A huge thank-you for attending Youth Conference 2018 by DIYA(UK) on 27th Jan in Leicester.
We've had a lot of positive feedback about the event and many have requested further information on one or more topics.
Even though we experienced a few technical & lighting difficulties, we're really pleased with the output on the day, and proud of all our speakers & our host.
For those that attended we do hope there is at least one thing that each of you have taken away from the conference, and we continue to welcome any further questions you may have.
For your benefit, we have added information below about each talk. Please take a few mins to have a look.

MEET THE SPEAKERS
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Conference Overview & Closing Words

Anand – Our Global Footprint, Initiatives & Campaigns

DIYA, UK
Divine Intellect Youth Association, United Kingdom

Our Vision
Rebuild the world by educated, healthy, self-reliant, courteous and sensitive youth.

Mission
Creating divine world by harnessing innate potential of youth through training and workshops and undertake constructive nation building activities and thereby transforming individual, family and society at large.

Objective
• Building idealism in the dreams of youngsters.
• Make youth healthy, self-reliant, educated, courteous and sensitive towards social and national issues.
• Re-orient the thought process of youth.
• Bring back the golden age (Satyug) with peace and harmony in the world.
• Manifestation of divinity in youth through scientific spirituality.

Social Movements
• Eradication of blind faith
• Self-reliance
• Women empowerment
• De-addiction
• Environment protection
• Holistic health
• Training Camps
• Research

Three-Fold Concept
STEP 1: Upasana - Dedication to God/Goodness – To promote a connection to 'God' or 'Goodness' irrespective of personal belief.
STEP 2: Sadhana - Dedication to Self - To promote constant efforts towards self-improvement to help develop belief in the 'self’.
STEP 3: Aradhana - Dedication to Society - To promote the belief that we are integral part of society and should use our resources and talent to help others.

Vision 2026
• We celebrated the year 2016 and 2017 as Youth Revolution Years to give tangible form to these thoughts.
• This year we are celebrating a milestone in our journey in Nagpur, Maharastra, India on 26th – 28th January where the goals for the next 9 years will be set for our youth movement.
• Representatives from all across the world have gathered in Maharastra to take part in this exercise.
• We will post more details and exact steps for achieving the vision 2026 very shortly.

Si – Challenges Facing Youth Today
My talk was on ASB, explaining what it is and giving examples of ASB I come across in my daily work life. I also covered why young people cause ASB which fits in 4 categories - family, Education, Community, Personal and Individual Factors. I then highlighted issues and problems that we all face in our lives such as stress and anxiety to put things into perspective. I spoke about various project work that I'm involved in, why the projects have been implemented and how they can prevent young people from causing ASB and getting involved in criminal activity - all designed to encourage positive choices and changes.
The crucial thing is young people are not bad. It is their thoughts that need to change and this would need a spiritual perspective, which is about understanding, giving value to the quality of life and about organising oneself.
True Spirituality is based on good character and behaviour, self-control and service to humanity.

Vikesh – Understanding the Science Behind Speech, Sound & Mantra in our Daily Lives
The science of mantra is inherently linked with the energy stored in sound and vibration. This not only includes our voice but our internal speech also. This can be profound when it is realised that everything that man has ever made was but a thought previously. Our thoughts have a vibrational quality to them whether that is positive or negative. A set of ancient Indian sounds that promote growth and spiritual upliftment are known as mantras. One of these mantras - a maha (mother of all) mantra is known as the Gayatri Mantra. This is because it sublty energizes all chakras in the body as well as providing the illumination and gain of knowledge and intellect. This of course is a foundation to any task that you may encounter. However, it also reminds us through practise that we are all divine souls here on earth.

Data Sources;
Super Science of Gayatri
Eternity of Sound & Science of the Mantra

Videos;

Hansika/Sheetal - The Gifts of Awareness

SADHANA MEANS;
• Sadhana means to practice something as a discipline, in order to learn from it, and make it a regular life habit.
• Sadhana can also be defined as the technique of disciplining yourself.
• Sadhana is a personal process in which you bring out your best.

