Many CHYK’s studied Chapter 4 of the Kenopanishad during this year’s Ann Arbor CHYK retreat. Retreat-goers learned how to become the Greatest of all Time (G.O.A.T.) by recognizing the infinite within each person, leading one to the Lord, and thus becoming the GOAT. Over the course of 3 days and 4 discourses, Shri Vivekji taught the attendees 9 key actions to help them understand what they can do to get on the path to being Great. These actions were derived from the 9 mantras in Chapter 4 of the Keno Upanishad and are as follows: appreciate, expand, concentrate, internalize, feel, simplify, subjectify, mature, and trust. Those present enjoyed several team activities, lively discussions, and practical applications of the Upanishads to everyday life. The lessons from the Upanishads were integrated into many of the activities of the retreat. While participating in a cooking workshop, groups were tasked to concentrate on their assigned recipes from the new Traditions cookbook and work with teams, while simultaneously chanting. During an escape room team challenge, the groups had to simplify the challenges and hints as they found a way to escape. As teams headed outdoors to play soccer and handball, they had to trust in each other. Most importantly, the participants learned from Vivekji to mature from being Searchers to Seekers; to not just blindly look for information, but to actively seek knowledge from great texts, such as Kenopanishad.
