June July 2016

Volume 5 Issue 2
A Bi-monthly bulletin of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation

In this Issue
1. Reopening of Sandeepani
Sishuvihar
2. International Yoga Day
celebrations
3. SKIE classes begin
4. Start of Karkataka
Ramayana month
5. Gurupurnima celebration
6. One day workshop Thrissur
7. Regular activities

The Magnificent Obsession

rom time immemorial our Indian Seers

have been holding on to one magnificent
obsession. Silly though it may appear to the

modern mind, that one obsessive idea had marked

out India from the rest of the world and taken her
to heights of knowledge unheard of in any part of
the world. In the intense heat and light produced
by this one idea, all other ordinary materialistic
human thoughts and ideas were pushed behind.
Pursuing this one idea became the prime occupation of the learned, highest aspiration of the saintly
and subject of all study and investigations at every
level. The result was we could create extraordinary
harmony and perfection in religion, science, arts,
literature, music, human relationships and what
not. It unveiled to them the hidden secrets that lie
behind individual fulfilment through work, to the
unexplored human emotions of bhakti, to the unsurpassed technology of self development of

Raja

Yoga and last but not the least, the Chintamani crest jewel of human thought - the Advaita.

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June 2016 - July 2016

If we would only contemplate on that one question it can still give us wings to fly
into realms unknown.
What was that question - simple, elementary - Who am I?

Reopening of Sandeepani Sishuvihar

Six tiny tots were newly enrolled in LKG class of Sandeepani Sishuvihar on the reopening day June 1st,
(Wednesday). After filling up of the admission forms, there was parents meet of both the UKG and LKG
tiny tots. In the meeting Mananeeya Didi welcomed the kids and their parents and gave an introduction
of the uniqueness of this Sishuvihar. It was also an interaction session with the Kendra members and the
teachers. Smt Reshmi has joined as a new teacher who wishes to volunteer service to Kendra.

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Volume 5 Issue 2

International Yoga Day celebrations

Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation, Kodungallur, celebrated the International Yoga Day on
21st June. Fifty-five participants belonging to the Yoga Varga and Yoga Satra being conducted within the
campus and outside, were present for the collective yoga and pranayama practice based on the National
Protocol, with some additions like the Surya Namaskar.
Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi lighted the lamp and gave her
blessings to the performers. Sri P.C.Sudhakaranji, a close wellwisher of Vivekananda Kendra, Kodungallur, conducted the
class. 15 gents and 40 ladies took part. The programme started at 7.30 a.m. and ended at 9 a.m. The whole programme
was sponsored by Dr.Sowdamini Suresh, a close well-wisher
and sincere yoga practitioner of Kendra.

On the same day after the morning programme in the campus, Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi was invited
to inaugurate the International yoga Day programme at H.D.P.Y School, Andipilikavu and gave her blessings. The children and staff including school management member participated in the protocol practice.
Smt. Lajita Udayan, trained in Kendra and yoga teacher of the school, conducted the programme.

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June 2016 - July 2016

In another programme, Sri Sudhakarji inaugurated the Amritha Vidyalayam, Kodungallur yoga day
programme and addressed the children and staff about importance of yoga practice in day to day life. He
also conducted similar programme at Balanubodhini School at Methala. The school management requested Kendra to conduct some training programme for the benefit of senior children.

Yogasanas competition: Competition on individual advanced yoga postures was held for school students in three categories, viz Group A -Class III to V, Group B- class VI to VIII and Group C - for classes IX
to X on 25 th June. A total of ten asanas were named out of which each students had to perform five asanas of their choice. Forty five students from four different schools participated. The competition started by
paying homage to sage Patanjali and lighting of lamp by Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi. It started at 7.30 a.m.
and concluded at 12.30 noon. Mananeeya Eknathji Rolling Trophy for the school team with highest scores
was bagged by last years winners, Gurushree School again. The runners up team was Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Kodungallur.

