Vol. 30, No.5 September/October 2019

A CHINMAYA MISSION SAN JOSE PUBLICATION

When we say that today’s world is to be the future world, it means that today’s people and their contribution is what will mold the world, its ways, and its life in the future. Today’s adults will not remain and survive in the future, but the expectation is that today’s children will survive. Naturally, therefore, if the present children are molded in their attitudes, in their values, in their ideas, and in their ideals, we can logically expect a better and more organized world of tomorrow, and achieve the design for the world that we hope for at this moment.

This future design cannot come in our own lifetime; it needs a long period of time for the changes to come about. Change it will, but the kind of change will be determined by the moral fiber of the growing generation. Therefore, when we say that today’s children are our future, we mean that we must strive right now to mold the children to think correctly, to judge rightly, and to have the heroism to live up to those convictions.

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

SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA from Our Children,

Our Future The Chinmaya Way, The Mananam Series, Chinmaya

Birth Centenary Celebration Series

From The Editors Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chinmaya Tej Editorial Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Unseen Hand of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

My Krishna, "Closer than the Closest" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A Tribute to Pujya Gurudev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Avatāras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

We Stand as One Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Simplicity of Sri Ramakrishna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Friends of Swami Chinmayananda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Tapovan Prasad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chinmaya Study Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Adult Classes at Sandeepany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Shiva Abhisheka & Puja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra & Language Classes . . . . . . 24

Gita Chanting Classes for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Vedanta Study Groups - Adult Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Swaranjali Youth Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

BalViHar Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Community Outreach Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Vairagya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Swami Swaroopananda’s Itinerary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CO NTENTSV o l u m e 3 0 N o . 5 S e p t e m b e r/ O c t o b e r 2 0 1 9

CHINMAYA TEJ EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR Uma Jeyarasasingam / umakj@sbcglobal.netCO-EDITOR Rohini JoshiELECTRONIC EDITORIAL ADVISOR Satish Joshi CONTRIBUTORS Swami Chinmayananda, Deepa Rai, Yuva Kendra, Bala-Vihar Senior, Sanjay Gollapudi, Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati, Richard SchiffmanDESIGN & LAYOUT four waters media, inc.PRINTING PigMint Press, Redway, CADATA BASE Kapil VaishMAILING Autozip, Ukiah, CAWEBSITE & PHONE cmsj.org / (650) 969-4389

FROM THE EDITORS DESK

Chinmaya-Tej is mailed to all Chinmaya Mission

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The Unseen

B Y S WA M I C H I N M AYA N A N D A

(From Tapovan Prasad, February 2017)

It was altogether an old world place. Life was ambling in a leisurely fashion. The hurry, the hectic activity and the devilish dance of the greed for lucre had not stuck roots into the unsophisticated minds of the innocent dwellers of this sacred land of Bharat. Trades were many, crafts were varied and each and every man stuck to his trade, profession or craft with a zest for work, and so life was pleasant. The length and breadth of Bharat were spanned by numerous hamlets serving as the backbone of Bharat. From one such hamlet a young rustic, with chiselled features, guileless mien, strong and sturdy limbs and with a healthy outlook on life, made his way towards the town of Tirupati, the abode of the Lord of the Seven Hills. In this sacred town lived the Mahanth, a man of importance, noted for his generosity of spirit, nobleness of heart and subtlety of intellect.

The Unseen Hand of God

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This Mahanth, himself a mighty owner of an estate, had taken on his shoulders the responsibility of manning the trust of a vast property, which included temples, houses, big establishments, forests and lands wet and dry. To this man did the rustic wend his way. When this rustic went to his dwelling, he heard that the Mahanth had just gone and so with quickened pace he hurried forward to have a tryst with the Mahanth. Soon he espied him near the lush green fields skirting the town. Paying his obeisance to the Mahanth, he said, “Maharaj, I come from a neighbouring hamlet. I am in search of work. I am prepared to take up any kind of work that your honour is pleased to give. Please help me.”

The Mahanth noticed the youth was bright in appearance, strong of limbs, simple in habits, obedient in nature and of an honest disposition. He said, “Well, lad, I do feel like helping you. But at present there is no vacancy in my estate. So I don’t know how I can help you.” The rustic, not to be so easily put off, said, “Maharaj, even if no job is vacant, if your honour should deign to help me, I would be blessed. If your honour is pleased, you could allot me a piece of land. It little matters where it is or how it is. I am strong of limb, of a persevering nature and unbending will. I can work hard. I deter not from drudgery.”

The Mahanth was in a good mood, and so he felt he should help him at all costs. His eyes just then fell on the northern part of the rugged road on which they were standing. It was a dry land, utterly rugged in nature and unfit for cultivation. But that was the only part not allotted, and so, pointing out that piece of land to the rustic, he said, “Lad, look here, this is the only piece that has not been allotted. I don’t know whether this will be of any use to you. If you wish, you can occupy it and put it to use.” The youth, on hearing this, was beside himself with joy and said,

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“A thousand thanks to your honour. I don’t know how to express my joy and gratitude. May your tribe increase!” The Mahanth moved on.

