Launch Ceremony of 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations Doing Sankalp Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 1 The Goal Quoting Hindu scriptures Swami Vivekananda gave a rousing call to humanity – “Arise! Awake! Stop not until the goal is reached.” What was the goal that he had in his mind? Swami ji said – “Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy — by one, or more, or all of these — and be free.” Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 2 Evolution of an individual Here is what Swami ji said about the spiritual evolution of every individual – “Every soul is a young eagle soaring higher and higher, gathering more and more strength, until it reaches the Glorious Sun.” Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 3 The Way Swami ji wanted us to be proactive in propagating these ideals and putting them in practice – “Our duty is to encourage everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest ideal, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the truth.” “I only ask you to work to realize more and more the Vedantic ideal of the solidarity of man and his inborn divine nature.” Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 4 About Sankalp On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary we would be doing a sankalp. Sankalp – • Is a firm mental resolve to achieve a positive change in oneself • Is a sacred promise to oneself to be and to do something that helps you to rise and grow • Will help us advance on the path of our overall purpose and mission in life “Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be; if you think yourself strong, strong you will be.” Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 5 Sankalp Ideas 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. I will overcome my fear about……. I will practice Suryanamaskar, Yogasan and Pranayam on a daily basis I will study Hindu Dharma/Bhagavat-Gita in-depth. I will improve my public speaking skills. I will engage in and actively promote Dharma and spirituality through one or more of the following, a. Family values b. Environment care c. Sewa activities d. Yoga and meditation e. Devotional activities I will learn Sanskrit language, the storehouse of spiritual knowledge. I will give out ___copies of pocket size Bhagavad-Gita. I will give Swami Vivekananda’s pocket size literature to ___people. I will talk about Dharma Bee to ____families. I will reach out to ____new persons for Dharma and Yoga Fest. … Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 6 Fulfilling Life Purpose Taking and fulfilling a sankalp will lead each one of us to realize more and more our individual purpose in life (Swadharma) and the fulfillment of it. “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. That is way great spiritual giants are produced.” Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA 7