Swami Vivekananda's Concept of Religion as the Unfoldment of the Inherent Divinity in Man -

If you choose to be a star this Christmas, spend time reading, reflecting and praying—then re-reading, reflecting and praying again—through the Gospels, so�you learn what it is to follow Jesus. more

The years rolled on, and Gadadhar (Sri Ramakrishna) was now five years old. He began to show wonderful intelligence and memory even at this early age. The precocious boy learnt by heart the names of his ancestors, the hymns to various gods and goddesses. His father surprisingly observed that after hearing the hyyms and tales from the great national epics just once, Gadadhar could recall majority of the hymm or the tale exactly as told to him previously. As he grew to be very restless, Khudiram (Sri Ramakrishna’s father) sent him to the village school. At school Gadadhar made fair progress, but he showed great distaste for mathematics. He directed all his attention to the study of the lives and characters of spiritual heroes. Constant study of those subjects often made him forgetful of the world and threw him into deep meditation. As he grew older, he began to have trances whenever his religious feelings were roused. Soon it was found that not only religious subjects but beautiful scenery or some touching incident was also sufficient to make him lose himself.


In the year 1843 Khudiram (Sri Ramakrishna’s Father) died, and the entire burden of the family fell upon the shoulders of Ramkumar, his eldest son. The death of Khudiram brought a great change in the mind of Gadadhar, who now began to feel poignantly the loss of his affectionate father as also the transitoriness of earthly life. Though very young, he began to frequent the neighbouring mango-grove or the cremation ground in the vicinity and pass long hours there absorbed in thought. But he did not forget his duty to his loving mother. He became less exacting in his importunities, and tried every means to lessen the burden of his mother’s grief, and to infuse into her melancholy life whatever joy and consolation he could. Gadadhar soon found a new source of pleasure in the company of wandering monks who used to stay for a day or two in the rest-house built by the neighbouring Laha family for wayfarers. One day Chandra was startled to find her dear boy appear before her with his whole body smeared with ashes and with pieces of cloth put on like a wandering holy man. Association with these itinerant monks and listening to their readings from the scriptures inclined the naturally emotional mind of the boy more and more to meditation and kindled in him the latent spirit of dispassion for all worldly concerns.

Source:

1. Sri Ramakrishnadev / Sri Ramakrishna Jivan Charitra by M (Vol. 1 of Complete works by Swami Vivekananda)
2. Life of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Tejasananda more

Devotions describing angels who surprise us, give us direction, help us rejoice and minister to our needs, even when we’re unaware that they're around.
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Hari Om,

Dear Friend,

Usher in the New Year 2009, with the extremely popular Shri Hanuman Chalisa Talks by Swami Swaroopananda..

Swamiji will continue to expound on the miraculous powers of Hanuman Chalisa at talks across Mumbai (Nov '08 - Jan '09).

Discover how these simple verses can reveal the secrets of a living a successful life.
And how can you chant away your fears and face challenges head-on by invoking the Mighty Lord Hanuman!!!

Please find below the details of the talks on January 2nd & 3rd. (enclosed brochures).

" Sab Sukh Lahai Tumhari Sarana"
January 2nd (Friday) from 7.00pm to 8.30pm
Venue - Lokhandwala Graden, Lokhandwala, Andheri West


" Sankat Mochan Naam Tiharo"
January 3rd (Saturday) from 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Venue - Thakur Complex, Kandivli (E)


"because the miracles that it can create in your life is to make You a Miracle" - Swami Swaroopanandaji


All are welcome for these talks.
Please pass on this message to your friends, relatives & colleagues.

Visit www.hanumanhavan.com to download audio/video clips & articles on the Glory of Shri Hanumanji.
And Watch Hanuman Havan on YouTube for videos of Swamiji's previous talks!


For more details contact:-
Chinmaya Sagar, F3, Panchsheel building, C road, Churchgate, Mumbai – 400 020.
Ph: 22814646, 22884646 Cell: 93201 14646 /47/48/49/50

Hari Om!
Chinmaya Mission.
www.hanumanhavan.com

CHANT MUMBAI SHAANT MUMBAI !!!

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When devotion is at an immature stage, weakness is observed in a devotee. At the early stage of devotion, a devotee cannot imagine God as being the devoid of power. In course of the time, devotion deepens and love for God is established. Thinking of God as all-powerful then becomes an obstacle in the path of devotion; the mature devotee shuns that attitude. All devotional scriptures declare this repeatedly. It is well known that Yashoda, the foster mother of Lord Krishna every day, and yet she nurtured and disciplined Him as her own son. The gopis knew that Krishna was the creator of the Universe, yet they could think of Him only as their beloved. There are many such instances in the scriptures.

