Vedanta Center of Atlanta: October events
Vedanta Center of Atlanta: October events
Times:
10:30am-11am: silent meditation in the Chapel before each Sunday’s talk.
11am-noon: talk and worship in the chapel.
noon-1:30pm: devotees and friends meet in the Monastery for tea, coffee, snacks and a continuation of our spiritual fellowship.
Please join us!
PS: Please be on time. The service starts promptly at 11AM.
Venue: 2331 Brockett Rd, Tucker, GA 30084
Contact: (770) 938-6673 ; http://vedantaatlanta.org, http://vedantaatlanta.org/calendar-of-activities-events/
See Calendar for details about any particular Sunday.
Note: There is silent meditation in the Chapel from 10:30-11am, before each Sunday’s talk. After the talk, devotees and friends meet in the Monastery from noon to 1:30pm, for tea, coffee, snacks and a continuation of our spiritual fellowship.
Spiritual talks and classes are open to the public and free of charge.
October is a month for study of Bhakti Yoga. As a bhakti yogi, you establish a devotional relationship with God through study, prayer, ritual, and worship. You practice giving every action, thought, emotion, perception and tendency “a Godward turn.” All your energies and attributes, both positive and negative, are offered to the Divine Presence. Your prayer is for self-surrender, union with your Belovèd.
Following the inspiration and footsteps of Revered Swami Swahanandaji Maharaj, we invite and encourage devotees everywhere to pledge for extra "Jai Sri Durga" Japam during this coming auspicious Navaratri to Vijaya Dashami. This year, our days for chanting are from Tuesday, October 9th to Friday, October 19th. As you may know, we have done this for many years, to the great benefit of our entire spiritual community.
The idea is to pledge a certain amount of Japam (repetition of a mantra) for each day, above one's regular number. This has at least two benefits:
It helps us to stretch ourselves to have a greater capacity for spiritual practice.
The spiritual energy produced and the merit that it brings for each 100,000 repetitions is equal to one Grand Durga Puja performance.
It is best to be as consistent to do japa everyday, as far as possible. Yet, if one gets behind the number pledged one day, one can make up that difference the next day.
Counting may be done by using a Mala (Rosary) or by tally counter. Or, you can simply observe how long it takes to do one thousand repetitions. Thereby, one does not have to focus on the counting but can know the number by watching the time only.
Please email Br. Shankara, letting him know your pledge for this year’s chanting. You can tell him your daily pledge, or the total you commit to for Oct. 9th to Oct. 19th. Send your email to shankara@vedantaatlanta.org.
Please note that the time for the Sandhi puja this year, is on Wednesday, October 17 from 12:26 pm to 1:14 pm. This is the very auspicious time when Divine Mother killed the Mahisashura (great demon). It brings Mother’s blessings when one chants Her name (Jai Sri Durga) then. Every year we assemble in the temple at Hollywood, Santa Barbara and other places during that time and jointly chant.
Sandhi puja also will be observed at your Center in Tucker. Group chanting will be done in the Chapel during this very auspicious time, or you can participate by chanting at home on that Wednesday.
Mother's blessings,
Sarvadevananda
Swami Sarvadevananda
1946 Vedanta Place
Hollywood, CA 90068
(323) 465-7114
Oct. 7, 2018 @ 11am-12pm
Topic: Discipleship
Speaker: Patrick Horn
“My subject is ‘Discipleship.’ I do not know how you will take what I have to say. It will be rather difficult for you to accept it — the ideals of teachers and disciples in this country vary so much from those in ours. An old proverb of India comes to my mind: ‘There are hundreds of thousands of teachers, but it is hard to find one disciple.’ It seems to be true. The one important thing in the attainment of spirituality is the attitude of the pupil. When the right attitude is there, illumination comes easily.” – Swami Vivekananda in San Francisco: March 29, 1900
This lecture will survey the qualifications for a sincere student of spirituality, the necessity of a teacher, the stages from aspirant to adept, and the characteristics of a Master.
Patrick Horn is an initiated disciple of Swami Swahananda, contributor to American Vedantist and Reading Religion, and a member of the Religion Communicators Council, Religion News Association, and American Academy of Religion.
October 7 @ 7-8pm (Sun)
Talk: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, Part 1
Speaker: Swami Yogatmananda
October 8 @ 7-8pm (Mon)
Talk: The Imitation of Christ, Part 2
w/ Swami Yogatmananda
October 8 @ 8:15-9:30pm (Mon)
Potluck Supper & Reception for Swami Yogatmananda
in the Fellowship Hall
October 9-19 “Jai Sri Durga” Chanting: See special message above from Swami Sarvadevanandaji about this important activity, which leads up to our Durga Puja here on Oct 21.
October 13 @ 10-10:30am (Sat)
Chandi Hymns will be read in English
Led by Br. Shankara. No experience required.
October 13 @ 10am-2pm (Sat)
Seva Saturday for October
Lunch served at noon for all who come!
October 14@ 11am-noon (Sun)
Talk: The Significance of Mother Worship
w/ Br. Shankara
This is the Season for Worship of the Divine Mother. On Sunday we’ll talk about why Her worship can be of great benefit to your spiritual life. Called Shakti or Kali by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, they say She is the Creative Power that manifests our Universe, that the inner nature of this Power is feminine.
Swami Swahananda said:
“It is in the struggles, even in the lost battles (of life), that a spiritual seeker is to see the hands of the Mother. Then only is he or she established in steadfast devotion.
The seeker is to steel himself against all fears and weaknesses, and the worship of the Mother as Power (in all Her aspects) prepares him for it.”
October 21 @ 11am-noon (Sun)
Durga Puja, followed by a Potluck Prasad Lunch in the Fellowship Hall
Durga Puja — a worship of the Divine Feminine in the form of Mother Durga — will be performed from 11 to noon, this coming Sunday, October 21st. At 11am, before the puja, Br. Dhruva will offer us some insights about the Mother and why we worship Her in this way.
He will then serve as our formal worshipper (pujari).
Those of you who would like to sing for the Sri Ramakrishna and the Divine Mother, please let Br. Shankara know about that right away.
We also need volunteers to help with preparations for the worship service, and kitchen duties. Email shankara@vedantaatlanta.org about either of those possibilities.
Our puja will be followed by a potluck prasad lunch, from 12:30-2pm, in the Monastery’s Fellowship Hall. If you wish your food to be offered to Mother during the puja, it must be in the Monastery kitchen no later than 11am. No exceptions, please!
October 28 @ 11am-noon (Sun)
Talk: Fall Festivals and the Goddess Kali
w/ Br. Shankara
