Dear Parents
Harih Om!
The following material was taught to your child on Sunday, October 16, 2022, during Balavihar.
- We began class with the Beginning Prayers
- We connected with the children by asking them to describe an interesting event in their life. Saiyuj mentioned that he was looking forward to the baseball playoffs and was hoping his school would qualify and advance to the finals. Shaurya mentioned that he visited University of Connecticut since his older brother was in high school and was interested in their program in Finance. Aditi was glad that her maternal grandmother's health was improving and was looking forward to spending time with her paternal grandparents who had flown in from California that day. So, all in all we discuss and share many interesting things happening in our lives in the grade 8 classroom!
- Next, the children focused and concentrated and tried to recollect what had been taught the previous week. We recalled that we had learnt about the significance of Goddess Lakshmi. Most people think that we should worship Goddess Lakshmi to become wealthy. What we must pray for is to get the wealth of virtues: honesty, sincerity, generosity, compassion. Once we live life with these virtues, monetary wealth will come in abundance! In Swami Chinmayananda's words, "Lakshmi Puja is misunderstood as worship of Wealth. It is invoking the inner wealth of nobility, love, and compassion. Once right character is invoked outer success in the world is assured. Invoke sattvic qualities and remake your destiny."
- We then reflected on the content for the day through discourse and some discussion. We described the symbolism of Goddess Saraswati. The word Saraswati is split up into "Sara" (meaning essence) and "Sva" (meaning one's own). Saraswati is the one who gives knowledge of one's own Self.
Mother Saraswati is the consort of Brahma ji the Creator.
All though there are many types of knowledge, it is the knowledge of the Self that is true Knowledge. And this Knowledge is represented by Goddess Saraswati.
Mother Saraswati is seen seated on a rock near a flowing river to remind us that only through knowledge, only through understanding and right living, can a person remain as steady as a rock despite all the situations and problems.
In Her hand Goddess Saraswati holds a japa mala: the mala symbolizes meditation, concentration. Mala is a tool to put our mind at ease. A mind that is calm is capable of learning. In the second hand She has a book (scriptures). The two other hands are playing the veena representing that She is the deity of all arts, music, and technology. We discussed that in the week prior to class many of us had celebrated Saraswati Pooja during Navaratri by putting our books and instruments that we play covered by a cloth and prayed to Goddess Saraswati to bless us with knowledge.
The Peacock and Swan are well known for their beauty. They represent a human being's real beauty which is the inner beauty of knowledge. Swan stands for discrimination. It is a special bird with the ability to separate milk from water. The Hamsa bird represents a discriminative intellect which is required to have Self Knowledge.
Goddess Saraswati is seen wearing a white saree which is a symbol of purity. The study of scriptures is fruitless and cannot bring about spiritual awakening if one does not have a pure heart.
Let us invoke Durga Devi to remove the impurities of our mind, and then Goddess Lakshmi to cultivate noble values so that with the blessings of Goddess Saraswati, Self-knowledge will be ours.
5.Once a King had a few questions about life. So, he went in search of a wise man living in the forest. When he reached his destination, the wise man was busy planting saplings. The king asked the wise man if he would be able to answer his three questions but the man ignored the king. The King did not give up and he too took up a trowel and helped the man plant the saplings in his garden. As he was doing that, a man who was profusely bleeding man and obviously hurt came running in their direction and collapsed at their feet. The King and the wise man carried the unconscious man into the hut, cleaned his wound, gave him some water, and nursed him back to health. Once the man regained consciousness he fell at the feet of the King and asked for his forgiveness. The King gently lifted the man and asked him why he was asking for his forgiveness. The man replied that he had done a bad deed the previous year, and the King had sent him to prison for a few months as punishment. It was when he was in prison, he had developed an intense hatred towards the King and had planned to kill him once he was freed. The King forgave him and sent him his way. The wise man now turned to the King and told him that he was now ready to answer his three questions:
What is the right time to work? The present is the right time to work as this moment alone is in our control.
Who is the most important person? The person in front of us is the most important person. The wise man said to the King that he had paid attention to the man who had collapsed in front of him and helped a man who was hurting.
What is the most important work? Oh! King, your enemy now has become your friend! To do harm to anyone is a sin.
In the Mahabharata, Bheesma was asked by Yudhishthira as to how one can lead a happy and fulfilling life. Bheesma replied that one must give up 10 Karmas: 3 sins of the body, 4 sins of speech and 3 sins of the mind
Sins committed by the body:
- To kill someone:not only killing a human being but killing plants and animals is also a sin. Animals and plants are part of our ecosystem and contribute to our welfare.
- To steal: this does not just pertain to rob a store but to not repay borrowed money in time, excessive use of paper towels, plastic spoons etc
- Having an illicit relationship: Maintaining an improper relationship
Sins of Speech:
- To say bad words: how easily these words come to us
- To use harsh words: speak sweetly and gently
- To lie: we lie to look better in front of someone else
- To complain and spread rumors: out of spite and sometimes just to gossip
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- To think of taking someone's wealth: we envy another person's wealth not realizing how much hard work and sacrifices have gone in to achieve that
- To have ill feeling towards somebody: when someone does not agree with us or do things our way, we develop ill will towards them
- To not have faith in the law of action: we must realize that there are consequences to every action, thought and speech.
6.The first verse of Geeta Dhyaanam was taught
7.The first 4 verses of Bhagavad Geeta chapter 3 were taught.
Thank you!
Grade 8 Sunday AM teachers
