Hari Om parents,
Hope you are doing well and staying healthy. We had a great class today. Here is a brief summary of our class -
1. We started our class with 3 OM's and Sahna bhavtu. Then we chanted the shlokas for Ganesha (Vakratunda Mahakaya), Devi Saraswati (Saraswati Namastubhyam) & one for Guru ( Guru Bramha). Absolutely ❤️how kids chant it.
2. We chanted the Dhyaan shlok.
3. Reviewed the concepts learned in previous classes - visible and invisible backbone, buddhi, balam & yashas.
4. Brainstorming - What is Dhairyam? Dhairyam is courage. Is courage jumping from the second floor of the building or jumping into a lake, even when you cannot swim? No, this is not courage. This is foolishness! Courage means facing challenges patiently, and with poise. For example, I do not like to go to the dentist, but I gather the courage and go. As a result i benefit. In any situation, when I lose my courage, I do not succeed.
5. Story time - The transformation of Ratnakar.
Valmikiji, the great saint, wrote the Ramayana. Before he done to God, he was a professional robber named Ratnakar. He had no education and no talent. To support his family and children, he would rob anyone who would pass through forest.
Once, Narada was passing through the forest. Ratnakar stopped him and said, " Hand over all that you possess or else..." Narada smiled and said, "my dear man all I have is my Vina. You can have it. But, do you know that you're committing sins when you harass and rob people?" Ratnakar replied, " but how else will I feed my family? I have no other skill." Naradji responded, " i know you're doing it for your wife and kids, but have you ever ask them if they are going to share in your sins? If not, you will have to go through the punishment all by yourself. Go home and ask them.I should wait for you here." Ratnakar went home and asked each one of them and they all refused to partake in his sins. He realized what a fool he was!
Without his family's support, how would you wash away all sins? Hurriedly, he returned and pleaded to Naradji to give him a solution to his problem. Naradji told him, "sit here and say, Ram, Ram, Ram .. " until I return. Years passed. When Naradji finally returned, he found that a giant ant hill had formed around Ratnakar. Ratnakar had never left the spot and never stopped chanting the name of Ram! Naradji woke Ratnakar from his trance and renamed him Valmiki, which means an ant hill. Through prayer, Valmikihad the courage to give up his sinful way of life. He washed away his sins and became a saint. The moral of the story is we should have the courage to change.
6. Story time - Rosa Park's courage.
Rosa Parks was a courageous African-American woman. Her story begins in 1955 when she was sitting in the front section of a bus. She was asked to move out of her seat solely because of the color of her skin. At that time, African-Americans were forced to sit in the back of the bus. She knew that she was no different from anyone else, regardless of skin color, so she refused to budge and courageously resisted. She was soon arrested and thrown into jail for her refusal to comply with the unjust law. When she got out of jail, she started a boycott against the bus company. So other African-Americans joined her in the boycott and refused to ride the bus. Faced with the prospect of bankruptcy, the bus companies were forced to allow African American passengers to sit anywhere in the bus. Rosa's courageous act was the catalyst that started the Civil Rights movement in the United States. To this day, Rosa Parks is remembered for her tremendous act of bravery.
7. Game time - Hanuman Vadati with a twist.😊
8. Hanuman Chalisa time - This week we just introduced the chalisa to kids via video. Next class onwards we will start chanting. Here is the link - https://youtu.be/jTNu-R9KA-4
9. Gita chanting time - We revised verses 1&2. Here is the link - https://youtu.be/-d4Ele2V-Vc
10. Closing prayers and pledge.
Have a wonderful week everyone! Hope to see the kids in next class. Take care.
Regards,
Chitra & Rupa.