When devotees fervently asked Sri Ramakrishna to grant them the vision of a particular manifestation of God’s majestic power, he would tell them: “Look, it is not good to ask for that kind of vision. You will be terrified when you see His power. Serving Him food, dressing Him with clothes, and the loving ‘You and I’ relationship with Him will all cease.” Alas, many times we sadly thought the Master refused our request because he did not wish us to have visions. Sometimes a bold devotee would beseech him passionately, saying, “Sir, your grace can make the impossible possible. Please be merciful and grant me the vision of God.” At this the Master would say tenderly: “My child, can I bring about anything? What the Divine Mother wills, happens.” If the devotee would insist, saying, “Whatever you wish shall be the Mother’s will,” the Master’s usual reply was: “My child, I do wish that all of you would have all kinds of spiritual states and visions. But does it happen?” If the devotee still insisted with dogged faith, the Master would express his love for that devotee with an affectionate look and a sweet smile. Then he would either remain silent or say: “My child, what more shall I say? Let the Mother’s will be done.” Even when pressed with destroying his erroneous but firm faith. Quite often we saw the Master respond in that manner and heard him say repeatedly, “My child, never destroy another’s spiritual attitude.” more

After six years. residence in Kamarpukur, Khudiram got his son and daughter married. Ramkumar, his eldest son, in the meanwhile had become quite proficient in Hindu lore, and was able to relieve, to a certain extent, his father’s family burden by earning something. So Khudiram had now more time at his disposal to devote himself to religious practices. In the year 1824 he went on foot on a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram in South India, which lasted about a year. Twelve months later, in 1826, his wife Chandra gave birth to her second son, who was named Rameshwar. About eleven years later, in 1835, Khudiram went on another pilgrimage. This time to Gaya. Here, after the performance of the sacred rites, he had a divine vision at night. He dreamt that he was in the temple of Vishnu, where his forefathers were feasting on the sacred offerings he had made. Suddenly a flood of celestial light filled the holy precincts of the shrine, and the spirits of the departed fell on their kness to pay homage to a Divine Presence seated on a throne. The effulgent One beckoned to Khudiram, who, coming near, prostrated himself before Him and heard the luminous Person saying, .I am well pleased at your sincere devotion. I shall be born in your cottage and accept you as my father.. Khudiram awoke with his heart thrilled with joy. He understood that a Divine Being would bless his house very soon. About the same time Chandra Devi was also having strange visions at Kamarpukur. One night she dreamt that a luminous person exactly like her husband was lying by her side. Another day, while standing with Dhani (a village blacksmith woman and neighbour) before the Shiva temple adjacent to her house, Chandra saw a bright beam of divine effulgence dart from the image of Lord Shiva and enter her. Chandra was overpowered, and fell unconscious on the ground. Dhani nursed her back to consciousness, but from that time Chandra began to feel as if she were quick with child. On Khudiram.s return to Kamarpukur, Chandra narrated this event to her husband with her characteristic candour and simplicity. But Khudiram, who had already had the strange vision at Gaya, was now completely convinced that they were soon to be blessed with a divine child. He advised her not to speak of her visions to any one. Chandra was greatly consoled, and passed her days in complete surrender to the will of Raghuvir.

The blessed hour for which Khudiram and Chandradevi were anxiously waiting at last drew near. In the early hours of the morning, before sunrise, of February 18, 1836, Chandradevi gave birth to a boy whom the world was to know afterwards by the name of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Dhani, Sri Chandradevi’s neighbour who was with Sri Chandradevi for the whole night, as she was expecting a delivery any moment, helped in the delivery of the child. She saw the new born child in the dim lamp light and was surprised to see that the new born baby was very beautiful and as big as a 6 month old! She could not take her eyes off the baby. Just born baby was washed and kept down by Dhani. Later, after few moments she turned her face towards the baby, but she could not see the baby. The child was not in the place where she had left him.. Fear crawled from her spine. She desperately looked here and there. She was shocked to see that the new born baby has just rolled himself in the vessel filled with ash. The baby was happily playing in the ash and he was entirely covered with the ash. She ran towards her with mixed emotions and just picked him, cleaned him and returned him to his mother.

The Child was born in very auspicious time ‘tithi’ (Purva Bhadrapad Nakshatra). It was Siddhi Yog. Astrology says that such a person (born in this star sign) will be highly spiritual and he will be always respected and engaged in the divine karma. He will be encircled by many disciples and that person will stay in God’s Temple and he will initiate a new sect and that he will become very famous in the whole world as the part (ansh) of Lord Narayana. Khudiram was overjoyed that the prospective greatness of his son confirmed his previous vision and the experience of Chandra, which they had earlier before conception. According to the Star Sign, he named the child as ‘Shambhuchandra’. But in memory of the divine vision he had in holy Gaya, he named the child as ‘Gadadhar’.

Source:

1. Sri Ramakrishnadev / Sri Ramakrishna Jivan Charitra by M (Vol. 1 of Complete works by Swami Vivekananda)
2. Life of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Tejasananda more

Christmas is not just a day or even a season of the year—an event on the calendar that arrives and passes. No, Christmas is much more than that. It is a permanent change that enters into our world for keeps. more