meet the graduates……

34 Pages·2006·1.21 MB·English

Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center
EDITORIAL

Hari Om!

What you have in your hand is a combination of many things. It has articles by the graduating
students, parents and teachers. We are very fortunate to have received a message by Swami
Tejomayanandaji. Swami Dheeranandaji, and Acharya Vilasiniji have provided inspirational
articles. The most significant feature in this volume is the set of bio-sketches of all our graduates.
We have an impressive group of young men and women whose accomplishments are multi
faceted. We are proud of them.

In the mission, we strive to provide the children with moral values and inculcate pride in their
heritage. As our graduates prepare to tackle the world on their own, the sense of self-worth they
have gained in Bala Vihar will be their strength. This is the essence of the message of our
keynote speaker Mr. Stephen Gibson.

The graduation ceremony and the souvenir is an expression of our congratulations to the

graduates on completing Bala Vihar studies. They will remember this evening as a capstone
event of their Bala Vihar days. We wish them the very best of endeavors and remind them the
reassuring words of the greatest Guru:

Remember Me at all times, and face the

iÉxqÉÉixÉuÉåïwÉÑ MüÉsÉåwÉÑ qÉÉqÉlÉÑxqÉU rÉÑkrÉ cÉ |
challenges of life, with mind, intellect

qÉrrÉÌmÉïiÉqÉlÉÉãoÉÑÌ®: qÉÉqÉåuÉæwrÉxrÉxÉÇvÉrÉqÉç || absorbed in Me; you shall doubtless

come to Me.

Hari Om!

Nagaraj and Chetana Neerchal
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir

(cid:67)

MESSAG E

Dear Bala Vihar students,

Hari Om!

Hearty Congratulations to you on this Graduation

Ceremony Day! It is by hard work alon e one can reach greater and
greater heights of success in any field. Therefore work hard. May
God's Grace and Pujya Gurudev's bless ings be ever with you

empowering you to walk this path of goodness with conviction and

enthusiasm.

With Prem & Om,

May 20, 2006

_________________________________________1_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
The Divine Hand

Swami Dheerananda

Sri Gurudev impressed upon me that the Divine Lord has mysterious ways of taking care of His pet
instruments.

Chinmaya Mission Hyderabad grandly celebrated Sri Gurudev's birthday on May 8, 1993. Sri Gurudev
asked me to sit next to Him at the Bhiksha. When the devotees announced they had a cake for Sri
Gurudev, He exclaimed, "Cake for me? Come, bring it here!" Pointing to me, He said: "You cut it!"

When Sri Gurudev says something, there can be no hesitation or second thought. I rushed to the
washbasin to wash my hands and received the knife when I returned. Then alone did I notice that, in my
haste, the top of my hand had been left unclean. I was already holding the knife and could not easily
return to the washbasin for a second washing. I felt so embarrassed holding the knife on the cake.
At that moment, Sri Gurudev placed His gentle but firm hand over mine and covered the unclean portion
of my hand with His hand. The moment I felt His Touch, I forgot my embarrassment and even my
unclean hand. I felt His Power using my hand to cut the cake. He worked through me. His hand was
cutting the cake through my hand. I totally surrendered unto Him.

I know I am His pet instrument. He knows how to use His pet instrument.

We are His pet instruments. May we surrender unto Him totally. May His Power, Grace and Blessings
flow through us to the world around us.
_________________________________________2_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
The Gita Cure

