SPIRITUALITY & FAMILY LIFE
SPIRITUALITY &FAMILY LIFECMTC Teacher’s Retreat05 June 2011
Spirituality and family life Family life– Work, home maintenance, kids school and activities,cooking, paying bills, travel, rinse and repeat. Samsaar Spirituality– Calm, Serene, Peaceful, Joy - Sanyaas Can there be a relationship between the two?– “What if” we could get at the secret of peace?– “What if” we could get an ‘Undo’ key to de-stress and getout of our “pressures”. First step done – we are all here6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)2
Program for the day 08:30 AM – 09:00 AM09:00 AM – 09:15 AM09:15 AM – 09:30 AM09:30 AM – 10:15 AM10:15 AM – 10:45 AM10:45 AM – 11:45 PM11:45 AM – 12:00 PM12:00 PM – 01:00 PM01:00 PM – 02:00 PM02:00 PM – 02:45 PM02:45 PM – 03:15 PM03:15 PM – 03:30 PM6/5/2011Check-inChanting / Opening prayerIntroductionSession I (Yoga & Meditation)Session II - Brainstorming breakSession IISession III – Chant Gita Ch. 15LunchSession IV – Shloka chantingSession V – GamesAdministrativeClosingChinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)3
Session I Total duration: 45 min Yoga– Surya Namaskar led by Raman– Yoga – Significance, demo - Tej Meditation– Led by Ashlesha6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)4
Session II Total duration: 1.5 hours4 groupsEach group will be given an article and a storyBreak-out for ½ hour– Divide yourself into article and skit teams After break, each group will– Present article in 5-6 minutes– Perform skit in 5-6 minutes– All group members should participate/contribute Discussion / wrap-up6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)5
Session IIIChanting : Bhagawat Gita Ch. 156/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)6
LUNCH6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)7
Session IV Total duration: 1 hour 4 groups Groups will be given one of the mMantra PushpamBrahmajnanavali Break-out for ½ hour to practice with a lead Come back and chant as a group6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)8
SESSION IV – GamesRajan / Raman6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)9
Summary Spirituality and family life don’t have to be separate entities.– Spirituality achieved by changing attitude with which we go about our daily lives unlock key. Bhakti Yoga– Remember God at all times.– Believe firmly that God alone is true, indestructible, and blissful Jnana Yoga– Read and reflect on scriptures Karma Yoga– Selfless action– Perform duties out of devotion to God (Seva Bhav, Ishwar Arpitam)– Act without anxiety about fruit of action – Nishkaama Karma Dispassion having no raaga (desire) within– Householder should not conduct himself like a recluse (vaanaprastha) or arenunciate (sanyaasin)– Householder can be vairaagi and jnaani, but not tyaagi High moral values / standards– Lead by example for children6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)10
Summary At no time, place and situation, should one forget God and His grace.6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)11
References Tips for Happy Living (Jivanasutrani) – Swami TejomayanandaAdvice To HouseholdersUndoing – Rudite J. EmirEducation : Toward Inner Transformation (Mananam series)Timeless Values (Mananam series)Tapovan Prasad (Feb, Mar 2011)Tell Me A Story6/5/2011Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN)12
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya GanapatiParentingby Swami TejomayanandaFrom the standpoint of Vedanta, everyone belongs to God. Therefore, while raising children we should not forget thisvery important fact. I belong to God because I am part of God, and everyone else belongs to God in the same way. Asparents we are only providing material for the physical body, not the individual self (jiva.) A jiva comes into this world ofits own accord to fulfill some kind of destiny. Everyone has come into this world in the same manner. We have all comewith a purpose to fulfill. It just so happens that we are together in the same family, but each person has a very distinctreason and purpose to be here.For instance, if we travel by plane or train, we do not know who our co-passengers are until we get onto the plane. Theonly thing common to all passengers is that they wanted to travel on the same day, and on the same flight. They are alltogether because of a common karma. But if you ask them individually as to where they are going and why they aregoing, everyone has a different answer. They all travel for different reasons : some are going on a vacation, others toattend a marriage or a funeral, while another one may be going for an interview.Similarly, some common karma brings a family together, a mother, a father, and children. We meet people in life, spendsome time together, and share the good and the bad. Then like fellow travelers, we get off at different places and goour own way. Therefore, let's remove the “I-ness” and “my-ness” from life; my child, my father, my mother, and myfriend, and look at it from a more objective standpoint.Khalil Gibran in his book - The Prophet - states that the children "come through you, they don't belong to you," like thearrow, which comes through the bow but does not belong to the bow; it just follows its own course.In the Bhagavad Gitã, Lord Krishna says: "I am the Mother and the Father and the Grandfather of this universe." (9:17)The Lord is saying, why do you parents think that you have become the mother and father? The Lord is the Father, andwe all belong to Him. With this understanding, our vision becomes clear, and our way of looking at any situation willchange. We all come across situations in life where the outcome surprises us. When we conduct our Vedanta trainingcourse, many people ask, "Swamiji, how are the