TOPICS for Home Satsangs and Public Lectures

Vision of Bhagavad-Gita for a Multicultural Global
Society:

The world is fast becoming one large village as
families, work places, neighborhoods and nations
become multicultural. People need new attitudes and
skills to live productively and peacefully in such
complex and dynamic societies. Swamiji will reflect
and elaborate on the universal vision of the Vedas and
Bhagavad-Gita: “Let noble thought come from all sides”
and offer ‘how to’ for living in multicultural
environments.

Mysticism of Silence – Raman Maharishi

To be a mystic means to be established in Silence. How
we react to the impact of external sensations and
internal memory bursts is out of unconscious habits?
By keeping a steady watchful disposition or being
rooted in the Self one is able to enjoy the bliss of
Silence. A classic example of Silence is Raman
Maharishi. Swami Bodhananda Saraswati will talk on the
meaning of Silence based on teachings of Raman
Maharishi. Divine Mother Communications

Overcoming Stress in Daily Life – A Vedantic View

Swamiji draws upon India’s ancient Vedantic tradition
of wisdom while suggesting methods and offering
guidance on how to convert stress in to strength. The
key to over coming stress and other obstacles to
happiness is by activating one’s inner spiritual
resources, to live in touch with the spirit while
responding to the daily challenges and ups and downs
of life. During the talk Swamiji will offer several
stress management techniques that can be applied to
before and after the stress build up.

Seven Hindu Spiritual Laws of Success

Our Hindu Wisdom Tradition is rich in philosophy and
understanding. Just as there are physical laws that
govern the universe, there are moral, ethical and
spiritual laws, which our rishis have passed down to
us. These unique laws are encapsulated in the
Upanishadic portion of the Vedas and include the Seven
Laws of Brahman, Maya, Dharma, Karma, Yajna, Yoga and
Leela. Swami Bodhananda Saraswati eloquently explains
these laws and how we can integrate this 7000 years of
India’s Vedantic wisdom into our everyday life, expand
our consciousness and attain moksa (liberation)

Meaning and Practice of Pooja, Homa and Archana:

To live in daily communion with God, many kinds of
rituals - Pooja, Homa and Archana are prescribed in
the Hindu tradition. A worship may be physical/
kayikam or mental/manasikam. The physical itself is of
three types - shodasopachara/ with sixteen courtesies
and panchopachara/ with five ingredients and Homa with
several ingredients. In his talk Swamiji will explore
the traditional meaning and significance to a house
holder so they can better understand the importance of
performing rituals in their daily spiritual living.

Lessons of The Bhagavad-Gita for Daily Living:

The Bhagavad-Gita is a foundational Hindu scripture
taught in a battlefield by Bhagavan Krishna to Arjuna.
In life’s battlefield too daily challenges, moral and
ethical dilemmas can confuse and weaken the resolve of
good people. Teachings of Bhagavad-Gita have perennial
relevance to life’s conflicts and their resolution.
Swamiji will explain the central teaching of Gita
which is to engage in rightful action with out worries
about the outcome and how egoless actions purify the
mind and lift the soul to supreme peace and happiness.

Meditation & Essential Steps to God Realization by a
Common person

Everybody is blessed by a Spiritual Presence in them.
Swami Bodhananda will address if there is indeed a
difference between a common person and a spiritual
person? Is knowing the Self same as knowing God?
Swamiji will also explain steps of meditation that
everyone can practice to realize the self.

Gita Parayanam , Chanting and Archana

A three hour program of chanting the entire
Bhagavad-Gita-700 verses- accompanied by offering of
flowers at the altar of Lord Krishna. This ritual
equals 1000 yajnas and homas and liberates and bestows
peace to the souls of departed ones. Those who want to
participate should bring some flowers.

Irreverent Spiritual Questions - Youth Program

An opportunity for youth to speak out, ask the
questions that stir inside about God and Spirituality,
our Hindu tradition and how to cope with our tradition
and differences in the American setting; Come and
speak out, listen and learn. Also receive Swamiji new
book on this topic – free!

Truth is one - Sages call it by a different name (The
Vedas)

This is the most important mantra from the Rig Veda of
the entire Vedic lore. And it says that truth is one
but wise men coming from different cultures and
traditions may describe it differently. The message of
the Vedas is there is no need to quarrel about the
name or the form of God. All names and forms belong to
God and represent God. Swamiji will elaborate this
vision of the Vedic Sages that has been handed down to
us in all Hindu scriptures and calls for Hinduism to
be a multi faceted religion. Religious tolerance is
the most important value for survival in the modern
world.

Meditation and Self Development

Meditation synchronizes our body, mind and spirit and
furthers self development with unfoldment of our inner
potential. Meditation unlocks our inner spiritual
powers and helps the Self Development process by
integrating and balancing the mind. Drawing from the
teachings of Patanjali Yoga Sutra Swamiji will discuss
techniques of meditation with practical
demonstrations.

Stithaprajana

Arjuna asked Krishna characteristics of a
Stithaprajana - meaning a person of steady wisdom.
Listen to Swamiji Bodhananda elucidate Krishna’s
advice to Arjuna on values, attitudes and conduct of a
Stithaprajana (The Bhagavad-Gita: verses 55-72) - a
person who can keep balance of thought and action in
adversity.

Can Mind be Free Of Fear?

Mind is a composite of individual’s experiences from
millions of years of living in constant danger and
insecurity. Modern civilization of relative security
and comfort is of recent origin and has not yet sunk
into human consciousness. Our minds still operate with
primal fear of many sorts. Causes of fear may have
changed, but impulse to fear remains. Fear overwhelms
the mind and distorts our perceptions and self
_expression. Listen to Swamiji’s Vedantic teachings to
help free the mind from the stranglehold of fear?

Kaivalya Upanishad

The study of Kaivalya Upanishad at the feet of an
awakened Master will be an integrative healing
experience - it cleanses the chakras, wipes off karmic
negativities, deepens awareness and unleashes divine
potentialities. Kaivalya Upanishad teaches us the
secret of enjoying aloneness without being lonely, the
art of enjoying the world with out being guilty, the
discipline of body-mind-spirit integration with out
being suppressive, and the science of self realization
while actively living in this world. Come and join in
the chanting of Kaivalya Upanishad as venerated by the
wise for cleansing all sins and reaching the highest.