Good evening from Morgantown, West Virginia where 55 Hindu youth have gathered with Dandapani and Muni Natarajan (and camp coordinators) for a week long camp. The focus is the study of Hinduism and to have a joyous time with fellow Hindu youth.
A typical day sees campers in an hour long hatha yoga and meditation class starting at 7am. Then it's breakfast followed by classes from 9am to noon. Then lunch and an afternoon full of activities. After an early dinner, we get together for bhajans/kirtan (devotional singing) followed by half an hour of question and answers that usually takes place outdoors. Among the topics covered in class today were 'Looking for a guru to guide your life?', 'Seeking to understand the mind?' and 'Don't know what to do next in your life?'.
Dandapani is also discussing with the youth in each of the classes about 'Hindu Parenting'. "What is your advice for being a good Hindu parent and why?" is the question that he has been posing to the campers. And we've already gotten some wonderful answers which we will share with you shortly.
The classes this year are based on lessons from the book "Gurudeva's Toolbox for a Spiritual Life" by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami which is published by Kauai's Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. The practical timeless wisdom contained within this book focuses on sharing practical insights and spiritual tools for challenges that most people face in daily life.
Question of the day from a young camper: "What is Michael Jackson's karma like?"
