Special Lecture - Gurudev Jayanthi

Special talk from Shri.Arunachalam, who was a Balavihar child himself and a  Chinmaya Yuva Kendra member (CHYK) addressed the children on the “Life of Pujya Gurudev, Pujya Swami Chinmayandaji”. He has seen and interacted with Gurudev during his Balavihar days.

Shri.Arunachalam as a renowned speaker, very well took the children from know to unknown by discussing the key take aways from the movies 'Life of Pi' and 'Sachin'.
Life Lessons from 'Life of Pi':
  Key take aways that children spell out were 'Be Bold', 'Pet Dangerous Animals', 'Don't give up', 'Learn to Survive alone', 'work hard', 'proper planning is required',  'God never gives-up'.
  How did he survive?
     All alone in the boat with a tiger, surrounded by sea, a book, the survival kit, thought how to plan with limited resources when surrounded by endangered animals.
     So, in the game of life, the survival kit - Bhagawad Gita, will groom us to survive and is being taught in such camps.

Lessons from 'Sachin' movie:
  Key take away from children on 'Sachin' movie were 'Don't loose hope', 'you can win' etc.

Shri. Arunachalam & Shravan

He also encouraged the children to talk about Gurudev from theirs learnings through the movie ‘On a Quest’. Shravan, one of the senior Balavihar child, narrated the life of Gurudev, as seen in the movie 'On a Quest' which interested many folks to watch the movie by themselves to understand more about Gurudev's life.

Shri. Arunachalam added that Gurudev had a vision on how the nation have to be built from the grassroots level - like brick by brick house it built. He also added that at the time of Independence, Gurudev mentioned that `India got freedom but not Indians` and the Indians will receive freedom only when the people are free from poverty, diversity etc.

He emphasized that the study does not stop with Balavihar and spoke about different groups / activities in Chinmaya mission. The key point here is if one loose the continuity, then will loose the path to the destination, hence continue with Yuva Kendra.

Groups in Chinmaya Mission:

• Balavihar - At Chinmaya Mission, children are introduced to spiritual culture through Bala Vihar. 
• Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) - is dedicated to harnessing the vibrant and dynamic potential of youthful energy where young people are made aware of their potential through the study of scriptures. A Yuva Kendra member is typically 16 to 28 years of age.  
• Study Groups - Study groups and regular programs at local Mission centres serve as a ready platform where the Setukaris (25-45 years) will be at work. Setukari has been a recent addition to Chinmaya Mission’s grass-root activities with the role of ‘building bonds’ between the young and the old in these fast-changing times. The group studies and discusses scriptural texts according to a prescribed syllabus that offers the seeker a systematic exposure to Vedanta.
• Devi Groups - are exclusively for women. These groups meet for scriptural study, devotional singing and a variety of cultural and social activities.

To take care of mind & intellect, we need knowledge, to gain knowledge we have gurudev or sevaks & sevikas in the form of gurudev. Hence go with an open mind to listen & learn the scriptural knowledge written by gurudev in the most simplified form & taught by sevikas.

Special Lecture - Nature

Special Talk on day-6 of the camp was from Shruthi Didi was on “Nature” .

She spoke on the impression that foreigners have on Indians, their traditions, symbols worshiped, bindi put on their forehead etc and also told an amusing story of Alexander, the Great's earnest desire to take a Yogi back to Greece.
She spoke on how humans standout many a time without appreciating others when the whole universe of nature is working on Yagna spirit.

She did create an awareness on how humans exploit animals in different ways unconsciously causing destruction to different species. Animals are useful to us and in turn we as humans should take care of them instead of unnecessarily exploiting them.

What is the difference between Animals and Humans on how they treat nature?

Animals work on instinct whereas humans have been gifted with free will or choice. It is this choice unfortunately that he humans don't use correctly. Plants and Animals are all in harmony with nature.. Albeit unconsciously whereas humans being conscious beings r not fully conscious in making the right choice. Because of choosing to not live in harmony with nature man is causing his own self destruction.

Humans are the most evolved of all creatures... Most developed brains... We have reached the moon even but we have imitated the west. West thinks we can conquer nature but east always knew we are part of nature. We are not separate from it. If we harm or exploit any creature we only have to pay for it. That's the spirit of oneness and divine cooperation. Everything supports everything

Yes, now-a-days man make all possible effort to conquer the Nature, consciously control and exploit Nature, which has lead us to face the wrath through Natural Calamities.  She emphasized that it is essential to start living in divine cooperation and in complete harmony with Nature through motivational real life stories, like 'The great sparrow campaign'  in 1952 under the Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong. Destroying the sparrow eggs and nests... Which in turn led to insects destroying all grains on stalks and in granaries. Resulted in the great Chinese famine due to the imbalance in the eco system.

Who is more evolved - animals or humans?
Right now it seems humans have devolved to worse than animals. We r given a nobelpeace  prize if we live true to our humane nature.. But a cow is not applauded for behaving like a cow. Think!

So what should humans do... It's their duty to live up to being human... To help and protect other creatures.

In Vedic period, people had great interest in India due its Vedanta. Nalanda and Takshashila Universities have brought students across the globe, like Aryabhatha graduated from Nalanda and Charaka (first surgeon in the world) , Chanakya, Panini from Takshashila  because our science behind vedanta is so strong that it had a mention about the exact speed of light in ancient times.

What made the Indian geniuses they were?

