Virtual Temple Meeting of the Congregation – Recorded
Recorded: Friday, March 13, 2021
Brother Jayananda joined us from the newly renovated Minster’s House on the grounds of the Bay Area Temple.
Brother addressed pre-submitted questions and read inspirational letters of Daya Mata. A slide presentation was shown of the current projects, landscaping, and a virtual tour of the grounds.
Past Meetings
Past meetings are available to watch on our temple website.
Temple Outreach Committee
The isolation felt by everyone and especially those who live alone during this time of pandemic restrictions remains an ongoing concern to our community.
The Temple Outreach Committee has suggested we all participate in connecting to our fellow devotees and friends by making phone calls. Hearing each other’s voices can be uplifting and change the course of one’s day in a more positive direction. In this age of technology when social communication has been abbreviated into texts, emails, and other medias, the human voice, our most powerful tool of communication is being silenced.
Gail Jarocki, Chairperson for the Outreach Committee, is helping to coordinate community members who are available to help in phoning others.
Bay Area Temple Website
URL
The URL for the temple website has been changed to https://bayareatemple-srf.org/
The new temple email address for inquiries and questions is: infoassistant@bayareatemple-srf.org
Donate to Bay Area Temple
All donations are needed and are very much appreciated! Thank You! We deeply appreciate and welcome your support of the Bay Area Temple.
Your gift enables us to fund the vital services and activities that we offer to our members and larger community, and to maintain our sacred facilities.
General Operating Fund
Your gift helps meet the day-to-day and highest priority general operating needs of the Bay Area Temple.
Your gift will help support the care of our Bay Area Temple property, including costs associated with acquiring and maintaining the facilities, grounds, equipment, furniture, and vehicles, and those associated with related capital campaigns.
___________________ SRF / YSS NEWS ___________________
At this time all SRF Temple Meditations and Inspirational Services have been cancelled until further notice.
Online Inspirational Services
Forgiveness — Experiencing the Compassion of God” by SRF monk Brother Saralananda
Sharing practical guidance, visualizations, and affirmations from Paramahansa Yogananda, SRF monk Brother Saralananda discusses how we can expand our concept of forgiveness—of others and of ourselves—as we deepen our understanding of the many ways the Divine embraces each of us with unconditional love and compassion.
This talk was recorded at the 2016 SRF World Convocation in Los Angeles.
Online Meditation Center Time Changes
Daylight Savings Time Change
Sunday, March 14, marks the start of Daylight Savings Time the U.S. and Canada and on March 28 for many countries in Europe. This upcoming time change will affect the schedule of weekly online meditations. Additionally, you will find a number of changes to the regular calendar of services outlined below. Please check the SRF Online Meditation Center calendar to confirm the timings of meditations you would like to join in your local time zone.
New Weekly Two-Hour Meditation
Starting on Wednesday, March 17, a new two-hour lay member-led meditation will be conducted weekly on Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PDT. This service will be held on the same Zoom link as the 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PDT meditation so you may remain in the same meditation room for another hour if you wish.
YSS Monastic-led Meditations
With the start of Daylight Savings Time this month, the timing of the YSS monastic-led meditations on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays will change for those joining from countries that observe Daylight Savings Time. Please note: these meditation times will not change for those joining from Indian Standard Time.
Additional Lay Member-led Meditations
Starting on Monday, March 15, additional lay member-led meditations will be conducted on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. PDT throughout Daylight Savings Time (March 14 – November 7).
German Language Meditations
Starting on Tuesday, March 16, the alternating weekly lay member-led and SRF monastic-led German meditations will be moved to Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. PDT.
Italian Language Meditations
Starting on Tuesday, March 16, the weekly schedule of Italian meditations will be: lay member-led on Tuesdays, alternating lay member-led and SRF monastic-led on Wednesdays, and lay member-led on Fridays. All of these meditations will still be held at 10:00 a.m. PDT.
