Yogoda Satsanga Society of India

SHARAD SANGAM 2018

NOVEMBER 18 – 23
&
NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 5

A waken yourself! Be anchored in the Spirit of God, in the realization

of the Infinite Being that flows like an ocean through all creation. It is worth-
while in this short season of life to make the effort to gain God-realization.
— Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
D ear Divine Atman,

With hearts filled with love and tremendous joy, we invite you
to the Sharad Sangam to be held in the months of November and
December 2018, at our Ranchi Ashram. This year also we are con-
ducting two Sangams, from November 18 to 23 (Sangam I) and
November 30 to December 5 (Sangam II), to provide opportunity
to more devotees who wish to participate. However, a devotee
may attend only one Sangam.

Oftentimes busy life schedules and worldly habits lead us to

a state where we forget God, the sole Sustainer of our lives, thus
allowing ourselves to be victims of the storms of suffering and
pain. Attending Sangams will help us to strengthen our resolve to
re-establish our lives anchored in God. Guruji said, “If you follow
the way of meditation that we teach, you shall find that one day,
when you are least expecting it, God will drop both His hands to
lift you up. It is not only that you are seeking God, but that God
is seeking you — more than you are seeking Him.”

Please note that only YSS devotees may attend the Sangam.
Relatives of YSS devotees and children under 15 years of age are
not eligible to attend the Sangam. Also, owing to the hectic and
concentrated schedule of Sangam, we request the devotees with
fragile health or debilitating conditions not to apply.

The procedure of registering for the Sangam is mentioned

on pages 5 and 6, and the Registration Form, is on pages 7 and
8. Kindly read the procedure carefully before sending in the
Registration Form.

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 All devotees intending to participate in the Sangam may
please prepare themselves well in advance by regularly studying
and practising Gurudeva’s teachings and meditation techniques.
Gurudeva says, “Together with practice of the meditation tech-
niques, you must surrender yourself to God. You must claim
your divine birthright. Your constant prayer, your boundless
determination, your unceasing desire for God, will make Him
break His tremendous vow of silence, and He will answer you.”

Our deepest prayers are with you for success in all your
spiritual endeavours.

In divine friendship,
Yogoda Satsanga Society of India

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 Sangam Overview
Gurudeva said, “Every day let us endeavour to supplant wrong
habits and tendencies with good habits and actions. May we all
realize the joy of such occasions as this Convocation, and receive
such upliftment from these experiences that the darkness of
ignorance may be forever dispelled by the beacon light of that
joy.” Sangam offers an excellent opportunity to become aware of
our tendencies, which otherwise may go unnoticed, and gives us
motivation to progress on the path with new enthusiasm. The
schedule at the Sangam will include group meditations, discours-
es, explanation of the meditation techniques, Kriya Yoga diksha,
bhajan sessions, and video shows. The schedule will provide
opportunities for personal spiritual counselling with the
sannyasis and also time for rest and relaxation.
Meditations
Sannyasis will lead group meditations twice daily throughout
the Sangam. Dhyana Mandir, Smriti Mandir, and Matri Mandir
will be open for individual meditations.
Yogoda Satsanga Meditation Techniques
The techniques of concentration and meditation and also
the Energization Exercises will be thoroughly explained and
demonstrated. Classes will be conducted in English and Hindi.
Discourses
We endeavour to select topics that are of benefit to devotees
for their threefold development of body, mind, and soul.
Sannyasis will give talks on these topics based on the teachings of
Gurudeva, to help devotees gain deeper insights and progress on
the spiritual path.
Kriya Yoga Diksha
All Kriyabans attending the Sangam will have the opportunity
to participate in the Kriya Yoga diksha ceremony along with
new devotees receiving Kriya Yoga diksha. The Kriya Yoga diksha
ceremony will be held on November 22 and December 4.

