Portland Center is one of Paramahansa Yogananda's many 'hives' throughout the world – places where sincere seekers join together in meditation, service and fellowship. You are welcome to join us as we support each other's efforts to progress in our spiritual journey!
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"
Feel
the love of God; then in every person you will see the face of the Father, the light of Love which is in all. You will find a magic, living relationship uniting all the trees, the sky, the stars, all people, and all living things; and you will feel a oneness with them."
Paramahansa Yogananda
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Upcoming Events
Saturday February 23 -
Portland Center Day of Service
Thursday March 7 -
Paramahansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service
Saturday March 9 -
Sri Yukteswar Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service
Sunday March 10 -
Daylight Saving Time begins
Saturday March 16 -
Long meditation with kirtan
is available on our website
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Mahasamadhi Commemorative Services
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"The friendship that exists between guru and disciple is eternal."
Paramahansa Yogananda
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Please join us in honoring our blessed Guru and Paramguru
on their mahasamadhi anniversary:
Paramahansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi
: Thursday March 7
Sri Yukteswar Mahasamadhi
: Saturday March 9
Both commemorative services will be held from
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
, preceded by an
optional meditation beginning at 7:15 p.m.
Please bring the traditional offering of a flower or flowers,
symbolizing devotion to the guru being honored; and if financially able,
a donation in a plain white envelope.
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Christmas at Portland Center: Monastic Visit
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For several days during December, Portland Center was blessed to host two SRF monks, Brother Ritananda and Brahmachari Roberto, who led us in our meditations and joined in two social events.
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Brahmachari Roberto led
the Sunday morning meditation,
and enjoyed making friends with
the Sunday School children
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Brother Ritananda guided our
All Day Christmas meditation
and also gave an inspiring
Sunday service,
"Living Life Lovingly"
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The monks bundled up for an outing to the annual Festival of Lights
at The Grotto
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Grotto chapel illuminated
for the festival
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One of the many trees on the grounds, lavishly decorated for Christmas
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The monks stayed in Portland Center's newly refurbished monastic apartment.
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A colorful rug, chair cushions and laptop tables were added to the living space.
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Portland Center chapel
altar nativity scene
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Christmas tree in the chapel
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Holiday pot lucks are always especially enjoyable!
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"And so, dear ones, my Christmas will go on forever, in ever increasing joy everlasting. May the Christmas spirit you feel not end with today; rather may it be with you every night as you meditate." Paramahansa Yogananda
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Community Service: Food and Toy Drives
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Thanks to Portland Center's Community Service committee and the generosity of our members and friends, we were able to donate several loads of food to The Oregon Food Bank in November, as well as gifts for children in December.
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The Toy and Joy Makers program was grateful to receive our contributions, which were distributed to needy children in the Metro area during the Christmas season.
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Donating books to a child ignites their interest in reading, and also gives them something they can proudly call their own.
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In Loving Memory: Sharon Schaefer
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As many of you know, our dear Sharon Schaefer passed away on December 1
st 2018. Her bright smile and tireless positive attitude is greatly missed by all who knew her.
The following tribute from Portland Center’s monastic counselor, Brother Devananda beautifully sums up her life and influence at our Center:
“We are grateful to Sharon for her many years of service at the Portland Center, serving on the various committees. For quite some years she took on the responsibility as one of the Portland Center leaders, working with Center Department to keep the Portland Center running efficiently and smoothly. That leadership and service has helped to make Portland Center what it is today. She was a fine person, loyal and dedicated to Guruji and the Self-Realization Fellowship work. I vividly remember once when visiting the Center, being touched by the way she was able to put her whole heart into chanting to the Divine, and consequently was able to help others feel Divine love. That spiritual maturity will be hard to replace because it reflects years of determined effort in meditation and in cultivating love for God and this path.”
Sharon was also deeply dedicated to her family, all of whom live in Portland. Surviving are her husband Rick, their three children and five grandchildren. Our heartfelt prayers go out to them.
A memorial for Sharon will be held at the Portland Center on April 14.
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"Life should be chiefly service. Every good action that you perform digs like a pickax into the soil of consciousness and brings forth a little spray from the fountain of God’s joy."
Paramahansa Yogananda
We invite you to share in the joy of serving alongside like-minded souls during Portland Center's upcoming
Day of Service, Saturday February 23
. The day begins with a meditation at 9:30 a.m., and we'll roll up our sleeves and plunge into playful work starting at 10:00 a.m.
There will be a variety of tasks in and out of doors (weather permitting), for all levels of capability. Equipment and supplies are provided, along with vegetarian snacks and lunch.
