JVBNA conducted this year’s Spiritual Family Camp Understanding Joy & Sorrow from June 12th – 14th at Arsh Vidya, PA. Samanijis – Parimalpragyaji, Vikaspragyaji, Maryadapragyaji & Ratnapragyaji provided valuable inputs to adults with a mix of Jain philosophy & insightful strategies in topics like “How to Develop Understanding” before delving on the actual camp theme – Understanding Joy & Sorrow. Desires, Attachment and Negative thinking were attributed as the primary causes of sorrow. Samanijis highlighted the reasoning and practical ways to overcome them to bring about inherent joy from within. The session “Change your shoes, change your life” led participants into comprehensive aspect of leshya – karma – soul connection. Everyone was in awe of various nuances laid out in Jain philosophy from gross to subtle level.
The kids & youth also enjoyed age appropriate sessions with topics ranging from life skills to philosophy interspersed with craft & interactive games conducted by Samanijis and volunteers. Mornings started off with prayers with meditation led by Samani Ratnapragyaji & Yoga by Rameshji Parmar. Practical sessions of meditation & relaxation were also a part of the schedule for all the participants during the day.
The camp brought out the creativity in everyone during the evening session “Express Yourself”. The kids shone in a skit “The Best Life”. Youth came up with their own skit ideas with various Jain concepts like four bhavanas & moral values. There were 10 small skits presented by the adults on various themes including Samta, You are what you eat, You are what you think, Sankalp, Maha kanjoos, Bhavanaon ko badlo. Another session Katha Char Bodh Hazaar made everyone delve deep to come up with unique morals from the stories narrated by Samanijis.
JVBNA is grateful to the Samanijis from Houston & Orlando in making this an enriching camp for young and old alike.
The camp experience was beautifully captured in the poem composed by Surendraji Kankariya as below –
हमारी आध्यात्म राह में इस शिबिर ने एक नया पद चिन्ह लगा दिया,
वन्दामी आभार आपका ।
समनी परिमलप्रज्ञाजी ने “How to Develop Understanding” का पाठ पढ़ाया,
समय, संवाद और संवेदना को समझने का ज्ञान हमें सिखाया ।
समनी विकासप्रज्ञाजी ने “Understanding Joy & Sorrow” का सबक हमें सिखाया,
सही सोच, व्यवहार और इच्छा सीमा की ओर ध्यान करवाया ।
समनी मर्यादाप्रज्ञाजी ने “ॐ ह्रीं अर्हम नमः” की धुन से मनोबल बढ़ाया,
Youth को “Make The World Yours” का तरीका बताया ।
समनी रत्नप्रज्ञाजी ने भक्तामर स्तोत्र के जाप से सुप्रभात करवाया,
ध्यान से मन केंद्रित करवाया, बच्चो द्वारा “Best Life” का रहस्य खुलवाया ।
रमेशजी ने हम सब को योगाभ्यास की चाह और राह दिखाई,
सही मायने में “Know Your Muscles” की प्रेरणा दिलाई ।
आभार आप सबका हम सबकी और से ।
આભાર આપ સહુનો અમારા બધા વતી.
