Chinmaya Amrit Yatra: A Tribute to Pujya Gurudev

 In a beautiful tribute to the 75-year legacy of Chinmaya Mission, the Redlands Bala Vihar hosted its virtual "Amrit Mahotsav" celebration on January 15th. The community gathered online at 7 PM for a 90-minute immersion into the timeless wisdom of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.

To make the teachings accessible and interactive, participants were organized into five dedicated teams. Each group was assigned a specific 5-minute video discourse of Gurudev, supported by a primary and secondary lead. Every team was allotted 15 minutes to share their group’s understanding, offer heartfelt reflections on Gurudev's influence, and lead a short quiz to engage the audience.

The presentations covered five essential themes:

The Story of Miss Electricity! An allegorical look at the power of the Self.

Finding Atman! Seeking the truth within.

What is superior than knowledge? Moving from theory to practice.

Where is your Mind? Strategies for focus and mental clarity.

What is Dharma? Understanding our true purpose.

This "Amrit Mahotsav" event not only honored the past 75 years of the Mission but also inspired the next generation of seekers in Redlands to keep the flame of knowledge burning bright.

Here are some notes regarding the topics used to kick off the discussion:

The videos sparked a lively discussion among all participants. Here are the highlights and conclusions reached for the topics:

Finding Atman:

1. The true Self isn't about physical location but about realizing it as pure consciousness beyond the body and mind. It can be experienced with deep contemplation within the Self. We often look outwards to find Paramatma.
2. Atman is constant but Jiiva (body) keeps changing. Let go of the ego which leads to six sharks (Desire, lust, Anger, Greed, Pride, Jealousy.)
3. Our existence is made up of Panchakoshas or sheaths namely Annamaya (our physical body), Pranamaya (the energy/breath we take), Manomaya (mind/emotions we have), Vijnanamaya (intellect/wisdom that we use), and Anandamaya (bliss or happiness).
4. It's about recognizing the eternal, unchanging presence of Atman in the Anandamaya, understanding its oneness with Brahman makes it pure bliss.

What is Superior to Knowledge:

In our discussion, we explored what truly stands higher than knowledge. As Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda explains, Karma Phala Tyaga, which means renouncing attachment to the results of our actions, is considered superior to knowledge. Without this inner renunciation, it becomes difficult to perfect our practice, gain the right understanding, or steady the mind for meditation.
Karma Phala Tyaga is not about giving up action. It is about transforming our attitude toward action:
- Acting with purpose and not with the result as the motive
- Offering every action as service to God
- Releasing attachment to the outcome
This shift connects us to the divine. When we detach from results, action becomes worship, work becomes prayer, and life becomes lighter.

Where is Your Mind?

Gurudev talks about how we can practice buddhi yoga while still dealing with the challenges we are presented with every day life. He acknowledges that being conscious of our vasanas or tendencies and making sure we stay true can be mentally and physically exhausting. One way to achieve that balance is to be mindful of our actions - keep your mind where your hands are. Always be present in the task at hand. This helps us to avoid even simple mishaps such as missing salt while cooking which happens often when we are distracted. So, keeping the mind in the present and focused on the task at hand puts us 

What is Dharma?

There are hundreds of meanings and every author interprets Dharma differently. But it is essentially one concept, and its application are varied. Everything in the world has properties, essential and non-essential. Sugar can be brown, white, crystalline, sandy, powder, rocky, but the essential property is that it must be sweet. Likewise the Dharma of all living beings is the Self, the life in them. Once the life is gone, beings don't exist.

--Sridhar and Shankar