Minutes of the Youth Cell - February 2024
Revered Swami Sarvarupanandaji Maharaj, a senior monk residing at Varanasi Home of Service, gave the benediction address.
Salient points of his speech are as follows:
♦ As we begin a new day, it's essential to remember the importance of seeking knowledge. The period from 7 to 14 years of age is crucial for a student's learning process, and by the age of 14-21, we try to live by what we have studied during that period.
♦ According to Swami Vivekananda, the word "impossible" should never be in a student's mind.
♦ An Upanishad verse suggests that a student gains knowledge in four parts. The first 25% comes from school, the next 25% is achieved through sharing with friends, the following 25% is acquired when the student goes home and reflects on what they have learned, and the final 25% comes from awakening the inner learning consciousness.
♦ In today's education, economics is the basis of our study. The trend worldwide is for children to learn what will earn them money as they grow. However, education is not just about physical and mental development. It's also about how we behave as human beings. Spiritual strength and adherence to fundamental values are also crucial.
♦ Swamiji suggested that families where both parents work should make it compulsory to have breakfast every day before going out. This is to promote unity and understanding among family members.
♦ During a meeting in Coimbatore, Dr Abdul Kalam asked the students about their aspirations. Most wanted to become doctors or engineers, but one student's response stood out. His aspiration, 'to be good and do well for society,' was celebrated and encouraged, highlighting the importance of each student's unique goals.
♦ Being a good person is the most important thing for a student. It means working in unison with their mind, word, and deed for the welfare of society without causing harm to themselves or others.
♦ He gave an example of a thorn that pricks our feet. We might say, 'The thorn pricked me,' but it's our mistake for stepping on it. Similarly, we must take responsibility for our mistakes and not blame others, empowering us to be accountable for our actions.
After delivering his speech, the Revered Maharaj awarded certificates to ten students and a teacher participating in the 125th All-India Youth Convention held at Belur Math, Kolkata, from December 25th to 26th, 2023.
Following this, a rejuvenating yoga session was conducted on the Ashrama campus. The yoga teacher led the students in performing Surya Namaskar and various physical exercises, contributing to their physical well-being. Smt Somasundari, an expert in various fields like archaeology, writing poems, and motivational Speaking, addressed the students. She presented her talk on "Know Yourself." As a token of appreciation, she was awarded a memento.
♦ She gave an example of a dynamic and energetic bee collecting honey from flowers and donating it to society. Although bees are single-sense animals, they contribute a lot. As six-sense humans, we should be great contributors to society.
♦ She narrated examples of Dr Abraham Lincoln, who didn't give up despite many failures, and Tesla, who taught us not to get bogged down by failures and to be fearless in our struggles.
♦She also spoke about Lord Vishnu instructing Sage Narada to visit a village where a farmer was toiling hard in his fields and remembering the Lord while doing his work.
♦ During her speech, she mentioned Chinnapillai Amma, who hails from the Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu. She was honoured with the "Padma Award" by the former Prime Minister of India for contributing to the microfinance sector. She initiated a microfinance concept called "Kalanjiyam self-help group" for the people of her village. She started with eight people and now covers eight lakh people across 14 states in India.
♦ Finally, Smt Somasundari spoke about Stephen Hawking, who achieved great Success despite his physical disadvantage because of his strong spirit. She gave these examples to motivate students and encourage them not to be deterred by failures, poverty or misery. Instead, they should be fearless, focused, and have an enormous fighting spirit to overcome obstacles.
At the end of the program, a reading from the book "Enathu Bharatham Amara Bharatham." The students were divided into two groups, and each person read a passage from the book.
Afterwards, both groups were asked questions based on their reading, and the group with the most correct answers was given prizes.
This activity helped the students better understand the concepts explained in the book and stay attentive for the entire session.
The program concluded with prayers, and lunch prasad was served to all participants.
Minutes of the Youth Cell - April 2024
The Youth Cell Program Minutes for April 2024 were held on 7/4/24 at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, T Nagar. Fifty students, including students from SVYF and four volunteers, attended the session.
The session started with a "Guided meditation" practice by Swami Guruvarananda. The second session was the bhajans by Swami Shuddhabrahmananda, with three songs on the holy trio.
