The main aim of our one day monthly Yoga Camp is to teach children and adults how to lead a pure and moral life, a life that will enable them to meet all the challenges of this extremely stressful and modern life. Even this aim is perhaps not enough. The aim is realisation of God. According to our Hindu Dharma, this precious human birth is meant for the realisation of God and nothing short of it. This is the final goal the Divine Life Society tries to place before all devotees and those who attend the Yoga Camp. Needless to say, the ideals taught are the ideals set out by our Master in his books and his life.
Teaching our Spiritual Darlings and also adults the importance of observing Brahmacharya (celibacy in a limited sense), is a unique feature of Divine Life Society of South Africa. Perhaps the Divine Life Society is a pioneer in this respect. Our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, was one of the few saints who wrote a whole volume on the practice of Brahmacharya.
At the Yoga Camp our Spiritual Darlings from Standard 4 upwards have to take the vow of Brahmacharya till such time as they get married. The vow must be observed in accordance with the teachings of our Master.
A beautiful and informative booklet has been specially prepared for the younger Spiritual Darlings, in which clear explanations are given of the importance of conserving the vital force, how to get about it, precautions to take, etc. Many children have remarked that they had never heard such instructions before. So they readily take the vow. Senior Spiritual Darlings and adults have their own textbooks in which the practice of Brahmacharya is dealt with more elaborately.
Brahmacharya for the Youth
Spiritual Darlings attending the Yoga Camp may not indulge in drug habits, smoking, etc. The males and females may not socialise. This is not at all difficult for them, as their daily spiritual practices and our Divine Master's teachings effectively guide them and give them strength to follow the right path.
Visitors, some even from foreign countries, are struck by the remarkable sense of discipline in our Spiritual Darlings. Even during long satsang sessions of 2-3 hours they do not exhibit any sign of restlessness. If children are given alternatives like those at our Sivananda International Cultural Centre, they do not find it difficult to keep away from undesirable habits. There are a variety of facilities to develop the physical and mental capacities. Camp teachers treat all spiritual darlings with great love and understanding.