The 2nd annual AYUDH Youth Meet held at the M.A. Center in San Ramon, California saw the arrival of young people from all over the country to participate in a 3 day program led by Br Dayamrita. Themed “Compassion in Action,” the retreat delved into the complex meaning of compassion, and explored the ways that we can be compassionate to each other, our communities, and our planet. Each morning began with a guided meditation with Br. Dayamrita, a small puja, and a session of yoga. Other activities for the weekend included spiritual talks with Br. Dayamrita, a webcast with Swami Amritaswarupananda, daily bhajans and meditation, tree plantings, a music workshop with professional musicians, and group activities and discussion sessions on the myriad of issues that youth face in their daily lives.

Upon their arrival to the M.A. Center, retreatants were split into groups and embarked on “Maha Yatra,” a spiritual scavenger hunt that took them all across the ashram grounds. Participants were required to draw on a number of different sources of knowledge—including bhajans, Amma’s life, and early history of the M.A. Center. This provided a valuable opportunity for individuals to familiarize themselves with the vast grounds and history of the M.A. Center. Following this, Br. Dayamrita led participants in a discussion on the practical meanings of compassion in action. Groups were given real-life scenarios that individuals had faced, and were instructed to act out solutions to the problems that were the most compassionate. It became clear that the compassionate act is not always the easiest, or the most readily apparent. The first day’s program culminated with the weekly Saturday program, which the youth managed from beginning to end. The program began with a short video presentation that highlighted the group’s activities from the past year, followed by satsang given by two active Ayudh members, and finished with bhajans led by the youth.

This evening also included a highlight of the weekend, a webcast with Swami Amritaswarupananda. In a moving satsang, Swamiji exhorted us to make a practice of remembering Amma and a special experience with her just three times a day. He noted that it had been his experience that when one called to Amma with longing, She would surely respond. Individuals were able to interact with Swamiji and asked a number of questions. Following this, Swamiji led youth in a stirring rendition of “Om Guru Mata”. The program even culminated in the distribution of virtual Prasad!

The second day of the program involved a visit by all of the young participants to the new M.A. Center permaculture project to take part in a mass tree planting. Project leaders from Common Vision, an Earth education and ecological awareness group, spoke to participants about the ideology of permaculture and the ideas that had informed the project, and also instructed us on how to properly plant the trees to ensure their survival and longevity. Retreatants spent a number of hours on a lush green hill overlooking the M.A. Center grounds, planting trees that would eventually contribute to a new, thriving mini ecosystem. By the conclusion of the retreat, 100 trees had been planted by AYUDH members. Later in the day, participants enjoyed a presentation by Toastmasters, an international public speaking and leadership promotion group. A Toastmaster leader led retreatants in various activities that helped individuals improve their ease and comfort in speaking in front of a large group of people.

The final day of program included a Music Workshop run by professional musicians, who provided informative tips on how to optimize one’s vocal capacity and vocal tone. Following some group exercises, the group was taught the International Ayudh theme song, “Wings of a Dove.” The group split up and had the opportunity to learn harmonies and rhythmic accompaniment as well.  After some diligent practice, Amrita Hall resounded with youthful voices singing in unison, joyful and full of hope.

In the afternoon retreatants were able to spend some quality time with Br. Dayamrita in an informal question and answer session. A wide scope of questions were asked during this time— relating to spiritual practice, how to maintain one’s values and beliefs in the outside world, and how to negotiate interpersonal conflict. This time allowed participants to share some of their own experiences while benefiting from Br. Daymrita’s insights.

At the conclusion of the program, youth engaged in a discussion of the efforts of the past year, as well as goal setting for the following year. 2007’s goals were met and exceeded; this year we aimed higher. We pledged to plant 1008 trees by Amma’s visit in June, meet monthly for some kind of activity, and continue doing local bakesales to benefit Amma’s Farmer Relief Project. All retreatants received the 2009 Calendar of Change, which detailed month to month activities for individuals to participate in. Each month had a different social service oriented theme, with suggestions of specific activities that individuals can do that pertain to the theme. Individuals pledged to perform four activities from the list each month, and report on their progress to the AYUDH website. Youth also made individual pledges to themselves, which they wrote on small paper doves, the international symbol of AYUDH. The doves were mounted and hung in Amrita Hall, a symbol of our promises to ourselves, each other, and to our beloved Amma. Indeed, the dove is a fitting symbol for AYUDH: with Amma’s Grace, Amma’s youth can soar to the heights of spiritual bliss, and become emissaries of Her peace to the entire world.