The youth now inspected the piece of land. No doubt, it was dry land, uncultivable. Yet, where there is a will, there is a way. He set himself to work. Borrowing a crowbar, spade and billhook, he soon cleared the land of all the shrubs. Then he started loosening the soil. Very severe was the task, for the land was punctuated here and there with rocks, some very huge. But the lad was up to the task. He was of a plodding type, and so he was able to remove all of them within a week. He began to loosen the soil. When he reached a depth of three feet, he found that the soil was virgin, red in colour. Borrowing a hammer and crowbar from the neighbourhood, he broke the huge rocks he had hauled out of the field. He thought of putting to use even these rocks. Soon he arranged them around the field, thus building a fence for the field. The next day, he approached a kindly farmer and requested him to spare his bullocks to plough his land just for two days. He promised the farmer that in return for this kind act, he would help him in his farming for four days. The farmer agreed and felt it was a just deal, so he lent the rustic the bullocks and the plough. The rustic first fulfilled his promise and then began to plough his own land. Soon he dug a well in one corner of his land and drawing the water from the well, irrigated his field. Day in and day out, he laboured in his field.

Six months passed. The sky smiled, the rains blessed the earth at the right season and everything went on well with the cultivation, without let or hindrance. The harvest season came. Nature blessed the rustic with a bountiful and bumper crop. The youth, in all earnestness, began harvesting the crops. As he was harvesting, he saw the Mahanth with his retinue of attendants passing that way. At the sight of the Mahanth, the rustic’s

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heart welled up with gratitude. In all devotion, he ran thither and falling at his feet said, “Maharaj, I am ever indebted to you for all that you have done to me. Whenever I think of you, my cheeks are bedewed with tears of gratitude. I don’t know how I should repay you for your benevolence.” The Mahanth was bewildered to see a stranger falling at his feet and expressing words of gratitude. So he said, “O youth, who are you? What have I done that you should thank me thus?” In the routine of the Mahanth, allotment of land to imploring peasants was done quite often and the Mahanth could scarcely recall when he had given this lad the right over the land. But those in his retinue remembered it. The youth now said, “Maharaj, look this way. See how glorious your fields are! Just see what a bountiful golden harvest is there. It is all thine and thy grace. Had not your honour allotted this piece of land to me, I could not have raised those crops. I am ever indebted to thee, Master.” The Mahanth turned and saw the bountiful harvest. He remarked, “Is this my land? Did I allot it to you? Let me refresh my memory. Well, wasn’t this a rugged piece of dry land unfit for cultivation? How is it that you have transformed it into a lush golden field brimming with a bountiful harvest? This beats my understanding.” The youth replied, “Master, it is all thy grace. It was thy land. Six months back you allotted it to me. I worked on it zealously, and so the land smiled and blessed us. It is all thine, my Master.”

The kindly Mahanth said, “Praise the Lord, O youth, I have not done anything. I gave you only a poor rugged piece of uncultivable land. God willed that your husbandry should be rewarded and He willed this rugged piece of land should smile and so you have been successful. Hence offer your thanks unto God. I don’t deserve your thanks.” The youth, who till then had not thought of God, said, “Maharaj, excuse me for my impertinence. I know of no God. This much I know well. You allotted me this piece of land. I worked day in and day out, and with my unbending will ploughed laboriously, cultivated cautiously, tended carefully and irrigated industriously, and so here we have the bountiful

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harvest. What has God done to deserve my thanks?” The Mahanth said, “Lad, you are ignorant. I see clearly the hand of God in every act of yours. This piece of rugged land was there even before you came here. It was God who brought you here. It was He who timed your tryst with me, for you saw me when I was standing very near this plot. So my allotting this piece of land to you is God’s will. It was He who gave me a charitable disposition at that time, or else I would not have given you this land. It was He who brought you and the land together. It was He who blessed you with the strength of limb, unbending will, perseverance and tenacity of purpose. It was He who sent the rains at the right season. It was He who planted in the heart of the neighbouring farmer the kindness which made him help you with the bullocks and the plough. So it is all God’s work. So, praise God.”

The youth was still unconvinced. He said, “Maharaj, excuse me. This little head of mine cannot understand all this that you say about God. One thing alone I understand – that you are my sole benefactor. I revere you and prostrate to you.” The Mahanth smiled, and lifting his hands to the heavens, said: “Lord, mysterious are Thy ways. I see Thy hand in every act that goes on here.” So saying, he moved on.

The Bhagavad Gita says: He is within and without all beings. He is moving and also unmoving. He is too subtle to be known. He is far away, yet is He near.

God is the subtlest of the subtle. So, to realize Him, subtlety is needed. When a poet writes a poem, it is not only the fingers that write, but the contemplative mind behind the fingers that prod them to write so. To understand the poem, the reader has to develop the subtlety to lift himself to the level of the poet. So too, to understand and realize God, who is the warp and woof of creation, the seeker should develop subtlety – sūkṣmatvāt- tad-avijñeyam. Here, in this parable, the Mahanth had the subtlety to understand the hand of God in all that had happened, whereas the rustic had not developed that subtlety, though he was hardworking and perseverant.

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B Y D E E PA R A I

(San Jose, CA Chinmaya Mission)

Three Krishnas have captured my heart and mind, each as mesmerizing and awe-inspiring as the other. The first, is the historical Krishna, born in prison, who overcame incredible obstacles. As a baby, Balakrishna mysteriously quelled Yamuna’s rising waters, with the touch of His soft toe, enabling Vasudeva, to reach Gokul, Nanda’s village. Fearless, strong and brilliant, Krishnaji vanquished all who were ordered to kill Him by the evil Kamsa, including Kamsa, himself. Loved by His friends, adored by gopis, each thought Krishna was their best friend and sole confidant. Arjuna revered Krishnaji, who transformed him from being the despondent warrior at Kurukshetra to the grand and extraordinary hero he became after Bhagavan’s indelible teachings.

