{"id":887,"date":"2019-10-01T00:04:50","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T00:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/?page_id=887"},"modified":"2019-10-04T22:36:34","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T22:36:34","slug":"watch-october-2019","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/watch-october-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch: October 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"InThisEdition\">In this edition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#InUpComingEvents\">Upcoming events<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#GeethaVahini\">Geetha Vahini<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Himself\">Discourses on Navarathri \/ Dussehra<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Rama\">Selfishness will never work in matters relating to GOD<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#DevotionalActivities\">Devotional activities in Chicago and suburbs<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"InUpcomingEvents\">Upcoming Events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li> <strong>Sunday October 06, 2019 Special Devotional Program Celebrating Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra)<\/strong><ul><li>Time: 09:30 AM &#8211; 12:30 PM<\/li><li>Venue: River Forest Community Center<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Saturday October 19, 2019 Regional Healthcare Retreat &#8220;Heal the Healer&#8221;<\/strong><ul><li>Registration Details: https:\/\/hth.sathyasaicenters.org\/<\/li><li>Targeted to healthcare profession<\/li><li>Time: 09:30 AM &#8211; 04:00 PM<\/li><li>Venue: Sant Nirankari  1S750 IL-59, West Chicago, IL  <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Sunday October 20, 2019 Special Panel Discussion, celebrating Avathar declaration day<\/strong><ul><li>Regular center activities and special panel discussion; Bhajan starts at 10:30 AM<\/li><li>Time: 09:30 AM &#8211; 12:30 PM<\/li><li>Venue:  River Forest Community Center<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"#InThisEdition\">Back to the top<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"GeethaVahini\">Geetha Vahini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cArjuna! Pay attention to just one fact! How warm is your\nbody now? It may be about 98 degrees. &nbsp;How\ndid it happen? Because, the Sun bears many million times this heat at that distance,\nis it not? Now if the Sun feels that it will not put up with all that fire and\nbecomes cool, what will happen to mankind? Again, if I desist from karma, this\nvast Viswa Karma of working in and through this Universe, imagine what will be\nthe fate? That is why I am engaged in karma, remember. Not that I derive any\nprofit thereby, or get any good, or any fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>\u201cAlmost everyone in the world is bound by the rule of karma. But people are so immersed in ignorance that they are unaware of their own moral or intellectual status and of the secrets of karma. Such can be saved only by being inspired by the example of the great. That is why the Jnani has to be engaged in activity. He has to remove the sloth and delusion of ordinary men. So all have to obey the rule of karma, without any deviation.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does the airplane\nstay on above, denouncing the earth below? Those who have earned the right to\ntravel in it cannot fly towards it and into it! Therefore, to take them in it\nhas to come down at the places where they gather by previous arrangement, and\nthen soar high into the sky with them. So too, though the Jnani has no desire\nor urge to do karma, he comes down into the region of karma and helps those who\nwould not have otherwise put their talents into proper use. Even great\npersonages like Janaka performed Dharmakarmas with this view. Aswapathi too did\nlikewise, to save the rest from sheer idleness or wickedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, in\nreply to another question of Arjuna, Krishna said, \u201cKama (desire) is the root\ncause of all evil\u201d and He elaborated on its nature, cause and cure. \u201cHe who is\nbound by the Deha-atma-buddhi (the false idea that he is just this body and\nnothing more) can never hope to conquer karma. One must acquire the\nBrahma-atma-buddhi (the awareness that he is just Brahman and nothing less) in\norder to be sure of victory. All acts must be performed in the spirit of dedication\nto the Lord. