Vishwa Kalyan Ashram

The “Vishwa Kalyan Ashram”( Monastery for Universal Welfare) is a Christian Lay association working for community development through peace and harmony. It aims to promote leadership in different field of life. It was founded exclusively for the participation of the people into all walks of life. This organization attempts to get active participation of the laity into the aspirations of Lord Jesus in bringing his mission into the social life of the people. We mainly concentrate on getting more lay people who are free after retirement, getting children married, living alone in their own houses after they have completed their family responsibility. We aim to get these persons into the main stream of mission. The organization began in 2007 with the blessings of the Madhya Pradesh Catholic Council of Bishops and it was registered in 2010 with the Government of India as a Charitable Company, ( Non- Governmental Organization). We on the single principle, SERVE INDIA and THE WORLD.

Foundation of Vishwa Kalyan Ashram

The spirituality of this organization stems from the greatest commandment of Lord Jesus that “love God with one's whole heart and one's neighbour as oneself”, (cf. Matt. 22:37-40). Christ made this commandment of love of neighbour as His own and enriched it with a new meaning. For He wanted to equate Himself with His brethren as the object of this love when He said, "As long as you did it for one of these, the least of My brethren, you did it for Me" (Matt. 25:40). Assuming human nature, He bound the whole human race to Himself as a family through a certain supernatural solidarity and established charity as the mark of His disciples, saying, "By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

Indian Concept of Ashram Life (Monastic Life)

	Brahmacharya :- (celibate life), is the phase of a student life learning different trades as a preparation for the next state. During this period one is supposed to remain a celibate.

	Grahasta :- (family life), is the stage when one enters into family life after marriage includes raising a family. It involves eking out a living through the skills acquired during Brahmacharya ashram.

	Vanaprastha :- (worldly life), indicates the departure of a person from material possession and inclination to it .Though, the person lives with the family, remains withdrawn from the active family responsibilities after settling down his children. The man no longer takes part in the commercial activities of the family and the woman leaves the running of the household to her daughter-in-law. People in this ashram play the role of mentors. The social activities become religious in nature.

	Sanyasa :- life of renunciation) the person leaves society to spend the remaining part of his or her life in meditation and the contemplation to God in solitude. In Hindu philosophy there exists a universal soul known as 'paramatma', which is another way of describing God.

Mission Within the Community

We wish to invite those Christians who have completed their three stages of life such as Brahmacharya, Grahasta, and Vanaprastha for the last stage, i.e, Sanyasa or renunciation serving the people of God. We have found that there are many Christians who after completing their responsibilities of family want to serve the Christian community and the society at large. This educated and experienced group in case interested could be given training in Holy Scripture, Church teachings , Ecumenism, Inter-religious dialogue, and Social teachings of the Church after their selection. They can take up mission of the Church in a full time manner. They can be send to different dioceses as volunteers to work for the Church. Their role will be bringing transformation into the lay Christian apostolate involving maximum people into the different missions apart from the routine Eucharist and other celebrations.

Inter-faith Meeting

Ecumenical Vision

The Catholic Church has always been of the view that it should play the role of healer. So it will be at the best interest of the Church if the Catholic Church can bring the lay persons from all denominations to work for the welfare of the Christian community.

Spirit of Living Together

The call to be a disciple of Jesus is a call to be in community, because “this community itself is a sacramental anticipation of God’s final plan for the whole of humanity. It is a celebration of the final achievement of God’s plan of salvation in the here and now that gives meaning and joy to the mission entrusted to those invited to share in God’s own mission for the world.

The first fruit of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples was the formation of a community. The different gifts which the Holy Spirit had given to each deliver had to be put together to represent continuation of Christ- His body. It is only in the body that every member will be able to grow, it is only in the body that every member would be fruitful because “the body is the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way” (Eph. 1, 23). Therefore becoming a member of Society of Jesus serving would mean a commitment to make the community a living experience of communion in Christ and promoting of spirituality of communion among the whole human race.