As a kid I often dreamt of going to Disneyland . Another frequent fantasy we all have (or maybe its just me) is meeting the movie star of your dreams. What if I told you I got to experience both of these last week? Yup The feeling of joy and wonder a child feels when visiting Disneyland for the first time and the absolute love you feel for the movie star is how it felt when I was at Mahasamadhi Camp. Someone smilingly called it a spiritual resort. But for me it was a rollercoaster of fun with a lot of celebrity sightings.
Mahasamadhi Camp is organized and hosted by a different center every year. This is to commemorate the day that Gurudev left his mortal body and merged with the Absolute. It is a day of great significance for all of us in Chinmaya Mission. The camp itself is 5 days ending on Aug 3rd .People from all across US , Caribbean and Canada gather together to mark this special occasion .
We registered quite early . Accommodation and food were included in the fee . This was my first time attending but I had heard a lot from attendees from the past years. The week before ,we received emails with detailed instructions and also the schedule of the various programs. Every day was packed with various interesting offerings. You can also volunteer at various stations including book store or Balavihar and many more activities. We could also register for Bhiksha or Aarthi or donate towards various offerings. The topic for this year was ‘Wisdom from Kaivalya Upanidhad’ by Swami Swaroopananda ji , Global Head of Chinmaya Mission.
July 29th dawned bright and clear . The festivities started at 4:00 with the arrival of Swamiji at the Marriot Hotel escorted inside with beautiful sounds and little children dressed as saints and gods and goddesses. We had our first lecture on Kaivalya Upanishad that evening . The highlight was little anecdotes that Swamiji would highlight from Gurudev’s life which would speak directly to the profound teachings from the Upanishad.
There were registration kiosks and at registration we received a bag with the book , a saree for the ladies to wear on Aug 3rd and shawl for the men along with sweets , pen , notebook and a book commemorating the 108th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev.
Remember I mentioned fan girling for movie stars. Who needs movie stars when we have Swami IShwaranandaji giving his now familiar finger punch as you took his blessing. If he did not give it we would ask him for it. There was Swami Prakashananda ji with his gentle smile .Every where I saw people had gathered around one of the swamijis and were having an informal satsang. We joined one of those as well . The swami jis always oblige you as you ask your questions and make sure your doubts are cleared .
The next day started with Yoga or walk depending on your preference at 5:30. followed by vedic chanting at 6:10. Then followed meditation session with Swami IShwarananda ji which was actually based on the Kaivalya Upanishad . Then we would have a tea break. From 7:30- 8:30 was a talk by Swami SHanthananda ji on the 108 Namavali of Gurudev. Fun Fact: The 108 names of Gurudev was the brainchild of Guruji and Swami SHanthananda ji. So what a wonderful way to listen and chant the names and also learn some interesting incidents from Gurudev”s life which highlight it.
After breakfast there was Swaranjali bhajans by various centers followed by morning talk by Swami Swaroopananda ji . After a break for lunch and a short siesta , we would be back for Q&A with the various Swamis. What enriching sessions these were to hear doubts which we may have ,expressed by someone else and hear the thoughtful answers given by Swamijis . This was followed by tea ,swaranjali and evening session on Kaivalya Upanishad . After dinner there were different cultural programs planned, garba one night, a wonderful dance drama based on Kaivalya Upanishad which had the audience in awe, at the insight and understanding that these tweens and teenagers exhibited in grasping these difficult concepts. One night was the Fireside chat with all the Swamijis . If you think Vedanta is serious and boring you should watch the joy and laughter these Swamijis bring . They light up the room not with any vulgar jokes but that inner light which shines, gurgling forth with wit and laughter.
Kids and Teens were not forgotten. I could see bands of teenagers happily talking to Brahmacharis and Brahmacharinis having so much fun. Just as we had full day of activity they also had fun and full days of activities. Kids who had attended past camps, joined their friends from other centers and you could see the camaraderie between them . Little kids with blue lanyards would be seen resisting sleep as parents tried to separate them from friends, they had made in camp.
It was a lot of fun but not for one minute could we forget Gurudev ,who had brought us together there. He was everywhere, in the decorations , in the words of the Swamijis , in the bhajans from the Swaranjali teams, in the innocent smiles of the little ones, in the mischievous looks of the teenagers and most of all in our hearts.
The best part was of course the Puja that would be conducted on Aug 3rd for which the preparation was perfect . The altars for all families were arranged in the main hall . We all came down wearing the Kerala style sari and the men in white kurtas and shawl draped around . The altars had a beautiful picture of Gurudev with a plate and puja samagri and flowers for the paduka puja. The yajamans would do the main puja on stage while we worshipped Gurudev with flowers. The need to be quiet and feel Gurudev consciously in our hearts was emphasized repeatedly. Another unique thing was that the whole puja was led by children who flawlessly, under the guidance of Swami Dheerananada ji conducted this puja . Not one detail was overlooked including the packing of the altar at the conclusion of the puja . After a quick lunch we all started dispersing back to our ‘normal’ lives.
I carry back with me wonderful memories of my first Mahasamadhi camp. I woke up every day refreshed with a smile which shone through my heart . As we go back to our life I carry back that Ananda , that bliss that I now know is my treasure . A treasure that I don’t have to go anywhere to get but right here, right now I am that source of Sat Chit Ananda. I end with the words Swami Swaroopananda ji reminded us again and again ‘ Tat Tvam Eva’ ( That you are ) and ‘Tvam Eva Tat'( You are That)
Our thanks to CMWRC for the wonderful hospitality and the detailed preparations. Thanks to CMW for all the direction and dedication they bring to the vision of Gurudev. And lots of grantitude to fellow sadhakas from Chinmaya Gurukul for the fun, laughter, discussions and walks 🙂