Come and join with fellow devotees as we make our beautiful Center sparkling clean!
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Volunteer positions
Portland Center currently has need of volunteers in many areas:
- Landscape maintenance
- Maintenance chairperson
- Flower arranging
- Cleaners
- Ushers
- Sunday School assistants
- Book Room attendants
- Hospitality committee
- India Night coordinator
You may view descriptions for these positions and submit a volunteer application
here
.
The February 23 Day of Service offers an ideal chance to try out serving
in several of the above areas. Hope to see you there, and thank you for your support!
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Enrollment for New SRF Lessons Now Available
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On January 31, SRF/YSS president Brother Chidananda announced the
launching of the new edition of the
Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons
. Speaking from Los Angeles via livestreamed video, he shared details about the innovative digital features being introduced, and described the steps needed for enrolling.
Current Lessons students, graduates, and those wishing to enroll for the first time may do so
here
on SRF's beautifully renovated website.
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Self-Realization Fellowship invites you to join thousands of members from around the world for a profoundly inspiring week of spiritual renewal and fellowship, held in downtown Los Angeles and at Southern California pilgrimage sites made sacred by Paramahansa Yogananda's presence during his lifetime. This year's Convocation will be held
August 4 through 10
, with
registration beginning March 1
. More details as well as informational photographs and videos may be found on the SRF website's Convocation pages:
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Whether Convocation 2019 will be your first or is an annual holy journey, those who have attended can testify to the permanent spiritual benefits gained from participating in this uplifting yearly event.
Participating hotels fill up quickly; reservations are available beginning February 1
.
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Managing Council News: 2018 Retrospective
Greetings and a blessed new year to all!
Looking back over 2018 at Portland Center, we are grateful for the many volunteers who gave their time in so many ways, as well as for the continued financial support from friends and members of SRF.
Along with our regular activities – services, meditations, kirtan, socials and potlucks – a few major projects were completed last year. The most obvious and biggest change was replacing the pews with comfortable chairs. Included in this process was replacing the aged carpet and painting the foyer, book room, family room and information room. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and resources to make that happen!
Other notable projects in 2018 were: installation of interior emergency lighting, updating furnishings in the monastic quarters, and installation of a new back fence.
Last year there was a change in the management structure of the Portland Center, from a three-member Coordinating Team to a five-member Managing Council. In addition to facilitating the many day-to-day workings of the Center, the Council held two general membership meetings and hosted two monastic visits.
In the coming year, the Managing Council will be working with Mother Center to explore the option of becoming incorporated. As Self-Realization Fellowship grows, more and more Centers are moving in this direction. Stay tuned for more details and upcoming General Membership Meetings!
In Service to Master,
Sarah, Rebecca, Shikha, Nate and Sumuki
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Monthly Activities
Sunday School
classes are offered every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for boys and girls ages 3-13 in the Sunday School Room. All children age 13 and younger are encouraged to attend Sunday School and may enroll at any time.
Sunday Socials
are held on the
third Sunday of each month
in the Sunday School Room following the Inspirational Service. Light refreshments are provided, along with an opportunity to meet and mingle with Portland Center members and friends.
Kirtan Meditations
with devotional chanting accompanied by traditional Indian instruments are generally held on the last Sunday of the month, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Paramahansa Yogananda strongly encouraged chanting as a way to deepen one's meditations and devotion.
Kirtan services start with group practice of the Energization Exercises at 8:00 a.m., followed by periods of devotional chanting and meditation. During the 10:00 a.m. service, there will be chanting instead of an opening prayer, followed by a reading. If you are unable to stay for the full kirtan period, you may enter or leave the chapel during the chanting at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
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How to Make a Financial Contribution
Portland Center of SRF is supported solely by financial contributions from members and friends, and by volunteers who donate their time. Proceeds from our Book Room sales also benefit the Center.
If you write a check to the group, please know that checks payable to "Portland Center" will be deposited locally and used to support our Center's activities, pay utility bills etc. Checks payable to "Self Realization Fellowship" are sent to SRF headquarters in Los Angeles, where they are used to support SRF's worldwide activities. It is customary when writing checks during special services such as commemoratives to make the check payable to SRF.
Some members choose to make regular donations to our Center. One convenient option is to set up automatic bill pay through your bank.
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Your support is deeply appreciated!
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Looking for other SRF groups in the Pacific NW or throughout the world? Click here:
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Just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in the Portland Center of Self-Realization Fellowship. Don't forget to add newsletter@srfportlandcenter.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
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