The second is the Divine Teacher, the ‘Satguru’, dispeller of ignorance, like our Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda. Vivekananda wrote, “Krishna can never be understood until you have read the Gita, for He was the embodiment of His own teaching.” He was Bhagavan Himself, a Divine Manifestation of Supreme Consciousness. This is true of our Gurudev as

My Krishna, ‘Closer than the Closest’

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well. Gurudev rescued me just like Bhagavan Krishnaji. Both wanted true freedom for all. In this way, My Gurudev is My Krishna. A picture of Krishnaji, painted by Allah Bux covers Pujya Guruji’s book, Discourses on the Shrimad Bhagavata. I am told Gurudev cherished this painting: Krishnaji stands tall, slim and firm, with an unseen strength and inner wisdom of a mystic; with His right hand clasping His flute on the waist, left hand on a tree-stump and a gentle, yet single-pointed focus, He exudes regal confidence and command. In this painting, Bhagavan is wearing wooden padukas with toe-knobs, just like our Gurudev. I see Gurudev in this painting: An erudite scholar, tall, majestic, dynamic, a master of all circumstances, smiling or laughing, sometimes serious or stern, yet compassionate, never afraid nor discouraged, possessing an uncanny ability to connect with all; infinitely happy and independently joyous, an ideal for all – Divinity, personified.

The third Krishna is the Divine Self in All. Once, after a Gita discourse, Gurudev said: “Everyone who was here today is Krishna. I only spoke to Him about what I know of Him. Don’t ever think your audience is foolish, you are talking only to Bhagavan.” Gurudev saw Krishnaji in all. Bhagavan says in the Gita: “He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, never gets separated from Me, nor do I get separated from him.” Gurudev and Krishnaji are unequivocally One.

My Krishna lives in the ‘cave of my heart’ just like Gurudev. Gurudev said, “Whenever you need me, close your eyes and look into your heart – and I will be there!” Krishnaji declared, “Fix your mind upon Me, be devoted to Me,…you shall surely come to Me alone;…I promise, (for) you are dear to Me.” Per a Vedic invocation, I pray for ‘the intellectual strength…and heroic heart to follow the Teachings’ and realize the Truth – Oneness with All. My Krishna…My Gurudev, is ‘closer than the closest’ to me. Om Tat Sat.

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A TRIBUTE TO Pujya Gurudev

B Y Y U VA K E N D R A ,

B A L A -V I H A R S E N I O R , S A N J AY G O L L A P U D I (Bay Area, California)

On June 28, 2019, Sanjay shared his thoughts with Chinmaya Mission San Jose Youth Camp attendees and their parents on the final day of the 26th Youth Camp at Krishnalaya, organized by Uma Jeyarasasingam.

The topic of the camp was: “Our Tributes to Pujya Swami Chinmayananda ji.”

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I magine you were given the task of trying to describe Gurudev to people who have never heard about him before. How would you go about it? This

would normally be an impossible task for me, an individual who has never witnessed Gurudev’s greatness in person. However, through this past week I have heard, learned, and read many stories and qualities about Gurudev. Because of this, I would describe him as follows: A tall, kind, passionate soul who would accept and appreciate everyone no matter their appearance, manner, or religion. He truly “loved all” and it could clearly be seen in his sweet eyes and bright smile. He was also able to maintain this perfect balance of discipline and freedom with devotees while also nurturing them with love. By doing this he was able to bring out the best in each and every one of his devotees.

He was a spiritual master who had the intuition and selflessness to share his mastery of the scriptures with people who either didn’t have access to them or the tools to learn them. But the one thing I loved the most about Gurudev was his sense of humor. He was able to take any serious lecture or situation and instantly make you reel over with laughter. From the variety of stories and videos I have watched and listened to, I immediately was dumbfounded by this man who was clad in all orange and how he was able to be so humorous when speaking of such serious topics. He managed to keep all of his devotees captivated during the daunting and long task of learning the Hindu scriptures, while still conveying the important pieces of knowledge with clarity and concision. Because of this he was able to draw in large crowds at all of his lectures and talks and further promote his mission of reviving Hinduism.

Although he has moved on from this world, he still continues to live through Chinmaya Mission and all of its members and activities. In this sense, I have gotten to know Gurudev very personally even though I have never met him. To me, he is an inspiration, the perfect role model for everyone to follow. I would describe Gurudev as an inspiration like this: Chapter 3, verse 21 of Gita says “yadyada carati shreshta tattadevetaro jannah, sa yatpramanam kurute lokastada nuvartate.” In English this means “whatever a great man does, that others will do, whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows”. Gurudev is this great man who continues to help the Hindu culture grow; who continues to inspire and help people today. Hari Om

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E X T R A C T E D F R O M H I N D U I S M F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S , T H E H I N D U C U LT U R E S E R I E S

(Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 2006)

Are all avatāras alike, or is there a difference between one avatāra and another?

Not all avatāras are alike. The Lord is ever complete, but His avatāras differ in manifestation, depending on the purpose of the incarnation, the requirements of the time, and the intensity of the circumstances. Based on this, avatāras are categorized as follows:

Nitya Avatāra: The Lord is ever present in the world in the form of saints and sages. Saint Rāmdās said, “Those who work for the establishment of dharma are none other than Īshvara Himself.”

Amsha Avatāra: The Lord manifests with only a part of His potency in order to accomplish a particular goal. Example: Matsya (fish) Avatāra, Varāha (Boar) Avatāra, Vāmana (dwarf) Avatāra, etc.