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this\nchapter, three important subjects have been clarified: (1) everyone has to do\nkarma for if this is not done, the world will come to naught. (2) The karma of\nthe great is the ideal that the rest have to keep in view. (3) Almost all in\nthe world are bound by the obligation of karma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Krishna most\ngraciously made Arjuna imbibe these lessons. Not satisfied with this, Krishna told\nhim that Jnana is the final goal and gain of karma. Jnana is the treasure that is\nwon by man\u2019s efforts to purify the mind, and to earn the Grace of God. Jnana\nnot merely grants Ananda but is itself the seat of Ananda. Thus, He initiated\nhim into Jnana Marga, the path of Jnana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This subject\nis carried on till the fifth Chapter. Jnana Yoga shines as a precious jewel\namidst the Teachings of Bhagavad Geetha Sastra. Krishna declared \u201cNahi Jnanena sadrisam\npavithramiha vidyathe\u201d (nothing as holy as Jnana is known here)! Even later, in\nthe 7th chapter, He has said, \u201cJnani thwathmaivame matham\u201d (I consider the\nJnani as Myself) the excellence of Jnana Yoga has been similarly extolled in\nmany other contexts also in the Geetha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is why\nJnana Yoga is believed to be the most fruitful of all spiritual sadhanas. All\nSastras find their fulfilment in Jnana alone. Dhyanam (meditation) is just the\ncontemplation of the Jnana Swaroopa, which is one\u2019s real nature. All are in you,\nyou are in all. You have to get this conviction fixed in your consciousness, by\nmeans of analysis, discrimination and intellectual exploration. You have to\nisolate and dismiss from the consciousness the impressions of the senses, the mind,\nthe intelligence, etc. These have nothing to do with the Atma, which you really\nare. The Atma is unaffected by any subject or object. Even if the senses, mind,\nintelligence, etc. are inactive, that inactivity will not affect the Atma! To know\nthe Atma as such an entity, unaffected and unattached, is the secret of Jnana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><strong>-Excerpts from Geetha Vahini<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"#InThisEdition\">Back to the top<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Himself\">Discourses on Navarathri \/ Dussehra<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Indians (Bharatiyas) have been\ncelebrating the Navarathri festival from ancient times as a mode of worship of\nDevi, the Divine as mother. They worship Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati during\nthose nine days. Who are these three? Their esoteric significance is\nrepresented by three potencies (sakthis): karma, devotion (upaasana) and\nspiritual wisdom (jnana).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>The significance of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati has to be rightly understood. The three represent three kinds of potencies in man: will power (ichchaa sakthi), the power of purposeful action (kriya sakthi), and the power of discernment (jnaana sakthi).<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saraswati is manifest in man as the power of\nspeech (vaak). Durga is present in the form of dynamism. Lakshmi is manifest in\nthe form of will power. The body indicates purposeful action (kriya shakthi).\nThe mind is the repository of will power (ichchaa shakthi). The Atma is the\npower of discernment (jnaana shakthi). Purposeful action comes from the body,\nwhich is material. The power that activates the inert body and makes it vibrant\nis will power. The power that induces the vibrations of will power is the power\nof discernment (jnaana shakthi), which causes radiation of energy. These three\npotencies are represented by the mantra, Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvaha. Bhur represents\nthe earth (bhuloka). Bhuvah represents the life force, conscience in man.\nSuvaha represents the power of radiation. All three are present in man. Thus,\nDurga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati dwell in the human heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nterm Devi represents the divine power that has taken the passionate (raajasic)\nform to suppress the forces of evil and protect the serene (satvic) qualities.\nWhen the forces of injustice, immorality, and untruth have grown to monstrous\nproportions and are indulging in a death-dance, when men have lost all sense of\nkindness and compassion, the Atmic principle assumes the form of Sakthi, takes\non the passionate (rajasic) quality, and seeks to destroy the evil elements.\nThis is the inner meaning of the Dasara festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When\nthe divine Goddess is in dreadful rage to destroy the wicked elements, she\nassumes a fearful form. To pacify the dreaded Goddess, her feminine children\noffer worship to Her with sacred red powder (kumkum). Seeing the blood-red\nkumkum at her feet, the Goddess feels assured that the wicked have been\nvanquished and assumes her benign form. The inner meaning of the worship of\nDevi with red kumkum is that thereby the Goddess is appeased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>During the ten days of the Dasara, the demons (rakshasas), in the form of wicked qualities, have been routed. The bad qualities in men are the demons. Arrogance is a demon. Bad thoughts are demons. Ravana is depicted as the king of Rakshasas. He is said to have ten heads, but he was not born with ten heads. Who is this Ravana, and what are his ten heads? Lust (kama), anger (krodha), delusion (moha), greed (lobha), pride (mada), envy (maatsarya), the mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), will (chitta),and ego (ahamkara) &#8211;these constitute the ten heads. Ravana is one who has these ten qualities.