Is religion relevant to young people like you and me? Does spirituality hold any answers for problems in the modern age?
Swami Chinmayananda's answer was a definite yes! He said that it is far more relevant for us to understand the goal of life and how to live it when we are young rather than when we are old and life has largely passed us by.
Vedanta, which is at the core of the Hindu religion, is a science. It is subject to hypotheses (e.g. on the goal of life), experiments (e.g. the best way of reaching this - the paths of karma or bhakti etc.) and testing (enquiry and debate). This is the same logical way in which physical, biological or social sciences stand ground. Whilst the latter are sciences of the outer world, Vedanta is the science of the internal world. It gives us the tools to live life with equipoise and confidence. Using them when young helps awaken and channel our inherent energy.
This is the goal of CHYK, or Chinmaya Yuva Kendra - the youth wing (18-35 years) of the Mission. It is inspired by the trail blazed by Swami Chinmayananda and followed by tens of thousands of youth from all over the world. Our aim as CHYKs is to help each other to develop a clarity of vision: to change our point of view, and create an atmosphere that allows to grow as a family, yet equally and more profoundly, as individuals too. And along the way, the path is a whole lot of fun.
Discussion Class
Discussion classes lie at the very core of CHYK, just as they form the backbone of Chinmaya Mission across the world. Through discussion with like-minded people, class gives us the sustenance we require to keep enquiring and growing. As one CHYK has described it,
"CHYK Class is mentally stimulating and one comes out of class feeling awake: as if another sense has been opened …"
Class meets in Boston every Thursday from 7.30pm till 9pm. Contact chykboston@gmail.com for more information, or join our Google Group to stay in touch with CHYK activities:
chykboston