Āvesha Avatāra: The Lord suddenly manifests in a situation where a devotee is in need. Example: Narasimha Avatāra, for His devotee Prahlāda.

Purṇa Avatāra: The Lord manifests in His full potency and splendor (with all His 16 kalās, or attributes). Shrī Krishṇa is a purṇa avatāra.

Avataras–

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What are the avatāras of Lord Vishnu?

There have been various avatāras of Lord Vishṇu; however, it is not possible to give an exact number. This is largely due to the fact that whenever we see a great personality of superhuman strength (physical,mental, intellectual, or spiritual) establishing dharma and achieving great feats, we attribute it to divinity. Shrīmd Bhāgavatam states that even though there are countless avatāras, there are 24 avatāras that are significant.

The ten renowned manifestations of Lord Vishṇu are:

Matsya (fish) Parashurāma

Kūrma (tortoise) Rāma

Varāha (Boar) Krishṇa

Narasimha (man-lion) Buddha (or Balarāma)

Vāmana Kalki

Avataras

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continued from July/August 2019 issue

We Stand as

One Family

B Y S WA M I N I K H I L A N A N D A S A R A S WAT I

(Central Chinmaya Trust Publications, 2009)

We serve as an army courageous and disciplined ever ready to fight against all low tendencies and false values within and without us.

In this line of the pledge lies the very essence of karma yoga. When we graduate from infancy to adulthood and are ready to face life, we are fit to know about karma yoga. Bhagavān Krishna chose to teach this to Arjuna, when he was ready to act. Sleeping people cannot be taught karma yoga. We have to be first shaken out of our inertia and lethargy. Through the words of the pledge Gurudev is attempting to shake us up. These seemingly simple words carry within them a wealth of meaning. We need to contemplate upon each word sincerely. Love and true understanding are the twins that bring about our inner transformation.

When we stand for our convictions and are ready to walk the spiritual path we are advised to do seva. Seva is sometimes taken to mean, helping those who are underprivileged or lower than us. This is a low and degrading attitude. Ramana Maharshi in Upadesh Sara says, “ jagat iśadhiḥ yukta sevanam, aṣta murti bhṛd deva pūjanam.” He says service itself is worship. We must serve the world with the understanding that we are worshipping the Lord. God does not need help, He is better off

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without our interference. He is giving us an opportunity to serve and we should work with that attitude. In the Ramayana, when Lakshmana was injured, Hanuman brought the whole mountain along with the Sanjeevani herb. Later during the battle when Ladshmana was again hit, he revived on his own. Hanuman could serve only because Sri Rama gave him the opportunity to do so.

On a similar note, a Teacher while bathing in the river, was approached by his student requesting for permission to serve. Standing in the water, the Guru asked him to pour water on his body. It is not as though the Master was incapable of bathing himself; he was merely providing his disciple an opportunity to serve. Only through service can we transform ourselves. So we must serve with an attitude that we are serving the Lord Himself. When we pray to a stone idol, we invoke His presence in that stone and then interact with it. Likewise we must invoke His presence in every being in the world. Then our every action, even the most insignificant one becomes a seva. We should have respect even for the objects we use. Only then will there be an inner transformation.

One agitated disciple came to his Master’s ashram in an angry frame of mind. On his way there, he flung his chapals at the door and slammed it hard. In general he vented his anger and frustration. Then (fortunately) with assumed humility, he came to the Master and asked him to remove the agitation from his mind. The Master first asked him to seek forgiveness from the door and his chapals. The student was surprised because both

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the objects he had used to vent his anger on, were inert. But the Master insisted. He said that when you mistreated them you did it with the feeling that there was life in them. The disciple asked for forgiveness and instantly there was peace in his heart.

Wherever and whatever work we do, when at home or in the society, the attitude should be that I am interacting with the Lord. Then alone will the action become seva. When Lord Shiva took Avatār as Hanuman he preferred to serve. In the Krishna Avatār, Krishna was younger than Balarama. Balarama as the elder brother had to keep up the presence of seniority and at times even scold Krishna. But one day he confessed that he preferred being Lakshmana, the younger brother because in that capacity he had more of an opportunity to serve.

There is great joy in serving. Devotees were eager to serve Gurudev, in even the smallest way. Once while talking to some people, he happened to be standing. Noticing this, a devotee asked him whether he should bring him a chair to sit on. Gurudev replied, “In service you have to feel, understand and identify yourself fully. You will then yourself know what to do.” Seva is not a business contract or a job. When we volunteer our time to a service organization there is great joy in the action.

When Hanuman met Sita in Lanka he addressed her as mātā but when he began to deliver Bhagavān’s message he lost his own identity and became a messenger. He was like a cell phone, letting the voice of Sri Rama, come through him. To be a good messenger one must have the ability to identify fully, negating one’s own identity.

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To understand Brahman we have to give up our own identity. We are constantly busy with ‘becoming’ and so miss out on what we ‘are’. This world is called ‘bhava sagar’ or the ocean of becoming. We want to become something or other. If we do some service or make a donation we want everyone to notice. Even if we make a statement or even if we copy something we want acclaim for it.

“We serve as an army.” Why army? An army is a disciplined team of people working together guided by an authority. Here, there is no personal settling of accounts. Everyone works together towards a common goal. We take guidance from our seniors, who are in turn guided and controlled by a set of rules. Similarly the words of the Scriptures and our Teachers act as guides on our journey. We must have implicit faith in them.

