The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of NY is equipped quite nicely with a variety of different seminars, classes, lectures, and services.
On Sunday mornings at 11:00 A.M., Swami Yuktatmananda conducts services and lectures on spiritual topics of great practical importance. Some include Spiritual Transformation, The Message of Self-Knowledge, Guidelines for Mature Living, Harmony of Religions, The Problem of Suffering, Christ and His Message, Buddha and His Way.
Swami Yuktatmananda joined the monastic Order of Sri Ramakrishna in Bangalore, India, in 1978 and was ordained a monk in 1988. In December 2007, after Swami Adiswarananda passed away, Swami Yuktatmananda took over as minister and spiritual leader of the Center.
On Tuesday evenings at 8:00 P.M., Swami Yuktatmananda conducts a class on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, and on Friday evenings at 8:00 P.M., a class on the scriptures of Vedanta: The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, The Crest Jewel of Discrimination, The Works of Swami Vivekananda, The Teachings of the Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, just to list a few for those interested.
The Center also holds special services each year for Sri Ramakrishna’s Birthday, Holy Mother’s Birthday, Swami Vivekananda’s Birthday, Buddha’s Birthday, Sri Sri Durga Puja, Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. The Choir of the Center performs traditional hymns and songs, both Western and Eastern. All the services and classes of the Center are free and open to the public, a wonder for those who show great interest in these teachings. It’s amazing and worldly of Swami Yuktatmananda to arrange special lectures and seminars at the Center for groups of students from colleges, universities, and other organizations. On special occasions, Swamis from other centers, spiritual leaders of different faiths, community leaders, and academicians are invited by Swami Yuktatmananda to speak at the Center.
The Center maintains a Library and a Bookstall for the benefit of the members and the public. The Library contains a large number of books and periodicals on Vedanta and other philosophical and religious systems of the world.
The Center also maintains the Vivekananda Cottage, a summer cottage at Thousand Island Park, New York, in which Swami Vivekananda lived and taught for eight weeks in the summer of 1895. Usually, it is available during the months of July and August as a place of pilgrimage for devotees.
Swami Vikekananda was an unknown monk of India who suddenly leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, where he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture and his deep spiritual insight made him an irresistible appeal to many Americans who had met him.
What did come as kind of a surprise to me is that the foundation is so willing to have people who are interested in their teachings come in and speak to them or observe, but when I had contacted them over the phone, it wasn’t quite like that. Both times I had spoken with them to come in for informal questions and curious conversation, I was told they’d prefer if I came in for a class or lecture instead to observe and get the information I wanted. I completely understand where they are coming from, and for me, that’s more for me to learn from. They were so kind and insisted I come to Buddha’s Birthday on May 10th to get a feel for their teachings and asked if I would stay after for refreshments to discuss observations and thoughts. They prefer experiencing the Center by becoming a part of it, rather than just getting a mere glimpse. First-hand experience is the best learning technique.