students (brahmacãri) shaping up? Who do you think is the mostpromising person?" Sometimes, the most promising one quits, and the one appearing to be the least promising willoutshine by the end. It is really strange, so I have stopped judging. Let only the Lord judge. Why should I judge?Our RoleLet us now consider our role as parents. Our role should be rooted in the fact that we belong to God, and in the entirescheme of things, each of us is an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Yet the Lord in His compassion gives everyonean opportunity to achieve something.We need to understand that each of us is part (amsa) of the Lord. The real Mother and Father of the entire Universe isthe Lord. The great saint, Swami Ramdas, said that there is only the Lord and his Nature. Where did the third entity "I"come from? Our role is that of an instrument. We are not the doer, but only an in strument doing what the doer wants usto do. The doer is the Lord. In Upadesa Sara, Ramana Maharshi says in the very first verse: "By the command of theCreator of the world, the fruits of action are gained."Slowly we come to realize that as parents we play the role of an instrument. The Lord has given us a chance to be themother or father of a given child. But we know that this child belongs to the Lord, and we also belong to the Lord. Nowwhat is the best thing that we as parents can do for this child? Swami Chinmayananda has said that your role is likewww.chinmaya-twincities.orgTeachers’ Retreat 2011Parenting - 1
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya Ganapatithat of a farmer or a gardener. You do not create the seed. You do not create the soil. The potential power is already inthe seed. You do not inject anything in the seed. The role of a farmer, an agricul turist, or a gardener is to prepare thesoil properly, then to sow the seeds at the right time, and to give them the required amount of water. shade, sunlight in short, to provide conducive environment for the seeds to grow. If the seeds have something i n them, they will sprout.But if the seeds themselves are roasted, or if the soil is not proper, or there is too much rain, or too little, then what canthe gardener do? Therefore, in the first place, the seed has to have the potential to grow into somethi ng. Then thereare other necessary conducive factors. Our effort is only one of the contributory factors, but it is the totality of this wor ldthat really acts on the seed. Therefore, remember that the result of the efforts (karma phala) do not come becaus e ofour action alone. Our duty is to provide the right atmosphere in a given situation and if the seed has potential, it willgrow.If you have put forth all your efforts and expected results do not untold, then you are not to be blamed. Your consciencewill be clear that you have done all that you could do. This is true, not only in reference to parenting, but for everyactivity in life.When your children are born, it is your job to give them food, clothing, shelter, and education. But along with educati on,we also have to give them good culture, namely the Samskaaras - the impressions that will prompt them to make rightchoices and blossom. Many times parents, who want their children to be cultured, send them to our classes for children- called “Bal Vihar”. The parents say. “You go to B.V., we will watch T.V.!” So they want culture only for their children,and not for themselves. A family should grow together. There is a well-known saying: “A family that prays together,stays together.” When parents and children are all together, their vision is the same and they can live togetherharmoniously.Setting an ExampleMany times parents are concerned about teaching their children while they themselves are ignorant about their ownculture. We must begin with ourselves. Sometimes parents ask me, “Swamiji, when should we start teaching our valuesand culture to our children?” I tell them, “Before the child is born.” Those values should already be in you; only then willyour child imbibe them. The child starts his learning process while he or she is in the mother's womb. That is therationale behind prenatal education. Our scriptures also believe in this, they say that pregnant women should imbibeonly things that are of noble nature, since what they think and do is passed on to the child.Swami Chinmayananda used to speak about this subject in a very outspoken and humorous way. He said that somemothers watch wild programs on TV during pregnancy. They go to all sorts of parties and take part in dancing, drinking,and singing. Therefore when the baby is born, he or she also comes out whistling! Imparting culture to our children isthe most important thing. But we must begin with ourselves. That's why Swamiji said, “Culture cannot be taught, it canonly be caught.” When children watch their parents, they automatically copy. The culture, therefore, has to be in us sothat it can be passed on to our children.Preparing for ParenthoodOne problem is our own ignorance. The other problem is that we have not prepared ourselv es properly for the job ofparenting. For many parents the child comes as a surprise, they seem to be caught unaware, and they are notprepared for parenthood.Do you remember how much you prepared in school or college before your annual examination? Even now, when wego for an interview, we prepare. But, when it comes to living our entire life, there is no preparation. The reason life haswww.chinmaya-twincities.orgTeachers’ Retreat 2011Parenting - 2
