USSF Residential Seminar 2012

The Universal Spiritual-Science Foundation (USSF) began its first Adhyatma-Vidnyan Prabodhini about fifteen years ago for the benefit of spiritual seekers. Presently, many such Prabodhinis are being held in Mumbai and Pune (free of cost). Prabodhini means an academy or a place where guidance is offered in a special field. Adhyatma-Vidnyan or Spiritual Science is a perfect science of the mind that enables seekers who imbibe it to lead contented, calm and cheerful lives even in the face of adversity. Each Prabodhini has weekly sessions of an hour and a half each. Several seekers attend these weekly Prabodhinis to know and understand Spiritual-Science and imbibe it for their own spiritual self-upliftment.

The USSF, however, realised the need for presenting Spiritual-Science in a different format for those seekers who for various reasons are unable to attend these Prabodhinis regularly. Accordingly, the USSF recently decided to conduct week-end residential seminars for their benefit. The first such seminar on 'In search of eternal happiness' was held at Shantivan, Panvel on January 14 & 15, 2012. The purpose of choosing a quiet venue outside but not too far from Mumbai was to enable the participants 'leave behind' their daily worries and tensions and participate in the seminar with a relaxed, open and receptive frame of mind. Thirty one participants attended this seminar and their response was very encouraging.

The seminar began with a brief introduction of the Universal Spiritual-Science Foundation and its mission by the Chief Co-ordinator, Shri Dinesh Nadkarni. He also explained how Spiritual- Science, being a perfect science of the mind based on research, is universal as it is applicable and beneficial to all human minds irrespective of religion, race, caste, colour or creed. This introduction was followed by eight sessions divided equally into four sessions per day. Each session comprised of hour and a half interactive lectures by USSF Instructors. During an interactive session on the first day after dinner, a few participants also narrated how attending the Prabodhinis and imbibing the tenets of Spiritual-Science helped them in facing and overcoming extreme adversities in their lives.

As the seminar title 'In search of eternal happiness' implies, the main focus of the seminar was how we can be enduringly happy. Every person, knowingly or unknowingly, wants eternal happiness but most of us believe that such happiness means all pleasure and no pain. Thus, begins a life-long chase for happiness through objects, inter-personal relationships and events that (might) provide physical or mental pleasure. We learn from experience that no such pleasure is permanent. Thus, everlasting happiness remains elusive like the ever-receding horizon. We also become unhappy for various reasons such as nerve-racking, negative thinking, behaviour of others that is contrary to our expectations and adverse circumstances in our lives. The seminar emphasized that enduring happiness is a state of mind for which, our mind has to train itself to be ever-contented, ever-calm and ever-cheerful. To acheive this state of mind and to refrain from unconstructive thinking the participants were given some very effective practical tools that would help them to face any hardship (emotional, physical or financial) with equanimity.

In the concluding session, the Chief Co-ordinator summarised the entire proceedings of the two days, presented an overview of the seminar and its purpose and urged the participants to imbibe the tenets of Spiritual-Science and move decisively towards tension-free lives.

USSF intends to organize such seminars in the near future and the details of the same will be announced on this website and through the media at the appropriate time.