7th June: Shivir – Day 7

Morning session

Ladies today at the songs and for the lecture!! The one and only time ladies presented during the entire 24 sessions.

The lecture today was all on family values and balancing life. 

1. There is a general lack of “dev” values in people.
2. Family should be thought of as a factory for producing responsible citizens.  It is the backbone of any country, without it the country will also fall apart. 
3. Sant Gyaneshwar said, one does not have to leave the family to become a saint or sadhu, one only needs to leave the bad qualities. 
4. When two people marry it is a new life, neither of them should think of their old life anymore.  Start fresh with new ideas.
5. Always think responsibility first and rights afterwards. 
6. Most importantly don’t hurt anyone’s self esteem.

There are a few things to keep in mind

1. Swachata and suvivastha – outside and inside cleanliness.  Make sure everyone does appropriate work and take some days out of busy life to just clean their home.  If kitchen is dirty then the person responsible is also not a clean person – mentally and physically. Maintain all clothes and books etc. in tip top manner.  Usually women don’t think about their soul as their minds are preoccupied with household matters.
2. Shram – what is your attitude towards working? When a jugnu flies then only he lights up. If one is proud of himself then he cannot do work – he is too proud to work.  So if you want to do seva then you have to get rid of your ego.  You have to think of work as seva then you will enjoy it.  
3. Make a timetable for the day/week etc if needed to make sure everyone works.  This can be a smart and effective way of working.
4. Rest only when absolutely necessary.  You have finish your work before you can rest. 
5. Nityavyata (saving) – be a saver.  Save money effectively but don’t be a miser. Give charity but do that only if are able to save money.  There are three things associated with money: daan (charity), bhog (attachment) and naash (destruction).  So better to give charity as the other two options are negative characteristics. 
6. Shristachaar and shaalinta – speak sweetly to everyone.  Be good to everyone, “do unto others what you want for yourself” should be the motto.  Keep a check on what you read and what you watch on TV.  You will become what you read and watch.  Have an environment of aastikta – teach children the values e.g. touching feet of elders, sitting for puja etc.  Do puja and yagya routinely so kids know about God.  Always teach children that you do first for others and then for ourselves. 
7. Swaadhyay – Keep good books at home for reading, and read with entire family for at least 30 mins daily.  Tell stories of good values and culture to kids. 
8. Sehyog and sehkaar – always be together as a family and do things together; whether it is eating, shopping, going out for fun etc.  When you start to do things separately in a family, the family falls apart.

Afternoon session

All on the evils of dowry system.  Some discussion also how caste is destroying the culture of marriage.  Sharma ji promotes the karm theory of life rather than the caste theory.

Evening session

Pragyopinshad was read today also and yet again the speaker did not get very far…at least from my point of view.  Don’t know what he was talking about.

Personal Progress

For once I actually did the 30 mala jap!! Maybe because I had a cup of tea this morning! Haha! But I felt a sense of accomplishment. 

I had started reading Sharma ji’s “Life and Legacy” book in which he writes about how much jap he had to as part of his becoming ready for his life.  So I got some inspiration from that and I became more dedicated in doing my jap.  He wrote that he actually enjoyed the jap so much that he had to set an alarm clock to let him know when to stop! Wow!