Welcome to the season of sharing and joy, made all the sweeter through our practice of meditation. As you'll read in our Managing Council's news, Portland Center will again be graced with the presence of monks from the SRF Mother Center, who will lead our All Day Christmas meditation and other services. Come, be with us in the stillness of group meditation, and in fellowship with your spiritual family!
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Upcoming Events
Saturday November 3 -
Six hour silent meditation with kirtan,10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a break at 1:30 p.m. –
a perfect way to inwardly prepare for the coming holy season.
Saturday November 10 -
Day of Service, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with group meditation.
Sunday November 18 -
Thanksgiving potluck following the 11:00 a.m. Reading Service. Bring a vegetarian dish to share! Please note that our regular Thursday evening Inspirational Service is cancelled for Thanksgiving Day.
Thursday December 13 through Sunday December 16 -
SRF Monks will conduct Christmas services and meditations. The Managing Council gives more information in their letter below.
Saturday December 15 -
All Day Christmas meditation, led by SRF monks
Sunday December 16 -
Christmas vegetarian potluck with the monks, following the 11:00 a.m. Reading Service
Monday December 31 -
New Year's Eve meditation, 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Saturday January 5 -
Commemorative service in honor of Paramahansa Yogananda's birthday
Saturday January 12 -
Paramahansa Yogananda's birthday commemorative all day meditation
is available on our website
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Inspiration from Master
for the approaching season
"Take your consciousness from the confines of mere material festivities and with closed eyes enter the secret door of meditative silence to behold the vast altar of peace spread eternally above, beneath, to the left and to the right, in front and behind, within and without."
Paramahansa Yogananda,
in
The Second Coming of Christ
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Long Meditation with Kirtan
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On
Saturday November 3, join us for a six hour silent meditation led by our kirtan group. We will begin at 10:00 a.m., ending at 4:00 p.m. with the SRF healing service. There will be a short break at 1:30 p.m.
If you have never attended a long meditation before, this is a wonderful and gentle opportunity to get used to the longer and deeper meditations our Guru encouraged us to have. The morning periods of silence last about 30 minutes with one longer period. During the afternoon there will be 10 minutes of kirtan led chanting and 20 minutes of silence. The frequent chanting allows you to stand and stretch if needed.
We welcome you to partake of sacred silence and spiritual song with us as we inwardly prepare for the approaching blessed season.
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Save the date!
Saturday November 10 will be an opportunity to meet with other Portland Center members and friends as together we serve in sprucing up our Center for the coming holidays. As always, there will be a variety of tasks to choose from – with equipment, supplies and camaraderie provided! Snacks and a vegetarian lunch will be served.
We'll begin the day at 9:30 a.m. with a group meditation, concluding around 3:00 p.m. or when the work is completed. Hope to see you there!
"No task is too difficult or too menial when offered to Thee in loving service."
Paramahansa Yogananda
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All Day Christmas Meditation
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"Adorable Him!
Search Him out in secret now"
Paramahansa Yogananda,
Cosmic Chants
Saturday December 15,
10:00
a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with a short break at 1:00 p.m.
Please note that the start time (10:00 a.m.) differs from the time given in our Calendar of Services.
We are grateful that two monks from the SRF Mother Center will again be with us to lead this annual blessed event.
As with all long meditations, if you are only able to attend for part of the day we ask that you come for the morning session. And i
f you are ill or think you may be contagious, out of consideration for others
please tune in while meditating at home.
We also ask that you wear clothing and jewelry that do not make noise when you move, to avoid disturbing the profound meditative silence during this special time.
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New Year's Eve Meditation
Monday, December 31
A tradition started by Paramahansa Yogananda is the New Year's Eve Meditation. Our Guru said it is beneficial to use the transition from the old year to the incoming new year as a time to meditate and keep one's mind on God. During the meditation he also encouraged those present to think of the past year – not with sadness, but introspecting to see where they need to change their lives so that they might do better in the new year.
Our meditation service will begin at 11:30 p.m. and end at 12:30 a.m.
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Paramahansa Yogananda Birthday Commemorative Service
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"What greater satisfaction could one have, than when the heart is aflame with yearning
for the unknown God and He actually comes as Guru?"
Paramahansa Yogananda,
The Second Coming of Christ
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The anniversary of our divine Guru's birth will be observed in a special commemorative service on
Saturday January 5
, beginning at 8:00 p.m. This will be preceded by an optional meditation from 7:15-7:45 p.m. After the service, we will gather in the Sunday School room to joyfully celebrate, sharing chai and traditional birthday cake.
Paramahansa Yogananda Birthday All Day Meditation
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An all day meditation in honor of our Guru's birth will be held
Saturday January 12
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a short break at 1:30 p.m. If you are unable to attend the entire meditation, plan to come for the morning half only.
