OUT OF THIS WORLD

In the fourth week of events, I led a meditation workshop. There were about 6 of us there. It was exam week so I was not expecting a big turnout anyway.

I began with a brief talk about meditation, and then we did some relaxation. I asked the students to sit comfortably with their eyes closed and focus on their breath, trying to forget about their exams and all the other things on their mind.

Most students go through a day at university without once stopping to relax. In an average day on campus the students will fill their minds with heaps of information from lectures and books, they will eat, drink, talk, worry about their future. Going home at the end of the day, if not talking with friends, their minds will tick over with plans for the night or for the weekend, or for the rest of their lives. No time to stop and just breath.

Even when the students in this workshop did stop and relax, they could not achieve the peacefulness they desired. They reported that they were unable to control the mind and that although they tried not to think about their exams, those thoughts still kept coming to their minds, causing stress.

I explained to them that their minds need something to focus on. I also told them (in a nice way, of course) that their minds are filled with junk due to the lack of a proper cleansing routine. Then we tried some of the solution: mantra meditation. We started with the mantra “Aum.” We chanted this several times and most liked it, though some found it difficult to pronounce.

Next we chanted “Nitai Gauranga.” As with “Aum,” we chanted in unison, drawing out all the syllables. This may not be a prescribed Vedic mantra, but I have found that it is very effective in preparing students for the Mahamantra. It is very easy to feel happiness in chanting “Nitai Gauranga” and it breaks down some inhibitions before moving on to more difficult mantras.

Finally we chanted the Mahamantra (the Hare Krishna mantra) together on beads. We only chanted about quarter of a round because one girl had to leave by that time for another engagement. One of the other students who had just started to chant at home commented that it was much easier to chant together with other people and that he found it very hard to concentrate at home. I told him that it would become easier with practice, and after some time, if practiced properly, he would come to relish it.

As usual we finished with some prasada snacks. These students can’t get enough halava