Community Corner
A July 4th Like No Other: Celebrating with Hindu Monks
Curious about a different July 4th festival? Our country's multiculturalism and diversity is celebrated in the annual July 4th Open House Celebration at the Ramakrishna Monastery in Trabuco Canyon.
Summer is here, and most Mission Viejo residents celebrated by relaxing with family and watching fireworks. But some chose a different kind of celebration and attended an Indian Puja instead.
The Fourth of July is the annual celebration of Vivekananda Day in Trabuco Canyon, where visitors experience an Indian Puja in the temple, great food, and mingling with the monks, nuns, and devotees.
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Swami who?
The July 4th Open House Celebration at the Trabuco Monastery honors one of the most important swamis, or holy men, in the Vedanta Hinduism tradition. Swami Vivekananda was the favorite disciple of Ramakrishna and remained a devoted follower of the Bengali avatar long after his death.
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Swami Vivekananda was intensely intellectual and wrote many books about the finer points of Vedanta philosophy. He came to the U.S. in the late 1800s, and so is credited for being the first to bring traditional Hinduism to America—long before the hippie movement.
As a wandering monk and captivating speaker, he worked continuously to establish various centers in England, America, and India. It is said that Swami Vivekandanda was so taken by America and its spiritual potential that he chose to die on July 4, 1902, and so this day is celebrated as his Mahasamadi, or ascension into Great Nirvana.
