Greetings, members and friends of Portland Center We invite you to join us as we usher in the fall season with commemorative services, extended meditation opportunities, and another fun work party. More information will follow in this edition of our newsletter.

"Speed ahead on the smooth highway of right behavior, right thinking, and meditation that leads to God. Keep on, until you come to the land of the rising sun of joy — of peace, of happiness, of inner strength that can never be taken away." Paramahansa Yogananda

Upcoming Events at Portland Center Sunday September 1 - Sunday School resumes Friday September 6 - Fall Retreat registration and dietary preference submission deadline (Visit the Eugene SRF group's website for more information)  Saturday September 14 - Back Yard Work Party Saturday September 21  - Four hour meditation with kirtan Thursday September 26   -  Lahiri Mahasaya Mahasamadhi Commemorative Service Monday September 30 - Lahiri Mahasaya Birthday Commemorative Service Our    Calendar of Services and Events is available on our  website

Portland Center's Sunday School has been growing!

"...for of such is the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:14 Our Sunday School classes are open to all children interested in learning about the SRF teachings and way of life; no prior experience with the SRF teachings is required.

When classes resume on September 1, we will again offer separate sessions for younger children (ages 3 to 8), and for those who are 9 to 13. Sunday School takes place weekly from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon during the Sunday Inspirational Service. We follow the curriculum prepared by Self-Realization Fellowship's Youth Services department, based on Paramahansa Yogananda's How-to Live principles with age-appropriate activities adapted for children. Interested parents are welcome to observe one class with their child. For more information, please contact Sarah Floyd sarahfloyd21@gmail.com or 971-570-5683. Thanks to all the families of SRF for supporting our Guru's important work with children through the SRF Sunday School programs!

Lahiri Mahasaya Commemorative Services

"...I am ever within range of your kutastha.” Lahiri Mahasaya, in Autobiography of a Yogi

We invite you to join us Thursday September 26 as we pay tribute to our beloved Lahiri Mahasaya on the anniversary of his Mahasamadhi, and also on Monday September 30 to commemorate his birthday. Both 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 offerings of a flower and if able, a monetary donation, expressing devotion and gratitude to Lahiri Mahasaya. 

Back Yard Work Party: Saturday September 14

Ready to pitch in to help beautify Portland Center? On Saturday September 14 we'll have a Back Yard Work Party beginning at 9:30 a.m. with an optional silent meditation. At 10:00 we'll roll up our sleeves and focus on preparing the area for winter by weeding, raking, digging and bagging the backyard debris, e nding after lunch or earlier if we tackle everything on our list. Please b ring gardening tools if you have them, as well as a sack lunch. Beverages and snacks will be provided . Come join us if you can, for part or all of the hours! Here's a sampling of photos from our last work party, which as you can see, was thoroughly enjoyed by all:

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“Any little thing that you do for God’s cause, no matter how small, will go a long way toward your own realization.”  Paramahansa Yogananda 

September 21: Four-hour Meditation with Kirtan

Portland Center's soul-stirring kirtan group leads morning meditations on the last Sunday of each month, as well as special services and longer meditations throughout the year. On Saturday September 21 our kirtan group will again conduct a four-hour meditation, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m. Paramahansa Yogananda often emphasized the spiritual benefits of devotional chanting, and he also strongly encouraged us to regularly practice longer meditations. Participating in kirtan-led meditations with kindred souls brings these elements together, and the support of group concentration invites each one to go deeper within. We hope you can join us for all four hours, but you may enter or leave during the chanting periods if you are unable to stay for the entire meditation.

Monastic Tour with Kriya Initiation: Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, British Columbia

Self-Realization Fellowship monastics will travel to Vancouver, Canada October 25 - 27 to conduct a weekend program, including a free public lecture Friday evening and a Kriya Initiation ceremony on Saturday. These inspiring events will be hosted by the Vancouver SRF Meditation Group. More information and a registration form are available on their website . A letter describing the program is provided here by Self-Realization Fellowship.  If you plan to attend, it is recommended that you register early!

Group Screenings of SRF Events at Portland Center

During Convocation week, Portland Center was delighted to inaugurate the first group screening of events livestreamed by Self-Realization Fellowship. Devotees who were unable to travel to Los Angeles gathered together in our Center's sanctuary to view a satsanga given by Brother Bhumananda at Convocation earlier that day. If you missed Brother Chidananda's uplifting address given on the last evening of Convocation, you will want to hear how he unveils SRF's next step in fostering devotee interconnectedness throughout the world. His talk is available on SRF's YouTube channel at no charge. SRF also recently announced that access to the Convocation pay-per-view events has been extended through September 25 , with the Wednesday morning kirtan and meditation session extended indefinitely. You may enter the SRF website to pay for or to again view events already purchased.

News from the Managing Council: Live Streaming and Transient Issues

Greetings! This summer we have been spending time with our families and friends in far lands and at home. Portland Center was happy to be able to show one of the Convocation talks at our Thursday service. A new wide projection screen was purchased for this and future showings of SRF talks and events. We will be refining the process as we go along. As you may know, the location of our Center is in an area of Portland that has a considerable transient population. Therefore it is important to protect your personal belongings and also to know what to do if a challenging situation arises with a transient person. On Sundays, if you park in the parking lot on Flanders Street, you have undoubtedly passed by the people living in their cars on the street in front of the empty house next to the parking lot. Unfortunately drug activity has been witnessed. Members of the Managing Council and a couple other devotees have made phone calls about this and have also filed reports with the City of Portland. If enough people call and file reports, we are hoping to draw attention to this particular situation so that the individuals will be directed to move or better yet, be given encouragement and resources to get themselves off the street and into housing. In the meantime, it is best not to interact with the people in and around the cars. Remember also not leave valuables in your car, and be sure to lock it. A good number to have on your phone is the Portland Police non-emergency number, 503-823-3333. You may use this number if you witness any illegal activity or feel unsafe or harassed. The City of Portland has a website where you can file a report if you are so inclined:  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/toolkit/article/562214 The address of the house is 8036 NE Flanders 97213. The Council is continuing to work on this sad situation so that our members and volunteers feel safe and comfortable. We will also be collaborating with the adjacent elementary school (owners of the parking lot) and the neighbors. Thank you to the volunteers who have helped clean up the parking lot on several occasions. We should all pray for love and light to guide this situation to a positive outcome. In Master’s Service, Sarah, Nate, Rebecca, Shikha & Sumuki

Monthly Socials

Immediately following the Inspirational Service on the third Sunday of each month Portland Center members and friends meet in the Sunday School Room to greet and mingle with one another, while enjoying light refreshments provided by our Hospitality committee. We invite you to keep the third Sunday in mind each month, so you can join us for future gatherings!

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. Your support is deeply appreciated!

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