Thich Nhat Hanh, part 1

By Adam Grant

Many great people have served to convey Eastern religious and spiritual ideas to the West, and one of those persons was Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed on January 22nd of this year. The gap between the understandings of these two hemispheres of the Earth is sometimes difficult to bridge, so a person's devotion to the work must be steady to invite success. When this success comes, a tide of energy is able to rush towards areas of need within the field of work.

The East is in the West and the West is in the East, but there is yet more East in the East and more West in the West, even in modern times of increasing globalism. In the West people have pioneered the great monolithic social institutions, driving progress in material enjoyment and comfort to great degrees. Collectively they have come to depend not just on the fruits of these institutions but also on the increasingly rapid delivery, expansion, and evolution of those resources. Expanding in tandem are the pressure and rewards for those working to supply those objects and accelerate the momentum of advancement. As a result, many work beyond their capacity and eventually take a fall. They make great sacrifices for their work, forgetting relations and personal endeavors, but unable to hold the pace, they begin to indulge in vices and are infected by negative thoughts. 

Three Poems

By Iona

Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness is the thing that happens
Often.
It takes over
Disguised as an acquaintance from a long time ago.
It shrinks
The being
Into an image of an image
A copy without an original.

In so many words
i’ve been told
That nothing is left behind.
But then why does this thought or that
This upset
That uncomfortable laughter
This tone of voice
Bubble up at the worst possible time?
Everything remains
While everything goes
In a way it goes
In another it stays
An impression.
Seeds of the past
Spring as the present.
If only i knew how not to forget
That they are not real.

Reflections on a Holy Weekend at Vedanta Society of Providence

By Kanna Pichappan

When planning to come to Providence at the end of December, Swami Yogatmanandaji wrote in a kind email that it would “be a great fun + education.” Every moment at the Christmas Eve Service, Holy Mother’s Birthday Celebration, and in between, rang true of these words. 

At the beginning of the Christmas Eve Celebration, Swami Yogatmanandaji articulated that “Christ is the God in flesh and blood. The Christ is the God we can interact with.” These words were very meaningful to me because they made me ponder how fortunate I am to have so many Christs in my life! Additionally, the following excerpt from The Sermon on the Mount reading resonated with me powerfully: “If, when you are bringing your gift to the altar, you suddenly remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your gift where it is before the altar. First, go and make your peace with your brother, and only then come back and offer your gift.” This passage prompted me to recognize that my first priority should be taking care of the God around me who is in flesh and blood form. This notion helped me wrap my head around the idea that God is not only present in the altar of temples. Rather, God is present everywhere around me, and I have the opportunity to serve God in all these living forms!

Some Reflections on ‘Science and Religion’ by Swami Ranganathananda (Part 3 of 3)

By Ezenwa Onwugbenu

Science and religion are two phases of one search for truth. Science investigates external nature; religion investigates internal nature; and both are complementary. Let me illustrate this with two examples.

First: Sri Ramakrishna says, “Brahman and Sakti are one… just as fire and its burning power are one… just as milk and its whiteness are one… just as a gem and its brightness are one.”

Two scientific principles can be inferred from this statement: (1) the inner configuration of a substance reveals the cause of its outer qualities; and (2) the inner configuration is microcosmic, and the outer quality is macrocosmic.

The inner configuration of fire is a rapid flux of oxidation reactions. The outer quality is heat and light. If we examine the outer qualities: How hot? How luminous? We cannot find the cause of heat. The cause can only be found through investigation of the microcosm, namely, the chemical process of combustion.

The inner configuration of milk is tiny protein micelles. The outer quality is whiteness. If we examine the outer qualities: How thick? How whitish? We cannot find the cause of whiteness. The cause can only be found through investigation of the microcosm, namely, the light refraction and scattering by casein micelles.

Dr. Lewis Janes, a Son of Providence: "Philosopher, Patriot, Lover of Man," Part 3 of 3

By Fred Richardson

Dr. Janes continued his work right up until his untimely death in September of 1901. His passing occurred at Greenacres after teaching a class on Comparative Religion. It was reported that his last words were: “It’s a beautiful world.”  The meaning of this was debated by his colleagues, but one can be assured that the Swamis would have known exactly what he meant. He was laid to rest in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence Rhode Island under a simple, humble gravestone.

 

Upon his death there were several services held in his honor at the societies he was involved with. At each service there were numerous eulogies and tributes given and letters read which were put into a book entitled: “Lewis G. Janes – Philosopher – Patriot – Lover of Man.”  These were delivered by people of many different spiritual persuasions and backgrounds and are a clear testimony to how highly he was held in esteem by all. This book is available online and is well worth reading. It allows one not only to learn more about Dr. Janes but to also appreciate his colleagues who were pioneers with him in the early days of "Interfaith Dialogue." 

The link is: http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/Lewis_G__Janes.pdf

Dr. Lewis Janes, a Son of Providence: "Philosopher, Patriot, Lover of Man," Part 2 of 3

By Fred Richardson

It is most likely that Dr. Janes first met Swamiji in Brooklyn in the spring of 1894. However, it is known that he did spend time with Swamiji in the summer of 1894 at the Greenacres Religious Conference, whose motto was: “Love Truth more than Victory.”  Greenacres was the “embodiment of the ideals of the World Parliament of Religions.” Here they were both Presenters who listened to each other’s talks and most likely spent a fair amount of time discussing their shared interests.  This is born out by Swamiji’s comments in a letter to Mrs. Hale: “There is my friend Dr. Lewis G. Janes of NY, President of the Ethical Culture Society of Brooklyn who has begun his lecture. I must go to hear him. He and I agree so much.”

It was during this time that Dr. Janes offered Swamiji a place at his Society in Brooklyn where he could hold regular classes and public lectures rather than just traveling from place to place. These classes began in December of 1894 and continued for the next several months.  In Marie Louise Burke’s words: “These classes were considered to be the real beginning of Swamiji’s work in America.” 

Dr. Lewis Janes, a Son of Providence: "Philosopher, Patriot, Lover of Man," Part 1 of 3

By Fred Richardson

In the early years of Swami Vivekananda’s time in America there were a number of individuals who stood out in their support of his Mission. Some of them are well known to us, while others appear more in the background and are perhaps less appreciated. One of these individuals was Dr. Lewis G. Janes. His name comes up occasionally in books and letters in relation to Swamiji, but who was he and what role did he play in the establishment of the message: “Truth is One, Sages call it by various names”?

Dr. Janes was born in Providence RI in 1844 to a family with deep roots in New England who espoused the values of freedom and equality for all. They were adherents to Emerson’s Transcendentalism, the Abolitionist movement to end slavery, and the Universalist Church with its main principle of the “Inherent Worth and Dignity of every person.” He was educated in Providence and matriculated at Brown University. He was unable to complete his degree due to illness but was a self-taught scholar who in 1895 received an Honorary Master’s Degree from Brown for his intellectual achievements. Prior to this he had been the President of the Brooklyn Ethical Cultural Society and belonged to the Free Religious Association where he was “devoted to the spirit of free inquiry.”