Flower power?

Here is a vivid example: If a man gives his wife flowers in a spirit of begrudging accommodation, the EFFECT of his action reflects begrudging accommodation -- NOT loving care. In divorce courts everywhere, bewildered men cry, "I don't even know why she's divorcing me! I did all the right things!" Those poor fellows did the right WHATs, no doubt. But probably, like many people, they were less conscientious about their HOWs than their WHATs. Their sad plight just goes to show exactly how ineffective the right WHAT can be! As you know, there are a thousand ways to give flowers. There are even a thousand ways to say, "I love you." Here is one of them: "Why do you always want me to tell you I love you? Okay: I LOVE YOU!! -- now are you satisfied?"

Oh dear! What about the spirit of THAT particular "I love you"? It's got to be one of the LEAST likely to succeed. Not because they're the wrong words; because that's the wrong SPIRIT. A spiritual life pays attention to its spirit We live spirit-tuned lives when we pay more attention to HOW we do things -- and not just WHAT we do. Let's face it: under the pressures of daily living, it's easy to get caught up in the process of DOING, forgetting the SPIRIT behind it. So much to do, so little time -- and not much SENSITIVITY to spirit! But UNspirited action is unfulfilling for us and not uplifting to others. When we simply DO one activity after another, focusing only on what we are doing and not on the spirit of what we are doing, we FEEL empty and we NOTICE that our actions are ineffective. How lost we feel, drowning in small-minded doings. How frustrated we feel, when we work hard, but our results are RARELY what we want. Proving, once again, it's the spirit of any action that gives it value. Thought power "Daddy, where do HOWS come from?" "HOWs comes from the way we THINK, darling." We acknowledge the awesome power of thought to mold spirit when we say, "As a man thinketh, so is he." Truly, thought alignment and spirit alignment are inseparable. In fact, thought alignment and spirit alignment are one and the same. To what KIND of thoughts is our spirit TUNED? The kind of thought we're tuned to creates the feeling and intention that gives our action its TONE, and determines its EFFECT. That's where the HOW of our words and deeds comes from.

Mental alignment is the entire crux of spirit and spirituality. Why? Because the way we think is the most powerfully CAUSATIVE force in our lives. Our mental alignment determines the SPIRIT of our action -which, in turn, determines our RESULTS. And the most basic question about our mental alignment is, "With what have we aligned our minds -- ego, or Spirit?" Taking responsibility for the state of our spirit The answer to that question is very important. The more powerful a tool is, the more care we must exercise in its use -- and no tool known to man is quite so powerful as the SPIRIT of action. In all its moods and modes, the spirit communicates STRONGLY! When someone enters our office or our room, we FEEL their thought alignment from the moment they open the door; they don't have to even speak to communicate quite a bit. Our own effect on others is immediate, also -- and it, too, comes from our spiritual alignment. So this IS our most important spiritual responsibility: the state of OUR spirit. Now, how do we exercise that responsibility, and ensure that the best possible spirit fills our words and deeds? On our own, we can only do so well. But we are not alone! Spirit provides God's HOW for our WHAT. Spirit -- and here we mean God, the Great Spirit -- has a great HOW for us. And love, of course, is the greatest HOW. "How should I be?" I ask. "Be loving," says God. "How should I act?" I ask. "In a loving spirit," says God. In whatever we do, if we do it God's way, we do it with sensitivity to the spirit. We don't JUST take action -- we place our primary attention on the spirit in which we act. We take care to BE, not just DO. And when it comes to being, we take care to be LOVING. We're happy ONLY in Being -- being loving. We're definitely NOT happy when we get lost in mere doingness -- especially if our projects are primarily selfish. But when our projects reflect higher values and intentions, the resulting actions are Divinely creative, rather than just humanly so. They are indeed Word made flesh. Our works, hand in hand with God, are well spiritualized. So they are inspired, inspiring, and spiritually effective. Spirit-tuned persons deliver a wonderfully nutritive vibration in the "envelope" called physical action. Remember, the action is only the container -- spirit is the contents of the container. To make sure the messages conveyed by what you say and do are sweet and effective, make sure your spirit is tuned up to God alignment -- the alignment of spirit with Spirit. That's what SPIRITUAL means. The thought seeds that create actual goodness in this world are of God. Right thought comes from right alignment with Divinity.

To be in touch with God's HOWS, and to implement them properly and consistently, we must align our spirit to the higher vibrations of Spirit. And that is not a one-time adjustment. We need regular spiritual tune-ups.

Achieving Spirit-attunement Mental tuning for Spirit alignment is not hard. It can be done just by paying attention to how you FEEL. And of course, it can be done in prayer and meditation. Periodically sit down, feel how you feel, and selfcorrect if your present thoughts make you feel dim or dark. You can immediately realign your feelings by embracing thoughts that are more of Divine nature. By so doing, you are tuning your soul to that higher frequency. Then, once you have tuned up your spirit, bring your brightened spirit into action. You will get better results immediately -- perhaps even results that seem miraculous. That's taking responsibility on a level where it counts! Seeing the difference, you will feel, "This is better than winning the Olympics!" That's true! No triumph in this world can satisfy the soul as much as willing alignment with the Divine. The miraculous power of Spirit-tuned action Spirit-alignment is THE key to effective action. And it is astounding how powerfully the spirit works its special magic. One day I went into a store, and a grouchy salesman showed me a new model computer monitor -- so new they had not yet had a chance to hook it up. I asked, "Is this a good monitor?" The fellow said, "Of course it is -- it's a Sony." I replied, "You must be Sony brainwashed, my friend! Let's hook it up." But he did not hook it up -- he went off in a huff instead, feeling insulted, and he avoided me whenever I shopped in that store for months afterwards. Not wanting to mix it up with him again myself, I let that uncomfortable standoff continue. But finally, God gave me a solution in the form of an inspiration. So I approached that fellow and said, "My friend, I owe you an apology. Some time ago, you recommended a monitor, and I doubted you. Since then, I have seen that monitor, and it is a fine one. So, I was wrong -- and you were justified in your confidence in the product." His face lit up when he heard those words, and he proceeded tell me how he had been satisfied with every Sony product he had used since childhood. Then, after purchasing a couple of things, I left the store, absent-mindedly leaving my glasses on a counter. In a few minutes, realizing what I had done, I returned looking for them. My new friend came to me with my glasses in his hand. In a spirit of sincere kindness and care, he said, "I saved them for you."

What a miraculous difference a better-spirited approach made! Carefully note that in that instance, as in all such instances, it was the SPIRIT behind the action that did the good work -- not the action in and of itself. Therefore, we should not merely think, "I'm going to go and ask somebody's forgiveness," or "I'm going to go and do this or that virtuous activity." Instead, we had better think, "If I want good results from what I'm about to do, I must do it in the right SPIRIT." Recognizing Spirit-attunement

How do we know when our spirit is rightly attuned, correctly aligned to the thought of Divinity? Well, the effect of Divine alignment is unmistakable! When our mind is OUT of alignment with the vibrations of Truth, our thoughts are certainly weaker, and darker. When our thoughts are IN alignment with Truth, they are both stronger and brighter. We feel the Divine Wind in our sails. When our minds are properly tuned UP, we don't just feel motivated and moved; we feel POSITIVELY motivated, and POSITIVELY moved. Thoughts which FEEL most beautiful are those that reflect alignment of spirit with Spirit. Not surprisingly, beautiful thoughts provide great healing power -- within AND without. For more on this issue, read "Consider the Source: Egoic Urges or Divine Promptings"

