Hari OM,
This week we started our class with prayers. We then had a discussion on the comparison of Dharma in social life and Atman in spiritual life. Next we discussed how a Guru guides a disciple in acquiring the highest knowledge - Self Knowledge. We also discussed the advice of Lord Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita on how to approach a Guru: "Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master; Inquire from him with reverence and render service unto him; Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth" (BG 4.34).
We then reviewed the Saints of modern India by covering their life, major works and philosophy. These included:
- Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820)
- Saint Tulsidas (1532 - 1623)
- Sri Ramana Maharishi (1879 - 1950)
- Swami Tapovan Maharaj (1889 - 1957)
- Swami Chinmayananda (1916 - 1993)
- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836 - 1886)
- Sri Sarada Devi (1853 - 1920)
- Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902)
Afterwards we played a fun game where we showed a picture of a Saint or Temple or Festival or Deity or characters from the Mahabharata and the students had to identify them. We are happy to report that students identified all the 25 pictures! Further we discussed some of the pictures in detail to reinforce the learning in class. Finally we had a class summary where we discussed all the major topics covered in 6th grade including Mahabharata, Saints & Sages, Festivals, Char Dham, Temples, Deities etc.