Teacher and disciple in conversation were walking somewhere in the Himalayas, alongside a swiftly flowing river. The Teacher mentioned that on the spiritual path the student must have total faith and unswerving devotion to the Teacher and the Scriptures. The students must be ready to do whatever is asked of them. It is only then that the Truth is revealed to them. The student affirmed his willingness to submit to the discipline of a disciple. To test him the Teacher told the boy to jump into the river. Without a moment’s hesitation he plunged into the turbulent waters of the river and swam to the other side. Then he passed with honors, the acid test of obedience to the words of the Teacher.

Pujy Gurdev was sent by Swami Shivananda to Tapovan Maharaj to gain mastery in the Scriptures. Tapovan Maharaj did not receive him with open arms. He wanted to know why he had come. Gurudev said he had come to learn Brahma Vidyā and Swami Shivananda had sent him. Tapovan Maharaj was not impressed. He wanted proof that Swami Shivananda had indeed recommended him. Unfortunately, Gurudev had lost the letter of introduction that he had been given. So he had to walk back from Uttarkashi to Rishikesh and get another letter. This was not enough. Tapovan Maharaj had one more condition. Gurudev would have to retain all that was taught to him. If ever he was asked a question to which he did not have the answer, he would have to leave. We are fortunate that Gurudev passed the test!

C O N T I N U E D I N N E X T I S S U E

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Sri Ramakrishna

B Y R I C H A R D S C H I F F M A N

(extracted from Living in Simplicity, The Mananam Series, 1997)

Ramakrishna sat on his simple cot as a king on his throne. He was a true king of the devotees, a child-king presiding over a daily court of love. But no monarch could have been less affected by the fealty and honors showered upon him. Visitors were impressed immediately with how utterly without egotism, or the least hint of self-consciousness, was this little poor man of God. You couldn’t have guessed from his manner or appearance that he was the revered guru of so many. Except during the cool months of winter, he remained half-naked, with only a plain cotton cloth wound loosely around his waist. He was thin, at times almost to the point of looking emaciated, and brown-skinned, with a short scraggly beard of mixed black and silver. Most remarkable were his eyes, piercing and yet kindly, bright and laughing. Often those eyes remained half-shut, as if Ramakrishna were at one and the same time gazing inward toward the depths of the Self and outward at the devotees assembled before him.

The Simplicity of

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Both in physical appearance and manner, Ramakrishna was simplicity itself. No one could have been more unassuming or less bothered with making an impression on others. He seemed all but unconscious of the great power that flowed through him to those gathered at the foot of his cot. In a boyish zeal, inspired insights would bubble out as pure water from a spring—lightly, joyously, and without effort or strain. His musical speech lacked pretension, or any attempt to convert or even to persuade his listeners. In a fundamental scene, he was not even aware of having listeners. He spoke to the other who was not an “other” at all, but an extension of his own Self. And he never felt he was telling you anything that you didn’t already know, deep inside. This conviction lent an extraordinary intimacy to his talk.

Ramakrishna was, by nature, incapable of holding himself aloof. From the moment a newcomer arrived, the Master would be chatting with a transparent sincerity. Invariable, after the briefest civilities, the conversation would turn to God and devotion; everything else seemed insipid to him. It was not unusual that within minutes Ramakrishna would be taking a perfect stranger into his confidence, speaking of his most intimate visions and other spiritual experiences in the same easy manner that others talk about the weather or the price of a loaf of bread—but always without a hint of pride or boasting. Like the child of God he was, the Master would say, “Mother showed me this…Mother told me…Mother revealed…”

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Friends of

Swami ChinmayanandaFriends and devotees share fond memories with us of their time with Gurudev.

SOUND JUDGEMENT

On the way to the Sidhabari ashram, there was fracas on the platform as we were about to board the train for Pathankot.

A pickpocket had been caught in the act, and a policeman was thrashing him with a lathi [club]. Swamiji had just descended the stairs to the platform and came upon the tableau. In spite of the throng and the excitement, there was a little circle of space and silence around Swamiji. Standing straight and tall in his orange robes, he glowed in the lamplight

Swamiji stared at the policeman intently. The policeman continued his frenzied thrashing until he became aware of Swamiji’s gaze. He looked at Swamiji and then quickly looked down, confused. He struck again, and again his eyes were drawn to Swamiji’s. Suddenly, all the power disappeared from his blows. He made a few more token strikes, threw a chastened look toward Swamiji and dragged the thief away.

We were all hushed and a little shaken by the event. In the few moments before we boarded the train, one devotee, obviously very agitated, stammered, “He should not have hit the fellow, Swamiji.”

Swamiji shot back at us with a piercing gaze, “The fellow was a thief!”

With his look he had chastened the policeman, whose judgment was clouded by anger and hatred and with his words he had chastened us, whose judgment was clouded by sentimentality.

20

A MONTHLY SPIRITUAL OF CHINMAYA MISSION WORLDWIDE

Published by 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, 600 031, India

TAPOVAN PRASADFriends of

Swami Chinmayananda

21

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 & 2

10. Jnanasarah

11. Kenopanishad

12. Gita, Ch. 3 – 6

13. Dyanaswaroopam

14. Kaivalya Upanishad

15. Gita, Ch. 7 – 9

16. Isavasya Upanishad

17. Gita, Ch. 10 – 12

18. Bhakti Sudha

19. Gita, Ch. 13 – 15

20. Mundaka Upanishad

21. Gita, Ch. 16 – 18

22. 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.

