Calendar of 2007 Meetings

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday Jan 13, 10:30 am, Dedication Ceremony

Our new Chapel is, happily and most satisfactorily, finished. The formal Dedication will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13th, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be performed by Rev. Swami Swahanandaji Maharaj, Head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, who also dedicated this property when we took it over. He will have a message for us, and then lunch will be provided. A brief program will follow, ending the event at about 2 p.m. Swami Ishtanandaji of the San Diego Monastery is accompanying him on this visit, seeing Atlanta for the first time.

Sunday Jan 14, 10:30 am, Birth Anniversary celebration

We celebrate the Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with the usual worship, pot luck lunch and brief program. Our two distinguished visiting monks will be present for this important occasion as well.

Sunday Feb 4th, 10:30 am, Annual General Meeting

Members of the Center are highly encouraged to attend, if they are able. Friends are also welcome to come. We will discuss the past year and the year to come, and elect members of the Board of Directors. This will be the first Annual Meeting to be held in our Chapel. The Center will provide lunch in the dining room following the meeting.

Sunday Feb 25, 10:30 am, Birthday Celebration

Sri Ramakrishna's Birthday will be observed as usual with puja, program and pot luck prasad lunch. We are fortunate to be able to honor him now in his own "temple."

 

Sunday March 11, 11 am, Open Forum

We will discuss “Prayer.”  Please consider the topic in advance and bring your thoughts, questions, and concerns. Our Open Forums are most stimulating when there is lively discussion and full participation.

Saturday May 12, 7:30 pm, Indian Classical and Devotional Music Benefit Concert

Students of Pandit Jasraj School of Music will give a concert at the Center to benefit our Building Fund. Both classical and devotional music of India will be featured. Admission is $10.

  

Sunday June 10, 11 am. Earthwise

A Program by Francie Wallace and Friends on the Environment, followed by discussion. Francie has sung and spoken for us before, on raising children. This program will include music and much information. Please honor our guests.

Wednesday July 4th, 12 pm. Annual Fourth of July celebration and potluck picnic.

We honor the independence of our country and the day of Independence (Mahasamadhi) of Swami Vivekananda. The AIB television program featuring Swami and the Center will also be rebroadcast that day at noon. Please arrive a few minutes early if you wish to see the program. We will then eat our potluck offerings, followed by a program of songs, readings, prayers, and surprises!  We look forward to seeing you all. Call for directions.

Saturday Aug 18, 7:30 pm. Benefit Concert

Priya Chandrasekaran and her senior students will give a Vina Benefit Concert, accompanied by 'Bombay' Santosh Chandru on Mridangam, at the Center to benefit our Building Fund. Suggested donation is $10 (but more, of course, will be accepted!).  Refreshments will be available.
Download flyer in PDF format for printing (200 KB).

Sept 29 - Oct 1. Annual Retreat

We will meet at the Center for New Beginnings in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. Space is limited, reserve yours with a $25 deposit. Swami Yogatmananda, Minister of the Vedanta Society of Providence, will be our special guest. His featured topic is "Human Being to Divine Being."

Sunday Nov 18, 11 am. Seven Puzzles in Karma Yoga (concluded). Open Forum

The questions we will discuss this time are: 1) Is it not a flat contradiction, the Lord saying He never stops acting, but He does not act?  (2) Why is one's own dharma, though imperfectly performed, preferable to someone else's well performed?  (3) "All undertakings are attended by 'smoke' (downsides)." Does it mean I do not try to minimize them?

SUNDAY 11 A.M. MEETING TOPICS

JANUARY 2007

January 07 Meditation workshop.

January 13 Saturday 10:30 am. Dedication Ceremony. See Special Events above.

January 14 10:30 am. Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, followed by pot luck prasad lunch. See Special Events above.

January 21 What We Mean by Prayer. Talk followed by discussion.

January 28 A Close Look at Islam. Talk followed by discussion.

FEBRUARY 2007

February 04 10:30 am. Annual General Meeting, followed by luncheon. See Special Events above.