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June 2016 - July 2016

IYD concluding day: 26th June Sunday, was the concluding day of the International Yoga Day celebrations, at Ananda Dham. A half day VIMARSHA on Yoga and Education" was arranged from 10 a.m to
12.30 noon. Sri Gopinath Edakkunni, Course Director of Thrissur District Yoga Association and Srimad

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June 2016 - July 2016

Swami Tejaswarupananda Saraswathi, from Vivekananda Sevasram, Triprayar were the chief speakers. Susree Indu, student of Sri Gopinath and a Yoga therapist by profession spoke about her experiences.
Sri Harinath.P, Yoga teacher at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Kodungallur since last fifteen years,
shared his experiences as a Yoga teacher while dealing with different age groups of school children.
This was followed by a beautiful Yogasanas demonstration by the prize winners of the various yoga
competitions conducted earlier. As the last item of the day, the prize distribution for the winners in Yogasanas contest. Mananeeya Didi and Sri Nayarananji, one of our guests and a yoga practitioner from
Angamali, gave away the prizes. This year too, Mananeeya Eknathji Memorial rolling trophy for the best
performing school, went to Gurushree Public School. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School were the runners up.
The programme concluded by 1.30 p.m. with Shanti mantra.

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SKIE classes begin

Classes were conducted on the 9th, 10th and 17th of July. SKIE is a special four year programme for
the VIII class students, which was started last year with eleven
students of VIIIth class. This programme aims at total personality development of a student who not only will be thorough with
the school curriculum but learn life skills and values and be able
to set his or her career and also stability in life.
The resource persons during the three days were Sri Radhakrishnan and Smt Vijaya Radhakrishnan from Kozhikode, for
Mathematics and Chemistry, Sri Vasudevan Namboodiri from
Kottayam, for Biology, Sri Anoop from Kodungallur for Physics, and Kum. Radhika from Kodungallur for
Chemistry.

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Start of Karkataka

Ramayana month

Karkataka or Ramayana month started from 16th July. Kum. Bindu was invited to a temple at Pullut
for the first Parayanam. She went to two other houses after the temple programme. This house to
house parayan will continue for the entire month.

Gurupurnima celebration
As Guru Purnima fell on 19th July, a working day, it was celebrated at Anandadham on 17th Sunday,
with a unique programme of honouring a large number of elderly retired teachers in and around Kodungallur.
The programme started at 10 a.m. with the chanting of Gurupaduka strotra by Susri Sutapa. Sri Gopalan Kutty Menon, a very senior respected retired teacher and a poet, presided. He and Lakshmi Didi
together lit the lamp. SKIE students led the Guru Strotra chanting.
Man. Lakshmi Didi, in her welcome address described the event as a unique one stressing that all
those teachers who have laid the foundation of the present generation at Kodungallur have come together for the first time and are being honoured. Forty-one retired Primary and High school teachers
were present. Each of them was honoured with a memento and two of our publications. Eight selected
teachers shared their experiences. Side by side, the children of Samskarvarga and Sandeepani Sishuvihar
performed pada-pooja of their parents who were also invited or programme, marking that education
starts at home from the parents.
Srimad Swami Tejaswaroopananda Saraswathi, Vivekananda Sevasram, Triprayar who was the Chief
Guest explained in his speech the importance of inculcating the values in the minds of children and he
used the eternal example of Sri Hanuman of Ramayana. This also was a reminder to the audience that Ramayana, which is religiously read during the karkataka month (Ramayana Month) is not just a purana story to be taken lightly, but to be used as a manual of values for character building and Nation building to
be inculcated in the growing children.
Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi's book "Bhavayami Ekanatham' (a short biography of Ma. Eknathji) was also
released by Sri Gopalan Kutty Menon and the first copy was received by Smt Jyothi Unniraman, our close
well-wisher. Programme concluded with Shanti Mantra and a grand lunch
Gurupoornima day was celebrated by the yoga students, and Sandeepani Sishuvihar children on 19th.
Lakshmi Didi addressed the morning batch yoga students in the morning. She highlighted the significance of Guru in ones own growth and the need for paying their reverence to all those teachers who
contributed to becoming what they are today.
Sandeepani Sishuvihar children did pada puja to Lakshmi Didi and sought her blessings. She blessed
them and addressed the noon batch yoga students. In her address, she requested all the mothers to play
the vital role in the growth of children befitting to the dictum of Matrudevo Bhava.

