Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in USA

Hindu Temples of New York, Queens, Astoria NY

20-29 38th street
Queens, Astoria NY 11105
Toll Free: 1-888-474-1218
Email: info@ramakrishnananda.com

The New York Temples

In the year 2003, His Holiness Avadhuta Sri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja, who is respectfully and lovingly called “Prabhuji” by his disciples, devotees, followers and friends, founded the Vishwa Dharma Mandalam in order to spread the ancient wisdom of the Sanatana-dharma religion. As an intrinsic part of this endeavor, Prabhuji undertook the construction of the Radhe-Shyam Temple to be a center for the religious functions and a home for the community of devotees. The Radhe-Shyam temple is a fully functioning Hindu temple in New York.
Prabhuji ’s vision was to create a place that will faithfully present Hinduism in all its different aspects, offer instructive knowledge to those unfamiliar with Sanatana-dharma, and at the same time provide an orthodox temple where any devotee or believer can receive proper darsana of the deities
After considerable renovations, in which a simple East Village space was converted to a place appropriate for worship, the lengthy and delicate work began of preparing the temples devoted to each and every deity. One by one, the altars for Lord Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kali were erected. A special place was chosen for Sri Sri Radhe-Shyam, the temple’s main deities.
With an authoritative installation ceremony led by several brahmanas, the temple was officially inaugurated. Ever since, pūjā ceremonies have been conducted every day for all the gods. The ceremonies are conducted by personal disciples of Prabhuji , and also by qualified brahmanas, striving together to achieve the highest standards of worship possible. Once a week, as well as on special holidays, an abhiṣeka ceremony is performed to one of the gods, usually followed by a kirtana, lecture or Vedic arts performance.
In the Radhe-Shyam temple, the recitation and proper pronunciation of Vedic mantras is incorporated into the sādhanā, or practice, of the devotees at the Vishwa Dharma Mandalam. The recitation and proper pronunciation of Vedic mantras is an essential part of the worship. It has an intensely purifying affect on the both the listener and the person who chants. These Vedic hymns are taken from the pages of the Vedas, the most sacred and ancient scriptures of Hinduism, and consist of various prayers and invocations to the gods. After every recitation, when the mind is focused and purified, the conditions are appropriate for silent meditation.

Currently, the Temple in the East Village was relocated. Now new Temples are opening all around New York. Two of them are already established. The first is the Hindu Temple in the Ramakrishnananda Sakshi Yoga Center in Astoria, Queens. Every evening there Arati is performed, and all the major Hindu Holidays are celebrated with Pujas.

Temple Etiquette

In order to conserve and maintain the religious and spiritual atmosphere within the temple, please follow the following regulations:

Eating or taking food inside the temple is not allowed.
Footwear should be placed on the shoe racks provided at the front of the temple.
Cellular devices are to be turned off inside the temple
Maintain silence while puja, ceremonies and activities are being performed.
No running or playing around the altar.

Founder Acharya

Prabhuji

His Holiness Avadhuta Sri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja, who is affectionately and lovingly called “Prabhuji” by his disciples, devotees, followers and friends, is a philosopher of the Truth, a tantric master, a mystic, a sage and a self-realized spiritual master in many of the major yogic paths, specifically hatha, raja, bhakti and jñana. Chilean by birth, Prabhuji was born on March 21st, 1958. While in his childhood home in Santiago, he experienced an unforgettable moment on the transcendental plane when only eight years old, impelling him to seek out the Truth. This ardent desire set the course of his life.
Prabhuji’s younger years were dedicated to analyzing, learning about and practicing different religions and spiritual paths. Following many years of inquiring, he came to the realization that the experience he had as a young boy was a mysterious initiation given by Existence itself; knowing that what he received was just the seed of Existence’s great wisdom, he proceeded to revealing it through spiritual practice and meditation.
Due to his insatiable spiritual interest, he traveled around the world as he searched out religious or spiritual personalities who could offer him some insight and guidance about his early transcendental experience. He journeyed throughout Chile two years then, when he was twenty-one, he traveled to other South American countries, reaching as far as Brazil. Years later, he expanded his search to far and distant countries and cultures, such as Europe, the Middle East, India, Canada, and finally the United States, where he now lives.

The Vishwa Dharma Mandalam Hindu Temples in New York
Founder Acharya H.H Avadhuta Sri Ramakrishnananda Babaji Maharaja

Weekly Abhishekams…

We are now performing weekly abhishekams to the different aspects of Divinity on Tuesdays at our branch in Astoria, Queens. The puja will start at 8pm and end approximately at 9pm, followed by evening aarti and meditation. Keep updated about coming pujas and holidays by visiting our branch events calendar.
Pujas for the up-coming month:

Darshan – Visiting the Temples

to visit the Queens Temple:
Sakshi Yoga Meditation Center – Queens:
20-29 38th street
Queens, Astoria NY 11105
Center Website: prabhujiyoga.com/astoria/

