ISKCON Chowpatty Celebrated 123rd Youth Program Named "Prerana - A festival of inspiration" at Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple on 14th March 2015
Promotional Video of IYS Prerna
Highlights of the Youth Festival
- Attended by more than 1300 youth boys
- Attended by Ex Cricketer Pravin Amre
- Attended by Raje Ambrish Rao
- Explaining Krishna consciousness in simple way with daily day to day examples which is understandable to youth and can relate it with their life.
What are those master strokes in this game of life?
8 Lessons which can be used in Material day to day world and in spiritual world too.
- Lesson 1- assess the pitch and opponents. i.e. SWOT analysis
- Lesson 2- practice is the key.In bhakti we call it- sadhana.
- Lesson 3 React or Respond?
- Lesson 4- power of blessings
- Lesson 5- small things make a big difference.
- Lesson 6- power of attitude.
- Lesson 7- character vs achievement.
- Lesson 8- final victory
Few Brief Recap about the Lecture.
Prerna Youth Festival-14th March 2015-playing the master strokes in life Speaker- GaurGopal prabhu In 2007 when India lost in world, there was this joke- there was a little girl in the court as parents were taking divorce. She was asked whom wud u like to stay wid-mom or dad. She said none. Coz mummy and daddy both beat me. I will stay wid the Indian cricket team. They don't beat anyone. HH Radhanath maharaja was doing a program in borivali in 1997 when there was an info pak match. He looked into the audience and there were only ladies. He called one of the brahamacaris and asked where are the men?/he was informed that there was Indo pak men. After the class in Kirtan all men came. They started dancing in Kirtan celebrating India's victory. In 2011 world cup, Prji went to receive maharaja on airport. One TV reporter asked maharaj- Swamiji pl give an interview on India's world cup final n give blessings. Maharaja said-Ok. Reporter asked-what is ur opinion who will win? Srilanka or India. Maharaja said- I'm from america and the only cricket is know is the insect called cricket. But I came to India in 1971 and ppl of India gave me so much love and affection that I pray India wins. Cricket is such a part of life. Like lord Vishnu pervades everywhere, so cricket pervades every pore of India. We all come to Prerna to get knowledge. Everyone is so obsessed wid knowledge. J-one teacher asked a student- who put his first step on moon? Students Neil Armstrong. Teacher- who put second step? Students Neil only. Did he went there to play langadi there! There is para(spiritual) and apara(material) Vidya. A balance of the two is required. *Apara Vidya (material knowledge) gives us a 1)great lifestyle. (To make a living you don't need apara Vidya. ) 2)quantity 3)to prove (to the world) (Karna was trying to prove.) 4)go through life 5)information (Information diarrhea - overwhelmed by informatio (J-once aurangzeb told mughal soldiers-go and find shivaji! They said- we r mughal not google) *Para Vidya gives us 1) great life. 2)quality. 3) to improve (Arjuna was trying to improve) 4)grow through life. (Like a larva in a cocoon growing to a butterfly) 5)transformation (Knowledge is meant to bring humility. Along with Vijay there shud be Vinay) We should take small steps to big dream. Change in life comes with small steps. What are those master strokes in this game of life? (8 lessons) Worst is googly bowl, when a leg spinner changes the direction of ball. In life also there are many googlies. Google in life is - In viva examiner asks such a question that no one knows. Result is duck. Lesson1- assess the pitch and opponents. SWOT analysis. Knowing- Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats In home ground you can hit well. But in foreign ground it will difficult. So assessment is needed. We are all playing a game of life. We shud assess our opponents first. In the game of life we r playing a game against an opponent called mind. No one can stop u from the accomplishments when the mind bowls googlies against u. Conflict in the mind. When an alarm clock rings in mrng, mind puts its first googly. It makes u clean bold when u put the first snooze the alarm clock. When we snooze the alarm, we decide the giving in to the mind. And this is how the morning begins. What match will u win later on! We develop the attitude of giving in. Lesson 2- practice is the key. Tiger woods was asked what is the secret of ur success? He said- practice practice practice. In bhakti we call it- sadhana. Don't leave the bat even if u fail. Lage raho. U may miss the first 5 balls but the last ball of the over u will hit a 6. Wait for that one ball when u r stronger than that opponent. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. When you a driven by a purpose it doesn't matter that the world says. There is a spiritual purpose too. To serve. Life is life a game of tennis. It begins with service and ends with love all. Don't just have passion, have compassion. Earn with dignity and spend with compassion. 3) React or Respond? Concept of sledging in cricket. Opponent team abuses to the batsman. Sachin is adored for that sledging hasn't bothered him. He is cool. Something's are out of our control. Question is do we want to be a 7UP can (react)or oxycool water bottle(respond). 70% of mind's space is occupied by things beyond our control. Between the stimulus and response is our choice. A great personality is not born in a maternity ward but by choices. Don't ask the question,why did this happen to me? Ask the question how can I deal with this? There is something called karma, factor beyond our control. Lesson 4- power of blessings. Submission and surrender to ppl who are better than us gives us an empowerment to factors beyond our control. Yuvraj Singh at age of 30 got cancer of left lung. Lesson 5- small things make a big difference. we can't wait only for 4s and 6s. Kip the score board ticking. In 1987 american airlines, in one year they saved 40k dollars by eliminating 1 olive on the salad of business class Small things can make a big diff Lesson 6- power of attitude. In 2007 India lost in world cup final against Bangladesh. Sachin said I'm done .I can't play more. He came home n his older bro Ajit tendulkar inspired him. Don't giv up. Envision urself in 2011 holding the world cup. Sachin has the humility to work under a captain 14yrs younger to him. Team work is about we r together to win. A good follower is a good leader. If we are position driven we will be frustrated. If we are service driven we will be happy. Position doesn't matter to us, contribution matters. Gita was spoken by Krishna to learn 3 words- never give up. Lesson 7- character vs achievement. One wrong decision in batting can take u back to pavilion . Lesson 8- final victory. After we leave the stadium what we will carry.. You have to change the currency of this world. Which u shud carry to the spiritual world Desire produces Karma. You work and exert to acquire the objects of your desire. Karma produces its fruits as pain or pleasure. You will have to take births after births to reap the fruits of your Karmas. This is the Law of Karma.
ISKCON Youth Services (IYS) is the youth wing of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple, a branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). IYS is aimed towards nourishing the hearts of today's youth with the sublime message of the scriptures and helping them flourish in their lives in a wholesome manner. This Prerna festival started 12 years back
For Knowing more about Youth Festival at ISKCON Chowpatty visit below link
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