C H I N M A Y ASTUDY GROUPS

22

Shiva Abhisheka & Pujaat Chinmaya Sandeepany / San Jose

Conducted by mission membersEvery 2nd Monday of the month: 7:30-8:30 pm

A D U L T CLASSESFREMONT

SATURDAYS2pm-3pm: Video discourses on Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 10

by Swami Chinmayananda

SAN RAMON

SATURDAYS4:30-6:00pm: Video discourses Bhagavad Geeta, Ch. 3 & 4

By Swami Chinmayananda

SAN JOSE

SATURDAYS1:45pm - 2:55pm: Video discourses Bhagavad Geeta, Ch. 2

By Swami Chinmayananda

SUNDAYS9:05am – 10:15am: Video discourses on Vivekachudamani

By Swami Chinmayananda

10:45am – 11:55am: Video discourses on Bhagavad Geeta By Swami Tejomayananda

1:45pm – 2:5opm: Video discourses on Bhagavad Geeta By Swami Tejomayananda

23

We have over 2,100 children enrolled in our program, from our three centers, since enrollment started 1980 school year. I wish to thank all the volunteer Teachers, Co-Teachers and Youth Helpers teaching and assisting in the different classes. It takes more than teachers to organize these programs at Chinmaya/Sandeepany, Fremont Washington High, and California High School. Parent Volunteers and CMSJ Volunteers organize setting up, Book Store, Snacks, Lecture Halls etc.

OUR SINCERE THANKS TO EVERY ONE OF THE MANY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS.

Adult video courses are also offered during Bala Vihar sessions. The Parking Lot is on Hickerson Drive, and you can walk from the parking lot to the classrooms.

We are currently using 25 classrooms in several sessions.

I appreciate all the efforts of the parents, some of you are driving your children from as far North as Redwood City to San Jose. You will find it very rewarding as you see your children grow up with Hindu Heritage, moulding them into young adults.

We want the best for our children. All parents will receive email announcements with regard to changes.

For each location, an in-depth schedule is posted on cmsj.org, or call the contact listed.

LANGUAGE & BALA VIHAR/ YUVA KENDRA

CL ASSES

24

BERKELEYContact: Venkatesh Srinivasan / venkatesh.srinivasan@cmsj.org

Albany Community Center / 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, CA 94706

Saturdays: 8:30am - 9:30am — Bala Vihar classes Please see cmsj.org for detailed class timings

FREMONTContact: Lakshmi Prakash / lakshmi.prakash@cmsj.org

Washington High School / 38442, Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536

Saturdays: 9:15am - 4:10pm — Bala Vihar classes Please see cmsj.org for detailed class timings

SAN JOSESukanya Ramachandran / sukanya.ramachandran@cmsj.org

Chinmaya Sandeepany / 10160 Clayton Road, San Jose

Saturdays: 12:30pm - 4:00pm, & Sundays: 8:00am - 4:00pm — Bala Vihar classes Please see cmsj.org for detailed class timings

SAN RAMONContact: Meena Kapadia / mkapadia@cmsj.org

California High School / 9870 Broadmoor Drive, San Ramon, CA 94583

Saturdays: 2:00pm - 6:00pm — Bala Vihar classes Please see cmsj.org for detailed class timings

SAN MATEOContact: Ruchita Parat / ruchita.parat@cmsj.org

Aragon High School / 900 Alameda de Las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94402

Sundays: 1:00pm - 4:05pm— Bala Vihar classes Please see cmsj.org for detailed class timings

GITA CHANTING CLASSES FOR CHILDREN

FREMONT: Washington High School / Contact: lakshmi.Prakash@cmsj.org

Saturdays: 12:45pm - 1:30pm (all levels)

SAN JOSE: Chinmaya Sandeepany / Contact: Sukanya.Ramachandan@cmsj.org

Saturdays: 12:30pm - 1:00pm (level 1 through 4) Sundays: 8:30am - 9:00am (level 3 and level 4)

9:40am - 10:10am (level 1 and level 2) 10:45am - 11:15am (level 3 and level 4) 12:30pm - 1:00pm (level 1 and level 2 only) 1:00pm - 1:30pm (level 3 and level 4)

SAN RAMON: California High School / Contact: mkapadia@cmsj.org

Sundays: 3:15pm - 4:15pm (level 1 to level 3)

SAN MATEO: Aragon High School / Contact: Ruchita.Parat@cmsj.org

Sundays: 1:00pm - 1:30pm

LANGUAGE & BALA VIHAR/ YUVA KENDRA

CL ASSES

25

V E D A N T ASTUDY GROUPS

C l a s s e s h e l d w e e k l y u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e s t a t e d .

BERKELEY Upadesa Sara, Sevak-Venkatesh Srinivasan Prashant Jawalikar: pjawalikar@gmail.com; 8:00pm Thursday

CAMPBELL Kathopanishad, Sevak-Venkatesh Srinivasan Uma Srinivasan: uma.srinivasan@cmsj.org; 4:30pm Saturday

CONCORD Self Unfoldment, Sevika-Meena Kapadia Meena Kapadia: mkapadia@cmsj.org; 7:30pm Wednesday

CUPERTINO Yoga Vasishta Sara, Sevak-Ram Mohan Ram Mohan: ram@singularventures.com; 7:30pm Thursday Vivekachudamani, Sevak-Jignesh Joshi Geetha Rao: grao@cmsj.org; 8:00PM Fridays

FREMONT Bhagavad Geetha II, Sevak-Prabhakar V. Ravi Parthsarathy: ravi.parthsaraty@cmsj.org; 6:30am Sunday

LOS GATOS Self Unfoldment, Sevak-Sandeep Tiwari Sandeep Tiwari: sandeep.tiwari@gmail.com; 4:30pm Saturday

MILPITAS Vivekachudamani, Sevika-Suma Venkatesh Suma Venkatesh: suhridaya@yahoo.com; 7:45pm Wednesday

REDWOOD CIT Y Bhagavad Geeta, Sevak-Jayarami Reddy; Rashmi Kapur: rashmikapur88@gmail.com; 7:30pm Friday

SAN JOSE - CHYK Art of Man Making, Sevak-Keshav Venkat; Keshav Venkat: keshav.venkat91@gmail.com; 7:30pm Wednesday & 10am Sunday

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C l a s s e s h e l d w e e k l y u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e s t a t e d .