Helping others in Spirit-attunement The best thing we can do to help others towards spirit-attunement is to be spirit-tuned ourselves. Then they are reinforced in their own spirit-attunement by direct resonance with ours. Beyond that, where openness allows for it, helping others becomes a process of supporting them in mental steering and spirit-tuning. We can help people tremendously by helping them bring their own thoughts into better alignment with higher consciousness. For example: You talk to a friend who is working hard at her job, but still feels ineffective and unappreciated. She complains, "I'm doing everything I'm SUPPOSED to do, but nothing I do seems to work the way I want it to." Sounds a lot like one of those confused fellows in the divorce court, doesn't she? If her results are consistently undesirable, most likely she too is doing the right WHAT, but lacking the right HOW. For positive results, she NEEDS that all-important, effect-determining HOW! And that right HOW can be found ONLY in true alignment with Spirit. Her thought-alignment is too dark -- too far out of right alignment with both her own spirit, and the Spirit of God. Probably, that's WHY she's unappreciated. Probably, that's WHY when she walks in the room, no one seems to get happy. To change that, she needs to understand that her results are produced more by her thoughts than by her actions. She must adapt to the eternal truth that ONLY spirit-tuned living insures success -- and that action, in and of itself, insures nothing at all. Here's what to do: First, SYMPATHIZE with her: "Your soul is understandably in pain, since you are not making the difference you want to make. We all wish to make a difference in life -- a POSITIVE difference. Nothing but bringing real light to the world could satisfy a person's soul." Then, REMIND HER of what she intuitively knows: "As you know, it's not WHAT you do, but HOW you do it. You have tried hard to change your action into the right WHAT, and you've done a good job of it. You are still suffering because you still need the right HOW. You would be wise to accept the fact that you can never expect much improvement by making changes on the physical level only, because your greatest impact occurs on the level of vibration. IN ORDER to be positively effective in action, IN ORDER to bring joy to others, IN ORDER to see people respond wonderfully, you must take responsibility,

mentally and spiritually, for your spiritual ALIGNMENT. Tune up your SPIRIT, and you will see better results immediately." That message is certainly more challenging than the sympathy she may have expected. But it is also more compassionate than sympathy alone. Your friend cannot be truly comforted by consoling words. We ALL need release from the pain of empty, fruitless DOING. We all need to find the effective secret of doing things God's way -- living and speaking and acting in the right spirit. This is that secret, friends -the secret of freedom and effectiveness rolled into One: HOW over WHAT! CONTENT over FORM! SPIRIT over MATTER!

Now, if that isn't the most obvious thing you ever heard! But that, dear friends, IS what "spiritual" MEANS. God's formula for freedom and effectiveness: Spirit above all! This secret has been practiced by men and women of God throughout history. People of God have never been overly concerned to meet conventional social standards of rightness (except, perhaps, as a matter of deliberate example -- as in, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's"). But even when "doing the right thing" meant conforming to social expectations, no enlightened person felt that such conformance was spiritually important. The ONLY conformance they actually CARED ABOUT was conformance to God's Law. They kept their eyes right on the ball. May you be blessed to find fulfillment through spirit-tuned living. Please feel free to share copies of this article. We only ask that you mention its source. 1. http://www.soulprogress.com/html/ArticlesFolder/Articles/EssenceOfSpirit.shtml The Essence of Spirituality: The spirit in which we live by David Truman THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY The essence of SPIRITUALITY is based on an evolving conscious relationship with self, others and some awareness of how self and others are connected on multiple levels that somehow become integrated into one's search for meaning and purpose in life. For some, this connection involves nature; for others this connection involves some energy or power that is greater than us; and for others this connection becomes more personalized into God, the Buddha within, or what words best mirror a faith tradition and cultural experiences. Spirituality is a consistently emerging phenomenon. One way to understand spirituality is to view it as the evolving and emerging awareness over time about who a person truly is- their TRUE SELF-and how they relate to themselves (including the changes they experience in themselves) and the evolving and emerging awareness over time about how they are connected to, experience, and relate and to others and all else that has "being", and ultimately, their universal connection to that "spirit" or "being" that we all share that is life. One's faith tradition, the practice of a specific religion and the way people are raised by their families, often influence their spiritual development.