Scriptural Study Groups
Starting on Tuesday, March 16, the weekly scriptural study groups of the Second Coming of Christ will move from Wednesdays to Tuesdays; similarly, the scriptural study groups of the Bhagavad Gita will change from Fridays to Thursdays. Please note that the timings for both the study groups remain the same.
Please be sure to check the calendar of services to confirm the timings of services in your local time zone.
“Spiritual Light for These Challenging Times” Resources Page
As our world continues to go through difficult times, we would like to call your attention to a valuable resource for encouraging and practical guidance to help you gain perspective. There you will find counsel from Paramahansa Yogananda and the SRF presidents to give you a renewed faith in God’s protection — and your own ability to move forward with strength, understanding, and compassion for all.
Affirmation for Fearlessness
I am fearless
I am made of the substance of God
I am a spark of the fire of spirit
I am an atom of the cosmic flame
I am a cell of the vast universal body of the Father
I and my Father are one
New Online Programs for Youth First Offering:
A Virtual “Journey to Lake Shrine”
We are happy to present an online experience created especially for youth, “Journey to Lake Shrine.” This five-part series of virtual programs was created by SRF’s Youth Services Department in light of our usual youth programs being on hold due to the pandemic.
Part 1 of this virtual journey to the SRF Lake Shrine interweaves Paramahansaji’s how-to-live teaching principles, a short meditation, and affirmation practice with stories and a tour of the Lake Shrine’s special features.
Though created for youth, these videos will be enjoyed by all ages. Look for further installments in the coming weeks.
2020 SRF Online Convocation – Classes and Meditations
We are happy to let you know that the 2020 Convocation events is still available on the SRF website.
Please continue to enjoy this weeklong online program of classes on Paramahansa Yogananda’s “how-to-live” teachings and meditation techniques, guided group meditations and kirtans (devotional chanting), virtual pilgrimage tours to the ashrams where the great Guru lived and communed with God, and more.
Joining Worldwide to Pray Throughout the Day
SRF has announced a new worldwide prayer initiative. In the Self-Realization Fellowship and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India ashrams of Paramahansa Yogananda, all the monastics will be praying for the world and all those in need at specific times of the day, and we invite those who wish to do so to join in this collective effort — at those times or any other time that fits into your daily routine.
Following are the times that the monks and nuns at the SRF International Headquarters and other locations in California will be offering these healing prayers: (All times in PDT)
7:50 – 8:00 am 12:50 – 1:00 pm 6:50 – 7:00 6 pm
To read the full article: → Read more
Resources: To Help You Cope with the Current World Situation
From SRF Mother Center:
We in the ashrams of Paramahansa Yogananda are deeply concerned for the welfare of the SRF/YSS global spiritual family and for all humanity during the current difficult world situation. Above all, we want to encourage you to turn within to the unfailing Inner Source of protection and reassurance.
Here are some online resources to aid you in your efforts to do just that at this or any other time of need. We will be updating this list with more content in the weeks to come:
. . . Connecting With the Inner Source of Protection
Online Meditation Center
SRF – Yogananda Seva | YSS – Dhyana Kendra
Meditating together increases the degree of Self-realization of each member of the group by
the law of invisible vibratory exchange of group magnetism.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda
Meditations and Study Groups | Monday – Saturday
Join devotees around the globe for daily online group Meditations and Scripture Studies via the newly established online SRF Meditation Center.
Daily group meditations, SRF Lessons and Scripture Study groups are now available for SRF members and friends around the world.
All sessions are scheduled in Pacific Time.
SRF / YSS Sign-Up
To participate in the online group meditations, sign-up is available with the international community of SRF/YSS members via the following links:
 |
 |
 |
Prayer Requests
Monks and nuns of the Self-Realization Fellowship Prayer Council pray daily for all those who request prayers for physical, mental, and spiritual healing and for world peace.
They are joined by SRF members and friends around the globe who are part of our Worldwide Prayer Circle.
All prayer requests are confidential and will remain with our Prayer Council for a period of 3 months.