Over Thanksgiving last year, Vivekji [CM Niagara Falls] conducted the Chinmaya Inspiration Yatra (CIY) VII for the second time in Trinidad. Eight seekers from across the U.S. and Canada had the opportunity to feel the fervor of the Trinis and savor the delicious Doubles. More importantly, however, they had the opportunity to delve inwards by engaging in constant satsanga, sadhana and seva.
They studied in the Residential Vedanta Course where they learnt the eternal truths of Vedanta from the beloved Swami Prakashananda [CM Trinidad & Tobago.] They hiked overnight to the isolated hilltop of Tapovan where their hearts were engulfed by Mother Nature’s beauty, their olfactory senses treated by the fresh cocoa and their tolerance tested by the ruthless mosquitoes. Another highlight included crossing seas and forests to have satsanga at the Shiva Mandir on Chacachacare, an island once home to lepers.
The myriad of experiences, aided by the unique tranquility that the ashram offers, granted the yatris the ability to examine themselves: Who am I? How am I connected to the cosmos? How can I love – without attachment? What makes me most happy? Can I be independently joyous? How can I continue to explore myself even when I am in environments that are less conducive to self-exploration?
Several sevaks and sevikas, and especially Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, have made these scriptural teachings that were once reserved for only the rishis accessible to the common man through Balavihars, Jnana Yagnas and now, webinars, and this yatra was yet another reminder of how blessed we all are!