Acharya Vilasiniji

Dear Chinmayam Students: You are very fortunate applied in the last three years.
to read the Bhagavad Gita in your teens. The Gita
is an amazingly powerful story when we relate to How the Gita Helps Us Build Positive Attitudes
Arjuna and feel his predicament. We have
discovered how much we can relate to him and his If one were to ask in a nutshell what the Gita
confusions. We have seen how many dilemmas we teaches, a wonderful response is that the Gita
face ourselves—challenges we are called to rise up teaches us how to be positive no matter what
to—much smaller of course, yet strikingly similar. happens around us. A positive attitude includes
being fearless, enthusiastic, motivated, and most of
Sri Krishna’s responses to Arjuna are so deep that all, cheerful. In fact, we can simply say a positive
understanding them keeps growing. Even today, attitude is being cheerful and making others
thirty years after first reading the Gita, I find more cheerful. Almost all of us can easily identify with
wisdom each time I read it. When I first read the Gita’s hero, Arjuna. Last year, we enacted the
Chapter One, I thought what a sensible and example of a college student who was depressed
nonmaterialistic prince Arjuna was, and I was about taking an exam he was afraid of failing. His
impressed with all his arguments against fighting. friends came to his aid to boost his confidence by
Chapter Two was a complete surprise---I couldn’t reminding him of the teachings in the Gita, starting
believe Krishna was telling Arjuna to fight. I must with “do your best and leave the rest.” This helped
admit I didn’t follow most of Krishna’s points, but I the student discover cheer and hope.
could see Arjuna’s gradual clarity and peace of
mind growing. Later, when I read Gurudev’s How do we get a positive attitude in life? Swami
commentary, the Holy Geeta, it all made so much Tejomayananda has outlined seven steps during his
sense. With Gurudev’s commentary, it is easier to talks on the Gita1. These are the points we found.
understand Sri Krishna’s wisdom. We just have to
be open to the Gita, be curious about it, read Step One: Broaden Your Vision of Life. There
Gurudev’s commentary, and it unfolds in front of is much more to life than meets the eye. We can
us! learn to understand the bigger picture of life with all
its nuances and learn how to play the game of life.
Reading it again through teens’ eyes has brought Study of the scriptures (jnana yoga) is the path to
about another deepening of appreciation of the Gita completely transform our vision of life. Sri Krishna
for me and all your teachers. Through your says in the Gita, “He who sees Me everywhere and
questions you have opened up more applications of sees all things in Me does not lose sight of Me, nor
its wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita has offered food for do I of him.” (6:30)
thought, inspiring as well as perplexing, but always
stimulating our thinking. Our work has been to What does seeing God in everyone mean? It means
extract the main ideas that speak to us and that we realizing that we are more than just our BMI, body-
can apply in life. All the discussions you have had mind-intellect, and that the divine Self, OM, or
show that you have truly taken wisdom from this Atman is our very essence, the truth of existence,
sacred book and its commentaries by Gurudev and the only entity which never changes or dies.
Swami Chinmayananda and Guruji Swami This Om is God, or Brahman, the Self in everyone.
Tejomayananda. In this article, major points will
be summarized which we have discussed and
1 During Piercy Camp in 2000, as edited by D.C. Rao
_________________________________________3_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
Sri Krishna says, “Fixing your mind on this truth of frees us from dependence on the world. On the
My being, you will overcome all difficulties!” collective level, dharma is any action that integrates
(18:58) Life is full of change and impermanence, and brings prosperity to all. This is also known as
but when we see the big picture of life, we are able absolute good. The proper application of dharma by
to accept whatever happens. Broaden your vision all will lead to greater prosperity in society.
so you know how to live in harmony. How can we
discover this pure spirit within? This leads us to Step Three: Be a Team Player. Living in the
Step Two. yajna spirit of cooperative endeavor is one of the
most important teachings of Gurudev. In fact, the
Step Two: Do Your Duty, Your Dharma. This Mission Pledge begins with this very point: “We
step is about the importance of choosing positive stand as one family, bound to each other with love
actions, or living by our dharma. It is really easy to and respect.” Gurudev pointed out that one of the
pick up wrong habits, or vasanas, but when we greatest social problems of modern society, why
ignore our dharma, we don’t feel right inside. What people have so much difficulty working together, is
does Krishna mean by the word “dharma”? because each person wants to get his way. Sinking
Dharma means all virtues, values, thoughts, and individual differences in the spirit of a common
actions that contribute to the long-term spiritual goal is the message of the yajna spirit. Sri Krishna
improvement of oneself, one’s family, and society. puts it this way: “This world is bound by action
How do we know what our dharma is? In class we other than that done for sacrifice. Do all actions in
came up with: As a student, your dharma is to work the spirit of sacrifice, free from attachment.” (3:9)
hard at school and strive to do your best and “By working selflessly with each other, you will
academically. As a child, you have to respect your both attain supreme good.” (3:11)
parents and do as you are told. As a sibling, you
must serve as a model to your younger brothers and This point becomes very clear when we think of
sisters. Basically, just do what feels like the right team sports. Members of a sports team, like
thing of which you can be proud! football players, must rely on each other to win the
game. There is even a sports saying: There is no “I”
Sri Krishna said in Chapter 3 about karma yoga: in TEAM! But how do we get people to work
“God created all beings and said, with the spirit of together for a common goal? This brings us to:
sacrifice and service, doing your duty, may you
multiply and achieve happiness.” (3:10-11) Step Four: Work for a Higher Cause in the
Spirit of Seva. Seva means loving service. Seva
The important thing we need to know about dharma bhav is the feeling we get when we think of others
is to always do what will bring peace to us and with love and try to serve them. Sri Krishna often
others in the long run. When we follow this path, spoke of serving the Lord through all His creatures