SADHANA COULD BE;
• A mantra meditation
• A specific yoga asana practice like pragya yog/surya namaskar (sun salutations)
• A specific kriya like pranayama, mudra
• A visualisation e.g. focussing on a picture of the sunset
• Gayatri mantra writing
• Reading books, magazines & journals from enlightened souls like Sri Ram Sharma Acharya.

BENEFITS OF SADHANA;
• Daily sadhana practice can change your life!
• By doing daily sadhana practice, we are re-shaping our inner self.
• We are replacing the old patterns and thoughts with new ones. The new patterns and thoughts trickles down to the cells in our body.
• Because each of our cells are made up of tiny atoms (neurons, protons and electrons), our cells send out vibrations into the universe in the form of energy.
• People around you can feel your vibrations.
• Develop a regular sadhana and you can take control of your life.
• It will improve your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
• Every challenge becomes an opportunity.
• You grow calmer and will get less agitated by big and little problems.
• Your mind will focus better.
• You will begin to feel the presence of a divine power in the inner self which induces immense strength, peace of mind and good thoughts.
• It will be easier to remove negativity and bad tendencies in our lives.

SADHANA PRACTICE;
• A sadhana practice can be done at any time with varying results.
• The best time is early morning, about two and a half hours before the sun rises approximately between 3-5.30am. This period is called Brahmamuhurta. This is when the sun is at a sixty-degree angle to the Earth, so the energy you put into your sadhana gets maximum results. The world is quieter and still, it is easier to meditate and concentrate before the hustle and bustle as the day begins. However, doing sadhana at any time of the day or night will benefit you!
• Commitment – It is important to be committed. Just 10 mins a day, every single day no matter what. This is time for yourself.
• Discipline – the mind and ego are wily, tricky things and will use all kinds of excuses to try and keep you from doing your sadhana. But daily practice builds discipline as we learn not to listen to the mind and ego and do what feels good.
• Doing daily sadhana is one small way to make sure that every single day is just a little better than the last one, no matter what else is going on in your life.
• Foundation – for just 10mins or even 5 mins to begin with, sadhana is like planting a seed in the garden. For good growth the plant needs water, fertiliser, protection and care. Likewise, practicing daily sadhana follow the same principles. As you get used to dedicating ten minutes a day you are also changing and growing as a person just like the tiny seed. When the tree of Sadhana is strong and developed, we will get the fruits of success.

COLLECTIVE SADHANA;
• You can do collective sadhana with a group of friends, students, family or community.
• In individual sadhana the mind becomes lax and mind can drift but in group sadhana the atmosphere made by others has an impact on the mind and pulls the individual back on track. Hence, the practice becomes more regular and rhythmic.
• The vibrations generated from collective sadhana has a greater impact on the physical and subtle environment.
• When you do sadhana in a group, the total effect of your sadhana becomes multiplied by the number of people participating.

Data Source;

Recitation and Meditation
[Book download]

Illaben – The Purpose of Life
Unconditional and selfless actions cleanse your body, mind, soul. Meditate, go deeper into the concept of 'Who and What am I'. Am I the body or am I the soul that has a body? Then utilise your body in service, to make others happier and healthier - this includes yourself too. Service does not need to be complicated for it is like a domino effect. Take one small step, like listening and sitting with old people, respecting and honouring our parents. Saying hello, smiling, or take bigger steps like feeding homeless people, helping a charity. In essence, service can be offered in 2 main ways; either with money or your time.

Radhika – Recommended Reading
The following extracts were taken from literature written by Pt Sri Ram Sharma Acharya. This enlightened soul wrote in excess of 3,000 books during his physical life-time. at the moment only around 200 books have been translated into English. There is no copyright on any of the literature as they are a gift for humanity. You can download some books that are available online, or let us know if you prefer to purchase hardcopy.

What Am I?
What am I? What is my power? Who am I? What is my duty? This should be deliberated upon. All the thinkers are unanimous on the point that the best form of knowledge is ‘Knowledge of Self’. After getting full knowledge about the ‘Self’, there remains nothing to be known. Every being is, in fact, God himself. Bound by thoughts, he presents an ugly look although invaluable treasure abounds in himself. He is the Centre of Power to the extent we cannot imagine. All difficulties and sufferings are on account of not knowing about ‘Self’. When we realise the real form, all troubles disappear.