SAN JOSE - EVERGREEN Atma Bodha, Sevak-Ramana Vakkalagadda Ramana Vakkalagadda: ramana.vakkalagadda@cmsj.org; 8:00pm Friday

SAN JOSE - WEST Upadesa Sara, Sevak-Jayarami Reddy; Krishna Kumari Reddy: akkumari@gmail.com; 8:00pm Wednesday

SAN R AMON Kathopanishad, Sevika-Bela Pandya; Sireesha Balabhadra: sireesha.balabhadra@cmsj.org; 7:00pm Wednesday Bhagavad Geeta, Sevika-Shivani Pandey; Anil Pandey: anil.pandey@cmsj.org; 7:00pm Friday

SAN R AMON CAL HIGH Vivekachudamani, Sevak-Vipin Kapadia; Meena Kapadia: mkapadia@cmsj.org; 3:15pm Saturday

SAR ATOGA Kenopanishad, Sevak-Kamlesh Ruparel; Kirtida Ruparel: knruparel@gmail.com; 8:00pm Thursday Bhagavad Geeta, Sevika-Kalpana Jaswa; Kalpana Jaswa: kalpana@jaswa.com; 7:30pm Thursday

SUNNY VALE Tattva Bodha, Sevak-Shrikrishna Bhamre; Suvarna Bhamre: suvarna.bhamre@cmsj.org; 8:00pm Thursday

WALNUT CREEK Bhagavad Geeta, Sevak-Vipin Kapadia; Rakesh Bhutani: vipin.kapadia@cmsj.org; 9:30am Sunday

WHS, FREMONT Dakshinamoorthy Stotram, Sevika-Lakshmy Prakash; Lakshmy Prakash: lakshmy.prakash@cmsj.org; 3:15pm Saturday

A D U L T S E S S I O N S

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BALVIHAR MAGAZINE

FREMONT

Choir sessions are held Saturdays 11:30am - 12:30pm VENUE: Washington High School / Fremont TEACHERS: Amrita Sekhar, Natana Valiveti, Rajashri Iyengar,

Ranjana Subramanian & Sunita Gopal CONTACT: Natana Valiveti: natanav@yahoo.com

SAN JOSE

Choir sessions are held Sundays 12:00pm - 1:30pm VENUE: Chinmaya Sandeepany / San Jose TEACHERS: Shubha Narsipur CONTACT: Shubha Narsipur: nvshubha@yahoo.com

SAN RAMON

Choir sessions are held every Saturdays 2:00pm - 3:00pm VENUE: California High School 9870 Broadmoor Drive, San Ramon, CA 94583

TEACHER: Shrividhya CONTACT: Shrividhya: gurucharan11@hotmail.com

Those who are interested in joining the choir as a vocalist or musician please be in touch with the conatact for each event.

Please note, however, that registration to just Swaranjali is not supported. Students have to be enrolled in and attend Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra classes to be eligible to participate in Swaranjali. In other words, to

register for Swaranjali, students must first register in Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra classes and attend them.

SWARANJALI YOUTH CHOIR

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Just for Kids!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 CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

MAIL TO: Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Saki Vihar Road,

Mumbai 400 072, India

BALVIHAR MAGAZINE

29

Chinmaya Mission provides opportunities for all members to participate in several Seva Activities in various Mission Centers including:

HOMELESS FEEDING: Contact Shri Krishna Bhamre / shrikrishna.bhamre@cmsj.orgBreakfast Service: 2011 Little Orchard Street, San Jose, CALunch Service: Family Supportive Housing, 692 N. King Rd. San Jose, CA 95133

TIFFIN SERVICE: Help our own Chinmaya community by serving hot tea & snacks during Saturday/Sunday Bala Vihar sessions. Fremont contact: Padmanabha Nallur / pnallur@gmail.comSan Jose contact: Narayan Venkatachalam / cmsj.snacks@yahoo.comSan Ramon contact: Arti Kapoor / arti.kapoor@gmail.com

SLEEPING BAG DRIVE: Through donations we deliver from 20 to 250 sleeping bags to several locations San Jose to Livermore. At the distribution site, all are welcome; its especially informative for children to see and have contact with people in need. No limits on numbers of people that can show up for the distribution. Contact: Balaji Venkatraman / brv@yahoo.com

FAMILY LUNCH BAG SERVICE: Provides a portable meal for shelters that cannot house and serve hot lunches. The bagged lunch consisting of a peanut-butter jelly sandwich, fruit, snack and juice is assembled by the volunteers and brought to a distribution center.Contact: Kalyani Penta / k_penta@yahoo.com

YOUTH SANDWICH SERVICE: The program is driven by our Yuva Kendra volunteers. Yuva Kendra (high school) volunteers meet on the last Sunday of the month at the Bal Vihar location and prepare sandwiches to serve approximately 150 homeless people. Adult volunteers also are needed.Contact: Jayaram Reddy / jreddy@cmsj.org

GIFT IN KIND DRIVE: Around Diwali time, we run a Community Service event for Oakland Children’s Hospital, in which YOU can help! Bring in school supplies corresponding to your grade. Please bring new or unused supplies only. Please bear in mind these are very sick children. San Jose contact: Priya Rajaram / rajarampriya@yahoo.comSan Ramon Seva contact: Lakshmi Warrier / lwarrier@gmail.com

Note: Young volunteers can receive community service credit, please bring relevant form from your school on the day of service to get credit from the coordinator.

