30 August :Sw. Suddhananda Giri, of YSS India (SRF International) delivered a talk ‘Balanced Life is a Successful Life’ to a packed Auditorium in the Department of Chemistry at Panjab Univetrsity, Chandigarh. The lecture, which was attended by about 250 strong audience comprising of University Faculty, students and other citizens, was organized by the Department of Physics. Prof. Suman Beri welcomed Swamiji and Prof. M. M. Gupta, Chairman, Physics, welcomed Prof. S. K. Kulkarni, DUI, the chief guest and other guests.
Prof. Beri introduced Swami suddhananda as a man of deep scientific insight, as before renunciation, he worked in one of the premier research establishments of India, the Bhabha Atomic Research centre, Mumbai, after graduating in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Madras, Chennai.
Swamiji opened his talk by emphasizing the need for balance in life, especially modern life, because its ever increasing pace with regard to progress in all material aspects, is enough to throw people off balance. The sages of ancient India had discovered the ‘inner technology’ to maintain such a balance. Swamiji opined that ‘success’ is a general term broadly expressed by a 3-point formula – To find true happiness within; to realise ones full human potential and to be able to balance spiritual and material aspects of life. Modern trends in management and behavioural sciences too recognize the importance of emotional quotient apart from intelligence quotient. Swamiji pointed out that a person with a high degree of spiritual consciousness is one who has grasped the internal expression of truth. It manifests itself as his balanced harmonious life and a performance of all his duties, material, and spiritual, without allowing them to contradict one another.
True success means a balanced life with meditation, intellectual studies, health, happiness and work (for earning a living). Meditation happens to be important because it leads to conscious relaxation and enhances ones mental faculties. In the end, Swamiji gave ten mantras for modern man to free oneself from tensions. The most important of these points are to calm the mind through meditation, readings books that require deep concentration, to regularly exercise, relax and have recreation, and to keep the mind fixed all the time on the polestar of divine presence.
The session ended with vote of thanks and a very lively discussion with questions from the audience. YSS books were displayed outside the auditorium by YSS Chandigarh chapter.
Thank you for posting this informative article for the benefits of those who could not attend the lecture. More about Paramahansa Yogananda founder of YSS of India (Yogoda Satsanga Society of India) from http://www.yssofindia.org.