CHYK West Manual By the grace of the Lord and the blessings of the Guru Paramapara, Chinmaya Yuva Kendra West was officially formed in 2005. This youth wing of Chinmaya Mission in North America, for ages 17-28 years, functions under the guidance of Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda-ji and the administrative umbrella of Chinmaya Mission West. This CHYK West Manual is a key resource for the formation and functioning of CHYK groups throughout North America. 1 CHYK West Manual OUR GURU PARAMPARA Param Pujya Swami Tapovan Maharaj was born in 1889 in Kerala, India, Chippu Kutty, and exhibited a marked partiality for spiritual life. Home-schooled until the age of 17, he proved himself to be a devout Vedantin, and a linguistic genius and litterateur par excellence, mastering both Malayalam and Sanskrit. Both his parents passed away before he turned 21, and by then, he was already renowned and revered for his original poetic compositions. He adopted the sannyasi’s religious and serene lifestyle long before his initiation into the ochre robe of sannyasa. An introvert to the core, he loved spending his time immersed in spiritual reflection and was averse to all worldly pleasures. As a jivanmukta, or Self-realized master, Swami Tapovan was a lover of Nature and saw the supreme Lord in all expressions, within and without. In his inspiring, poetic works of Himagiri Viharam (Wanderings in the Himalayas) and Kailasa Yatra (Pilgrimage to Mount Kailasa) are seen the full flow of his blissful and soulful renderings of Nature, and the profundity of his subtle observations and reflections. However, it is his mystical autobiography, Ishvara Darshan (Vision of the Lord), that sages and seekers the world over have stamped as his masterpiece. His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission, taught spirituality as the art of living. Through jnana yoga (the Vedantic path of spiritual knowledge), he emphasized the balance of head and heart, pointing out selfless work, study, and meditation as the cornerstones of spiritual practice. Not satisfied by worldly aspirations or his degrees in literature and law, Balakrishna Menon pursued spiritual studies for nine years in the Himalayas, under the guidance of Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society) and the tutelage of Swami Tapovan Maharaj. He eventually came to share this Vedantic knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda. Swamiji is renowned worldwide as a spiritual master and one of the foremost teachers of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He is credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of the ageless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world. Swami Chinmayananda attained mahasamadhi in August 1993. His legacy remains in the form of written, audio, and video publications; social service projects; Vedanta teachers whom he taught and inspired; and Chinmaya Mission centers worldwide, serving the spiritual and cultural needs of local communities. His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda, the present spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, is fulfilling the vision that Swami Chinmayananda charted. As he puts it, “I am not in Swamiji’s shoes; I am at his feet.” Swami Tejomayananda has served as acharya (dean) of the Sandeepany institutes of Vedanta (gurukulas of Chinmaya Mission) in India, and as acharya in Mission centers in India and the US. He has written commentaries on scriptural texts, translated Swami Chinmayananda’s commentaries into Hindi, and authored a number of books. A key contribution is Hindu Culture: An Introduction, which has been acclaimed for its clear description of the basics of Hinduism and adopted as a reference text in some American high schools. Pujya Guruji excels in expounding upon a wide spectrum of Hindu scriptures, from Ramayana, to Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, to the Upanishads. His easy manner, combined with his in-depth analyses and devotional renderings of Vedantic texts, have drawn many newcomers into the spiritual fold. 2 CHYK West Manual Chinmaya Mission West Board of Directors January 2013 Chairman: Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda (Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide) Acting President: Swami Shantananda (CM Princeton) Treasurer: Pranjiwan Lodhia (CM San Jose) Secretary: Brahmacharini Aparna Chaitanya (CM Miami) Gulu Advani (CM San Jose) Acharya Vilasini Balakrishnan (CM Washington DC) Ashok Dandekar (CM Dallas) Gopal Dwarakanath (CM Boston) Acharya Sharada Kumar (CM Ann Arbor) Acharya Shailaja Nadkarni (CM Orlando) Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty (CM Houston) D. V. Pillai (CM Los Angeles) Acharya Shanker Pillai (CM Chicago) http://www.chinmayamission.org 3 CHYK West Manual MESSAGE FROM HIS HOLINESS SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA, HEAD OF CHINMAYA MISSION WORLDWIDE Dear CHYKs, Hari Om! My hearty congratulations to the CHYK West Steering Committee for bringing out this informative and inspiring CHYK Manual! As CHYK West chapters sprout across North America, this