Jivana Sadhana (A Noble Art of Living)
The meaning of self-respect is inherent in self-dignity. It is experienced only by those who are conscious of their virtue-based dignity and deviate from it. Those who care a fig for their dignity and readily stoop low for the slightest gain are always deprived of it. Self-respect is never given by others; it is self-earned. It is not the name of some civic honour, or columns of praise in newspapers. It is a very private experience which takes place in our consciousness. The people who experience this feeling remain happy and content irrespective of whether or not they are getting worldly laurels. Those bereft of this feeling always suffer from undefined emptiness and dissatisfaction within in spite of getting all the worldly honours and praises.

Religion and Science (Complementary not Contradictory)
Spirituality and science are two different pursuits of mankind. Each has contributed, in its own way, towards the enrichment of human life and culture. The doors should be kept open between them for mutual cooperation and exchange. The recent past was an era of confusion and there have been instances in which a friend has been mistaken as a foe and a foe as a friend. The debate that spirituality and science are mutually contradictory and exclusive is also of a similar nature. In religious circles it was presumed that science opposes religion. It works against faith and expresses disbelief in life beyond. It takes man to be a machine and so thinks that to make this machine run efficiently it is adequate to fulfil only its physical needs. It considers perceivable nature to be all that there is and rejects the existence of immortal soul and concepts like selflessness. Therefore, while the achievements of science should be utilised, its hypotheses need to be rejected which otherwise will render human life devoid of meaning and purpose.

Practical Ways to Sharpen the Memory and Intellect
Don’t lose heart if your grasping power is not so sharp or if your mind is intellectually weak or even under-developed. If continuous friction of a rope can leave marks on a stone then why can’t rigorous practice make the mind proficient in intellectual faculties? Indeed, it can. Life and works of Kalidasa – the revered poet and scholar of Sanskrit language, stands as a shining example in this context. This man was such a fool and blunt head that he would cut the same branch of a tree on which he was sitting. Awakening of self-respect once kindled the glow of confidence in him. Sincerity, assiduity and dedicated studies became an integral part of his nature, and with elevated dedication and inner urge he could make glorious contributions to Sanskrit Literature and also reach the perennial honour of intellectual excellence. It should be remembered that success blossoms on the tree of motivated endeavours and perseverance – intellectual development is no exception against this universal fact.

Problems of Today Solutions for Tomorrow
No doubt, education is a crucial component of life. No words would be adequate to describe its importance. But it does not serve the purpose unless it also teaches self-management and enables one to live a purposeful life worth human dignity. It should therefore be complemented by Vidya – which inculcates wisdom. Even a highly learned person would be ignorant without Vidya. An ignorant person is akin to a blind man, as he does not ‘see’ the real goal and righteous path of life. Vidya bestows true knowledge (Gyan) of self and life. It is the most precious treasure to be acquired in human life. It is referred in ancient texts as a source of nectar (Amrit). However, its benefits accrue only when one attempts to use wisdom for discretion in actions and for development of virtues, character and personality to make sure the best use of one’s talents commensurate with cultural values and needs. Otherwise, corrupt thinking and immoral actions make one more undesirable in the society.

Akhand Jyoti (The Light Divine)
A progressive person is one who does not fear the challenge of change. He knows very well that status quo is inertia, boredom, inactivity and indolence. The one who does not move forward – does not welcome new thoughts and new experiences – loses his energy. A progressive person has to forget the past and accept the present. He has to make up his mind to fight the odds. The one, who is active, possesses the life force and vitality required for success; the one who fears change, is lifeless, dull and insipid.

Guidelines for the Aspiring Loksevi
Time is life. Keep this in mind, spend every minute of it in meaningful and constructive activities. Laziness and negligence should be treated as one’s worst enemy and should be cautiously avoided. Take responsibility for all habits, whether good or bad. Be introspective; examine your efforts to make sure they are not laid-back or indifferent. Proper planning, hard work and sincere effort are the only ways to succeed in any endeavour.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS