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Introduction
"Love is to the
human heart what sunshine is to the flowers."
Gurudev,
H.H. Swami Chinmayananda
Balavihar: The greatest
boon given by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda to bless our younger
generation is Balvihar. Balavihar provides the spiritual and cultural
education to the children of the modern age. The rationale of the
Balavihars as elucidated by Pujya Gurudev in the "March of the
future" talk is:
v
To train the
children and inculcate in them the reverence for our ancient culture,
and inspire them to live up to it with correct understanding.
v
To create
self-confidence to serve and act cheerfully.
v
To generate a true
affection in all contacts, inculcate personal discipline and a true
spirit of leadership.
v
To mould their
capacity to express and assert their individuality.
v
To bring out their
dormant faculties and detect defects; cultivate and improve their
creative abilities.
v
To help children
to develop a healthy resistance against temptations in the atmosphere in
which they grow.
The visionary and humanitarian of our times, Swami Chinmayananda saw
that in the hi-tech urban civilization both sunshine and love would be
hard to come by. Anticipating this need, he initiated the Balavihars.
Good conduct, emotional refinement, intellectual finesse and spiritual
awareness are developed by mature sevaks
and sevikas through fun and
play, and through stories and bhajans. The children are encouraged to be
responsible, alert and sensitive members of society. Swamiji believed
that just as the strength of a wall depended on the quality of each
brick, so too, the health of a society depended on the individuals. If
the individuals are healthy, the society is healthy. His strategy for
building a new society was to "Catch 'em young."
A typical Balavihar class
starts with the chanting of stotras including the Guru
Stotram. They sing and learn bhajans.
Classroom sessions are conducted by trained sevaks
and sevikas and include
value-based stories, study of prescribed religious texts, discussions
etc. Instructions are through games, arts, crafts, stories, and other
unique techniques. Balavihar program teaches and reinforces spiritual
and cultural values. The curriculum is designed for all grade levels
(Kindergarten through Grade-12) and is creative and dynamic. The
Balavihars have been the most popular and effective programs in the
Mission
. It has touched the lives of thousands of children all over the world.
As Swamiji would say, "Our children are our Future." Balavihar
activity of the
Mission
ensures that the future of the Movement is bright and luminous.
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Youth Camp
: The annual Youth Camp is a
focused activity with a structured syllabus on specific themes and
topics. It is a well-organized, week long day camp for children from 5
years to 18, from our local communities and also from different parts of
the country. Acharyas from
other Chinmaya Mission Centers conduct the classes, with many sevaks
and sevikas assisting in
classrooms. As in our regular Balavihar classes, the camp provides a
healthy and encouraging environment of structured activities for
children and youth, to learn the values of our scriptures through class
room instruction, interactive sessions, arts, crafts, stories,
discussions etc. Children will also be given instructions on puja and
religious worship practices conforming to our traditions and values. The
camp also includes daily recreational activities of sports and games,
organized and supervised by adult volunteers. Overall, for every
participant, Chinmaya Youth Camp is a period of lasting enrichment and
memorable experiences.
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