Guest guest Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 Hello, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife. I was raised in America and she is a Bengali raised in UK. My/our quandry is having no local Ramakrishna temple - our spirit is truly drawn to Ramakrishna - he comes to me laughing in my dreams regularly - and trying to settle for worshiping at the Hare Krishna temple in town or some other sectarian flavors that talk derisively of Ramakrishna is very unsettling for us. Above and beyond reading the wide selection of literature of the Ramakrishna movement and having our own practice, we really ask for help and advice in the association and teaching of a guru in the Ramakrishna order, respecting the geographic realities of our situation. Other Vedic practices allow for phone/email and occasional in person visits as a practical means of association and discipling - I have asked about this from several Ramakrishna temples and have not met with any success - my basic message is to move near a temple and that is just not possible at this time for us. All of the RK literature points to the need for guru to give us a mantra - how can we do this given our location? What should we use as mantra for now? Can anyone help? We would even love to have someone from a Ramakrishna temple visit here occasionally and stay in our home as Boulder is a ripe area for the gospel of Ramakrishna? The Krishna Consciousness groups constantly offer this to us but their sectarian preaching is not something we can support loving Ramakrishna as we do. Thank you for your consideration in this matter of great importance to us. Michael Spotts Boulder, Colorado Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 - " Michael Spotts " <bhaktamichaels <Ramakrishna > Saturday, May 24, 2003 11:27 [sri Ramakrishna] Seeking satsang in Boulder > Hello, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife. I was raised in > America and she is a Bengali raised in UK. My/our quandry is having no > local Ramakrishna temple - our spirit is truly drawn to Ramakrishna - > he comes to me laughing in my dreams regularly - and trying to settle > for worshiping at the Hare Krishna temple in town or some other > sectarian flavors that talk derisively of Ramakrishna is very > unsettling for us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~response~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is no need to worry about the comments you hear about Sri Ramakrishna. One of the unique features of Sri Ramakrishna is that what we see in him reflects our own spiritual growth. That is why we find in the Gospel Sri Ramakrishna asking some devotee, " What do you think of this? " ........ This was the test he used to fathom the spiritual growth of the devotee. Regarding your need to communicate with others devoted to Sri Ramakrishna, possibly this list will help you with that. We have over 700 devotees on this list. jay Vivekananda Centre London http://www.vivekananda.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 Hello Michael, In US, spreaded in 9 states, there are 12 centers of Vedanta Society. All of the Vedanta Society are spiritually affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order, and is guided by swamis (monks) of the Order, who serve as its ministers. You may contact any of the centers and ask for a personal interview with the Swami jis and he will lead you to your dierection. I am putting the following site address for " Northern California Vedanta Society " , from where you can get information about all the other centers in US. Please contact any center which is near to you. http://www.sfvedanta.org/ Regards ...Charan Dass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2003 Report Share Posted May 26, 2003 To get Diksha, you probably should visit a Ramakrishna Math near you. I am living in Tokyo. Recently, a person from Seoul came here for 3-4 days only so that he could be initiated from Swami Medhasanandaji. I also read in some lecture of Swami Ranganathanandaji that sometimes, people come from Europe to Belur Math only to get initiated. There is nothing like living close to the holy presence of a Ramakrishna Math. But what can be done if you are not close by ? some ideas : - You can participate in this list. - Another list is : srk_devotees/ - You can go sometimes to the nearest Math - You can try to organise a lecture in your town by the Swamiji at the nearest Math. (This way, he may even stay at your home !) See how Thakur is playing ... He comes in your dreams, but he has kept you slightly far from a Math ... :-) --- Michael Spotts <bhaktamichaels wrote: > Hello, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife. I > was raised in > America and she is a Bengali raised in UK. My/our > quandry is having