As an expression of your reverence and devotion, please bring an offering of a fruit.
Be sure to arrive a little early so that you will be comfortably settled and calm
before the meditation begins.
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Monastic Visit, September 2018
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Portland Center welcomed two Self-Realization Fellowship monks, Brother Devananda and Brahmachari Troy, for four days of inspiration and fellowship. Their visit began on Thursday evening, when Brahmachari Troy led us in meditation and shared some insights about the deeper aspects of service, love, and the guru-disciple relationship.
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On Friday, we shared lunch with the monastics at a nearby Indian restaurant, followed by a visit to The Grotto, a local shrine. The members and friends who were present – some of whom traveled from the Oregon coast to join us – enjoyed these opportunities to meet informally with the monastics. One of the participants remarked:
"As a newer member, this was the first time I've met SRF monks personally
and I was blown away by their warmth and accessibility."
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Getting to know each other
along pathways at The Grotto
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Pictured are some of the devotees with Brother Devananda
in front of the Grotto shrine
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On Saturday Brother Devananda led the Portland Center kirtan ensemble in devotional chanting and group meditation. After sharing lunch together Brother conducted a workshop on introspection, in his characteristically humorous and down-to-earth style. We learned how to apply practical goal-setting principles to meet our spiritual aspirations and challenges, and came away with specific strategies to help us take next steps. As one of our members said:
"The monks' sincerity and devotion was most palpable,
through their chanting as well as their words."
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Brahmachari Troy led the Sunday morning meditation, followed by an Inspirational Service during which the monks shared their wise counsel in response to questions submitted by members. After conducting a Christening ceremony, the monastics joined an overflow crowd for the photograph above. A pot luck followed, concluding the four days of an uplifting visit.
What a joy it was to host the monks and to greet members and friends from Washington, the Portland area, Willamette Valley and the coast! A Portland devotee concluded:
"The spiritual benefits of these four days made it feel like I'd been on retreat!"
Many thanks to all those who volunteered their time and resources for these events.
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Fall Silent Retreat
Through meditation, chanting, and sacred silence, SRF members from Oregon and Washington communed with God and nature during our recent yearly retreat at the Alton Collins Retreat Center in Eagle Creek.
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One of the many woodland trails
available for contemplative walks
on the retreat grounds
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Meditation altar at the retreat
in the chapel's beautiful natural setting
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A devotee who attended remarked that "This weekend truly gave me quality, silent time to deepen my personal relationship with God, Guru and the Great Ones and I am already looking forward to next year’s Fall Retreat."
You may want to make a note of the dates for next year's retreat:
October 11 through 13, 2019
Watch for details in our Summer 2019 newsletter!
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An important message from Brother Chidananda
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The talk – as a video or in PDF format – may be accessed
here
.
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News from the Managing Council
Greetings, members and friends of Portland Center!
The council is pleased to welcome Sumuki Sweesy as the newest member of our Managing Council. Sumuki begins her first three year term, as Sharon Schaefer is completing hers. We are deeply grateful to Sharon for her many years of devoted and caring service to our Center. Please continue to keep Sharon in your prayers.
We are very happy that monastics from the Mother Center will be with us during the weekend of the All Day Christmas Meditation, and we hope you can join us for any or all the activities that will be planned. I
n a few weeks, subscribers to this e-newsletter will receive an email message with a detailed schedule, which will also be posted on
our website
.
Thankfully the new chair cushions have arrived and will be installed by the end of October in time for our long meditations on November 3 and December 15. These firmer cushions replace the soft ones that were shipped to us in error.
Bringing in the New Year, we will be holding an All Chairs Meeting on January 27. All the chairpersons are requested to attend. A catered lunch will be served. We thank you all for your loving service to our Guru and community.
Jai Guru!
Portland Center Managing Council
Sarah, Shikha, Sumuki, Rebecca, Nate
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Portland Center Book Room News
Next time you're at the Center be sure to visit our Book Room, where you'll find many inspiring items. Watch for the 2019 SRF engagement and wall calendars, available soon! By purchasing directly from the Book Room, you save shipping costs as well as support our Center's operating expenses. Stop by any Sunday after the 11:00 a.m. service.
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The SRF 2019 Wall Calendar includes 12
photographs depicting locations of spiritual sanctuary
and beauty closely associated with the life and work of
Paramahansa Yogananda.
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This beautiful engagement calendar features quotations from our Guru, paired with fifty-three images from the world’s top nature photographers.
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Would you like to connect with other SRF groups in the Pacific NW or throughout the world? Click
below:
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"See nothing, look at nothing but your goal,
ever shining before you."
Sri Gyanamata
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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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