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya Ganapatibecome a problem is that we are so ill prepared. We need to understand the entire picture. We should try to provide anatmosphere for the children so that they can grow imbibing these values. Many times parents themselves cannot givevalues. This is where scriptural teaching through some teacher comes in or attending family spiritual camps.Earlier I hinted upon one point, that if we want our children to be good, intelligent, cultured, and respectful, we will haveto begin by developing the same qualities in ourselves. The Gita clearly says: “People follow the leader.” Whateverstandard is set by the elders or the leaders, the rest of the people follow it. History has shown us that when a kingbecame a Buddhist, his subjects also followed Buddhism.There is a famous statement: “As the King, so the subjects.” This does not only apply to kings but to every one of us. Afather or a mother is the leader, a role model for the child. Therefore, we must keep in mind, that if we want the childrento follow a particular ideal or a way of living, then we must ourselves live that way. Otherwise, we are living acontradiction amounting to hypocrisy.www.chinmaya-twincities.orgTeachers’ Retreat 2011Parenting - 3
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya GanapatiMind your Mindby Swami TejomayanandaWhat is most precious to man and how does he lose it?1. One should not come under the sway of vices like desire, anger, and so on2. They, being the destroyers of the wealth of mental peace and discrimination.P ea c e to Pi e ce sWe would not easily put at stake what we value. We safeguard whatever we consider precious, like our health andwealth. However we seem to give away easily and allow others to loot away that which is most precious andinvaluable - our ability to think and discriminate and our peace of mind. The slightest provocation, a hint of aninsult, a minor discomfort, an imagined loss, a worry or desire, anger or jealousy - any of these disturbs our mentalpoise and disrupts our thinking capacity. Once lost, it takes a lot of time and effort to regain them.To remain totally unaffected by likes, dislikes, anger and so on may initially seem impossible. But we can become awareof them arising within us and not get swayed and swept away by them. We should not allow them to overwhelm us orhold our joy and peace at ransom. A woman complained that her husband was temperamental - fifty percent temper andfifty percent mental! How does one overcome anger? The simple solution is - do not get angry. 'Doing' takes effort. 'Notdoing' does not take effort. Getting angry takes effort. Not getting angry does not. Strangely enough we are all puttingefforts into not getting angry!Also when we realize that likes and dislikes and resultant desire, anger, greed, delusion, arrogance and jealousy are ourenemies (sadripu) and value mental peace as true wealth, we will not give in to them so easily (tayoh na vasamagacchet). We will recognize them as way-side looters (paripanthinau) who destroy our knowledge and wisdom (jnanavijnana-nasanam).I do not get provoked, but do I provoke others by my words and deeds?3. One should not give rise to them in the mind of others.Good Begets Good'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.' I do not want others to provoke anger in me, instigate myjealousy, tempt my desires or promote any negativity. Likewise I too should not do so in others. Some take great pride inthe fall of others. They take perverse pleasure in tempting others, making them break their vows or resolutions orprompting them towards wrong ways, had habits or sinful deeds.We should be sensitive to the fact that our words and actions can provoke or tempt or create desire, anger and the likein others. A weak mind easily falls prey to outside temptation, whereas a strong mind cannot be provoked by them.www.chinmaya-twincities.orgTeachers’ Retreat 2011Mind your Mind - 1
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya GanapatiHow should we make our minds strong?4. One should develop virtues like Faith, devotion, and so on and also kindle them in the hearts of others.Replenish your Inner ResourcesDesire, anger, jealousy and the like deplete and weaken us whereas virtues like dispassion, compassion, faith anddevotion replenish and strengthen us. A rajasika (agitated) and tamasika (dull) mind create sorrow whereas a sättvika(alert) mind bestows peace.We give what we have. A peaceful person spreads peace. He/ she can motivate and inspire others by his/her thoughts,words and deeds. Peace and joy in others get reflected as peace and joy within us. Hence in developing virtues inoneself and others, all are benefitted.Can we make our Life a continuous learning experience?5. Always educate ourselves by a variety of experiences, since they are all meaningful.Bank of LearningExperiences are the building blocks of life. Every experience is important and can become meaningful and contribute towhat we are. Sri Buddha saw a sick man and a death procession. That set him thinking about life and death andtransformed his life.We need to open an account in the bank of learning and deposit each day our earnings and learnings from eachexperience, thereby increasing our balance of knowledge and wisdom. This capital can be banked upon in facing thetrials and travails of life. The good teaches us what we should be, the bad, what we should not be. Sorrows can matureus and pressures can steel us. Success can boost us and failures can sober us. No experience however sorrowful orinsignificant is wasted or in vain. Newton discovered the law of gravity when an apple fell on his head!What are the lessons that we should learn from the tests of life?6. One should not become bitter by an experience, but only sweeter.Not Bitter but BetterThe lessons we learn from the experiences of life depend entirely on us. In going through experiences, some becomeweaker and bitter, some stronger and