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration

at the Prabhuji Sakshi Yoga Center.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the appearance day of Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed God and Lord of auspicious beginnings who removes the obstacles from the way and bestows wisdom and prosperity. At the Vinayaka Chaturthi celebration, we will honor Ganesh with ecstatic kirtan chanting, tell his story and pastimes, offer him various items and holy mantras in a Vedic puja ceremony, and serve him laddus — the round sweets that he loves so much!
Light Prasadam, or sanctified food, will be served.
Special opportunity!
To express your devotion to Lord Ganesh on his special day, you can choose any of the following options:
Sponsor the entire puja – $108
The sponsor will receive a special kalash (traditional jar) filled with charanamrita, which is the mixture of milk, honey, water, etc. that was used to bathe Lord Ganesha. This mixture emanates directly from the holy feet of Ganesha, and is blessed with Vedic mantras. It is considered very auspicious and a direct blessing from the Divine.
Sponsor the Laddu offering – $51
Laddus are round and very sweet balls that are especially favored by Lord Ganesh. Make this your offering! The laddu sponsor will receive a framed photo of Lord Ganesha as well as a printed recipe to make laddus at home! The offering will be served as prasadam to all the event participants.
We are happy to announce the opening of our new branch in Queens, New York. The new branch is now the new home for Sri Sri Radha Krishna!
We will have evening Arati every evening, and special pujas and holidays. Ganesh Chaturti will be the first auspicious event happening at our new center.

You are welcomed to visit this new temple at:
Ramakrishnananda Yoga Vedanta Center – Queens:
20-29 38th street
Queens, Astoria NY 11105
Toll Free: 1-888-474-1218
Email: info@ramakrishnananda.com

Adi Shankara Jayanti is the celebration of the Appearance

On this day we celebrate the great sage Adi Sankaracarya who lived about 2,500 years ago. Shankara is best known for consolidating the Vedantic system of thought known as Advaita Vedanta, or non-duality, which sees all beings as manifestations of the same one, non-dual reality of which God and the self are no different. Shankaras many writings were based on ideas found in the sacred Upanishads.
Shankara was born to Shivaguru and Aryamba, a previously childless couple that was very pious and prayed to Lord Shiva in a 48-day ceremony, requesting a son. Pleased with their devotion, Lord Shiva appeared to them and gave the option of having either many dull sons or only one who will be highly intelligent but live for just a short time. The couple said the decision was His, and pleased with this reply, Lord Shiva was then born to them by the name of Shankara. He learned to read and write by the age of three and by the time he was five years old, was initiated into brahmachari. Shankara was a remarkable scholar who mastered the Vedas by the time he was a mere eight years old.
While still young, he persuaded his mother to allow him to take sannyas, to live a life of renunciation. With her permission, he left his home in Kerala and traveled towards northern India where he met his guru Govindapada, a disciple of Guadapada. Following the instruction of his guru, Shankara, who attracted many with his intelligence and kindness, traveled with his own disciples and propagated the Advaita philosophy. Shankara supported this philosophy in many significant commentaries on sacred texts including the Brahma Sutra, Principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Before leaving his body at the young age of 32, he attained moksha.

Maha Shivaratri

oṁ trayaṁbakaṁ yajamahe sugandhiṁ pusṭi-vardhanam

urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyor muksīya ma mrtat

Oṁ. I worship the three-eyed-one (Lord Shiva) who is fragrant and who perfectly nourishes all beings; may He liberate me from death so that I may know immortality, even as a cucumber is released from its bondage (to the creeper).

Join us for a night of chanting, meditation, and worship as we celebrate the Maha Shivaratri Festival, also known as the “The Great Night of Lord Shiva.” Shiva is the God of yoga and meditation, the deity of dance, the destroyer and transformer, and one of the Divine beings in the Hindu Trinity.
Our program includes:
● Shiva Puja, abhishekam: Worship ceremony and bathing of the Shiva Lingam deity
● Shiva katha- A talk about the life and qualities of Lord Shiva
● Pranayama and guided meditation
● Instruction of Japa practice (A mantra meditation with prayer beads)
● Rudraksha Alankar – Offering of Rudraksha malas (Prayer beads) to Lord Shiva
● All night devotional chanting and kirtan, along with Japa practice of the “Om Namah Shivaya” mantra, one round every hour

New Lecture website about Hinduism and Yoga

New lectures are now available in the Ramakrishnananda Institute for Vedic Studies

Vedic Deity Worship Seminar

First part of the Vedic Worship at Home Workshop, covering the essentials of Deity Worship.

Second part of the Vedic Worship at Home Workshop, explaining how to build a simple altar and make the puja offering.

Raja Yoga Course :

A brief outline of the Raja Yoga course. Introduction to the Scriptures of the Vedic Religion. The 4 Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva. These are considered Shruti – “the heard” section of the scriptures. Then the explanation of the Smriti scriptures is described, the Dharma Shastras, the Itihasas, the Agamas or Tantras, the Puranas, and eventually the Darshanas. The overview helps to understand that position of the Darshana Yoga within the entire Vedic scriptures world.

