Life Divine

Our teachers were blessed to serve their illustrious masters from extreme close quarters day after day, moment to moment. Those years of grooming under the masters left indelible imprint on their life. Reminiscences of those moments, and teachings inspired them to design this workshop - Life Divine. Life Divine is a combination of various practices of so conducting ourselves in life, inwardly as well as outwardly, as not to be disharmonious with the principles that govern the world. It is simply an art of practical living in this world. A state of harmony is established when you enter into the field of divine living. A divine living tries to raise our outlook of life into the vision of a prepondering principle that operates in the whole world, including our own self.

Life Divine teaches us how to maintain a high quality of life through intelligent understanding of the true nature of existence. It takes us step by step through the thought process required to reestablish mastery over our lives, beginning with the world within. It is an unavoidable way of living for every one of us if we want not to perish in this world. The instrument that we use in our life experiences, is not the body, as we generally assume, but the mind. The state of our lives depends on the state of the mind. As we learn to tame our minds into fit instruments of experience, step by step we gain control over our lives. No matter what our outer circumstances may be, with our minds controlled we are the masters of the situation: we can choose to live in joy.

This is what life divine programme teaches us. This takes us through the logic behind the specific techniques and apply them to our daily lives. This shows how by gaining mastery over our inner lives, we transform our individual existence. Come and experience with us how taking care of simplest things can transform one’s life.

Life Divine Retreat takes energy, commitment, and discipline. It’s a space in which to shut out the distractions of everyday life and come face-to-face with yourself. That isn’t always easy, especially for beginners.Body and mind are not used to these very different circumstances and may react with discomfort, restlessness, boredom, doubt, criticism, fatigue or sudden, unfounded concerns. Preparing yourself by anticipating these reactions, and committing to stick to the discipline of the retreat even if they arise can be transformatory.

Therefore, we have to adjust ourselves to the retreat settings :

• Silence is kept throughout the retreat, however during teaching sessions questions are welcomed and there will be a one hour discussion group on most days.

• We may experience a lot of ups and downs during the retreat. Therefore, please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to fellow retreat participants and staff.

• We have to keep an open mind. Many of the ideas presented may be new and different from one’s own beliefs, and we should be prepared to analyse and contemplate not only the teachings, but also our own beliefs.

• We have to adjust to the schedule: all participants must attend all sessions of the retreat, come to sessions on time and not leave during the retreat.

Preparing for the Retreat :

In order to keep the atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and spiritual pursuit and to minimise distractions during the retreat, students on our residential retreats and retreats are asked to abide by our basic code of discipline listed below.

Complete all your outside communication and arrangements before your arrive.

In order to successfully participate in the retreat, you must be really free from all outside commitments for the entire period of the retreat. All phone calls, e-mails, letters, tickets, flight confirmations, money changing etc must be arranged and organised before the retreat begins. There is no way to do this during the retreat, so be sure to tell your family and friends that you won’t be in touch until after check-out on the last day of your retreat (after 1pm). Your phone has to be deposited with us for safe keeping during the retreat. Our Retreat Environment page explains why this discipline is important.

Guidelines for Behavior :

• Do not point your feet towards the teachers, the altar or any holy object.

• Do not put prayer books, texts, or notebooks with on the floor, or sit or step over them.

• No idle chit-chat in the lecture hall. (ie. You can ask the teacher questions during class, but do not talk with other students).

• Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.

• Respect others’ property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.

• Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others. This is easy when observing silence!

• Be celibate: no sexual activity. This also includes no holding hands, hugging, massages and other physical displays of affection.

• Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes (we encourage you to stop smoking while here).

• Be considerate of others’ silence: keep silence in the appropriate areas and at all times during residential retreats, especially in the lecture hall and the residential complex. No singing or playing music and in general, maintain a quiet demeanor while on the property.

• Dress respectfully (please no shorts above the knee, tank-top shirts or tight and revealing clothing)

What to Bring :

A photocopy of your passport and current Indian visa for check-in (non-Indian citizens only).

Personal toiletries, towel, torch/flashlight, watch/clock (you cannot use your mobile phone for this, or as an alarm), refillable water bottle.

Registration :

This Retreat is not something “just for fun” or to tick off on a travel itinerary. It is a serious retreat. However, if done properly it can be a challenging, but fulfilling and highly enjoyable and elevating experience. Many people are not sure what to expect and that is all right. However, please only register and attend this retreat if you intend to participate fully in a serious and committed manner. We understand that following all these rules, and especially keeping the silence, can be difficult, but it is an essential part of the retreat experience and the staff are here to help and support you in keeping to the rules, in order to aid and maintain the retreat environment.