www.ccvs.in
Vision : Vanaprastha - A joyous journey towards liberation.
Motto: Graceful Aging through Spiritual Living
Age Group: 60 and above
Vanaprastha activity began in 1981 in Rewa
Central Chinmaya Vanaprastha Sansthan (CCVS) is the senior citizens wing of Chinmaya Mission.
Quotes by Swami Chinmayananda:
1. One must grow old like how the sun sets, graciously and majestically.
2. We cannot add years to their life but we can definitely add life to their years.
3. You need not go to the forests to become a vanaprastha. You can start the life of a vanaprastha immediately, while living in your own house.
Quote by Swami Tejomayananda:
“We have to learn the art of living, but alongside we need to learn the art of leaving. That is the focus of the stage of life called vānaprastha.”
"In vanaprastha ashrama, 75% of one’s time is to be devoted to sadhana and 25% to worldly interactions."
“Graceful aging does not suddenly come about in old age - it is a lifelong process. If no conscious effort is made early in life, though one may attend spiritual camps and graceful aging seminars, inner transformation does not come about easily.”
As vanaprasthis, when we are firmly rooted in the conviction that we must get established in Brahman, naturally we age gracefully.
Central Chinmaya Vanaprastha Sansthan (CCVS) is the senior citizens wing of Chinmaya Mission. Vanaprastha activity began in 1981 in Rewa
Key Focus Areas addressed to elders:
Physical Health: How to prevent old-age diseases? How to keep the body, mind, and intellect healthy, fit and alert?
Social Relations: What to do after retirement to fill the social vacuum?
Family: Where to live? Should one live with children or separately?
How to have good relations with children their spouses, neighbours and so forth?
Financial Planning: How to maintain a reasonable standard of living with limited finances and income after retirement?
Psychology & Spirituality: How to achieve the spiritual goal?
Central Chinmaya Vanaprastha Sansthan(CCVS), formed in 1998 co-ordinates All India Activities of this age group
Activities:
Vriddha avastha samadhan shibir (5 days camp on Art of Graceful Living)
2 Courses offered by CCVS:
Art of Graceful Aging (Preparatory and Basic Courses) &
Keeping Fit: The Yoga Technique (Preparatory and Basic Courses)
National workshops like Workshop on Eldercare - Helping elders help themselves.
Pitamah sadans or Senior Citizens Homes
Day care centres
Publishing books to create awareness in Senior Citizens.
Vanaprastha - A Quarterly magazine for Senior Citizens
Selfless service of the society
Quotes by Vanaprastha Members:
“I worked so hard for a rainy day; here is the rainy day, but my investments cannot remove the emptiness & sense of wanting more. Chinmaya Vanaprastha approaches this spiritually in a very gentle and meaningful way.”
“Vanaprastha is where we commit ourselves to serve for the greater good, service that is selfless. It purifies the mind and that is what we take with us. Everything else is left here.”
“In Vanaprastha we increase the readings of HDL & LDL. HDL – Highly Divine Life and LDL – Living a Divine Life.”
To know more about Vanaprastha, please read - “Vanaprastha - A joyous journey to Liberation”, “Ageing gracefully”
Design Notes
Grassroot Activities
In the Exhibit, each activity has two human characters, Mitra - a boy and Shruti - a girl, which are metal cutouts made from mild steel. These are shown as though emerging out from the photo-montage of each activity from Balavihar to Vanaprastha. The exhibit also comprises of panels of visual montages and textual information. These are assembled around the two characters, in each activity. In all, the names, motto, vision, list of activities and other relevant details of each activity form the visual and textual