Dharmic Life - Rooted and Relevant

And it didn't happen overnight.

So before we moved to Robbinsville, New Jersey, we were in Connecticut.

Mandir was an hour away.

And Mandir was something which was planned, intentional, something we went to.

Once we moved here in Robbinsville, closer to Mandir, it just became a part of our lives.

We could witness closely the Aarthis, the festivals being celebrated, come on the weekdays for a quiet darshan.

So the values and the morals we were teaching kids at home, kind of they saw them come alive.

The kids saw how the community, the devotion, everything was woven together, the seva, the volunteerism.

They saw everything firsthand.

And Mandir became familiar and natural.

It wasn't just the Sunday assembly.

It was a part of their lives.

As for me, it grounded our family rhythm.

Life still moves fast, but Mandir just gives us a steady center.

So I think what you say, you know, in regards to Manvir and the impact being close by has had on you and your family, I do think it stands true for any faith, any house of worship, right? Because what it's about is the physical space.

You know, we certainly, you know, impart values and morals and a lot of these character education pieces at home, definitely.

But there's something to be said for having a physical place to be able to go where that's the sole purpose.

right? You're not bogged down by all the other details and the happenings of daily life, right? That's where you go and you learn and you focus on these values and these stories because the whole idea is to internalize it so it can carry you through life.

Personally, I can say that, you know, a lot of my friends, I'm still friends with many of my childhood friends growing up, and there are various faiths, as well as a lot of the visitors I encounter here at the Robbinsville, the Swaminarayan Akshardham.

But the one common thread that a lot of people do tend to share or that I've heard over and over is that, you know, their upbringing, if they attended like a Sunday school or any sort of like classes when they were younger at their house of worship, even if they may or may not still attend today, those lessons and those teachings, they've stayed with them one way or another.

And it's always shared that like it impacts them one way or another as well, right? So I think the one thing is that it's universal, right? A little bit of that experience you had, but it's universal that these things that we learn when we're growing up, even from childhood or any point that we take that on in life to focus on our personal growth or, you know, our own character education and how we can apply that in our daily living.

I think those are universal things that work regardless, right, of who you are, where you are.

And so clearly for both of us, Mandir has been central to that experience.

But at the same time, I would imagine there are other parts of your upbringing that have kind of led to you feeling grounded today in who you are.

So can you tell me a little bit?