya Chinmaya Mission Worldwide It is Internationally acclaimed Publication filled with articles and reports that are inspiring and educational. Hindus living all over the world keep in touch with their spiritual heritage through Tapovan Prasad. Annual Subscription by Airmail: US $25 (12 issues) Make checks payable to Tapovan Prasad, and mail to Chinmaya Mission No.2, 13th Ave., Harrington Rd, Chetput, Chennai, , India 26page

29 Chinmaya Study Groups 1. Self Unfoldment 2. Tattva bodh 3. Bhaja Govindam 4. Atma bodh 5. Manah Shodhanam 6. Upadesa Saram 7. Narada Bhakti Sutra 8. Meditation and Life 9. Bhagavad Gita Introduction Ch.1 & Jnanasarah 11. Kenopanishad 12. Gita, Ch Dyanaswaroopam 14. Kaivalya Upanishad 15. Gita, Ch Isavasya Upanishad 17. Gita, Ch Bhakti Sudha 19. Gita, Ch Mundaka Upanishad 21. Gita, Ch Sat Darshan 23. Vivekachoodamani Vedanta Study Groups held in the Bay Area are listed in this issue of Chinmaya Tej and you may contact them if you wish to join a Study Group. page 27

30 Kids' Own Magazine... BalViHar Parents... This is a monthly magazine published by Central Chinmaya Mission, Mumbai for Children. It is packed with stories, puzzles, arts and craft ideas, children s contributions of essays, riddles, games, and much more. You can subscribe to it directly. The annual subscription is $30 and you will receive it monthly by air. We suggest that you subscribe in your child s name so your child will have the pleasure of receiving his or her own magazine from India. Make your checks payable to Central Chinmaya Mission Trust and mail it to: Central Chinmaya Mission Trust Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Saki Vihar Road, Mumbai , India Gita Chanting Classes for Children by Mallika Subramanian San Jose: Lincoln High School / Every Sunday Contact: (408) Fremont: Washington High School / Every Saturday Contact: (510) San Ramon: California High School Every Saturday (3:15pm - 4:15pm) Contact: (510) page

31 Community Outreach Program Seva Opportunities Chinmaya Mission San Jose San jose Are You Willing to Volunteer or Just Sponsor the Program? If yes, please call Krishna Bhamre: (408) or We need volunteers for preparing and serving Hot Meals for the Homeless. Lunch bags are prepared at Los Altos Community Center. All Youth volunteers are required to sign up with Krishna Bhamre. Meals For The Homeless Program: Served at San Jose s Emergency Housing Consortium at Orchard Drive off Curtner Avenue (Adult & Youth Volunteers & Sponsors). Fremont Fremont BV sponsors Sandwiches For The Needy. On the 2nd Saturday/Washington High School in Fremont. Parents of Bala Vihar and the kids prepare 70 Sandwiches, bag them and provide chips, fruit and juice. The Sandwiches are delivered to the Tricity Homeless Coalition, where they are served to adults and children. The Shelter is located on 588 Brown Road, Fremont, CA In addition, last Christmas, Fremont Bala Vihar donated new blankets, sweaters, sweat shirts, and infant warm clothes etc. to the homeless at the shelter. page 29

32 Vedanta Study Groups Adult Sessions Concord: Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 11 Sevak: Vipin Kapadia Contact: Meena Kapadia (925) Time: 7:30 p.m. (Wed.) Cupertino: Kathopanishad Sevak: Sreeharsha Contact : Ram Mohan (408) Time: 7:30 pm (Thur.) Fremont: Viveka Chudamani Sevika: Priya Batheja Contact: Priya Batheja (510) Time: 7:30 pm (Mon.) Los Altos: Bhagavad Gita Ch. 3 Sevak: Uma Jeyarasasingam Contact: Ruchita Parat (650) Time: 7:30 p.m. (Mon.) Milpitas Vivekachudamani Sevika: Uma Jeyarasasingam Contact: Suma Venkatesh (408) Time: 7:30 pm (Tue.) Mountain House: Self-Unfoldment Sevika: Padmaja Joshi Contact: Padmaja Joshi (209) Time: 8:00p.m. (Wed.) San Jose: Bhagawad Gita Ch. 4 Sevak: Jayaram Reddy Contact: Krishna Reddy (408) Time: 8:00 pm (Wed.) Satsangs with Br. Prabodh Chaitanya All events are from: 8:00-9:00pm 1st Friday of each month: Kirtida & Kamalesh N. Ruparell Text: ABC s of Vedanta Ph: (408) nd Friday of each month: Geetha & Sanjay Rao Text: Srimad Bhagavatam - Kapil Gita Ph: (408) rd Friday of each month: Sweta & Jnan Ranjan Dash, Almaden Text: Aparokshanubhooti Ph: (408) page

