Hari Om!
Dear Parents,
Here is the summary of our class on Friday, Mar 19, 2021.
Opening prayers:
Om Sahana Vavatu
Om Sri Ganeshaya NamaH
Om Sri Saraswatyai NamaH
Om Sri Sadgurubhyo NamaH
Vasudevasutam Devam (Krishna Shloka)
Mookam Karoti Vaacalam
Activity: Dharma Thermostat
Lessons: The goal of life, the roadmap; Yaksha Prashna
Bhagavat Gita: Ch. 2 Verses 34-38
Monthly Program: Grade 4
Next Balavihar class: 4/9/21
Announcement: The Geeta chanting CNJ Regionals will be on Saturday, April 10, 2021. Please click on this link to register to participate:
Registration closes on Sunday, April 4, 2021 at 5 PM (EDT). For more information please see: https://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/activities/geeta-chanting
Summary: Today was yet another interesting class! After the opening prayers, a few of the students shared their experiences with the Dharma Thermostat. They spoke about the challenges they faced in practicing their chosen value (Akrodha, Kshama, Satyam, etc) and how they tried to overcome the distractions and focused on their values! We are extremely proud of their efforts and consistency! As the weeks go by more and more students will be sharing their experiences and challenges. We then moved on to the discussion about our goal in life. In the example we discussed, there were 3 groups of children who were given a jigsaw puzzle with many small pieces. Group A got just the puzzle pieces; Group B got the puzzle pieces and a picture of how it should look when solved and Group C was given the pieces, the picture and the pieces had sequential numbers behind them. Obviously, Group C was most successful in solving the puzzle. For Group B it was a hit or miss and Group A had no clue how to solve it! The point of this example is that when there was no clear end goal and a specific set of instructions to follow, the group struggled to put the pieces together! Similarly, in life, if we don't set a goal/purpose and have a set of values to practice, chances are that we will be confused and directionless! We may not have every little detail of our lives figured out and planned out but we can still set some important goals, such as how do we want to be remembered after our time on Earth and what values/virtues we can begin to follow, starting now in order to achieve the goal. The goal of human life is to gain Moksha or liberation. Now, this does not mean death! It means freedom from attachments to gain unlimited happiness. That is our true nature. Everything we do is to gain happiness and real happiness is in liberation!
We continued our discussion with creating a roadmap, now that we have the goal/destination in mind. If we were to take a road trip to New York , we plan every detail of the travel and make a checklist:
Music/ entertainment
Snacks/drinks for the road
a list of thing to do
fill gas in the car
bring phone charger
Now the only little thing we forgot is our phone which has the directions! We then decide that we will generally start driving and figure out things as we go along. We know that it takes about an hour to an hour and half to get to New York and start driving. After an hour we realize that we are nowhere near New York city. Then we pull up in a gas station and upon enquiring find out that we are traveling on Turnpike S instead of Turnpike N!! If only we had the GPS, we wouldn't find ourselves in this situation! We put in all the effort into the trip and still ended up in the wrong place without the directions to guide us! Applying this example to the journey called our life, we may have everything but without direction, it is futile! Here, our GPS is our scriptures that provide the instructions to lead a fruitful life and achieve the purpose of our human birth! In the last class we discussed the 6 stages of life. As we move through each stage, it is a graduation from that stage to move forward. The ultimate goal, therefore, is to graduate from human birth, meaning to try not to go back to Kindergarten (rebirth) after graduating High School! There are 3 main values that we need to follow in order to achieve this goal. They are:
Ahimsa (Nonviolence) - For the Body
Brahmacharya (Discipline) - For the Mind
Satyam (Truth) - For the Intellect
All other values are interconnected with these three. When we follow these three, we will end up following all the other values by extension.
Yaksha Prashna:
Who is a Brahmin?
One who is a Brahmin does not become a Brahmin just by virtue of their birth or by the austerities/rituals that they perform. The one who follows the highest virtues and conducts themselves in line with these values is considered a Brahmin. In essence, one cannot be called a Brahmin just because he/she was born into a family with a certain Surname. Regardless of birth, good behavior with highest values alone determines whether a person is a Brahmana!
What does a person who speaks only kind words get?
One who speaks only kind words is dear to all!
What is gained by one who thinks before acting?
One gains more success when he/she thinks before acting!
What is gained by one who makes many friends?
One who has made many friends lives happily!
What is gained by one who lives by Dharma?
One who lives by Dharma gains Sadgati (better life)
We concluded the class with Geeta chanting practice of verse 34 - 38. Please encourage the children to register and participate in the Geeta Chanting Yajna on April 10, 2021. The last day to register is April, 4, 2021. We then watched the monthly presentation by Grade 4 in the common Zoom. We will see the students after the Spring Break! Until then, please stay safe and healthy!
Pranaam,
Mythili and Anandhi
