Youth Training Camp and Talk by Swami Sunisthananda-ji Maharaj

Udbodhan Parivaar, Chakdwipa High School, Haldia, in association with Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, organized it's annual Youth Training Camp on 3rd April 2011 at Barghasipur High School premises.

Swami Sunisthananda-ji Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission Midnapore stimulated the youths by his heart-touching speech. He touched the following topics:

Difficulties of Mind Concentration/Meditation: -Maharaj-ji explained it nicely with an stroy. An wandering monk had come to a village. An grocery shop owner prayed the monk for the initiation. After initiation the monk told his disciple to practice the meditation everyday. After a gap of 10-12 years, the monk visited the village again. The grocery shop owner said to his gurudev that the meditation has helped him much. Earlier he couldn't remember all the credits he used to give to his customers.Now whenever he sits for meditation he remembers all the customers who has taken credit from him!Meditation helps to keep the body and mind calm. It not only helps in improving studies but also helps to transform the character.

Why should the students go to school regularly:-Often we can see in our surroundings that many students do not go to schools regularly, and yet they get good marks in examination. So what is the need for going to school? Maharaj-ji explained this with an example.In the early childhood a baby tries to take , to see and touch everything. The baby doesn't hate anything. The baby feels oneness with everything around. This is diffused consciousness. In this state the baby is always glad. We the elders try to introduce the child with her/his name, world around us (narrow surroundings). After some period, the child doesn't feel oneness with everything.The utility of schooling is to make us adjustable with the bigger world.

Usefulness of Soft Skills :- Good values are like dew drops of Autumn season. We could not see when do good values are imbibed within us. It helps us to adjust with the people in our surroundings. Maharaj-ji quoted Shri Maa - "jekhane jemon sekhane temon, jaake jemon taake temon". The students after completing their courses, get hired by companies for their technical skills. But some of them may be fired for their lack of soft skills.

Sufferings in Life :-Maharaj-ji told a story. When he was in Deoghar Vidyapith, one experiment was conducted in an an science exhibition. A vermi (kencho) was placed in a T shaped hollow glass. In one branch of T shaped pot food for vermi was there. A very very mild electricity was in contact with the food. And in another branch, it was empty. The vermi everytime goes towards the food and used to get the mild shock of electricity. It never goes to the empty sidle of the T shaped glass. The aim of experiment was to establish the fact that the vermi does not possess memory.Although we, the human being, have memory. We commit the same mistakes even after repeated sufferings. We do not learn from mistakes.Swami Saradananda-ji Maharaj was asked after his first speech in USA: What is life ? He replied: Life is a chain of experiences. Immediately, the next question was followed. What is the aim of life? The swami replied: To learn form these experiences.

Consumerimsm and its Evil :-What do we see in advertisements TV channels? A man/woman possesses new car, new home etc. People are doing business by exposing our weakness. If our complexion is dark then use a particular cream, if we don't have lengthy hair then use a particular hair oil. To impress people in our surroundings use byke/car/deodrant...If we live without any control we have to suffer accordingly. If we bite a chilly, we have to feel the hot.Suppose two people stay together. One has got cough and cold, but the other has not. Why? Because they differ in their resistance power. So, what is needed to save from consumerism is to increase the resistance power.When Swamiji was talking about renunciation, a listener interrupted him in between and wondered whether Swamiji has come from the time of medieval period. Swamiji repleid: "Prattle babes prattle. Yours is just 200 years of civilization. Have a civilization as old as ours, then you will understand true significance of renunciation."

Swami Sunisthananda-ji tells about a documentary, available in Internet, "Two Million Minutes". It is a documentary on education. Two million minutes of time is approximately the time period from class IX to class XII.The film compares 3 students - one from USA, another from India, and the other from China. The documentary is about how these students spend the most precious moments in their schooling for shaping their future career. The story is somewhat summarized as below:

American Student: Dreams to study in MIT. But he studies only during school hour. Rest of the time he enjoys. After 4 years he performs very poorly. He takes admission in a local college. But he is happy.

Indian Student: Dreams to study in IIT. Study is not limited to school hour. Studies in home also.

After 4 years, he could not get admission in IIT. But got admission in a very good Institute. He is happy with his achievement.

Chinese Student: Dreams to study in top most Institute. His life style is similar to Indian. Studies beyond school hour also. He got admission to in a good Institute. He is also happy with it.

At the end, the question is asked in the film is : US students, what is your future?US government is very serious about the fact that almost all good posts are being occupied by Indian or Chinese there.

Change Myself :-Sunisthanandaji maharaj continues. Thakur has said "Chaitanya hok". Consciousness be awakened. Swamiji has said: "manush chai, baaki sob hoiaa jaaibe". Only requirement is real man. Rest things will be followed.There must be balance between head and heart. We have to take the life positively. He who has faith on himself can do anything in life. There is nothing which man can not achieve.Then Maharaj-ji gave a real example. In every school there is annual sports and cultural program. In class V, almost all students participate. But when the students reach in class IX, the number of participants decline heavily.I am thinking that I can not achieve - It's SIN. The moment you say and believe that you can - really, you will get the power or strength to achieve.Maharaj-ji continues, the great dancer Sudha Chandran was asked about her success despite the fact that she is handicapped. Sudha Chandran replied: The society is handicapped. Society is telling that you can not achieve.The British had introduced this negative education for their convenience to rule our country.Swamiji has said: "tomra amrit-er sontaan" You all are divine.The word sin is sIn. Let the letter I be kept aside. Make this 'I' smaller. Then there will be no sin. Let us follow Thakur, Maa, and Swamiji. We will be in glad always.

In the Q&A session there was a nice question by a student: What is fate? Maharaj-ji gave a very beautiful reply. He told a story. That in one morning we one person is not able to walk properly. It was apparent that he is drunk. But he actually had a very small amount of drink in the morning. That was not that much so that he can not walk properly. Then?

The person had already drinks of several rounds in last night. That's why a single round of drink in the morning has made him like that.

Similarly, when we see that a person is doing goods in studies with little efforts - we say he/she is fortunate. It's not that. He/she has already given necessary efforts in previous birth(s). So that in this life, with litle effort only he/she is getting success.

We all have to do give our whole hearted efforts. We will get the result sooner or later.