As it was the 13th day after the Mahasammadhi of the Most Revered Srimat Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj, the 16th president of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Swami Guruvarananda briefly explained the Revered Maharaj's life and message and observed silence prayer for two minutes by all.
Swami Guruvarananda explained the concept of the Guru through the story to help us realize our forgotten divine consciousness, which is always there within us. Still, due to ignorance, we are not able to know it: "A king and his pregnant wife sought shelter at a hunter's home in the forest as they fled from the town, fearing death from the attacking enemy. The king went outside alone to save his pregnant wife and fought the opponent, leaving his wife behind. The enemies killed the king, and the pregnant wife gave birth to a son, and she also died during the labour of giving birth.
The crown prince lived in the hunter's family as a child and grew up with all the other hunters. The enemy was weak, and a minister loyal to the previous king brought back the crown prince (who was living as a hunter) to return and regain the kingdom. Thus, enthused by the minister, the crown prince went to the palace, fought the enemy, regained the kingdom, and became the prince. In the above story, the Guru, like the minister, appears at the right time and educates us to fight the enemy within, showing our real nature and working hard to realize our true divine nature.
Then, there was a special lecture under the title of "Communicate to Connect" by Mr. Kumar about the basic concepts of:
1) What is communication?
2) The purpose of communication?
3) The elements of communication?
4) The process of communication?
5) What are the traps in good communication?
6) The art of listening?
7) Effective steps to listening?
By involving the students in activities and motivating them, all the above concepts were easy for them to understand. Then, there was a yoga session with basic exercises. Yoga teacher Sri Veerabhadran taught Surya Namaskar. Then reading from the book “Enathu Bharatham, Amara Bharatham”, under the title "The Establishment of Sri Sarada Math and the Worship of the Mother." Thus, the students established great togetherness in the group discussion, sharing their work and knowledge, making their group more organized and positive. Each student contributed accordingly without any fear. All the students received books on Holy Trio. In the end, lunch Prasad was served to all the students, thus ending the Youth Cell Program with prayers.
Minutes of the Youth Cell - May 2024
The minutes of the Youth Cell Program for May '24 were held on 5/5/24 at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, T Nagar, and Chennai. The above session was attended by 40 students (including SVYF students) and five volunteers, who played a crucial role in organizing and facilitating the activities. Their dedication and support were instrumental in the smooth running of the session.
The session started with a 30-minute Guided meditation practice led by Swami Guruvarananda. The meditation focused on deep breathing and mindfulness, helping the students relaxes and prepare for the session. This was followed by the chanting of 'Shanthi Mantras,'bhajans and chanting of ‘Swadesha Mantra’ creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
In his keynote address, Swami Guruvarananda mentioned Swami Vivekananda's famous quote: 'Teach yourself, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakens. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.' He then shared three stories that illustrated the essence of this quote in different contexts.
a) There was a young and educated degree holder who was desperate to find a job, finally got the job as a reporter in a daily newspaper, and was asked to join the next day, i.e., Independence Day.
He reported for duty and was assigned to the port to cover a new ship that was coming and how they celebrated Independence Day. When he went to the port, he was saddened that there was no Independence Day celebration. A hole was in it; the ship had been flooded with water, and people were getting it out. So the new reporter returned to the office, dejected, as there was nothing to report. However, another reporter capitalized on the opportunity of no Independence Day at the port due to flooding and made that news the headlines. Thus, by believing in oneself, one how the problems were viewed by two persons, one in a pessimistic way and the other in an optimistic way.
b) The second story of how a monk went into a forest where a rakshasi lived and committed murders of those coming into the forest. The monk, despite the warnings from the public, went in. There was a tremendous hurricane, and the leaves and branches had fallen from the tree—the monk when approached by the rakshasi. The monk said, if you want to kill me, I am ready to die at this moment, but answer me one question. He said that you just broke branches from the tree to frighten me. Can you fix the broken branches into the same tree? The rakshasi failed, and she reformed herself. Thus, the monk took the trip, considered a massive risk by people, converted into an opportunity.
c) A Son wanting to learn the secret of Success approached his father and told him to teach him the secret. The father took him to the chicken farm and lifted a basket under which many hens were trapped, and when the hens flew away after lifting the basket, he told the son to catch the hens, who failed as all the hens were going in different directions. He approached his father dejectedly and said he could not catch a single hen. Then, his father gave his son direction and focus by asking him to see the red hen, which he could do. The above story illustrates that.merely roaming about without any focus doesn't help you reach the goal; it doesn't give direction, but following with a focus, single-pointed direction, like the red hen, enables you to achieve Success. These three stories give us an idea of how to search for an opportunity in an impossible situation and come out with flying colours by believing in oneself, being focused on the goal, and always being positive in our thinking.