What is Raja Yoga? Beginning with the definition of Yoga according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Yoga is a cessation of the mind activity. Then an explanation of the meaning of the word “raja” and “yoga”, followed by a detailed comparison between Raja Yoga and western Psychology. Following the explanations of Swami Ramakrishnananda about the topic, the lectures concentrates on understanding what is the mind, its function to externalize reality, and the ego – the element of fragmentation in all the spheres of existence.

Explaining the basic ideas of Sankhya Philosophy, an important Darshana that is intricately related to Yoga. Here the important subject of Purusha – Pure Consciousness, and Prakriti – Material nature are explained according to the Vedic Scriptures, and then the emanations of the different elements – Buddhi, Ahankara, Manas, and then the senses and the tanmatras – subtle elements.

Starting with the first sutras of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the lecture goes into the various types of Vrittis – or modifications of the mind. The Vrittis can be painful or not-painful (Klishta or aklishta). The five types are: correct knowledge (Pramana), wrong interpretation (Viparyaya), Verbal Illusion (Vikalpa), Sleep (Nidra), Memory (Smriti). The topic of Yogic Epistemology – the means of knowledge is also covered.

Samskaras, one of the most basic and important principles of Raja Yoga. Samskaras are the patterns we create in our mind by repeating a vritti over and over again. These become imprinted in our mind, and transform into habits and behavioral patterns. The Samskaras are what become our personality, habits, talents and traits.

Concentrating on Swami Ramakrishnananda’s writings, we go into the topic of what a human being is. The idea that a human being is a process, a path from the animal to the Divine. Explaining the three levels of the mind in Raja Yoga – the instinctive, intellectual and intuitive, and exploring how these are expressed in Gurudev’s writings.

Karma is a very basic idea in the Vedic Religion. Karma has three types, Sanchita, Prarabdha, and Kriyamana Karma. Having a clear understanding of the Law of Karma, and how the different types of Karma are created and take affect, is essential to understand any kind of Yoga.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali takes a fascinating take on the issue of Suffering. What kind of suffering can be avoided? Why suffering appears? What is the way to eradicate suffering? In Raja Yoga, suffering can be avoided by the development of Viveka – discrimination, which will eliminate Avidya – ignorance, that is the root cause of all suffering.

This lectures concentrates of the subject of Kleshas, the roots of human suffering. There are five types of Kelshas, which are: ignorance (avidyā), egoism (asmitā), attraction (rāga), aversion (dveṣa) and fear of death (abhiniveśāḥ). Reading from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, sadhana pada, sutras 2.3 – 2.9. As all kelshas are based on avidya, ignorance, the connection between kleshas as the root of karma, and therefore suffering, is explained.

This lectures focuses on the subject of spiritual practice (sadhana) as it is explained in the Yoga Sutras, Samadhi Pada, Sutra 1.12. Here Patanjali Maharishi writes that cessation of the mental activity comes by practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya).
Reading from Gurudev writings about spiritual practice, it is understood that practice does not bring enlightenment as a result, as that will mean that the practice is more powerful than the Divine.

Hinduism – Truth is one but Universal

An excerpt from Swami Ramakrishnananda’s teachings about Hinduism.
“According to Hinduism the Truth is one, but at the same time it is universal, in other words, it is expressed in numerous attitudes, forms, and aspects. Vishva-dharma is unique in the sense that , being a religion with a clear direction, it encompasses innumerable paths.
When the westerner, which is unfamiliar with Hinduism, visits a mandir or temple, he can be surprised by the number of deities of devas. Though, these are different aspects of one sole reality. When he sees images of Siva, Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesha, Durga, Kali, he can erroneously think that it is a religion that accepts multiple different Gods. He might also notice that within the same religion there are different approaches: vaishnavism, shaivaism, shaktism, smartism, which are actually infinite windows that allow us to observe the same sky.
Even if we observe ourselves in different moments we can see we are not the same. In the morning we are one, by noon another, and in the evening, we are completely different. Our mood is not the same in public as in solitude…
Similarly, a loyal follower of the Santana dharma religion can develop devotion toward Vishnu, Krishna, Siva, or the Divine Mother. This is only possible in a religion of an inclusive character; its pluralism, breadth, and acceptance offers marvelous possibilities of praying and chanting in public according to vaishnavism, while at the same time to worship as an authentic saiva with our closest friends, and unimpeded by this, to meditate in and perceive our Divine Mother according to saktism.
Hinduism is not polytheistic, it does not believe in the existence of many Gods. But it is also not monotheistic, because it does not accept the existence of only one God. For the vishva-dharma religion only God exists, only God is. There is no reality other than God. Brama satyam jagan mithya… we do not consider that it is only a doctrine or theology, because vishva-dharma is not a philosophical theory to be accepted, or an item of faith to be believed in, or a discipline to be practiced, but an experience to be lived…”

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the great devotees , wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)