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June 2016 - July 2016

One day workshop

A one day workshop was conducted for 30 housewives at Poonkunnam, Thrissur district by Sri
Sudhakarji on 22nd July (Friday). Mind control through Yogawas the topic of the workshop. Sri
Sudhakarji explained the benefits of making Yoga a way of life and also took some practices, question answer session etc.

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REGUL AR ACTIVITIES
Yoga Satra
15 gents and 10 ladies were enrolled in the monthly yoga satras conducted separately for men and women.

Yoga Varga
15 ladies and 2 gents are regularly attending the practice class held daily at Anandadham. On an average
15 ladies attend the weekly Yogavarga held in Anandadham on every Thursday.

Pournami puja and Ganapathi Homam

Pournami puja and Ganapathi Homam were conducted on 20th June and 19th July on the occasion of full
moon day. Sri Sivan and Sri Dilip of the Karumatra group, performed the pujas.

Samskar varga
An average of 25 children attended the regular Samskarvarga at Anandadham. Kum.Sreelakshmi, Kum
Sanjana, Kum.Anushree and Kum. Naithal conducted.
At P. Vemballur, 20 children attended the regular Samskarvarga conducted by Smt Mridulla at her house
premises.
At Aripallam, 15 such Samskarvargas are being conducted every Sundays by the housewives and college
going students who have been trained at Anandadham.

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June 2016 - July 2016

MOTHER: A WINDOW TO THE WORLD

Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari

Meditations on Mother are never ending. Once one starts exploring, vistas after vistas open up
revealing more and more beauties, glories and above all, a unique wholesomeness inherent in that
dearest sweetest being whom we address as mother.
A mother is indeed the first window through which a child looks at the world, through which
visions and perceptions enter into a child. If that window is broken, dust-covered or opaque, so will be
the vision of the child, fragmented, patchy, and caricatured. How important then that the motherwindow be ever kept clean and transparent, affording wholesome panoramic views of the world
beyond?
Before the children start using their eyes as instruments of vision, another awareness is already
implanted in them, of a special fragrance and warmth that emanate from the mother whose touch
assures them of safety and security. This is the basic emotional awareness that takes care of the childs
further growth into a full human being. That is why, as soon as the child is born, it is cleaned up and
given to the mother to hold, to assure that he or she is not alone. If the little one is deprived of this
elementary feeling, he grows insecure, uncertain and afraid of himself and the world and always remains
mistrustful. Unfortunately, the modern mothers are averse to handle that tiny little bundle and keep it
away as far as possible, doing untold harm to the child and later through him to the world. Young girls
who rush towards motherhood, unaware of its pros and cons, are perpetrating a double tragedy when
they leave an unwanted child to fight on its own. They are the number one culprits in creating a
generation of unwanted human beings who turn to social crimes as they grow up to fill up the
vacuum within.
The West has suddenly woken up to this reality and are encouraging the would-be mothers to
deliver in the safety, sanctity, and comforts of their own homes so that the newborns remain with the
mother and are not taken away and kept in solitary confinement as in a hospital. A social movement is
on in countries like Holland to bring in the awareness that there is no better medicine to assure normal
growth of human beings than the love and warmth which a mother radiates in the early phase of
motherhood. Strangely, what we have lost in the East is gaining ground in the West and maybe, it will
all come back to us sooner than later as part of our imitation culture.
Imperceptibly simple are the ways by which a mother can enlarge the vision of a child, by
pointing out to the moon, the stars, the sky and relating them all with the child as its friends. It is she