we are doing our duty. Look at Sri Rama as the with love: “The wise should perform action
epitome of dharma. Rama always did his duty and detached, desiring the welfare of the world.” (3:25)
followed the path of truth, honor, and integrity. Sri “He who is devoid of attachment, free, whose mind
Rama was the perfect role model for what the Gita is established in knowledge, and who does work as
teaches: Do your duty and be cheerful and centered a sacrifice for the Lord—he attains peace.” (4:23)
no matter what may happen. It is a wonderful
example for us to try to follow! What is a Higher Cause? A Higher Cause means a
cause that is higher than my individual self, even
Swami Tejomayananda says that there are two types higher than my family’s welfare, in fact, it means
of dharma, individual dharma and collective for the good of all. The Chinmaya Mission motto is
dharma. Individual dharma supports the health of “Do the maximum good for the maximum number
the body and mind. It also means thinking in a of people for the maximum time.” This is working
loving way. Spiritual Knowledge is our dharma for the higher cause. It means thinking of others
because it helps us attain the understanding that and not only of yourself. Learning this is the main
_________________________________________4_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
reason behind the community hours that high giving up the fruit of action, attains the highest
schools require. Any selfless kindness you show peace; the nonharmonised one, working under the
others, like being helpful at home or nice to your sway of desire, is attached to the fruit and gets
brother or sister, or friendly to a new kid at school, bound.” (5:12)
can count as seva bhav.
But if we really want something, like good grades,
Dedicate actions to helping others. Try to identify how do we give up the desire for it? We’re
with others and discover the same Self in all. This supposed to want to do well, after all, and it is the
seva bhav is the highest type of living. This is dharma of teenagers to do well in school! The
realizing that we are all connected, and that others’ problem is that when we’re so caught up with
happiness is my happiness too. This is why Krishna getting something, like a good grade, that desire
told Arjuna he had to fight the war—for a higher could make us do something that our conscience
cause, to get rid of the selfish Kauravas and restore knows is wrong, like cheating. So what can we do
justice to the kingdom. about it? We can try to be less concerned with
getting things, not so caught up with what we want.
Step Five: Surrender Your Actions to God We can try to accept graciously whatever we get.
(Iswara Arpana). Sri Krishna says: “Actions are
done in all cases by the gunas of Prakriti, or Life and school can be viewed as a kind of game;
Nature. He whose mind is deluded through egoism you want to try to win, but if you lose, don’t lose
thinks ‘I am the doer’.” (3:27) your peace of mind! Like in sports, it’s not
whether you win or lose but how you play the
What is wrong with thinking that I am the doer? game. This is the meaning of prasada buddhi.
The arrogant ego in us, the ahamkara, thinks it has Accept everything that comes to us in life as Lord’s
great powers. But all power to act comes from God. prasad, His gift, and then trying harder next time.
We all act according to our nature (prakriti or For instance, when taking exams in school, study
vasanas). When we surrender our actions to God, hard and then accept whatever you receive as God’s
we learn to think of God when we act, and we try to prasad. Leave the result to God. Do your best and
invoke His blessings and guidance, to “let go and let leave the rest! This brings a lot of peace of mind if
God.” We need to remember God and invoke His you really follow it—and it motivates us to keep
grace so that He works through us instead of our trying!
ego acting with selfish interests. Gurudev used to
say may we be empty flutes and allow Sri Krishna’s It seems that life could be very grim if we try to
divine melody to play through us. follow all these steps. Wouldn’t life be cheerless?
Not at all! Read on:
Gurudev also said: “What you get in life is God’s
gift to you. What you do with what you have is Step Seven: Enjoy Life!! Sri Krishna says, “With
your gift to God.” This is living with gratitude for mind and senses directed to Me, the wise are always
whatever blessings we have, and offering our pleased and happy.” (10:8-9) Sri Krishna
actions back as an expression of our gratitude to explains further that “Virtues born of Sattva lead
God. When something sad happens, we tend to one to happiness and knowledge, making one
forget all the blessings that are still here. But if we luminous and free of fear and evil.” (14:6) When
try, we can always find much to be grateful for, and we have sattwic qualities, everything becomes more
then give back to the world whatever we can. It is enjoyable. Chapters 14, 16, and 17 speak at length
really hard to realize that we are not the doer, so on how to increase sattwa, or clarity, cheer, peace of
first we should surrender the fruits of action, which mind, creative energy, wisdom, selflessness, and a
is the next step: loving nature. If we can increase this feeling in us
through introspection and meditation, all of life will
Step Six: Accept Graciously the Results of be more enjoyable!
Action (Prasada Buddhi) “The harmonised one,
_________________________________________5_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
To sum all this up, Swami Chinmayananda taught So basically what Sri Krishna is teaching is to
the Gita to show us how to do our best and then find broaden your vision, try to see the bigger picture of
peace of mind no matter what happens. It becomes things and see the presence of God around and
easier when we understand that “what I get in life is within you. Always do your duty, what you know
God’s gift to me. What I do with what I have is my is right and good. Try not to worry so much about
gift to God.” Instead of getting discouraged and the results of your actions, but accept them
giving up when things go wrong, you can decide cheerfully as God’s prasad. Do your best and leave
that you’re going to try harder next time. Think of the rest, and try to keep going with a positive
your studying as a humble offering to God. God attitude, even when unfortunate things happen. And
doesn’t care what you offer, as long as He knows finally, always remember others and try to be loving
you’re giving it with love. In Chapter 12, Sri and helpful to others around you. With this spirit,
Krishna says that whatever we offer, even if a The Bhagavad Gita promises that your life can
humble leaf or flower, if offered with sincerity, become truly joyous, fulfilled, and enlightened!
makes the Lord happy. He just wants to see us
trying our best and enjoying the game of life.

