UK CHYK Camp – By His Grace

In celebration of Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda's 108th Jayanti, our CHYKs conducted a very special camp titled 'By His Grace' in Lisbon, Portugal. Connecting to Gurudev through His stories, teachings and timeless wisdom the weekend gave our CHYKs the space to connect more with the Guru and deepen their understanding of His sacrifice, dedication and vision.

Riya Bhatt, our local CHYK shares her insights and reflections from the camp.

Before I came to Chyk camp, I had no idea what to expect as I had never been before. I didn’t know that many people who were going but for some reason when I heard about it, I had a really strong feeling that I needed to be there. Everyone who spoke to me about it was so friendly and welcoming and they encouraged me to come along, so I did. I am so glad that I did! It truly was the most amazing experience of my life.

We were all there to learn about Guru’s Grace. Before going to the camp, I didn’t know too much about Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda as a person. I had read some of His texts and watched videos of Him speaking and found myself drawn to His style. He had such an animated way of talking and managed to explain complicated things in such a simple way. When I joined the weekly CHYK classes, I immediately felt at home. The classes allowed me to open up my heart and want to learn more about this most precious knowledge and surround myself with those amazing people even more. Although I wasn’t aware of it, I had already experienced Gurudev’s grace through reading His texts, listening to Him, and being able to attend classes.

Coming to camp, I started to learn more about Gurudev as a person. It was amazing to hear stories about Gurudev and hear what a compassionate, loving and joyful person he was. Shripriyaji told us how Gurudev cared for every single person in the world and was able to give each person exactly what they needed in the form of personalised love. To hear such beautiful stories made me appreciate how everything we have benefitted from in Chinmaya Mission, and the existence of the entire Mission itself, all stemmed from a single individual. Without His Grace, none of us would be here today.

Shripriyaji brought the whole experience alive for me. The way she told each story about Gurudev brought tears to everyone’s eyes. I could feel her love for Gurudev shine through her when she spoke, which also allowed me to build my own connection with Gurudev. I am so grateful to Shripriyaji for giving me such a beautiful experience.

I am also so grateful to every single person at camp. I learnt so much from each person and felt so inspired by the loving environment all around me. I haven’t been able to stop talking about the camp since I got home! And, more importantly, I have been able to see Guru’s Grace in everything around me since the camp. It is such a special feeling.

Find out more about our classes and workshops for youth here.