17^th Arya Maha Sammelan – Youth Perspective

by

Swati Verma

Throughout all of the discussions and speeches made in the Arya Maha Sammelan, the youth learned a variety of new things. Although some of our questions may not have been completely answered, it is no doubt that the speeches and discussions enabled us to look at our questions in different points of views and different perspectives.

One of the first things we learned about was the golden rule. The golden rule can be applied to anybody and everybody in every situation. Basically, what it states is that every coin has two sides, a head and a tail. These two sides represent the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, daytime and nighttime, darkness and the light. In other words, whenever somebody faces a dilemma or a problem, there will always be two possible solutions or outcomes. Each solution will be either positive or negative. You must use your good judgment in order to determine which decision is the best in terms of making both you and the people around you the happiest.

Another thing that we learned about was Yoga. We hear from many people that Yoga is the answer to all of our problems, but even then we do not understand how or why it works. Before one can see the effects of Yoga, one must continuously practice it. It is like when athletes train. They must train for months at a time, and after nonstop commitment do they see the long term effects. Yoga will yield only long term effects and must be patiently practiced daily in order to see the results. So once we practice Yoga, how does it benefit us? Basically, it teaches self-discipline. Discipline of the mind, body, and soul. This discipline is very important in our lives. It helps us become more focused and be more efficient. Along with that, practicing Yoga enables us to see and view our environment in different terms. We become more aware of ourselves and our surroundings. For example, if there is a classroom with students and a teacher trying to teach, if the students are jumping around, moving, and talking, then there is no way that they will be able to learn what the teacher is trying to teach them. If however, the students are disciplined and sit quietly in their seats, they will be able to concentrate to their highest extent, and learn what is being taught. As can be seen, being disciplined is very crucial in our lives.

Another idea which was very controversial to us was science vs. religion. Often times, it is very difficult for us to have faith in many of our practices due to the fact that there is no physical evidence that proves it true. There are just certain things that we must accept as true, even though you can't see them. For example, we know that air exists, but we cannot see it. You can see a flower, but you can not see its smell. You can eat food, but you cannot see the taste. Similarly, there are certain things that are there yet cannot be seen by the naked eye. If there is a circle, science is able to answer all the questions along the circumference of the circle. Dharama/Religion is able to answer all the questions within the interior of the circle. The interior is the greatest in area, and has the most crucial role. In science, scientists conduct experiments, gather evidence, and then have belief in certain events. Religion however is the complete opposite. One must have belief and faith before one can actually see. Science requires evidence before belief, whereas religion requires belief before one can see.

Another very controversial issue that we face is "Hinduism" vs. Hindu/Sanatan/Arya Dharma. The "ism" part of "Hinduism" only was created after the British arrived in India. People say "Hinduism" all the time, though it is a very common misconception. It really should be Hindu Dharma, yet why don't we say it in our every day language? Perhaps it is because we may not know what "Dharma" actually means. If you have a droplet of water for example, it will always have certain properties and characteristics that will always be there despite where the water is located. It will always flow towards the earth, and it will always be wet. Just like how fire is always hot, and will always burn, these characteristics are the Dharma of the water and the fire. Similarly, the Dharma of all of mankind is to be Arya/Hindu.

One thing that I like very much is the fact that the Hindu Dharma is a universal way of life that should be followed by all. Hindu has a certain meaning: H is for honesty, I is for integrity, N is for nobility, D is for divinity, and U is for universal love and appreciation. These five characteristics are very noble and are certain characteristics that everybody believes are nice to have. Therefore, if one believes in these characteristics, they also believe in our Hindu Dharma.

There are many differences in being Hindu and being other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Specifically, by being Aryan, one has a certain freedom that others don't possess. If you are Hindu, then you have the ability to question your doubts or misconceptions. Our Hindu Dharma is the only faith out there that enables its followers to question certain things that one may not be so sure about. Once we question things, we are able to follow and take the steps to answer our questions. These questions that we have are first initiative to better ourselves and learn more of our culture. By following Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, one must basically memorize fact by fact from either the Quran or Bible. If there is some doubt, that person must still blindly believe in it because it is written down in their sacred text. We are fortunate to have the freedom to question and then believe.

Another thing we learned was that in our world, we have many problems. And when these problems are looked at closely, they can all mostly be rooted to the same problem. Almost all of our problems are caused from our selfishness. If you take a closer look at our selfishness, you can see that selfishness is rooted from our ego, which stems from our ignorance. So if we get rid of our ignorance, we get rid of our ego, which means we get rid of our selfishness and lastly we wouldn't have any problems in this world. Another aspect to look at is the power of humility. Humility has such a huge role, yet many people often underestimate the power of it. By acting with humility, by being humble, one may make life on this earth so much better. The power of humility is so strong, yet so few people use it in their daily lives. Life would be so much better if we all make an effort to actually use it. Once we act with humility, we are able to grow and learn more about ourselves and our culture.

Lastly what we learned was the true meaning of doing Havan. Although we do Havan almost every Sunday, many of us still did not understand its meaning. For example, why do we use a fire and water? Why not milk instead? Well, we learned why a fire is used. Fire is a symbol of purification of the atmosphere. That is why once the fire is put out, the Havan Kund is always taken outside. It has already purified the interior of the building, and by taking it outside, it is free to purify the outside atmosphere as well. One may believe that fire is not beneficial to the environment because of all the gases that get released, but by looking at the fire scientifically, it begins to make sense. Clouds form by condensing on particles of dust that get raised into the atmosphere. These particles of dust come from the smoke of the fire. Once the cloud is formed, it begins to precipitate and rain falls down to the earth. And universally, rain is seen as something that cleanses, cleans, and purifies. So therefore, by precipitating, the environment gets cleansed.

We learned so many things, but these were only some of the things that we began to look at in another point of view. There is of no doubt that we want to return again next year to the Maha Sammelan. We had so much fun participating in the youth discussions and speeches. It was definitely worth our effort to come here and participate in this event. We also had a lot of fun with the extra curricular activities, field trip and cultural programs that we will cherish for a long time to come.

I'd like to thank all the sponsors, directors, organizers, aunties, uncles, and youth that made this event a great success.