The next session featured a speech by the esteemed guest speaker, 'How to Build Self-Confidence.' By Dr.C. Matangi. The Speaker emphasized the importance of determination, faith in oneself, effort, practice, and motivation in building self-confidence. She also shared personal anecdotes and practical tips on how to apply these principles in daily life.
She started the session by asking the students, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" One student from the Marines bravely decided to grab an opportunity to lead his team when the captain could not, even though he had joined the team weak before. His initiative was met with applause and encouragement from his peers, demonstrating the supportive and empowering environment of the Youth Cell Program. Thus, he proved to his captain that he could take risks and come out successfully, presenting himself as dependable.
The Speaker then elucidated the five steps to build Self-confidence, viz. 1) Determination, Faith in yourself, Effort, practice, and Motivation. Attitude is of primary importance in building self-confidence. He should approach a problem to find a solution, upgrading from step-by-step. a) I have to do it, b)I should do it, c)I must do it. Then, the Speaker told the students to read Mahatma Gandhi's book My Discovery with Truth, which is very good and helps build self-confidence. Then, the Speaker ended the session by saying that to have self-confidence, you should first have Self-Control in a car; the most important thing for the driver is to apply the brakes at the right time to reach the goal.
Then, there was a 30-minute yoga session, with primary and warm-up exercises instructed by the Yoga teacher. This session was designed to promote physical and mental well-being, aligning with the holistic approach of the Youth Cell Programme.
Then there was a reading from the book in Tamil, 'Enathu Bharatham, Amara Bharatham', on the topic of 'What is true religion?' The reading focused on the idea that the realization is the essence of all religions, rather than dogmas, beliefs, and principles, which form the basis, like LKG, in school education. The sadhaka has to go forward and not stagnate in basics, like being himself in LKG for a long, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and spiritual development.
The group discussion was a testament to the students' knowledge and engagement. The total audience was divided into two groups; in each group, a student was called to the stage and made to read out the chapter, followed by the insightful questions posed by Swami Guruvarananda. Each group got a chance to explain by coming to the stage; the winner was allotted five marks to his group. Finally, all the students distributed books on the holy trio.
In the end, lunch prasad was served to all the students, thus ending the Youth Cell Programme. The event was a success, with the students gaining valuable insights on self-confidence, spirituality, and personal growth. The interactive sessions, group discussions, and speeches by esteemed speakers contributed to a rich and fulfilling experience for all.
Minutes of the Youth Cell - Jun 2024
The minutes of the Youth Cell Program were held on 23/06/2024 at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, T. Nagar, and Chennai.
One hundred four students and eight volunteers attended the session. The session began with a 20-minute 'Guided meditation practice' led by Swami Guruvarananda. This practice, which aimed to bring a sense of calm and centeredness, was followed by chanting slokas and mantras, which deeply connected with the audience.
The next session featured Swami Shuddhabrahmananda's bhajans, which genuinely moved the audience. This was followed by reciting the 'Swadesha Mantra' pledge, expressing unity and... Commitment recited by all the students, further strengthening their bond and fostering a sense of belonging among the audience.
The guest speaker, Mr. T.S. Sudarshan, a successful industrialist and an alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Main School, T. Nagar (batch of 1972-78), was introduced, and a memento was presented to him.
In his keynote address, Swami Guruvarananda emphasized the importance of Yoga practice. He highlighted that exercise strengthens physical health, and meditation strengthens mental health. The purpose of Yoga is to unite the body and mind, like cement binding two bricks together.
