Saturday Mar 23, 2019 NYC
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela
Ceremony in Celebration of the Divine Incarnations
on Sunday, April 7, Kyoto
Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa
—Do you believe in God, Sir?
Yes, I do.
—Can you prove to me that he exists, Sir?
Yes.
—Why are you so sure you will be able to convince me?
Because at this moment I see him more clearly than I see you.
(The words of Shri Ramakrishna in answer to Narendra,
later known as Swami Vivekananda)
God exists! In the 19th century, there appeared on earth a God-man, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, to put an end to the prolonged age of spiritual and religious chaos in India, as well as in the world at large, and to lead mankind beyond the particularities of religions or sects to the universal religion—Eternal Truth, Sanatana Dharma. His gospel rang out gloriously in the land of India, and its vibration spread out across the world as the immortal vibration.
Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela is the Celebration that we initiated in Kyoto in 2017 for the purpose of celebrating Sanatana Dharma (the Eternal Truth), which has been in existence continuously without break since ancient times, as well as the incarnations of the various Avatara, who are considered to be the embodiment of God.
For the Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela that will be held this spring, our focus will be on the Great Saint, Shri Ramakrishna. The ceremony last year was wonderful, and we felt as if we were mesmerized, as if we were resonating with the heart of the True Awakened Being, Buddha. This year, through Shri Ramakrishna, let us come even closer to Sanatana Dharma.
How awed we were when we first encountered Shri Ramakrishna’s existence and life! The material world that existed as if it was a given, became fleeting, and we came to know that there is a subtle realm that expands beyond it. It must have been unbelievable to see that such a spiritual realm exists! If we had not seen our great teacher, Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa, with our own eyes, we could not have possibly believed it. Alas, we cannot believe unless we see the evidence with our own eyes. Through the connection to the Avatara, how much people’s lives come to be completely transformed from the very foundation, how much the world we see with our own eyes reverses into an entirely different landscape—this we all know well from our own experience. Because our lives have been imbued with spirituality, and our lives have become filled with joy!
The divinity of Shri Ramakrishna that captivates our seeking hearts is beyond space and time! In this grand celebration, we would like to amply taste his divine presence, sense his sacred breath, melt into his genuine, pristine heart, and, upon the feet of this great Avatara, offer to vow ourselves to the Eternal Truth.
Om Tat Sat Om!