Chinmayam Graduation – Reaching out for the Skies

Anil Kishore, Bala Vihar Director

As we embark on this to let go of the string that holds them - the more we
journey of seeing let go the more we get worried. Eventually we begin
another set of brilliant to realize that the kite must fly on its own and soar
graduates take off into the skies to see the world out there. Our graduates
the vast skies of career too seek the means to reach their professional goals.
building, I reminisce Do you really want to hold them back I ask? Here is
the years knowing them a short rendition that I put together a few years
at the Mission. How fast the time flies – only back:
yesterday they were kids who needed help in every
assignment. They caught our attention in various I see you grow, I see you mature
Mission activities – Bala Vihar programs, singing, I see you make new friends
dancing, chanting, helping out and being their own I cannot keep the pace at times and can’t let you go
self. Today, all of a sudden they are graduating You are my friend you are my dream
seniors. They are ready to take this gigantic step Just look back often to give me the attention
towards their career goals!! A goal that is full of A smile to say you care
ambitions, dreams, aspirations and most of all And a confidence that I can still count on you
independence. Here we are wishing them success. As my friend and my support…
We are also here today with these memories and You will be my hero and my dream come true
wish them everlasting success in all their endeavors.
My blessings with you, my friendship with you
It is really hard to let go of our children, not because My child, I am still learning from you
we do not trust them but because we care for them Like living my younger years again and bringing
and we do not want them to face with the challenges new life in me
of the materialistic world. They are ready but are Don’t go fast, I may not see you go far and far
we? I remember reading that letting go of our
children is like flying a kite. Like the kite, it is hard Don’t despair because you will never lose
And the best will come your way
_________________________________________6_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
And I will always care about you enrollment. What started off as a few families
As you soar high in the sky several years ago has now grown to families with
God Bless YOU over 300 children in our program at Chinmayam
And finally alone. Additionally, the Northern Virginia,
Frederick and Salisbury members have also taken a
For when I leave this world O friend lead in many areas. We had classes at Kailas Niwas
You be there to shoulder my remains and and as we grew in numbers, we had to move to a
Submit them to the flames local elementary school to meet our needs. Swami
To lead me to the home of the Lord Tejomayananda graced our new home
“Chinmayam” on August 3, 2002 (Mahasamadhi
The Mission has instilled values in our children. We Day).
hope to learn from them and provide them the tools
to face the challenges of this world. We also hope Since then we have taken even bigger strides in
that they will cherish their memories here for years making our community aware of our activities and
to come and hopefully come back to serve as events so that our youth can benefit from the
leaders of our community. We are not alone in our offerings at the Mission. Our satellite Centers have
endeavors, we have some of the best strengths to also grown and to accommodate their growing
help us carry this torch membership. They are now operating out of middle
and high schools in their areas. In Summer of 2005,
What exactly are our strengths, you might ask: we actually added the Dulles chapter – the
enrollment so strong that children had to be placed
Our biggest strength has actually been our on a waiting list even before the Center opened.
wonderful students who come to us to learn. They
are our inspiration to teach. How could you NOT During common time Swami Dheerananda’s
teach such wonderful kids? discourses are always motivating, and his style of
teaching has increased our membership!!. His
Our strength is also the members/parents who wonderful ways of telling stories to our children
support us in this endeavor, they entrust us with keeps them attached to our Mission. Many of them
their children so that we can instill the richness of choose Swamiji as their number ONE reason why
our culture in them. they come to the Mission!!! In him, we find our true
spiritual leader who is always there for us and never
Our strength is also in the teachers who inspired by hesitates to listen to us. His confidence and trust in
