5 Day Spiritual Workshops
At the Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwadivyalaya
In case you are interested in attending a workshop, please read through all the tabs in this section before registering. Please note that these workshops are held in person at the Spiritual Research Centre in Goa, India.
Introduction
The word Yoga is well known to everyone across the world. However, to most, the word is synonymous with some physical exercises such as Yogic postures or Yogic asanas. In reality, the meaning of the word ‘Yoga’ is – restraining or controlling the mind through spiritual practice. It is the practice of controlling one’s thoughts and emotions, etc. that emerge or get generated in the sub-conscious mind.
Most of the unhappiness experienced in a person’s life is due to the nature of his or her mind. The mind is the source of both the happiness and unhappiness in a person’s life and is a part of the ego of a person. Unfortunately in today’s fast paced world and with the stresses and strains of modern living, along with the problems that society is faced with, happiness and peace of mind is not easy to achieve and sustain.
Spiritual practice means learning how to experience calmness of mind and Bliss (which is a superlative state of happiness) in all of life’s situations. In order to achieve this evolved spiritual state, dissolving the mind and intellect and reducing one’s ego is essential. For rapid spiritual progress, how long one can hold a certain yogic posture in a yoga studio is less important as opposed to reducing one’s personality defects and ego and experiencing spiritual love for all. The root personality defects and ego also known as the ‘six foes of the embodied Soul’ which are lust, anger greed, attachment, pride, and envy, rob us of our happiness and peace of mind. With the ‘Personality Defect Removal Process’, we learn to overcome such foes and other defects stemming from them.
What will be covered during the course?
In order to help seekers make rapid spiritual progress, we have put together a concentrated spiritual workshop. Over 5 days we will cover various theoretical and practical aspects of the Science of Spirituality that are most required to provide you with a clear direction and impetus for your spiritual practice.
The following aspects will be covered during the course:
1. Introduce seekers to various types of spiritual paths (Yoga). We recommend the following aspects to purify the various aspects of the human consciousness.
- Body: Body postures or Yoga asanas (this aspect will not be covered during the spiritual workshop as there are many schools around the world teaching this in depth)
- Mind: Personality defects removal and ego removal
- Intellect: Studying the various paths and aspects of spiritual practice
- Sub-conscious mind: Chanting the Name of God
2. Understand spiritual principles and spiritual practice for rapid spiritual progress
3. Show you how to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and how to bring out Divine qualities in you while learning how to let go of personality defects such as anger, jealously, laziness, etc.
4. Experience an ashram way of life first hand and thereby learn how to live a spiritually purer way of life at home.
5. Learn about various spiritual phenomena in the spiritual museum and how the spiritual dimension can affect our lives.
6. Along with learning ‘individual spiritual practice’ which is focused on making an individual progress spiritually, we will also explain how to ‘guide others in spiritual practice’ so as to help them to progress spiritually.
7. Provide seekers with all the necessary tools to further their spiritual journey once they are back home. This includes formal and informal spiritual meetings via the Internet to assist seekers in their day-to-day spiritual practice.
After the spiritual workshop
Remember this course is only the beginning of our lifelong commitment to help seekers in their spiritual journey. This is because Spirituality is a subject that has to be practiced throughout one’s life, until one makes ultimate spiritual progress, which is God-realisation. In this course we introduce to you the various aspects of Spirituality and how to practice it. For those of you who want to reach higher levels of spiritual progress, further guidance will be provided at an individual level, as everybody’s pathway to God is different.
Course Fees
As mentioned in point 5 of the ‘Guiding principles of the Spiritual University’, once a seeker has been admitted into the University, the tuition fees along with boarding and lodging fees for the students will be free-of-charge. For these preliminary 5 day spiritual workshops, a fee of INR 15,750 for applicants from India or USD 200 for applicants from outside of India will be payable on being selected for the workshop. This fee is for covering all costs incurred by the Maharshi University of Spirituality for holding such workshops.
The following services will be included within the above mentioned fee:
1. Tuition fees – course instructor and course material and videos
2. Boarding and lodging at the Spiritual Research Centre and Ashram
3. Internet usage related to the course
4. Transportation costs to and from the airport or train station in Goa, India
Seekers participating (in the 5 day spiritual workshops organised by the Maharshi University of Spirituality) are expected to arrange for their travel arrangements to Goa (India) from their country / place of residence by themselves.