S E VA O P P O R T U N I T I E S Seva is action dedicated towards a higher ideal. Through Seva, the Sevak benefits the most by growing internally with a pure and quiet mind. The entire Universe functions on the principle of Seva. May we all dedicate our life for the same.

Please go to the cmsj.org website for additional details regarding Community Service Seva Opportunities.30

Whether a person dwells at home or in the forest, if one

has dispassion (vairagya) one is a renunciate. One may

put on the orange robe for mumbling the mantras, but

one is no renunciate unless one has true dispassion.

There seems to be nothing absurd in the idea of a

householder (whether man or woman) immersing him

or herself in divine thought even as the great rishis in

their Himalayan ashram did, provided he or she has the

necessary discrimination (viveka) and dispassion.

The Vedic scriptures amply prove that in the past it was

the householder, more than renunciates, who worked in

the field of philosophical thought. Indifference to worldly

pleasures is the chief requisite for spiritual advancement.

VAIRAGYA

B Y S WA M I TA P O VA N A M

(From Advice to Householders, Chinmaya Publications, Chinmaya Mission West Publications Division, Langhorne, PA, USA)

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DAT E LO C AT I O N / E V E N T P H O N E

01 Sep - 02 Sep Chinmaya Mangalam (1-214) 850-2165 Barry, TX 75102 Shri Ganesh Chaturthi

03 Sep - 07 Sep Chinmaya Sandeepany (1-408) 254 8392 San Jose, CA 95127 Shiv Vivah from Tulsi Ramayana

09 Sep - 15 Sep Krishnalaya (1-707) 247 3488 Piercy, CA 95587 Make It Happen

21 Sep - 27 Sep Chinmaya Kirti (44) 20 8203 6288 London NW4 4BA Mob: 77666 18133 Awaken the Avatar in you Geeta Ch IV

28 Sep - 29 Sep Chinmaya Kirti (44) 20 8203 6288 London NW4 4BA Mob: 77666 18133 CHYK Camp

01 Oct - 04 Oct Sandeepany Sadhanalaya (91-22) 2803 4900 Saki Vihar Road, Powai Mumbai 400 072 For Official Work

05 Oct - 10 Oct Chinmaya Mission (91-40) 2340 0674 214/1 Kundan Bagh (91) 95508 14337 Begumpet Hyderabad 500 016 Hanuman Chalisa Shiva Sankalpa Suktam

12 Oct - 16 Oct Chinmaya Int’l Residential School (91-422) 261 3415 Coimbatore 641 114 Tamil Nadu Ananda Utsav

17 Oct - 21 Oct Chinmaya Mission (91-487) 232 3670 Cultural Trust (91-487) 233 2566 Thrissur, 680 020 Kerala Geeta Ch XII

22 Oct - 25 Oct Chinmaya Int’l Residential School (91-422) 261 3415 Coimbatore 641 114 Tamil Nadu CHYK Short Courses Training Program

28 Oct - 30 Oct Singapore Visit Oct 27 – Diwali

Swami Swaroopananda’sITINERARYFALL 2019

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JOIN THE CHINMAYA FAMILY AS A SPONSOR:

We invite you to join our Membership 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 30 years ago in the Bay Area. We are funded by public contributions. Your contribution, as a Member, 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 Members. They enjoy many benefits and

become an integral part of the spiritual family at Sandeepany. Membership is an annual contribution of $500 per family.

Members receive the Tej newsletter.

The MANANAM series is published by Chinmaya Mission West. For subscription information please contact:

John Haring at cmwhdqtr@asis.com Chinmaya Mission West

83900 CA-271, Piercy, CA 95587 (707) 207-5011

UNITED WAY CONTRIBUTIONSYour contributions to United Way can now be designated to Chinmaya Mission San Jose (United Way I.D. No 212100).

The Mission is enrolled to receive such contributions with the United Way Agency in Santa Clara.

CHINMAYA FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

"One who knows how to give love is a living god upon earth.

To gain this mastery is the highest achievement in life."

SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA "Advice to Householders""

If travelling South on 101 Follow US-101 S to E Capitol Expressway in San Jose. Take the Capitol Expressway exit from I-680 N. Follow E Capitol Expressway and Story Rd to 10160 Clayton Rd.

If travelling South on 280 Follow South 280 to E Capitol Expressway in San Jose. Take the exit for Capitol Expressway from I-680 N. Follow E Capitol Expressway and Story Rd to 10160 Clayton Rd.

If travelling South on 880 Take US-101 S to E Capitol Expy in San Jose. Take exit for Capitol Expressway from I-680 N. Follow E Capitol Expressway and Story Rd to 10160 Clayton Rd.

If travelling South on 680 Take the exit for Capitol Expressway from I-680 Follow E Capitol Expressway and Story Rd to 10160 Clayton Rd.D

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Chinmaya Mission / San JoseSandeepany San Jose

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Piercy, CA

10160 Clayton Road San Jose, CA 95127

Ph. (408) 254-8392

CMSJ.org