One way to frame one's life journey is to imagine there are three selves that accompany each person's life journey. As one's REGULAR SELF attempts to successfully navigate a life journey, it is important to listen to the guidance from TRUE SELF. One's TRUE SELF is wise and all knowing, and serves as the authentic spiritual connection for each of us and, I believe, connects all of us to each other through love. It is through an awareness of true self that meaning and purpose is best discovered, mediated, and fully implemented. Thomas Keatings (1997) writings on this topic are very inspiring and informative. Unfortunately, there is a third self looming in the background, the FALSE SELF that seeks to promote an agenda exactly opposite to one's TRUE SELF. Conflict is the result of this clash of personalities, and of course REGULAR SELF can often feel very confused through all this. An important truth to use throughout one's life journey is the following: TRUE SELF is always more powerful than FALSE SELF; REGULAR SELF often forgets this truth and can be easily distracted. Hence one experiences turmoil and angst in various personal and professional relationships, with career /life decision-making, and much of what most of us encounter during our life journeys. That's where career/life counseling enters the picture as an effective means of encouraging more open and direct communication between REGUALR SELF and TRUE SELF, dismantling the FALSE SELF, and increasing harmony and balance across career/life roles. One important role for people is their work roles because earning an income is very important for a successful journey through life. There are two ways to activate the work role; obtain a regular job, one that is out there somewhere, or CREATE A CAREER. One hopefully obtains a job that sustains them. A number of people in many societies, including our American society, are unemployed and, for a number of reasons, unable to obtain employment that sustains them sufficiently. This is an important topic for another section of my website in the near future. A dear friend and colleague, Dr. David Blustein, a Professor at Boston College, recently wrote an excellent book "The Psychology of Working" and addresses some of these very important issues with compelling eloquence. For more information about David's book: Contact Dr. David Blustein Boston College (617) 552-0795 or david.blustein@bc.edu. http://lifeworkps.com/spirituality/weblog/2788.html Essence of spirituality (3) It is important that the spiritual dimension of life is brought into everybody's lives. Why some people develop an allergy to spirituality is because they are told that spirituality means leaving everything and going to the mountains. It is not true. It is better to learn how to be spiritual in your office, in your home, on the streets, or wherever you are. Spirituality is about your interiority, not what you do outside. Spirituality is an inner science to create a conducive inner atmosphere. The quality of your life is dependent on how you are within yourself. This moment, that quality depends on how joyous, how peaceful you are.

Your body is simply accumulations of what you have gathered from the Earth. When you leave, you cannot take even an atom of this body. So this body is not really yours. Your mind is not yours either. So, there is something else which needs to be looked at beyond these dimensions. Even if your memory is erased, you will still be there. Your family, your status, your business, and everything that you own in the world will disappear. But still you are there. So beyond all the things that you identify yourself with, there is still something called 'You'. This 'You' is not subject to what you accumulate from outside. Unfortunately, that 'You' has been covered up and crowded with other things, that you never allowed yourself to look at that. You always thought that what you are identified with is much more important than who you really are. The whole process of spiritual science, yoga in particular, is to elevate you to an experience that is beyond the five sense organs. When you transcend the limited experience of what you know as yourself, your experience of life is naturally in a different dimension. Then you begin to experience that which is not physical but the spiritual, the divinity of your true nature. You then will begin to experience the joy, the blissfulness of knowing who you really are. Sadhguru, Hindustan Times May 11, 2012 Sadhguru, Hindustan Times May 11, 2012 First Published: 00:37 IST(11/5/2012) Last Updated: 00:39 IST(11/5/2012) http://www.hindustantimes.com/editorial-views-on/Edits/Essence-of-spirituality/Article1-853930.aspx

THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY SERVICE OF OTHERS By His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji President and Spiritual Head, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh (Himalayas) Spirituality is the essence of life. It is the light that shines on our lives, illuminating our paths, bringing light to the darkness, joy to the sorrow, and meaning to the incomprehensible. And the essence of Spirituality? The essence of spirituality is service. As one goes deeper and deeper on a spiritual path and as one gets closer and closer to Realization and Enlightenment, one realizes that the Divine resides in all. One begins to see Gods presence in every person, every animal, and every plant. The first line in the Ishopanishad says: Isha vaasyamidam sarvam yat kincha jagatyaam jagat Tena tyaktena bhunjeethaa Maa gradhah kasya svid dhanam This mantra tells us that God is manifest in everything in the universe. All is Him, and all is pervaded by Him. There is nothing which is not God.