He narrated a story from the book "Raja Yoga" by Swami Vivekananda: Once, a minister to a great king fell into disgrace and was punished by being shut up at the top of a very high tower. As instructed by her husband, his faithful wife brought him a long rope, some stout twine, pack thread, silken thread, a beetle, and a little honey. The minister used these items to escape from the tower, symbolizing the journey of controlling our breath, nerve currents, thoughts, and Prana to attain freedom.
He also explained that our thoughts are crucial in shaping our lives. Good thoughts lead to good actions, repeated actions form habits, and habits build our character. Therefore, cultivating positive thoughts leads to good character.
The next session featured a speech by an esteemed guest speaker on "Man-Making Education." The Speaker began by listing the steps for man-making education. These included willpower, holy company, and good physical health. The Speaker emphasized the importance of physical strength, team spirit during football, and running for 90 minutes, all of which contributed to improving physical strength, citing Swami Vivekananda's quote, "Near to heaven, by playing football."
The Speaker also highlighted the traditional learning education system, which involved living with the teacher and imbibing the practical application of theoretical concepts to ensure the students' good grasp.
We must take pride in our country, culture, and Indian heritage. It was emphasized by citing examples such as Satya Nadella, who became the CEO of Microsoft, and Sundar Pichai, who became the CEO of Google. Thus, it demonstrated that other nations believe in Indian students and professionals.
The Speaker explained that each student should think deeply about Swami Vivekananda's four ideas daily. These ideas, which include the importance of self-confidence, the power of faith, the need for physical and mental strength, and the value of service to humanity, should be converted into actions, which is the best way to remember Swami Vivekananda.
The chief guest reminisced that crafting skills were emphasized in school, and the teachers instructed the students to improve their crafting skills.
The Speaker stressed that everyone is equal in life and should not see any difference between people and their work, treating all as equals.
Maintaining public laws in our lives, such as following all traffic rules and ensuring peace in society, was also stressed.
Following the talk, Shri Veerabhadran, the yoga teacher, instructed a 30-minute yoga session on the open ground. The session included primary and warm-up exercises, such as Surya Namaskar and Pranayama, to help students relax and rejuvenate. All students actively participated in the session.
A reading from Swami Vivekananda's book "Enathu Bharatham Amara Bharatham" was conducted. The reading stressed divinity in each soul, reasons for suffering, how to overcome mistakes, the importance of goodness and purity as fundamental values, and the importance of Vedanta in seeing the Lord in all.
The session ended with a Q&A session, a valuable opportunity for students to engage and learn. Students who answered questions correctly received book prizes, making them feel valued and appreciated for their participation.
Wrapping up the event, all the students were provided with a hearty and enjoyable lunch. All appreciated this gesture and created a positive conclusion to the day, making the audience feel cared for and appreciated.
Minutes of the Youth Cell - July 2024
Minutes of the Youth Cell Program held on 14/07/2024 at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, T Nagar, Chennai.
Seventy-six students and four volunteers attended the session. The session began with a guided meditation, chanting Vedic mantras, slokas, and bhajans.
Next, the attendees took the oath of the "Swadesha Mantra", which emphasizes the importance of service to the nation and the community in a standing position, as per the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
In his keynote address, Swami Guruvarananda emphasized the importance of youth in building a better future. He encouraged the students to set clear goals and work diligently towards achieving them. He also noted the need for self-realization and self-improvement, quoting Swami Vivekananda's teachings.
Swami Guruvarananda explained the concepts of dedication and Guru Bakthi with a story from Mahabharata, emphasizing the importance of concentration, dedication, and self-improvement.
The guest speaker, Mr. Bakyanathan, delivered a practical session on 'How to build Self-Confidence'. He emphasized the importance of self-belief and faith in one's abilities. He illustrated the power of positive self-talk with real-life examples, empowering the audience with practical tools for self-improvement.
The program also included a 20-minute yoga session with Surya Namaskar and basic exercises led by a yoga teacher.
The session continued with an interactive reading from Swami Vivekananda's book Enathu Bharatham, Amara Bharatham, about Raja Yoga and meditation practice. This inclusive activity fostered a sense of community and engagement, followed by a lively discussion and the distribution of books to those who actively participated.
Finally, the program concluded with a session in which students from different classes summarized the entire event, fostering a sense of unity and shared experience. This was followed by prayers and lunch for all attendees.