February 11 Our Uniqueness as Individuals. Talk followed by discussion.

February 18 Sri Ramakrishna and His "Boys". Talk followed by discussion.

February 25 10:30 am. Birthday Celebration for Sri Ramakrishna. See Special Events above.

 

MARCH 2007

March 04 From Scholar to Ecstatic: Sri Chaitanya. Talk followed by discussion.

March 11 Prayer. Open forum. See Special Events above.

March 18 Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk followed by discussion.

March 25 Meditation workshop.

 

APRIL 2007

April 01 The One and the Many. Talk followed by discussion.

April 08 Easter service.

April 15 Evolution as we see it. Talk followed by discussion.

April 22 Sri Sankaracharya and His Influence. Talk followed by discussion.
April 29 The Appeal of Buddha and His Teaching. Talk followed by discussion. 

 

MAY 2007

May 06 Buddha Jayanti. The “Thrice-Blessed Day” of Lord Buddha will be observed with puja and pot luck prasad lunch.

May 12 Saturday 7:30 pm Concert. See Special Events above.

May 13 Music in Spiritual Life. Talk followed by discussion.

May 20 Meditation workshop.
May 27 Questions?

 

JUNE 2007

June 03 How to Lead a Happy Life. Talk followed by discussion.

June 10 Earthwise, with Francie Wallace and Friends. See Special Events above.

June 17 Karma and Reincarnation. Talk followed by discussion.

June 24 Mind and Soul. Talk followed by discussion.

 

JULY 2007

July 01 The Why and What of Spiritual Practice. Talk followed by discussion.
July 04 12 noon Independence for America and Swami Vivekananda. See Special Events above.

July 08 Devotion according to the Bhagavad Gita. Talk followed by discussion.

July 15 Activity according to the Bhagavad Gita. Talk followed by discussion.
July 22 Knowledge according to the Bhagavad Gita. Talk followed by discussion.

July 29 Meditation Workshop.

AUGUST 2007

Aug 05 The Role of Emotion in Spiritual Life. Talk followed by discussion.

Aug 12 Questions and Answers.

Aug 18 Saturday 7:30 pm. Vina & Mridangam Benefit Concert. See Special Events above.
Aug 19 What Vedanta Means To Me, with Gillian Renault and Ted Blanchard. Talk followed by discussion.

Aug 26 Effort and Grace. Recorded talk by Swami Prabhavananda.

 

SEPTEMBER 2007

Sep 02 The Effective Use of Self in Community. With guest speaker: Frances Baldwin. Talk followed by discussion.

Sep 09 The Many Faces of Sri Krishna. Talk followed by discussion.
Sep 16 Why We Call It Vedanta. Talk followed by discussion.

Sep 23 Seven Puzzles in Karma Yoga. Open forum.
Sep 30 No meeting during the Retreat.

 

OCTOBER 2007

Oct 07 The World is Unreal. Talk followed by discussion.

Oct 14 Women and Spirituality. Talk followed by discussion.
Oct 21 Durga, the Divine Mother. Talk followed by discussion.

Oct 28 Questions and Answers.

 

NOVEMBER 2007

Nov 04 My Interfaith Experiences. Guest Speaker: Angela Harrington-Rice, Director of Programming and Production for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters. Talk followed by discussion.

Nov 11 Yoga and Vedanta. Talk followed by discussion.
Nov 18 Seven Puzzles in Karma Yoga (concluded). Open forum.
Nov 25 Meditation workshop.

 

DECEMBER 2007

Dec 02 The Role of Education. Talk followed by discussion.

Dec 09 Ethics and Cloning, video by Swami Yogatmananda.
Dec 16 The Iśa Upanishad. Talk followed by discussion.
Dec 23 No Service.
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Worship. Offering of cookies, cake, nuts, fruits, juice -- all welcome. Over by 9 pm.
Dec 30 Sri Sarada Devi Birthday Celebration. Formal Worship followed by reading and pot luck prasad lunch.
Dec 31 New Year's Eve Vigil.