A Dialogue with Swami Tejomayananda

[Guest guest]

Greetings Advaitins:

 

Swamiji's dialog is quite appropriate to reenergize the on going Gita Ssatsang.

Swami Tejoymayanandaji is the head of Chinmaya Mission and is well versed in

Gita and Vedanta. Please take sometime to read his valuable advice and it will

certainly help everyone to feel confident and good to participate in the

Satsang,

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

A Dialogue with Swami Tejomayananda

A few Study Group Sevaks met Swami Tejomayanandaji on 11th November 1999,

at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai for guidance on the Study Group

activity. Some excerpts:

 

Q. Swamiji, why is it that Study Groups face the problems of lack of

Sevaks and dwindling attendance?

 

A. Low numbers in the study groups need not deter us because even in

worldly activities, the number of people working sincerely is always less.

The objective of the Study Group should be very clear to all members.

Without this, there cannot be any commitment among Sevaks or members and

the problem of dwindling attendence would continue.

 

The purpose of life is Self-Realisation and therefore, all our activities

should be towards that goal. On this path, Yagnas (Shravanam) give us the

vision of the Shastras. The Study Group is a forum for Mananam and

digestion of ideas, so that our knowledge is free of doubts. Spiritual

health is as important as physical health. Just as a hospital helps us to

regain physical health. It is the responsibility of each member of the

group to make the discussion fruitful and interesting by regular study.

 

As far as Sevaks are concerned, there is a fear in their minds that they

do not know enough. This results in members hesitating to become Sevaks.

Sevaks must have an attitude and readiness to share the benefits that they

have gained, with other members of the group. A positive attitude will

give maximum benefit to the Sevaks. In case of unresolved doubts/

questions, the group could write them down and get them clarified from

Acharayas of Chinmaya Mission, once in a while.

 

Q. What is it that would attract people to the Study Group?

 

A. Two things attract people to the Study Group?

a) If their needs of life are fulfilled and

b) If their interests are fulfilled

 

In life, one sees that a highly spiritual person has minimum material

needs and a highly materialistic person has minimum spiritual needs. Then,

you have some people who feel the need but are unable to sustain their

interest because their expectations are too high.

 

Q. What factors would you name as responsible for spiritual learning

process to take place?

 

A. Four factors, each as important as the other, make the learning process

complete: 25% Guru's Blessings; 25% Self Study, 25% Group Study and 25%

The Time Factor.

 

Q. How do we go about studying the text in the class?

 

A. Every text has a central theme around which it revolves. Look for this

first. Each verse should be taken up in the following sequence: First, the

word meaning, then the translation of the entire verse, followed by the

commentary and finally, the sum and substance of the verse.

 

Q. Could you suggest a few ways to make the discussion interesting?

 

A. Applicability of the knowledge gained through study, to the daily life

should be stressed. Use real life examples for this. Secondly, you may ask

the members to express their understanding in their own way, for eg.,

someone interested in poetry could write the theme of the verse in poetry

form; an artist could depict it in picture form; a musician could tune the

verse in some Raga (musical melody); or a grammarian could explain the

Sanskrit grammar. You could also have a quiz, "fill in the blanks" or

"complete the verse" contests to keep up the interest of the members.

 

Q. Swamiji, finally we would like to know Pujya Gurudev's Vision behind

the Study Group activity. Could you throw some light on it?

 

A. This is what Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayanandaji, had to say about

Study Groups:

 

"Mere listening to my Yagnas will not add to your beauty. These ideas are

to be reflected deeply and digested slowly. This process is hastened only

when you discuss what you have studied with others. Study groups

constitute the heart of our Mission. The ideas gathered by you, when

discussed with others, not only become deeply rooted in yourself, but as

they become clearer in your own understanding, they also inspire those who

listen to you. Thus, each student, while trying to strengthen his own

understanding, can become an instrument for the spread of this knowledge.