manual will provide the needed guidance and resources to initiate and sustain the growth of CHYK West. The motto of CHYK is, “Harnessing youth potential through dynamic spirituality.” Dynamic spirituality is spirituality in action that is free from materialistic pursuits. Spiritual vision is where knowledge (jnana) gives rise to feeling (bhakti), which motivates action (karma). This type of action blesses the doer and the receiver. The most important aspect of CHYK is Vedantic study. Pujya Gurudev conducted jnana yajnas until his last breath, though there were hundreds of other activities and projects that he initiated. Vedantic study should be the priority for all CHYKs, regardless of any other activity they undertake. CHYKs can initiate simple service projects and offer meaningful help at their respective local Mission centers, forming local committees and working together in harmony, without ego. Pursuing any project involves four important aspects: Planning, execution, mobilization of resources, and hard work. All of these should be undertaken and considered properly. In pursuing projects, Pujya Gurudev should be our role model; his leadership qualities are many, including efficiency and punctuality. With deep devotion, clear vision, and right thinking and attitude, not only does the spiritual seeker transform, but also the community he or she serves. By the Lord’s grace and Pujya Gurudev’s blessings, may CHYK West successfully fulfill its vision of dynamic spiritual growth and dedicated social service. With Prem and Om, 4 CHYK West Manual MESSAGE FROM SWAMI SARVESHANANDA NATIONAL DIRECTOR, CHYK WEST Dear CHYK West Family, Hari Om! The CHYK West movement has grown significantly over the last decade. From 2003-2010, CHYKs, most notably in Chicago, organized events such as Vedanta study classes, seva projects, and creative workshops to increase spiritual awareness among youth. The focus of CHYK groups then was primarily growth at the local level. In 2005, the first CHYK West National Camp was held in Dallas, Texas, and that led to more national retreats organized exclusively for CHYKs. By the end of 2010, there were more than 15 CHYK groups around the US, leading to the push for a more consolidated effort for activities at the national level that promote communication and learning among CHYK groups. With Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda-ji’s blessings, the formation of the CHYK West Steering Committee (SC) in 2011 not only precipitated a new vision and direction for CHYK West, but also provided a vehicle for significant development at the national level. Under Pujya Guruji’s directive, the SC began working with the CMW Board to create and provide opportunities for projects on a larger scale, and to coordinate youth activities across North America. The SC provides ideas, coordination, and resources for CHYK groups across North America, which includes the US, Canada, and Trinidad & Tobago. The SC serves primarily by: 1. Advising on priorities and suggesting ideas 2. Building accountability among CHYK groups 3. Being an informational and resource portal for new CHYK groups 4. Planning ways to integrate graduating Bala Vihar students into the CHYK fold 5. Uniting CHYK groups through collaboration on projects and activities 6. Supporting CHYK groups so each group is equipped with resources to conduct local classes and projects The CHYK West Manual is a maiden effort by the SC to help achieve these objectives. This project was initially commissioned by Acharya Vivek Gupta, Deputy Director of CHYK West, who was inspired by Pujya Gurudev’s guidelines for CHYK groups in India. The project was taken up by CHYK West Chicago in 2010, when they put together the initial draft of best practices. Since then, the Manual has been through an extensive editing process by a team of talented individuals, in particular, Acharya Vilasini Balakrishnan, whose editing skills and experience have added great value and depth to the Manual. I am deeply grateful to all those who have contributed to this project; their tireless work and dedication have resulted in a detailed guide on how to build and sustain CHYK activities. The Manual presents the best practices of various CHYK groups that have successfully undertaken CHYK activities. Their tried-and-tested methods also provide a springboard for further creative activities in the application of Vedanta in daily life. The Manual is a working document that will be revised annually to continually adapt as needed to changing times. May all CHYK Sevaks who undertake the noble service of awakening fellow seekers to the path of Vedanta benefit from this Manual. May all be inspired to serve Pujya Gurudev’s vision of empowering young adults with a dynamic approach to life. Love and Om, 5 CHYK West Manual CHINMAYA MISSION PLEDGE We stand as one family, bound to each other with love and respect. We serve as an army, courageous and disciplined, ever ready to fight against all low tendencies and false values, within and without us. We live honestly the noble life of sacrifice and service, producing more than what we consume and giving more than what we take.