The first time I attended the workshop, given my limited experience in general, my interest in the course was largely metaphysical. Like any twenty-something self-indulgent in soul-searching of the serious kind, the broader philosophical musings ranging from the relevance and meaning of God, Mythology, Religions, rituals etc. in our modern society to esoteric questions like the purpose of life preoccupied me in all my spare time. This workshop really challenged my thinking and enriched my understanding of these subjects. Learning the concepts of “OM”, Tat, Power of mythologies and rituals, “purusharthas”, “prakriti-purusha” etc. was a sublime experience to me as I allowed myself to be enticed by the sheer sophistication of thought, tradition and culture 5000 years back. It led me to a humble realization that if something has stood the test of time for so long, there must be something magnetic about it.

During my second time, not having to preoccupy myself with the grand questions, I found myself paying attention to finer strokes of the course. From observing the reactions of fellow classmates to the metaphysical concepts, I realized that how different each one of us are. Interestingly, during the first time, I paid attention to what connects all of us in a common way and the second time, I picked up on how our differences can help create this rich drama and variety in life. Boy! Did I overlook such an important part of the course. I understood the concept of Varnas (4 colors) and their far-reaching implications and applications in a much better way. I think the concepts of “Colors” and “Cycles” provided all of us with a new vocabulary to comprehend the world around us not only at an individual level but even levels of many higher ‘organisms’. These concepts can be used effectively as personality tools (like a software) to understand oneself as well as others to collaborate better.

The stand-alone concept in the course is its consistent emphasis on our ability to complement each other in life by contributing with our uniqueness and that an earlier and a stronger realization of the same would make the world an richer, enjoyable place. Overall, the course’s ability to tackle the deeper subjects and their relationship to daily life is simply remarkable. I totally recommend this workshop regardless of age, culture or background. Please take this to just get fascinated by the cultural heritage of Indic Civilization, if not anything else.

I would compare the workshop to watching that favorite movie again, or a melodious song that’s stuck in your head or that enigmatic art-work that makes you wonder : the more you see of them, the more you see them reveal (Believe me, it does feel like an album of “Indic Philosophy: Greatest Hits” !!!) I consider myself indeed very fortunate to having not only the opportunity to attend this workshop but also develop a close relationship with krishna garu whom I consider a great teacher, guru and a close friend.

Special thanks to everyone in the group for their active participation in all the discussions. It would have been a million times less interesting and fun had it been without you all.