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Eligibility for Receiving Kriya Yoga
Devotees who have completed the study of the first 52 Yogoda
Satsanga Lessons are eligible to apply for Kriya Yoga diksha. If you are
one such, please send your answers to the questionnaires at the
end of Steps I and II of the Lessons (enclosed with Lessons 26 and
52, respectively) to Yogoda Satsanga Sakha Math, Ranchi, before
August 5, 2018. If your answers are found satisfactory, you will be
informed of your suitability for the diksha. If you are eligible by
the time of your attending the Sangam, you may submit, for
consideration, answers to the questionnaires on your arrival.
Volunteers
Many of you have so enthusiastically served in different areas
in previous years. Your devoted service helps to make the Sangam
a success. As on earlier occasions, many devotee-volunteers will be
needed this time too. Some of the areas where you can help are:
Registration office, accommodation arrangements, audio-visuals,
stage-arrangements, bookstall, decorations, kitchen and dining,
maintenance, medical, sanitation, security, ushering, etc. In some
of these areas a few volunteers will be required one week before
the function and a few volunteers may have to stay up to 3 days
after the function.If you would like to volunteer, please fill in the
Registration Form accordingly. After receiving this information,
we will select volunteers for various areas of work and guide them.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Programme
The Sangam will begin in the morning of the opening day and
end in the afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on the closing day. You may
plan your arrival and departure accordingly. Except for volunteers,
devotees are requested not to arrive earlier than one day before
start of the programme, nor stay beyond one day after the closing.
Accommodation
Dormitory-style accommodation will be provided to ladies
and gents separately. Family members may please plan and pack
accordingly. The accommodation will be within or near the

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Ashram. Devotees with special needs for accommodation or diet
may please make their own arrangements. A list of nearby hotels
will be provided on request.
Allocation
We will try to register the devotees for the Sangam of their
choice. If the number of requests for registration is more than
what we can accommodate, preference will be given to those
who are attending the Sharad Sangam for the first time. Also, if
the number of devotees applying for a particular Sangam is more
than the number we can accommodate, we will try to register
them for the other Sangam. Devotees who will make their own
arrangements for accommodation may participate in any one of
the Sangams as per their choice.
Remittances
The Registration Form along with a registration fee of ` 750 per
person should reach Ranchi on or before August 5, 2018. A letter
confirming your registration for participation in the Sangam will
be mailed in the third week of August. We request you not to
come without proper confirmation.
Remittances should be made only by an At-Par Cheque or by
I.P.O. or by a Bank Draft on a Ranchi bank, payable to YOGODA
SATSANGA SOCIETY OF INDIA. Please do not pay by Money
Order. Devotees visiting Ranchi, Dakshineswar, or Noida may
submit their payment in cash at any of these Ashrams.
Please do not club any other remittances with the Sangam
remittance. Please send your remittance along with your Registra-
tion Form, not separately.
You may also register for Sangam online at sharadsangam.org
Meals
Contribution for meals will be `200 per person per day. This
should be given on arrival at the Reception Office.
For any queries please call on 1800 3000 5193 or email at
sangamenquiry@gmail.com

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 
REGISTRATION FORM FOR SHARAD SANGAM 2018
Please read the Registration Guidelines and other details before filling this form, and send it to the Ranchi address
(see below) along with a registration fee of ` 750 per person, to reach us not later than August 5, 2018. (Incomplete forms may
not be processed.)
Name Lessons Gender Age Volunteer Date and Time
Reg. No. (M/F) Yes/No of Arrival

1.

2.

3.

4.

Registration fee of ` by At-Par Cheque / I.P.O. / crossed Bank Draft / deposited in cash.

At-Par Cheque / I.P.O. / Bank Draft No. Dated Bank

(Please do not send remittance by Money Order. Payment should be in the name of YOGODA SATSANGA SOCIETY OF INDIA.)
This form, together with the payment should be sent to Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, Paramahansa Yogananda Path,
Ranchi 834 001, Jharkhand.
If for some reason, I cannot be registered for Sangam, kindly allocate the above-mentioned registration amount to : (Please tick [  ] one of
the following) The registration fee is not refundable or transferable after you are registered for the Sangam and if you are not able to attend.
 Renew my magazine subscription (English / Hindi / Bengali). (Balance amount, if any, may be treated as donation.)
 Return the amount to me by Cheque/Demand Draft.
 Send me the books/devotional articles listed separately. (Balance amount, if any, may be treated as donation.)

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SANGAM OPTIONS
I/We wish to attend the Sangam as per the following preference :

(Please tick [  ] against the desired option)

• 1st Preference :  Sangam-I  Sangam-II

• 2nd Preference :  Sangam-I  Sangam-II

 I/We would like to stay at the accommodation provided by the Ashram.

 I/We would like to stay in a hotel. Please send a list of nearby hotels. (Bookings, etc., are devotee(s)’ responsibility.)

DEVOTEES WHO WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER (If you cancel your programme, please intimate us immediately.)
I/We shall be available from / / 2018 to / / 2018.

I / We would like to volunteer for the following: (Please tick [  ] one of the following)

 Preparation for the Sangam (to plan to arrive around one week before the Sangam).
 During the Sangam (to plan to arrive one or two days before the Sangam).

Previous experience as a volunteer (if any):

(Medical doctors may mention their area of specialization.)

Name :

Address : Signature
Tel./Mobile No.
E-mail