Thus, when one realizes this Truth deep in ones heart, one becomes filled with an insatiable desire to care for and serve all of Gods creation. Typically, we sit in our mandir and ever-so-carefully bathe the deity of God. We gingerly and lovingly perform the abhishek ceremony, caressing His body lovingly with sandlewood and rose water, and adorning Him in the finest clothes. We offer food to Him before we eat; we distribute the sweetest sweets as Prasad and we offer our hard earned money as daan. However, as ones spiritual path deepens and as one gets closer to the state of God Realization, one sees Gods form in everything. Thus, the feelings of care, love, sacrifice and devotion which we feel for the deity in the temple begin to blossom in our heart for all of creation. Every widow, every orphan, every homeless leper, every wandering, malnourished animal, every deforested piece of land, every polluted river becomes as precious as the marble image of Shiva or Krishna or Durga in our mandir. Thus, from our hearts we are called to do as much as we can to remedy the worlds tragic situation. Many people think a spiritual life means that one retreats to the mountains, performs meditations and then lives peacefully forever in ones own enlightened cocoon. However, that is not true, deep spirituality. That is not the essence of enlightenment. Yes, solitude, silence and intense sadhana are crucial in order to establish the connection with God, in order to make the leap from a material life to a spiritual life. It is difficult, initially, to connect deeply with God while one stands in line at the supermarket or while one is stuck in traffic on the road home from work. Thus, in the beginning, one must retreat temporarily. This lays the ground work. It is like wiring a house for electricity. In the beginning, when the house is being built, one must carefully lay all of the wires. Much time is spent on this initial electrical wiring. However, once the lines have been laid, once the electrification work is complete, then one simply has to plug the cord into the socket and the lamp immediately illuminates! One does not have to re-wire the house each time! The same is true on a spiritual path. Yes, solitude, silence and extensive sadhana are required, as a parallel to laying the electrical wires. But, once the deep connection with the Divine Powerhouse is established, one simply has to close ones eyes and one connects with God. Look at Lord Buddha he left the world in order to go into the forest and practice meditation. But once he attained enlightenment under the boddhi tree, he did not stay in the forest, reveling in his own enlightenment. Rather, he returned to the world to spread the message, to spread the light, to spread compassion, to serve the needy. He had attained Enlightenment and once having attained the Enlightened state, he was able to see the Divine in all. Thus he dedicated his life to spreading light, wisdom and compassion to all. Look at Ramakrishna Paramhansa, one of the greatest saints in history. He used to bow down in pranam to prostitutes and worship them as the Divine Mother. He lay in the grass and talked to the snakes and the rabbits. He saw the Divine just as clearly in the impure prostitutes as in the image of Kali in the temple! In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwan Krishna says, I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the Beginning, the Middle and also the End of all beings. When we embark on a spiritual path, or as we walk the path, we must dedicate ourselves to cultivating the divine vision and awareness with which we

can see the Divine in all. Once we see every being as Divine, we cannot walk by someone who is suffering without helping them. We cannot sleep at night unless we have done our best to lessen the pain of our fellow beings, just as we could not sleep if we neglected to perform the aarti in the mandir or if we forgot to offer food to the deity of Krishna Bhagwan. We cannot see sick, starving animals wandering on the road or watch toxic chemicals dumped into our precious rivers, any more than we could tolerate watching someone toss a Shiva Linga onto the pavement. So, ultimately, if the spiritual path is true, it culminates in an insatiable urge to serve all, to help all, to give to all, to live for all. This does not mean that one forgets ones personal meditation or japa, but the two go hand in hand. There is a beautiful line in our prayers that says, Mukha mein ho Rama Nama, Rama seva haath mein. Our lips keep chanting His name, and our hands keep doing His work. Also, it is important to note that service of all can take a variety of forms. For some, it may take the form of working hard at their profession every day and donating their income to humanitarian causes. For others, it may take the form of founding organizations or foundations which directly work to alleviate various aspects of suffering. For some, it may take the form of giving lectures or writing books on spirituality which bring inspiration and upliftment to the masses. For some, it may take the form of being a spiritual guide or Guru who brings the light of awareness to all of his/her devotees. The possibilities are endless. But the central core is the same all of these people have a deep realization that all beings are Divine and that God resides in all. And once one has this realization, one feels unity with all creatures and beings on the planet; thus one hears the internal call to help and serve in whatever way possible. http://www.ihrf.com/bookSection/publications/EssenceSpirituality.pdf

