Yet another weekend of field visits and new things to learn about; this weekend (though stressful because of all the work I have due..) was a really peaceful one.
On Saturday, we had two short trips planned. The first was to an incredibly beautiful Ashram. The one in Mysore is called Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, founded by none other than Swami Vivekananda. It upholds the ideal of "Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitayacha," meaning, "For the liberation of the self and the good of the world."
An Ashram is normally a religious or spiritual commune - some are as small as a single household and some are as large as an entire school. The one in Mysore is also home to the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education, so it was rather large. Basically, an Ashram is an intentional community formed primarily for spiritual upliftment of its members. Although I enjoy our "separation between church and state" secularist approach to education (and other things) in the United States, I think there is something to be said about integrating morals and spirituality into educating our children. We learned a few pretty neat lessons that actually made me think this weekend. For instance:
"ABC" (other than being the first three letters of the English Alphabet) mean a multitude of things:
"Always Be Cheerful", "Always Be Careful", "Active Brave Courageous", and "A Beautiful Child"
It also can mean "Accelerator Break Clutch" in the way that life moves sometimes and how we handle it.. it was an interesting way to look at things.
Or, the ways in which to live your life:
This trip really allowed me to understand how natural remedies and peaceful spirituality make for a great lifestyle. There are so many people that I have come across that live simply, and make it actually look simple. So, although the Bangalore Tomatino Festival was canceled (due to protests...waste of tomatoes, etc) and though I still have incredible amounts of homework/essays to complete, I have realized that I not only need to alter the way I look at life (more positively) but also how I live it - more naturally and in harmony with the world and people around me.
On Saturday, we had two short trips planned. The first was to an incredibly beautiful Ashram. The one in Mysore is called Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, founded by none other than Swami Vivekananda. It upholds the ideal of "Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitayacha," meaning, "For the liberation of the self and the good of the world."
An Ashram is normally a religious or spiritual commune - some are as small as a single household and some are as large as an entire school. The one in Mysore is also home to the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education, so it was rather large. Basically, an Ashram is an intentional community formed primarily for spiritual upliftment of its members. Although I enjoy our "separation between church and state" secularist approach to education (and other things) in the United States, I think there is something to be said about integrating morals and spirituality into educating our children. We learned a few pretty neat lessons that actually made me think this weekend. For instance:
"ABC" (other than being the first three letters of the English Alphabet) mean a multitude of things:
"Always Be Cheerful", "Always Be Careful", "Active Brave Courageous", and "A Beautiful Child"
It also can mean "Accelerator Break Clutch" in the way that life moves sometimes and how we handle it.. it was an interesting way to look at things.
Or, the ways in which to live your life:
- eat to live with purpose
- live with joy
- be positive and optimistic
- choose happiness above all else
- share your gifts and talents with others
- live to add value to others lives
- recognize that heart wins over head, everytime
- get rich in helping others
- live focused
- be persistent in living to do good
The Facility
Some of the architecture and design; the grounds featured many different styles
The Gardens! All the flora was so beautiful and diverse
The Outdoor Classroom!
It was awesome, but when squirrels exist, it is too distracting to have class outside
(Look out for Jake making creepy faces at me)
P.S. yes, we did have a lecture outside
A Haiku Attempt:
Spirit of the mind
helps make the intellect shine
speech of a wise man
Meditating in the Ashram
Photo Cred: Ms. Laura Emmerson
Religions Co-Existing, harmoniously
This was the campus Religion Museum; I found it fascinating
Along with descriptions, artifacts and histories of each of the major religions of the world, this mural was sported; I found it incredibly interesting (though also a bit simplistic)
As with most places we travel to, the lunch was incredible!
No, this bucket of compost was NOT our lunch, but I did find there kitchen/serving process nice
I also just think composting is such a great idea, and this looked picture worthy.
Then we went to an Ayurvedic Medical Clinic to learn about how/see how Ayurvedic Medicines are made. We got to sample a few natural remedies, like, Saraseaparilla Surup and Bheemashakti Rasayana (helps with skin conditioning/internal cooling and high protein supplement, respectively) I really wish I could understand the chemistry/science behind medicinal practices; everything I am learning about Health here makes me wish that I was smart enough to practice it too.
Shortly after I snapped this he said, "No pictures, please."
So this is the only one I got...
...until I got this one of all the grinding/processing machines without him knowing
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