33 All classes held weekly unless otherwise stated San Jose Clayton Facility Self Unfoldment Sevak: Ramana Vakkalagadda Contact: Ramana Vakkalagadda (408) Time: 8:00 pm (Fri.) San Ramon Bhagavad Gita, Ch 9 Sevak: Bela Pandya Contact: Sireesha Balabadra (925) Time: 7:30 p.m. (Wed.) San Ramon/Calif HS Bhagavad Gita, Ch 7 Sevak: Vipin Kapadia Contact: Vipin Kapadia (925) Time: 3:15 p.m. (Sat.) Saratoga: Self-Unfoldment Sevak: Kalpana Jaswa Contact: Kalpana Jaswa (408) Time: 7:30pm (Thur.) Redwood City: Bhagvad Gita, Ch. 6 Sevak: Sreeharsha Contact: Sunil Jeswani (650) Time: 7:30 pm (Fri.) Walnut Creek: Kaivalya Upanishad Sevak: Vipin Kapadia Contact: Rakesh Bhutani (925) Time: 9:30 am (Sun.) Prabodhji's Classes at Bala Vihar Locations Fremont: Session 1:30-3 pm Bhagavad Gita Ch 3 Danville: 4:30-6 pm Gitas from Tulsi Ramayana San Jose: Session 1: 9 am Bhagavad Gita Ch 11 Session 2: 10:30 am Gitas from Tulsi Ramayana Prabodhji's Classes at Sandeepany Mondays: 10-11:30 am Sri Ramacaritamanas Wednesdays: 10-11:45 am Kenopanishad (followed by Sanskrit class) Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:30-7:30 am Brahma Sutra Tuesdays & Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 pm Brhadaranyaka Upanishad Saturdays: 6:30-8:30 am. Guided Meditation and Mandukya Upanishad page 31

34 Swami Tejomayananada Itinerary Fall 2012 Date Location / Event phone 4 Aug - 17 Aug Chinmaya Tapovan Trust Sidhbari Himachal Pradesh, India Classes for Brahmacharis Aug 10 shri Krishna Janmashtami 19 Aug - 03 Sep Chinmaya Tapovan Trust Sidhbari Himachal Pradesh, India Classes for Brahmacharis Yogavasishtha 05 Sep - 09 Sep Chinmaya Mission Bhavnagar , Kundan Kunj / / Bhavnagar gujarat, India Geeta Ch XVII 10 Sep - 15 Sep Chinmaya Mission Vadodara Chinmaya Sadhana Vadodara gujarat, India Madhurashtakam 16 Sep - 19 Sep Mumbai Sep - 18 Sep Conclusion of YEP 7th Batch 19 Sep - 19 Sep Ganesha Charurthi 21 Sep - 21 Sep gwalior Madhya Pradesh, India Jnana Yagna 32page

35 The real Guru is the pure intellect within; and the purified, deeply aspiring mind is the disciple. ~ Swami Chinmayananda Join the Chinmaya Family as SPONSORS We invite you to join our Sponsorship program so that you can help us to promote, sustain and continue to teach adults and children, alike, the Hindu Dharma which is our Heritage. Chinmaya Mission began its service to the Hindu Community some 20 years ago in the Bay Area.We are funded by public contributions. Your contribution, as a Sponsor, goes towards the operation of Sandeepany. Many families who are taking part in the various classes that we offer to adults and children, have enrolled themselves as Sponsors. They enjoy many benefits and become an integral part of the spiritual family at Sandeepany. Sponsorship is an annual contribution of $500 per family. The donation is tax deductible and can also be paid bi-annually, quarterly or monthly. What Do Our Sponsors Receive? They enjoy all the classes offered at Sandeepany Schools for adults and children. They will receive the journal, MANANAM and the bi-monthly Newsletters: Chinmaya Tej and CMW Newsletter. Sponsors are invited to attend Weekend Retreats held periodically at Sandeepany. United Way Contributions Your contributions to United Way can now be designated to Chinmaya Mission San Jose (United Way I.D. No ). The Mission is enrolled to receive such contributions with United Way Agency in Santa Clara. Chinmaya Family would like to thank you for your support.