Hari Om,
We began class with starting prayers and Lingashtakam verses 1, 2 and 3. Like previous years, this seems to be a loved as well as familiar chant. Most students participate freely.
Recapping the previous week's lesson on Dharma, students laid out the main ideas, using their class notes efficiently. Hopefully, the need for notes will lessen and they will be able to recall from memory:)) A tip we shared is that they read this summary before coming into class.
We proceeded to the other 3 goals/ pursuits of life. Also called purusharthas, Artha, Kaama and Moksha were explored. Artha- the accumulation of wealth, of any kind. Kaama- the gratification of senses through pleasure seeking and Moksha- release from the endless cycle of birth and death. The logic of Dharma being first in the sequence was discussed- Sanatana dharma/ Hinduism is not against earning wealth or seeking pleasure, but these must be on the platform of dharma to be sustainable and help in our growth.
We discussed how we pursue Artha and Kama for happiness but we find that they do not give eternal happiness - and how Moksha is Eternal Happiness - and it can be attained in this life itself and not after death. We talked about all the great Rishis who have attained Moksha and not just recent times but even in recent times - in this context we spoke about the Guru Parampara picture in our classroom and discussed a bit about Swami Sivananda, Swami Tapovan Maharaj, Swami Chinmayananda and also Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.We told them to keep in mind, that Moksha may not be an immediate goal for us but something for us to remember as the Ultimate goal.
Since the students were going to perform Saraswati Pooja in the temple hall we felt that a brief introduction and significance of each of the steps would enable them to appreciate and enjoy the pooja. We spoke about how the God who is in our heart we invoke in the picture and then treat the Deity as a revered guest in our home and offer water to wash, drink, clothes, food etc.
Homework assigned to the class-
5 ingredients of Panchamritam and ———?
We ended class early to go do pooja in the temple Hall.
Announcements-
1. Please sign up for after school Virtual Shloka classes – bit.ly/Shlokas22
2. Please participate in our Annual Sewa Diwali food drive project – you can drop off when you come to class on Friday. The list of acceptable items has been posted in our Whatsapp group.
Thanks & Regards
Uma & Jayashree