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who can instil in the child the first lessons of bhutayagna by asking him to share his food with the crow,
the sparrow, the cat and the dog and fill his mind with the joy of sharing. The beauty and fragrance of
flowers, the sweetness in the fruits, the coolness in the shade of a tree, the miracle of the rain, the
freshness in the breeze are all opened out to the young child by the mother, thus integrating him with
the nature around. If the mother is ill-equipped to give these primary lessons, the vision of the child
remains forever impaired. Mothers cannot escape the responsibility of providing their children with the
right vision at the right time. They just cant neglect this early foundation-laying of their tiny tots. If they
do, they would regret it for their whole life.
Through the behaviour of the mother, the child learns of that holiest of holy emotions -love. It is
up to her to teach the child the best working definition of love as the experience of unity. Love is the
basic emotion on which the child has to build up all the other emotions and if there is any lacuna in the
quality and content of this first love, all other emotions will remain tainted through selfishness and a
variety of other mental distortions.
Love is not a mere impulse, it must contain Truth, says Tagore. When the whole of their life -Love, marriage, child-bearing, etc. which normally should contain and express Truth-rests on
impulsiveness, how can the young mothers give this all-important lesson to the children, that love is not
feeling, it is a state of being, a state in which you are ever in contact with your deep most self? This is
the love that children should be taught to think about, feel, seek and express, Love as an expression of
the Eternal Truth within us, the origin and the fountainhead where all Life in the Universe has to find its
ultimate rest. When such a love blossoms into understanding, it acquires the power to heal, remove the
threat and bring in security.
With mother as the central point, a child equates himself with the people around him and
acquires automatically the subtle likes and dislikes towards men and matters that pervade in a family.
Whether he would have a universal outlook or would be petty-minded would be decided by these early
equations. The child learns the samskaras from the mother, habits of cleanliness and sanitation,
traditions in worship and other Observances, lessons in hospitality, kindness, compassion and what not.
It is through these that the child relates itself with the world as it grows up.
Father and other elders who go out of the house collect the various data on life and its
happenings and bring them home in toto. Invariably it is the mother who will have to sieve them,
amalgamate the experiences with values and pass them on to the child as principles of life which will
help him to grow and face his own life. Unfortunately, with mothers also spending most of their time
outside, there is no leisure to ponder over the daily rush of data, and children receive them without
screening and absorb them haphazardly. The overall impact of these undigested experiences, ill-

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conceived actions and reactions confuse the childs brain and all his actions in turn become
impulsive. Thinking, contemplating, meditating, etc., being unknown to the child its whole life
becomes characterized by impulsiveness. His thoughts, words, and actions remain fragmented, never
attaining mature wholesomeness. Seeing the Whole in the part, one of the greatest achievements of
a realised soul, is in a small but unique way part of every mother. This wonderful capacity helps her in
locating the right ingredient for the right curry from a mind-boggling variety of masalas in her
kitchen, in readily replacing the missing button from a shirt, and in understanding the need for
immediate repair of a loose switch or a leaking tap in her household. This also helps her to rightly
judge the hurt behind the pouting lips of her child, unhappiness in the frown on her husband's face
and the anger with which her eldest one bangs the door as he or she goes out. The remedies for all
these are prepared by the mother with those very same ingredients of love and understanding and
are served through small but thoughtful acts and words which bring to balance the delicate home
situation before it goes out of control.
As a mother bathes her child just returned from play, or combs the hair of her daughter after
the days school work, she is giving, knowingly or unknowingly, one of the best psychological
treatments to the children, first, of helping them to unburden all their feelings to their hearts content
and later, gently but firmly pointing out the flaws in their behaviour and interactions. With the
breakdown in this natural communication system, barriers come between the mother and child, the
mother losing the wonder potentiality inherent in her blessed motherhood and the children the most
wholesome, unconditional support and strength necessary to build a strong personality.
To be an understanding and capable mother helping her children to fit themselves into the
framework of the universe is indeed too blessed a profession to be taken lightly. Who says the
mother is inferior? Who says the mother has no role to play? Probably they do not know that the
hands that rock the cradle rule the world.

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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Bhavayami Eknatham
By
Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari
(a newly released book on
Gurupoornima Day
Celebrations consists the life
and message of Man.
Eknathjis in Malayalam)
Rs. 75/-

Surya Namaskar
&
Pranayamam
By
Sri Harinath & Sri Satish
( Surya Namaskar
and
Pranayama
instruction booklet )
Rs. 40/-