The weather was good and we were able to conduct the class outdoors.
Ramayana Story summary:
Dasharatha remembers the story of Shravankumara and narrates it to Kousalya. Slowly thereafter he dies from the sorrow of separation from Rama. Bharata returns to Ayodhya. He is perplexed at the sorrow in the land and the way people were greeting him. He enters the palace to discover the death of his father and his mother's excitement at the possibility of him becoming king. Bharata rejects this outright. Shatrughna punishes Manthara. Along with an army, his guru Vashishta and his mothers, Bharata reaches Chitrakoota where Rama is and begs him to return to become the king due to the death of his father. Rama is touched by his brother's loyalty but he also wants to honor his father's words and ensure that his father is remembered as a truthful man who kept his word. He refuses to return. Bharata asks him for his Padukas and returns to Ayodhya with the padukas. he places them on the throne and lives as his brother, in the outskirts of the city, dressed in deer skin and bark but performs the administrative tasks of the kingdom. With this we completed the Ayodhya Kanda.
Lesson & Discussion
Review from "Keys to Success"
The secret to success is
Hard Work
Knowledge
Capacity to laugh
Prasada:
Q) What does this word remind us?
Answers Varies for kids.
Prasada is considered to be a lord's gift.
Q) What are the gifts that the Lord gives us?
Whatever we cannot create directly is all God's gift. Including the actions and their results.
Q) What is the result of this vision?
Acceptance of all, tranquility of mind -Prasada
All the knowledge of subjective science is gained by scriptures, going to balavihar and from parents and grandparents etc…
Activity:
5 senses scavenger hunt:
Sight : Find something that is patterned?
Sound: Find something that crunches?
Touch : Find something that is smooth?
Smell: Find something that smells fresh?
Taste: Find something that an animal eats?
Discussion:
Q) How is knowledge gained?
Knowledge is gained through 5 senses.
Q) Is this knowledge complete?
Knowledge gained through our senses is limited. We are surrounded by various sounds but our ears can perceive only a few from 20 to 20000 hz. Lower range is perceived by animals like elephant and mole, higher by cats, dogs, bats, dolphins
If we use a TV we can see both pictures and sounds.
Each sense is limited only to its field of perception.
Q) How is complete picture gained when each sense has its own limitation?
The integrating factor belongs to the mind which is the apex faculty to which all the senses report by giving a total experience.
Q) Is this experience same to all?
Our discriminating faculty Intellect always a a comment of 2 with any experience gained.
Thus we have 3 instruments that help us gain knowledge 1. Senses 2. Mind 3. Intellect. With subjective sciences and material science we sharpen our intellect. We act based on the knowledge we have. Actions give us the result. Good action gives good results which makes me smile and bad actions give bad results which makes me sad.
We also did some minfulness meditation in the form of walking with focus on the steps.