the Chinmaya Movement willingly teach and spend our sevaks gives them the energy to keep on
many hours of preparation, and diligently teach the working in serving Pujya Gurudev. He is not only
children to their fullest capacity. Each and every our spiritual leader, but our trusting friend, our
one of them have created an environment that is guide and a member of each of our families. A
conducive to learning. They never give up! majority of our
graduates return to
Last but not the least, our strength also comes from the Mission to meet
inspiration from, our spiritual leaders and Swamiji. Even
Gurudev’s grace!! Swami Dheerananda and though our main
Acharya Vilasiniji. Their support for us and theme is to teach
guidance to us has no end!! They continue to lead Vedanta, we also
us, and we can only build upon the strong want them to
foundation that has been laid down for us. We are appreciate our
fortunate to have such a treasure of strengths. culture and heritage.
If we have the
We have taken big strides in meeting the needs of means, why not provide our children with
our children. This growth is shown by our extracurricular activities at the Mission? We offer
_________________________________________7_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org
CMWRC Graduation Souvenir
Language and Performing Arts at the Mission. Our our children’s’ understanding and appreciation of
Bala Vihar classes are enriched with the literature our scriptures. We recognize this as one of the best
available to us from Chinmaya Publications. Our ways to have our future generation read about our
collaboration with other Centers keeps us enriched culture and society.
with our collective strength. We keep our childen
involved with performances at Ramanavami, Our Arts program has also attracted children. The
Mahashivaratri and Annual Day. This activity Bharata Natyam, Mrudungam, Folk Dances, Bhajan
provides mentoring of our youth. and Carnatic Music have been offered for the last
two years. The Tabla classes have been most
An experience at the Mission is to be remembered popular!! The enrollment has
by our graduates for years to come. They will shown that the children have
cherish their time here and definitely look back and learnt the beauty of our
remember the attention they got. At Chinmayam cultural heritage.
alone, we have around 20 classes in all three
sessions with They learn and use their
close to 40 energy to enjoy the art. The
teachers and Arts and Language Annual
cordinators!! Day has been a presentation
From the of our childen’s skills. The
youngest program is always a big
Madhuram success, it leaves the parents
class to the happy and proud. They all feel belonged to the
senior Mission as one family united and strong. There
Chinmayam cannot be another institution that can blend all these
class all our religious, cultural, spiritual values to our children!!
children participate in a variety of activities.. The It has to be Chinmaya Mission, a place we call our
smiles on their faces testify their learning victories second home. This is a small world, and it is great
and their sense of belonging because of the Chinmaya Movement!! It is great
to the Mission. This energy because of the greatest gift that Gurudev has left us.
can be use as our strength It is great because of our Acharya Vilasiniji, Swami
in helping them for a better tomorrow. Our satellite Dheeranandaji; and most of all our children who are
Centers add to our celebrations with their own Bala our torch bearers for tomorrow.
Vihar productions.
May Gurudev’s grace and blessings always be with
Our Language Classes have them for years to come. As a Hindi Teacher, I
also grown!! We started would have to add something in Hindi:
with 10-12 students in
Hindi but in the last three AÉMüÉvÉ Mãü ElÉ iÉÉUÉãÇ iÉMü mÉWÒûÆcÉÉã
years the number has been ÎeÉlÉqÉã iÉÑqWûÉUã pÉÌuÉwrÉ MüÐ cÉqÉMü WûÉã
between 45-50 children.
WûU mÉaÉ mÉU E³ÉiÉÏ MüÐ lÉÏÇuÉ QûÉsÉÉã
Our dedicated teachers have
AÉæU WûU MüSqÉ mÉU xÉTüsÉ WûÉã eÉÉAÉå
added to the standardization
of our Hindi curriculum, we Reach the stars in the sky
have 10 teachers for seven That have the brightness of your future
levels of classes. We added At each step lay the foundation of prosperity
Telugu with three levels of classes and 4 teachers, And at each step be successful
and Tamil was a new addition during school year
2003-2004. We continue to offer Sanskrit to Sri Gurubhyo Namah
children and adults. Our linguistic heritage adds to Hari OM
_________________________________________8_______________________________________
May 2006 www.chinmayadc.org