better. Betrayal of trust, false allegations, bereavement, insults, exploitation andthe like could make us bitter, hard and cynical. However these very same experiences could transform and mature usand make us stronger. Sant Ekantha was spat upon many a time by a person. Such an act would have made us livid.However Sant Ekanatha without reacting bathed each time. Finally when the man fell at his feet, Sant Eka nMha actuallythanked him for giving him an opportunity to bathe in the holy river so many times and thus purify himself!Experiences can break us or make us. Bored in the daily prayer sessions that Pujya Gurudev had to attend as a child, heentertained himself with a game of visualisation and concentration on the form of God. This in later years helped him inmeditation. Experiences test us and challenge us. They can bring out the best in us. During times of crisis like wars ornatural disasters like earthquakes, people are known to do super-human or inhuman acts. How we lace life, what welearn from our experiences and how they mould us depend entirely on us alone.www.chinmaya-twincities.orgTeachers’ Retreat 2011Mind your Mind - 2
Chinmaya Mission Twin CitiesChinmaya GanapatiDoes pain make us or break us?7. There is no gain without pain and pain without gain.Gainful PainPain is in a way a blessing. Pain indicates a problem. If there is no pain, people may not even become aware of somediseases like cancer, spreading within them. If and when the pain comes, it may be too late to do much. Pain isunacceptable and we wish to be rid of it immediately. We search for a cure and put forth every effort to be rid of theproblem or disease.Pain focuses our attention. Our mind does not go anywhere, when in pain. Also sorrow humbles. Joy makes uscomplacent and attached. Sorrow initiates inquiry and creates dispassion. Adversities test our commitment, convictionsand values. They can mature, strengthen and transform us. Most importantly in adversities and sorrow we rememberGod (duhkha mein sumirana saba kare). That is the greatest gain. Devotees who have turned to the Lord in sufferinghave become great saints. Kunti prayed to Sri Krishna, "May adversities always come in our life (vipada.: santu nahsasvat), as we then remember you intensely, you save us from calamities and we experience your grace."Painful GainIn every pain there is gain. We have to sacrifice something in order to attain something. We lose the innocence ofchildhood and gain the joys of youth. Subhash Chandra Bose said, "Give me blood and I will give you f reedom." Manylives were lost in gaining India's Independence. Pujya Gurudev underwent many hardships as a seeker and later to setup the Chinmaya Mission. In fact, it appears that the great face extra doses of pain and adversities.We should therefore not
Tapovan Prasad (Feb, Mar 2011) Tell Me A Story 6/5/2011 Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities (MN) 12. Chinmaya Mission Twin Cities Chinmaya Ganapati www.chinmaya-twincities.org Teachers’ Retreat 2011 Parenting - 1 Parenting by Swami Tejomayananda From the standpoint of Vedanta, everyone
2 FOCUS CE COURSE Spirituality and Social Work Originally printed December 2010 DEFINITIONS Spiritual / Spirituality Spirituality is an aspect of religious traditions, and also of existential value systems. Elkins (1988) gives this definition: “Spirituality, which comes from the Latin, spiritus, meaning breath of life,” is a
Kapic and Randall Gleason and Evangelical Spirituality by James Gordon. The former represents Puritan piety, whereas the latter, Evangelical spirituality.2 Before comparing 1 Joel Beeke, in his book Puritan Reformed Spirituality (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2004), approaches Reformed and Puritan spiritualities as single entity.
Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Ways of Understanding All individuals possess the capacity for Spirituality Spirituality aids individuals in coping with stress, and can be the source of stress Spirituality can be the source of good behavior or bad behavior Spiritual distress goes hand in hand with psychological distress while spiritual
Virginia Satir made her representation, the Satir method’s view toward spirituality, how spirituality can be applied in this approach, and how the therapeutic process should go in the spirituality-based approach. Afterward, the psychological counselor’s role and responsibilities in the spirituality-based Satir method will be explained, theFile Size: 835KBPage Count: 20
Religiousness and Spirituality in College Students - 2 - I. Measuring Religiousness and Spirituality Definitions of Religion and Spirituality The question of measurement is a central one in science. In order to measure any concept, such as length or intelligence, one must start with some idea of how one is going to define that construct.
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Study Guide Chapter One: The Two Halves of Life . (Matthew 5:43-48) unless God is doing it first and always? Jesus told us to love our enemies because he saw his Father doing it all the time, and all spirituality is merely the ‘imitation of God’ (Ephesians 5:1) if your notion of .
end of life When people come to the end of their lives they sometimes think about what will happen after they die. No one really knows what happens after we die. Religion and spirituality are beliefs and ideas that people have to help them understand life and death. Each person may have different ideas about spirituality or religion. Different .
in life is an outcome or effect of one’s preexisting - spirituality. Thus the three aspects of “workplace spirituality” were arranged in the second block, and the awareness of the “meaning in life” in the last block. 2. Research Desi
