Activities, Americas, Reports, Youth Conference - Thursday, January 22, 2009 22:51 - 2 Comments

AYUDH Youth Meet 2008

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. Continue…