Today, Runi left for her work quite early.... she had to go to a new place. Yash also went out soon after. Dada and Bou-di went to hay market for gathering some experience of marketing, while I walked for about 25 min. in the locality on foot & came home back. Thereafter, I was glued to my laptop for mail checking, blog-writing , reply-mailing etc.
Dada & bou-di came therafter. They made some marketing. Green cabbage, long beans, potato, egg plant etc.
The open-air mkt was certainly a new experience for them & they spoke at length for the same.
We had a program in the evening-------- we were scheduled to go to Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in the evening. We expected Runi & Yash to go there also, when they would be free from work. As we would attend the Gurupurnima festival there beginning from 6 P.M & join the potluck dinner also, runi & boudi prepared Jeera Rice & Payesh respectively for our share of food, In a potluck dinner---- this sharing of food is in vogue.
Upon words from dada, I sent an e-mail to the Maharaj there, who promptly welcomed us to join.
We reached the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society , generally known as Ramakrishna Mission at about 6 P.M. Runi had already reached the chapel & sensing that we were not that familiar with the streets of the city & were likely to be out of path for the chapel, was looking for us. We met near the RK Mission, however, and everyone of us entered the same. We were guided to a hall where photographs of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada & Vivekananda were there, on a throne & lights were on and total silence prevailed there, notwithstanding a slowly- growing cosmopolitan crowd of Bhaktas and Darshanarthis. We also took to our seats & found printed papers on the same which were prints-out of songs to be sung by the singer bhaktas.
Notations of a song (swarolipi) was also printed over the lyric of the song therein. Also there was a book containing some other prayer songs which would be sung, after the Arati by the President Maharaj (Swami Tyaganandaji), next to the same Arati stotra and the songs...... a song written by Kazi Najrul Islam, the noted poet of Bengal plus other prayer songs. A kabir's Doha was also sung in between.
President Maharaj explained that Gurupurnima was significant to seekers of spirituality, as the topmost Guru was being worshipped (I think he referred to Guru Veda Vyas---- I am not sure... I will try to confirm later, if possible... I failed to listen to his words correctly at that moment). He also explained that Guru and shishya that is the master & the disciple relationship is absolutely necessary for a man or a woman seeking for sublimation. He next read out a translation (by him) from Bengali to English, for an article (Written in Udbodhan patrika in Bengali language) by Swami Brahmananda, the first President of Ramakrishna order.
Swami Brahmananda, he said, wrote seldom; but, this one he (Swami Brahmananda i.e Rakhal Maharaj) got published while discussing about certain high points of spirituality.
The subject related to Guru and shishya also, among other points of discussion and Swami Tyaganandaji's translation was simple & straightforward. He, however, stopped short of the entirety of the matter & summarised to give the assembly an opportunity to offer pronam to Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada & Swami Vivekananda.
Next, we attended the potluck dinner. It was wonderful----- all veg. items of food, cooked by bhaktas & brought there and arranged , as in a buffet.......... Roti, chana daal, Tamarind rice, Jeera rice, different veg dishes , alu dam and various other items plus sweet dishes of different variety. Our items of food were also there and we ate heartily, according to ability, of course.
I met the President Maharaj and told him that I had e-mailed him earlier (On 6th of July) & today also & told him about dada, Boudi and Runi. Yash could not come , bec. he was busy with his work. Maharaj was also eating his dinner. I begged to be excused for my disturbance. However, he seemed to recognise me because of my mailing him twice. later, Runi also talked with him. He speaks----- Eng., Beng., Marathi & Tamil also.
Later, he wanted to know our date of departure from USA also. I think as the Krishna Festival will be held on 28th August here, in Boston, he wanted to know the date. Anyway, I informed that we would go away fm here on 16th August. Next, we bowed to him in respect & made our exit.
Outside the chapel, Dada and Runi took a few photographs of ours with the R K Mission temple in the background.
I shd add that by the side of the chapel. the river Charles is flowing & that adds to the beauty of the place.
We came home via a green line train bound for Cleveland circle.
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