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each\none can decide for himself whether he is a Ravana or a Rama, according to his\nqualities. Rama is the destroyer of bad qualities. When engaged in this act of\ndestruction of bad qualities, He manifests His passionate quality (raajo-guna).\nBut His passionate quality is associated with His serene (saatvic) quality.\nEven in cutting off Ravana&#8217;s ten heads, Rama showed His love. This was the only\nway Ravana could be redeemed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the Lord\nmetes out a punishment, it may appear harsh. But what appears externally as\npassionate (rajasic) is in reality serene (satwic). In a hailstorm, along with\nrain there will be hailstones. But both the rain and hailstones contain water.\nLikewise, there is serene quality even in the Lord&#8217;s passionate actions. The\nLord deals with serene persons in a serene way. He applies the passionate\nweapon against passionate persons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\">&#8211;<strong>Baba&#8217;s Divine Discourses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"#InThisEdition\">Back to the top<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Rama\">Selfishness will never work in matters relating to GOD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a small story in the\nMahabharata. With a view to get Krishna on her side, Satyabhama, one of his\nconsorts, requested Narada to tell her some way, by which she can achieve her\nobjective. Narada knew that Satyabhama was very selfish and that selfishness\nwill never work in matters relating to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Narada wanted to teach a\nlesson to Satyabhama and said he knew of a ritual in which she gives away her\nhusband as a gift to someone and then buys him back by paying money, equivalent\nin weight to the weight of the Lord. Narada said that Krishna will belong\nsolely to Satyabhama under all circumstances if she went through this ritual.\nIn one pan of the balance, she made Krishna sit and she put all her jewels in\nthe other pan but it was no match to the weight of Krishna. Narada told\nSatyabhama that since she is not able to give gold needed to equal her\nhusband&#8217;s weight, Krishna would not belong to her; He would belong to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Satyabhama thought of Rukmini where\nshe found her performing Tulasi puja. She was astonished to find that\nSatyabhama was trying to outweigh the Lord himself with gold which would never\nbe possible. She said that gold will never outweigh God and only God&#8217;s Name can\nmatch Him in weight. Narada did not agree with this and asked that since\nKrishna has a form which can be seen, He must be weighed against something\nwhich can also be seen. Rukmini immediately grasped the situation and she told\nherself that whether it is fruit, a flower, or a leaf or even a spoon of water,\nif given in full faith, God will surely respond. If there is any truth in this,\nshe expected Krishna to respond to what she was going to do and in full faith,\nshe placed a Tulasi leaf in the other pan of the balance, uttering the name of\nKrishna. It is only with affection, love and pure heart that one can get God.\nShe won.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"#InThisEdition\">Back to the top<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"DevotionalActivities\">Devotional Activities in Chicago and Suburbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Every Monday<\/strong><ul><li>Bhajans in Aurora Shirdi Mandir from 07:00 PM &#8211; 08:00 PM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Every Wednesday<\/strong><ul><li>Bhajans in Hoffman Estates from 07:30 PM &#8211; 08:30 PM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Every Friday<\/strong><ul><li>Bhajans in Oak Brook from 08:00 PM &#8211; 09:00 PM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>First Saturday of the month<\/strong><ul><li>Bhajans in Glenview from 10:30 AM &#8211; 11:30 AM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Saturday October 19, 2019<\/strong><ul><li>Paduka Puja in Bolingbrook from 10:30 AM &#8211; 12:30 PM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong> Friday October 23, 2019<\/strong><ul><li>Bhajans in Bolingbrook from 07:30 PM &#8211; 08:30 PM<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"#InThisEdition\">Back to the top<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this edition Upcoming events Geetha Vahini Discourses on Navarathri \/ Dussehra Selfishness will never work in matters relating to GOD Devotional activities in Chicago and suburbs Upcoming Events Sunday October 06, 2019 Special Devotional Program Celebrating Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) Time: 09:30 AM &#8211; 12:30 PM Venue: River Forest Community Center Saturday October 19, 2019 &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/watch-october-2019\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Watch: October 2019&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-887","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=887"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":899,"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887\/revisions\/899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/centers.saimedia.org\/chicagometro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}