Special to India-West
GANGES, Michigan -- One hundred and eight years after Swami Vivekananda came to Chicago and introduced Hinduism to the West, the monks of his order gathered in a small, rural town in western Michigan, named, propitiously, after India's most holy river - the Ganges (now Ganga) - to usher in the new millennium.
Billed as "Vedanta in the Third Millennium," the three-day conference attracted nearly 800 followers from around the U.S. It was among the largest assemblies of senior monks of the Ramakrishna order in the history of the West. Swami Chidananda, chief organizer of the event and abbot of the order 's Chicago ashrama, said, "This most sacred, historic, epoch making and thrilling event was the first of its kind in the USA." All told, 16 Swamis attended, and the event attracted considerable media attention.
The conference began June 22, when the Swamis, dressed in ochre robes, gathered at the 110-acre Vivekananda Monastery and Retreat here. Assembling in "Millennium Hall," the Swamis sat on chairs in a semi-circle, facing their audience, with a backdrop of the seal of the Ramakrishna order, and larger than life-size photographs of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Sarada Devi, known to devotees as 'The Holy Mother'.
The mood was expectant, the conference, from the onset, steeped in the traditions of the oldest monastic order in the world. Swami Guatamananda, abbot of the Chennai ashrama, and guest of honor, began by lighting the lamp. Swami Chidananda, after he sang a Sanskrit invocation, introduced the Swamis, and said, "The whole universe is full of God consciousness. To realize that one has to hold onto Vedanta. The means are Yoga and spiritual practices. This allows the inner divinity - now in a dormant state - to sprout up. Once you become aware of your spiritual identity, you will become really happy and peaceful in this life. Suffering comes only from not knowing the Self."
Throughout the three-day conference, the devotees kept a well-regulated schedule, including early morning meditation and arati. By 9 a.m. they were in Millennium Hall to hear lectures by each of the Swamis sequentially. In between discourses, devotional Bhajans were performed by Dr. Ram Bala and his group, as well as breaks for meals and free time - which enabled many to meet the Swamis, individually, amidst the lush and spacious monastery grounds. The evenings comprised arati and meditation, followed by evening lectures and informal meetings.
Dr. Asha Master, an M.D. from Fulton, Illinois, said she was "thrilled" to see the Swamis. "This is a great step in my spiritual life," she said. "My quest is to be where these masters are."
Arundhati Kale came from her home in Houston, Texas, in order to have "the holy company and feel the vibrations. It's peaceful and joyous."
Over the three-day conference, the monks discussed Vedanta's role in society. However, personal spiritual instruction and practical guidance was the main emphasis.
Swami Brahmarupananda of Washington, D.C., spoke of how technology can effect both tremendous good and enormous evil. "It reinforces the age-old truth that we are all interdependent; we are all one," he said. "Technology is value-blind, though. A sense of good and bad is not inherent in technology. That's why our beliefs assume a greater importance in the new millennium."
A number of Christians also attended. Bill Rhodes and Chris St. John, both from Holland, Michigan, are members of the Episcopal church. They said they found the teachings similar to Christian teachings.
On June 23 Swami Chetanananda, head of the St. Louis monastery, and an author of several books on the life of Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples, presented a slide show with rare photographs of Ramakrishna and his environs.
Among the titles of the various lectures were: "Vedanta and the Ramakrishna Mission" (Swami Gautamananda); "Vedanta in the West: Past, Present, and Future" (Swami Chetanananda); "Practical Vedanta: Its Future in the West" (Swami Prapannananda); "Ancient Values in a Technological Age" (Swami Brahmarupananda); and
"Sri Ramakrishna's Message for the New Millennium" (Swami Prabuddhananda).
Swami Guatamananda June 24 gave the "valedictory" address,
enumerating spiritual principles which he hoped would define widespread acceptance in the next millennium. He urged the attendees to turn their minds toward God and spend more time on spiritual causes. "Success has to be tempered with spiritual life," he said.