no > local Ramakrishna temple - our spirit is truly > drawn to Ramakrishna - > he comes to me laughing in my dreams regularly - and > trying to settle > for worshiping at the Hare Krishna temple in town or > some other > sectarian flavors that talk derisively of > Ramakrishna is very > unsettling for us. > > Above and beyond reading the wide selection of > literature of the > Ramakrishna movement and having our own practice, we > really ask for > help and advice in the association and teaching of a > guru in the > Ramakrishna order, respecting the geographic > realities of our > situation. Other Vedic practices allow for > phone/email and > occasional in person visits as a practical means of > association and > discipling - I have asked about this from several > Ramakrishna temples > and have not met with any success - my basic message > is to move near a > temple and that is just not possible at this time > for us. > > All of the RK literature points to the need for guru > to give us a > mantra - how can we do this given our location? What > should we use as > mantra for now? Can anyone help? We would even love > to have someone > from a Ramakrishna temple visit here occasionally > and stay in our home > as Boulder is a ripe area for the gospel of > Ramakrishna? The Krishna > Consciousness groups constantly offer this to us but > their sectarian > preaching is not something we can support loving > Ramakrishna as we do. > > Thank you for your consideration in this matter of > great importance to > us. > > Michael Spotts > Boulder, Colorado > > > The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 27, 2003 Report Share Posted May 27, 2003 Hello Ashish Gupta : Thank you so much for your note - some of what you suggest is coming to pass - I am writing to the Swami in Seattle (and a wonderfully sweet devotee there as well who givs me much encouragement_and will speak to him by phone soon and he has advised to visit for diksha... meanwhile I am joining the other list you kindly offer. Thank you - some years ago I visited Tokyo for business and meditated with a group following Eknath Eswaran teachings. Very nice. I reached out with my Email following a particular vivid visit from Thakur in my dreams - since I was young this " smiling brown man " has visited me - in 1993 in Denver for a business trip I picked up the Gospel of RK and upon opening it saw the picture of that man. And here I am today, seeking Him, seeking Him... My wife and I have a small altar in our living room with pictures of Thakur and Holy Mother and Vivekananda - I also try to visit a few temples when I travel with business - in June with His blessing I will be able to visit Him in both San Francisco and Chicago - you are right - his humor cuts through my seeming dilemma at being not close physically to a temple. And soon, as he arranges and I follow I an my wife may well visit Seattle temple. I leave this in His and His asssociates' able hands. And email with a devotee such as your self and others on this list is so nice and refreshing and instructive. Thakur is providing. yours in Sri Ramakrishna, Bhakta Michael On Monday, May 26, 2003, at 01:56 AM, Ashish Gupta wrote: > To get Diksha, you probably should visit a Ramakrishna > Math near you. > > I am living in Tokyo. Recently, a person from Seoul > came here for 3-4 days only so that he could be > initiated from Swami Medhasanandaji. > > I also read in some lecture of Swami Ranganathanandaji > that sometimes, people come from Europe to Belur Math > only to get initiated. > > There is nothing like living close to the holy > presence of a Ramakrishna Math. But what can be done > if you are not close by ? > > some ideas : > > - You can participate in this list. > - Another list is : > srk_devotees/ > - You can go sometimes to the nearest Math > - You can try to organise a lecture in your town by > the Swamiji at the nearest Math. (This way, he may > even stay at your home !) > > See how Thakur is playing ... He comes in your dreams, > but he has kept you slightly far from a Math ... :-) > > > > > --- Michael Spotts <bhaktamichaels > wrote: > > Hello, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife. I > > was raised in > > America and she is a Bengali raised in UK. My/our > > quandry is having no > > local Ramakrishna temple - our spirit is truly > > drawn to Ramakrishna - > > he comes to me laughing in my dreams regularly - and > > trying to settle > > for worshiping at the Hare Krishna temple in town or > > some other > > sectarian flavors that talk derisively of > > Ramakrishna is very > > unsettling for us. > > > > Above and beyond reading the wide selection of > > literature of the > > Ramakrishna movement and having our own practice, we > > really ask for > > help and advice in the association