ENLIGHTENED RETREAT
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Education

Education is a path for gaining insight into the wonder of the cosmos and the nature of the self. It paves a way of understanding the oneness of all. Enlightened education focuses on subjects related to science of nature and cosmos, which may reveal the unity and harmony existing in the universe, as well as the disciplines which deal with the questions of mind, consciousness and the spiritual unity among human beings. The main goal is to strengthen the capacity of the citizens to understand the ideas and views which form the basis of the enlightened world, and help people to discover the relations of one`s life with the micro and macro-cosmos. It is a way to free oneself from ignorance, which are often manipulated by power-loving people in order to perpetuate the exploitations and oppression of the majority by a powerful minority. The enlightened education will impart the awareness of one`s possibilities of freedom and growth as a human being, who possesses higher needs beyond those driven by the animal instincts. They will learn to oppose and counteract the efforts of unenlightened human beings in stealing the rights and freedom by using the arguments of natural moral which belong to the animal kingdom.  

Instead, spiritual education is intimately tied to the education of ethics and moral, which would bring forth the vision of an enlightened social-political order suitable for higher evolution of the mind. In this holistic education which involves the knowledge of the cosmos, insight into the mystery of the mind, questions related to moral and ethics, the questions of economic and social issues, which may bring true freedom necessary for the development of the human beings to achieve a higher stage of consciousness, would remain crucial.

Teaching of history, biology, cosmology, sociology, psychology and philosophy and spirituality

Spiritual understanding of people hinges on many factors involving biology, psychology, sociology, philosophy etc.  In most cases spiritual understandings are absorbed from the cultural surroundings in which one is brought up. The religions and beliefs of the people in the family and the community often decide the religion and spiritual flavor of the person. Those who get exposed to a wider surrounding, comprising of other views than the parochial views of the community in which one belongs, get opportunities to breakaway and seek a wider platform for one`s spiritual growth. Religious institutions with vested interests in economy and political power often play crucial rules in the spiritual life of the people. The psychological inclination of the human beings in seeking security of life against nature and calamities, and predicaments which the competitions for survival may thrust upon one`s life, is another important factor behind person`s spiritual conducts. The cosmological view about the creation and meaning of our life in the creation drama, may also provide a psychological foundation for one`s religiosity. In most societies these ideas are based on mythologies and theological interpretation. Through blind faith and adherence to ritual conducts people find security of their life against the retribution of heaven and the unknown. It is necessary to gain understanding of these aspects of religious faiths and practices in order to find a true meaning of one`s spirituality. The spirituality can only be affirmed and made meaningful in the modern world by confronting the knowledge of science and realizing the wonder in nature that science may unfold. In an enlightened society spirituality would receive an important role together with the knowledge of science. In such a world the scientific man would not be seen as antithesis of the spiritual man, but as a synthesis of man and God living together in a will-bound world governed by laws of nature.

In a given social structure there exists large variations of awareness and knowledge of the self: Some people may live in a more unaware state, while some others may have attained a cosmic perspective of their existence. With it the experiences of spirituality vary at great lengths from person to person. The tasks of the retreat will be to teach people about the higher realms of the mind and the potentials of enjoying a greater quality of life by tapping the power of higher consciousness which lies in all.