We are happy to present for the first time, an Online Essay Writing Competition for abhyasis residing outside India.
The theme for the essay writing competition is YOUTH.
Our Masters have laid great emphasis on the paramount importance of this period in one’s life, being a time not only of great promise and opportunity but also one ridden with dangers and distractions at every step. As abhyasis we are exposed to profound spiritual truisms, and this essay event seeks to draw out, from within us, our thoughts and ideas on this important stage in life which impacts our own future as well as the future of our world.
There are three age categories, and the topics for each are given below:
Age 20 and under: Character Protects Life [Word Limit: 750 words]
Points to Ponder:
P. B. Fitzwater once said, “Character is the sum and total of one’s choices.” What then is the surest way to choose rightly?
Youth is a period in life ridden with temptations that interfere with one’s ability to tell right from wrong. Character is the wall that youth must build around itself to protect against the onslaught of temptation.
Age 21 to 25: Freedom does not mean license, but the wisdom to choose what is right for oneself. [Word Limit: 1,000 words]
Points to Ponder:
Freedom, a word often misunderstood, has long been the crux of the conflict between generations. Since time immemorial, youth have appeared to advocate change through an unconditional license to have their way, often appearing, in the process, to undervalue the importance of control and guidance.
Can freedom be viewed independent of responsibility? What then is the true meaning of freedom when viewed from the perspective of responsibility towards oneself?
Age 26 to 30: From Ambition to Aspiration, from Acquiring to Becoming. [Word Limit; 1,000 words]
Points to Ponder:
Ambition, and its predominant theme of acquisition, is being touted as the new ideal of an increasingly materialistic world. Prescribed as an indispensible prerequisite for ‘success’, it has long erased the virtue of aspiration from the minds of our youth.
Characterized by a subtle, yet firm, will to achieve or become, aspiration advocates the pursuit of excellence as opposed to mere success.
Can ambition and aspiration be seen as diametrically opposite manifestations of the soul’s need to evolve? Which one then truly defines the human spirit? Introspection is an essential facet of the spiritual journey and we invite all of you to look within and express yourselves on these thought provoking topics.