and teaching of a > > guru in the > > Ramakrishna order, respecting the geographic > > realities of our > > situation. Other Vedic practices allow for > > phone/email and > > occasional in person visits as a practical means of > > association and > > discipling - I have asked about this from several > > Ramakrishna temples > > and have not met with any success - my basic message > > is to move near a > > temple and that is just not possible at this time > > for us. > > > > All of the RK literature points to the need for guru > > to give us a > > mantra - how can we do this given our location? What > > should we use as > > mantra for now? Can anyone help? We would even love > > to have someone > > from a Ramakrishna temple visit here occasionally > > and stay in our home > > as Boulder is a ripe area for the gospel of > > Ramakrishna? The Krishna > > Consciousness groups constantly offer this to us but > > their sectarian > > preaching is not something we can support loving > > Ramakrishna as we do. > > > > Thank you for your consideration in this matter of > > great importance to > > us. > > > > Michael Spotts > > Boulder, Colorado > > > > > > > > > > > The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. > http://search. > > <image.tiff> > > > Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah > Vivekananda Centre London > http://www.vivekananda.co.uk > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 28, 2003 Report Share Posted May 28, 2003 Dear friends, Once I heard a guru say the following: " It is good for the disciple to live near the guru. But what is even better than living near the guru, is to simply practice what the guru says. " regards michael --- Ashish Gupta <asar_gupta wrote: > To get Diksha, you probably should visit a > Ramakrishna > Math near you. > > I am living in Tokyo. Recently, a person from Seoul > came here for 3-4 days only so that he could be > initiated from Swami Medhasanandaji. > > I also read in some lecture of Swami > Ranganathanandaji > that sometimes, people come from Europe to Belur > Math > only to get initiated. > > There is nothing like living close to the holy > presence of a Ramakrishna Math. But what can be > done > if you are not close by ? > > some ideas : > > - You can participate in this list. > - Another list is : > srk_devotees/ > - You can go sometimes to the nearest Math > - You can try to organise a lecture in your town by > the Swamiji at the nearest Math. (This way, he may > even stay at your home !) > > See how Thakur is playing ... He comes in your > dreams, > but he has kept you slightly far from a Math ... :-) > > > > > --- Michael Spotts <bhaktamichaels > wrote: > > Hello, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife. > I > > was raised in > > America and she is a Bengali raised in UK. My/our > > quandry is having no > > local Ramakrishna temple - our spirit is truly > > drawn to Ramakrishna - > > he comes to me laughing in my dreams regularly - > and > > trying to settle > > for worshiping at the Hare Krishna temple in town > or > > some other > > sectarian flavors that talk derisively of > > Ramakrishna is very > > unsettling for us. > > > > Above and beyond reading the wide selection of > > literature of the > > Ramakrishna movement and having our own practice, > we > > really ask for > > help and advice in the association and teaching of > a > > guru in the > > Ramakrishna order, respecting the geographic > > realities of our > > situation. Other Vedic practices allow for > > phone/email and > > occasional in person visits as a practical means > of > > association and > > discipling - I have asked about this from several > > Ramakrishna temples > > and have not met with any success - my basic > message > > is to move near a > > temple and that is just not possible at this time > > for us. > > > > All of the RK literature points to the need for > guru > > to give us a > > mantra - how can we do this given our location? > What > > should we use as > > mantra for now? Can anyone help? We would even > love > > to have someone > > from a Ramakrishna temple visit here occasionally > > and stay in our home > > as Boulder is a ripe area for the gospel of > > Ramakrishna? The Krishna > > Consciousness groups constantly offer this to us > but > > their sectarian > > preaching is not something we can support loving > > Ramakrishna as we do. > > > > Thank you for your consideration in this matter of > > great importance to > > us. > > > > Michael Spotts > > Boulder, Colorado > > > > > > > > > > > The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. > http://search. > > Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook. http://calendar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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