Holland Sentinel

High school graduate Sanjeev Bhatia thinks he can balance the material world with the demands of the spiritual world after attending a weekend retreat with others of the Hindu religion.

"It showed me a lot of spiritual direction," said Bhatia, 18, of Milwaukee.

Bhatia and an estimated 800 others on Sunday attended the closing lectures of a three-day retreat at the Vivekananda Monastery and Retreat in Ganges. The retreat drew some of the most respected swamis or teaching leaders of the Vedanta Swamis of Ramakarishna Mission, including some from India.

Bhatia said the seminar and lectures showed him the spiritual side in daily life makes one have a purpose in life instead of wandering out searching for a goal.

He said he chose medicine as a profession to help people through medical knowledge but also through spirituality.

Parik Pilly, 24, of Vineland, N.J., a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania, said he had some problems with his spiritual life but continued studying the Hindu and Vedanta philosophy on his own.

"It answered my questions about why I am here," he said, adding that the conference and its messages reinforced his beliefs of doing good for others.

He also found music, and his interest in hockey provided him with a link to his spirituality and a diversion from the material world.

In his closing address, Swami Gautamananda, head of the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai, India, urged attendees to turn their minds to God and spend time on spiritual causes.

"Success has to be tempered with spiritual life," he said.

Frank Parlato Jr., a spokesperson for Vedantaawho researches the lives of the swamis, said the worshippers had a rare opportunity to see 15 swamis who are living the life spoken of by the sages and prophets of all religions.

"I think the mood here has been one of fulfillment," he said.