Hari
Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days;
Q&As; a general review of the week so far…
Celebrations
for Gurudev's 100th birthday are imminent - there have been some new clips of
Gurudev speaking, and other tributes, put up on the main Chinmaya Cannel on the
tubular. If you have not already subscribed to the channel, it is highly
recommended. You will find there many videos of great variety to add to your
experience of Vedanta and Indian culture. Some may seem more advanced, but be
not afraid of them! Students of any subject who seek to understand better what
it is they are striving for can benefit from sitting in on lectures from the
years ahead of them; going along to public discourses, even on subjects not
directly within our interest, can yield teasing and valuable points and
intellectual puzzles for us to enjoy.
In
fact, in the month of June you will discover here a series of talks taken from
the Chinmaya channel and also its sister channel from CIF. Think of it as
little 'busmans' holiday!
Every
now and then a question pops through on the contacts box and, where possible,
it has been attended through a general post here on Freedays (and of course
responding to the individual who enquired). It would be hoped that by now there
are more questions arising and you are again encouraged to ask them, or to
voice doubts. All too often we read stuff and think, "oh yes, got a handle
on that", or "no, something doesn't compute"… but we don't do
anything about confirming or clarifying.
In a regular study group situation, the aachaarya would have been asking
questions during class and provided a question paper every three months or so,
to assess how the students are really getting on - but also as a prompt to the
student that this expectation must be put on themselves. It is not that one
cannot go forward if an exam is failed; not like school! Rather, a measure, for
one's own satisfaction. Remember, this is not simply an 'interest' to be read and put aside; for full and genuine benefit, applying the exercises, working the mind, and making changes is the purpose of Vedanta; it is a living, breathing philosophy which permits a practical and logical approach to life.
Have
toyed with the idea of putting together a work-book which you all could
purchase - it may yet happen, so keep your eyes peeled! There is also a plan to
build a related 'closed' blog for the next level of teachings after
Aatmaabodha; this will entail a level of commitment through 'enrolment' and
provide for a more direct, interactive approach to the study. This will be
about a year or so from now... Yamini-amma has some 'upskilling' to do for
that!
Thank
you to all who are reading regularly. May you find solace and inspiration from
your visits here.