This process is the dynamic STUDY SCHEME followed in the Vedantic

tradition. This is not a Chinmaya methodology, it is the most ancient

Vedantic tradition of Study."

 

*****************

 

From Swami Tejomayananda

Camp: Kuwait

April 4, 2000

 

The Scheme of Study

 

Dear Study Group and CHYK members,

 

Hari OM!

 

The Study Group activity, started way back in the fifties by Pujya

Gurudev, has been one of the core activities of Chinmaya Mission at the

Grassroot Level. It is the Study Group which provides workers to the

mission who organise various programmes like Yagnas, Camps, Seva Projects,

etc.

 

All Study Groups round the world have been following the Scheme of Study

as prescribed by Pujya Gurudev himself. This scheme provides for a study

of our scriptures in a graded manner. Over the years, the Scheme has seen

some changes in terms of a few texts being added as and when they became

available in print.

 

About 25 years ago Pujya Gurudev formed the Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK)

for the youth of the country and prescribed a few texts for their study

groups. These were "The Manual of Self Unfoldment" and "The Art of Man

Making". Later, "I Love You" and "Art of Living" were added to the list.

 

While I was going through the Scheme, I observed the following points:

 

a) There is some overlapping in the scheme for Adults' Study Groups and

that for CHYKs.

b) Some texts are found to be more suited for self study by all Study

Group Members.

c) In the last few years a number of new texts/commentaries have been

published by CCMT which could not be included in the Scheme so far.

d) The Scheme needs to be split into 2 parts

i) Part I - called "The Basic Scheme of Study", and

ii) Part II -called "The Advanced Scheme of Study" (to be taken up after

completing Part I)

 

Keeping the above points in mind, I recommend a revised Scheme of Study -

for Adults, Junior and Senior CHYK, as follows:

 

SCHEME OF STUDY FOR THE ADULTS' STUDY GROUPS

 

S.NO: ** FOR GROUP STUDY ** FOR SELF STUDY ** FOR VIDEO VIEWING

-------

1.** Kindle Life ** Vedanta Thru Letters ** Vivekchoodamani

2.** Bhaja Govindam** We Must

3.** Tattwa Bodh ** Sadhana Panchakam

4.** Manah Shodhanam ** Purusha Sooktam

5.** Atma Bodh ** Hymn to Badrinath

6.** Upadesha Saar ** Vishnu Sahasranama

7.** Narada Bhakti Sutra

8.** Meditation & Life

9.** Geeta Introduction &

.** Chapters 1 & 2

10. ** Jnanasarah

11. ** Kenopanishad

12. ** Geeta Chapters 3 - 6

13. ** Dhyana Swaroopam

14. ** Kaivalya Upanishad

15. ** Geeta Chapters 7 - 9

16. ** Isavasya Upanishad

17. ** Geeta Chapters 10 - 12

18. ** Bhakti Sudha

19. ** Geeta Chapters 13 - 15

20. ** Mundaka Upanishad

21. ** Geeta Chapters 16 - 18

22. ** Sat Darshan

 

Advanced Study Scheme

 

1. Yoga Vasishtha Sara Samgraha

2. Advaita Makarand

3. Aitareya Upanishad

4. Dakshinamurthy Stotram

5. Kathopanishad

6. Prasnopanishad

7. Taittiriya Upanishad

8. Mandukya Upanishad

 

 

Study Schemes

 

S.No: ** For Junior CHYK ** For Senior CHYK** For Self Study

-------

1.** Art of Living ** Manual of Self ** Hindu Culture

Unfoldment

2.** Hanuman Chalisa ** Art of Man Making

3.** Art of God** We Must

Symbolism

4.** I Love You** Vibheeshana Geeta

5.** Game of Life** Sadhana Panchakam

6. ** Right Thinking

 

These texts may be studied in small doses as already prescribed in the

scheme.

 

In the service of the Lord

 

Tejomayananda