Spirituality (4) Q: Why is youth less interested in spirituality today? A: We have failed to make the concept of spirituality interesting for the youth. And thus, they distance themselves from spiritual achievements. There are various courses specially designed for the youth, like one by Sri Sri Ravishankar. These courses simplify the subject of spirituality and make it intriguing for the youth. Q: With what queries and issues do youth approach you? A: Most of the times, youth approaches me with questions on relationships. In todays fast changing pace of life, they want to know the right way to handle relationships. I guide them in maintaining the purity of any relationship. Also, todays youth face lot of peer pressure. Parents constantly compare their children with others and force them to develop a competitive attitude. The youth needs to be guided to be emotionally strong; which to my disappointment, no college teaches. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_rishi-nityapragyaji-on-essence-of-spirituality_1600848 Rishi Nityapragyaji on 'essence of spirituality'

The Essence of Spirituality By Heeru Gianchandani Spirituality is having to do with the human spirit as opposed to physical things according to the oxford dictionary. But has it reduced to being concomitant with approaching god only in moments of acute crisis? People in contemporary times are born sycophants so to say, and this even extends to the almighty. The desire to connect stems from within the individual and people who are struggling with the vicissitudes of life fail to realise that liason. The divine association whether overt or subdued, candid or clandestine, varies from person to person and need not be articulated through any medium of communication. It is a fact well-known that if ones prayers are sincere there is no way that they could go unanswered. The question that we have to ask ourselves is what we are asking of god should be something that we deserve. Useless wishes do not be granted. After all god gives us what we actually need. People do not comprehend that and indulge in flattery. Worship cannot be equated rather should not be equated with pleasing god with rich offerings and useless money. After all what we all have learnt from our mothers says that god is the greatest unifying power that can help us out of the toughest situations that we can imagine. Spirituality implies that there are several routes to reach out to the divine, it is up to us what way to choose. Considering different phases of human life, infants are obviously too small to read my article and people in their mature ages know what i am talking about. So let me concentrate on my young friends. Youth is a turbulent period for all of us. The difficulties ranging from nerve wrecking examinations or the never-ending wish list, peer pressure or relationship issues, ambition related chronicles or sibling rivalry. These people are on the fringes of maturity and innocence and seek to find solutions to their quota of problems. Sometimes they are in a waking-dream wish fulfillment of their own, they want to see the world wherein they are accepted perfectly I can only say that as we grow up in life, they shall realise the deeper essence of worshipping god and find logical reasons behind it. They shall know that the age-old idiom- to each his own, holds good especially in the way one invokes gods and goddesses. They shall understand that seeking blessings from god means something much more than chanting hymns or the rituals associated with them and be spiritually charged thence. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heeru_Gianchandani http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Essence-of-Spirituality&id=7203771 5 Spirituality Talking to Youth Seeking Fulfillment Introduction Wisdom and knowledge, kindness and compassion, happiness and joy are not exclusive property of a few; every one of us is the repository of these virtues. This is because that is our real nature. Infinite knowledge and perfection are our own, right from the birth; it's just that we are not aware of the same. However, it is unfortunate that no special efforts are being made to make us realize this truth. Many factors are responsible for such piquant situation: 1) Overtly or covertly the established social culture

does not want us to question the causes of inadequacies and disparities prevalent in the society, 2) nor are we allowed to rebel against it. 3) Secondly, some inscrutable evolutionary factors have made our genes utterly selfish that keep us entangled in the interests and pleasures of senses alone. This all leads to routine life pattern of learning, earning, and engaging in materialistic enjoyment in life, full of stress, anxiety, worry, and apprehension. The occasional sane words or suggestions to lead a different kind of life are fraught with social and familial resistance preventing the full expression of new ways and aims in life. For instance, many a young people are really selfless and a caring lot. They want to help others, care and serve others without expecting much in return, but this is not allowed easily. Thus generosity, altruism, and compassion, although acknowledged as great virtues, cannot find representation in youths where it is needed most. Such youths are sure to become ideal for next generation. In fact, this is the beginning of spirituality or true religion. The index of spiritual growth is the extent to which most of the youth express quality of selflessness: 'Not me, but thou!' Solution 1. Self-confidence and need for Spiritual Groups The person who has or who shows such inclination in his or her youth should be proud and happy about it. He or she should have confidence in himself or herself that he or she is right and correct in harboring such noble virtues, even though the family, social, cultural, and political institutions do not lend much support to their beliefs. However, as it is not possible to live alone, or in isolation proclaiming such virtues as the aim in life, it is urgently necessary to create such groups and associations where such persons can find family-like atmosphere. The association should be broad-based and scattered at many places, each unit comprising of small number of like-minded people. The association has to be international in its reach and universal in its outlook. The advanced systems of communication should allow various local and national groups to interact not only within a country but also internationally. Such an association would help remove feeling of loneliness and boredom, and even depression, which might affect the youth for want of friends in his or her life and surrounding area.