• It is because they lived in harmony with nature... 
• They put in the efforts and as their minds were peaceful and creative ideas flowed into them.
• They lived in the attitude of gratitude to all things that sustained and nourished them. 
• They bowed their heads to all as a result their ego was diminished to the extent that they could see their on individuality microcosm being reflected as the macrocosm in their meditative minds.
  Because of these traits, Indian geniuses could easily see the entire universe inside of themselves. It is no wonder they could could make such accurate astronomical calculations for example, 'The distance between the sun and earth and speed of light etc.', much before the western scientists discovered it.

Concept of RNAs

Every individual by nature passes through various stages of life. Indian thinkers correlate the stages of individual to the society and prescribed duties to every stages of life. 

Further, the ancient Indian concept of rnas is truly beautiful. It said each human being is born on the earth with certain rnas and were bound to repay those rnas during his life time.

The concept of Rna implies obligation and responsibility. Man is a social animal and his development is possible, because many other fellow beings have, in some or other way, contributed to his progress. The individual is under obligation of many members of his society.

• Rishi Rna - is also called as Guru Rna. The first stage in the life of an individual i.e Brahmacharya ashrama (a student) is spent with teacher.
• Pitri Rna - is to be with community and what you owe to your parents.
• Deva Rna - The forces of nature are beyond the control of human beings. To please forces, men used to perform sacrifices. Performance of sacrifices or offering prayers was a way to show respect to deities.
• Nar Rna - is about what you owe to your friends
• Bhuta Rna - all we owe to our environment.

Swami Aparajitanandaji's Lecture on "Bhakti"

Swamiji started the session by teaching “Om namah Shivaya” Bhajan followed by a talk on

“Bhakti”

Food for thought:

• How many factors in the external world are required in keeping you alive in this planet? Infinite
• How many factors inside the body keeps you alive? Infinite
• How many factors are in our control? Nothing
• If simply means somebody else have given this life with infinite compassion. So it does not belong to us.
• How does your fingers move?
  How many cells gets activated? How nervous system gets activated? Which part of the brain works?
  In a nutshell, you are given the ability to move but you do not know the logical reason behind how you move. Same principle applies for tasting, speaking, hearing etc.
• Life is not ours but it has been given to us.
• Abilities & talents are not ours.
• Any knowledge or abilities that are given to us can be taken back anytime.

Four fundamental principles that you need to keep in mind throughout life are

Oh Lord

1. I am nothing!
2. I have nothing!
3. I know nothing!
4. I can do nothing!

But by your grace

• I am something!
• I have something!
• I know something!
• I can do something!

When the lord has given so much of talents, abilities, all that he expects from us is righteousness. Infact he takes avatar only to establish dharma which is emphasized in 

Bhagawad Gita - Chapter 4; Verse: 8

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.

Lord establish the righteousness by protecting the good people and destroy bad or atharmic people.
So, what should we do as obedient children of God?
Follow the path of  righteousness or dharma. Even if you deviate, he does not punish but keep warning you.

4 things in Vishnu’s hand to establish righteousness are

1. Shanka - voice of consciousness inside
2. Chakra - destroys all negativities in mind and mind becomes pure
• Kama - intense desire
• Krodha - Anger
• Lobha - greed
• Moha - delusion
• Mada - Arrogance or pride
• Matsarya - envy, jealousy 
3. Gada - knocking down all the negativities
4. Padma - makes you one with himself

God is not our wish fulfilled; he is our well wisher.

Whenever you pray, he answers in one of the 4 ways

1. Yes 
2. No
3. Wait
4. Take something better 

Example:

If teacher gives a homework and ask you to submit it by tomorrow.

• 1st day - Good children will submit the very next day by listening to their inner voice and the teacher would make other children to stand-up on the bench
• 2nd day - Some of the children who stood on the bench would have completed and teacher would take others to the principal.
• 3rd day - Some of the children who were warned by the principal would have completed and still there might be some exceptions. Teacher will now have no choice by calling the parents.

As and when your mistake increases, the intensity of the punishment increases. 
In short, if you cannot realize your inner voice now, listen to your parents, teachers, eventually you will be disciplined & can start realizing the inner conscience.

Motivational Real Life Story:

Swamiji told the emotional, motivational, real life story of Arunima Sinha, the national volleyball player who made all the way from Death Bed to Mt.Everest through her hardwork & perseverance to accomplish the goal that has deep rooted in her heart by winning over the physical disability and all the oddities that she faced.

If your mind is fixed in Lord, you will overcome all your problems.
Whatever you need, He will provide!
Whatever you have, He will preserve it.

The Poem - Krishna & the Twin Trees

KRISHNA WAS A MISCHEVEOUS CHILD,
    AT ONE PLACE HE WOULDN'T STAY!
HE WAS NAUGHTY, HE WAS WILD,
    TO CATCH HIM, THERE WAS NO WAY!

"He stole our butter" the neighbours complained, 
     Yashoda thought, am embarrassing life she lead!
She was furious:       
     To find a way, she was extremely curious!

TO THIS SHE WANTED TO PUT AN END,
    ALL HIS WAYS SHE WANTED TO MEND!
SO THEN TO A HUGE BOULDER,
    SHE TIED HIS LEGS, HANDS AND SHOULDERS.

As soon as Yashoda was out of sight,
    Krishna put all his might!
In between 2 trees, he pulled the boulder along,    
    Not knowing where they actually belonged!

IN FACT HE PUT SO MUCH MIGHT, 
    THAT THE TREES WERE NO MORE UPRIGHT!
THE TREES TURNED INTO THE TWIN SONS OF KUBERA,
MANIGRIVA AND NALAKUBERA.

And thats the story, 
    Of Krishna & the Twin trees,
About their curse,
    And how at last there were set free!

 - Poem By 

Sharanya Rao