2.Ideology and Program To find the ideological base for the virtues one feels correct, it becomes necessary to find supporting evidence from a) the scriptures, b) the life, teachings and sayings of great persons and of prophets. One should start with the study of Faith one is born in. One can begin with the study of the life and teachings of the founder persons who advocated and exemplified such selflessness in their life. Naturally such a study would be widely divergent to begin with, however, soon it would be noticed that in essence every great soul has to tell the same thing. Thus, sectarianism would be avoided. Moreover, drawing from the vast resources of varied culture and places it would be easy to comprehend and accept the teachings of all religions and saints. Buddha and Jesus, Krishna and Mahavir, Guru Nanak and prophets of other religions teach one thing only: Selflessness! Soon the group or the family would shortlist on one prophet as the Chosen Ideal for that association. 3. Methods and Means to practice what one believes Without wealth, power, position, name and fame also a person can enjoy his work and seek fulfillment in life. Gradually the person learns that, indeed, it is renunciation of all worldly bonds and life of nonattachment that is most desirable, for that is most joyful and glorious state of being. Such a state of mind can be cultivated through association with holy people and in the company of like-minded friends.

Maximum satisfaction in work and fulfillment in life is obtained in 'selfless work,' in the work carried out in the spirit of non-attached state of mind. Vedanta philosophy, which emphasizes two basic truths: 1) that you are Divine, and 2) that you are perfect should help allay all fears and doubts about failure or correctness of approach. Every secular and spiritual act in life, indeed life as a whole, is worship of the Divine; is the act of realizing and manifesting one's divinity; is the expression of Divine Glory. 'Excellence in work is Yoga,' declares Lord Krishna in the Gita, and what better excellence can there be other than 'serving others as God'! However, all this is not easy. To see God all around is very difficult, for the distractions are too many and doubts unrelenting. Secondly, it is not possible to see Divine outside unless one realizes or 'sees' the Divine within his or her own heart. 'I'm not this weak body with wavering mind, I am all knowing, all powerful Atman' such faith and conviction needs to be effectively developed. For this other spiritual practices like meditation and control of mind are essential. Conclusion What we have written up till now points to one thing; that we should engage ourselves in all forms of activities - reading, work, mediation, worship, - that would help us realize our true divine nature, i.e. take us towards God. All such activities are none other than Yoga. Love, devotion, worship, and rituals form yoga of Bhakti; selfless service to others and our own work to earn livelihood come under Karma Yoga; meditation and control of mind and senses form Raja Yoga, and contemplation, discrimination between real and unreal, studying Scriptures etc. form path of Jnana. Youth of today who have inborn desire to seek fulfillment and freedom in life, who are inclined to serve others out of sheer force of selflessness, who have least attachment to sense pleasures, and who have curiosity to know God should come together by forming such groups. Initially the ideas are bound to be vague and the mind would sure to rebel, but with patience and perseverance and assurance from wise teachers they are sure to become confident about the correctness of the path they have chosen, the path of glorious life and spiritual enlightenment. Such individuals should not only communicate on phone or by e-mail, or through letters, but should also make every effort to meet each other in person by undertaking journeys as pilgrimage. Intranational and international group meetings would help encourage exchange of ideas, knowledge, information and most importantly establish a spiritual bond of love between youths from diverse sections of society. * c s shah http://www.reocities.com/neovedanta/ust4.html