Hari Om Parents!
This past Sunday (Dec 18th) was our 10th class of Balavihar for 2022-2023.
Here is the Summary of what we covered in the class.
1. We started the class with opening prayer. We chanted 3 OMs and Sahana Vavatu. Please encourage children to chant this every day.
2. We also chanted Vakratunda Mahakaya, Saraswati namastubhyam and Guru Brahma shlokas.
3. We sang Atmarama AnandaRamana and we completed the remaining lines in the Bhajan. Please refer to the My Prayers Book - Page 143 and have them sing to you.
4. We chanted the Guru Stotram - Verse 1, 2 & 3 verses- refer My prayers Book page 61. Please have them practice.
5. We warmed up with Yoga poses.
6. We explained to kids about Likitha Japa writing in the Chinmaya red book given to them. In one of the page God namas are given, they can use that to write in a new page by chanting & writing together. Or they can create a drawing like lotus or bow and write within that Om or Ram!. Please help them to start during this winter break. They get points for this which gets credited to their House - Durga's dare devil.
7. Then We went to the Ramayana story and We did a recap from last class of Rama going to forest and why he had to go, etc.,
8. Continued the next sequence of events as whom they met on Bank's of Ganga - One of Rama's best friend Guha who was the Chief tribal in that forest. Then they left to deeper forest area and reached Rishi Bharadvaja's ashram and started to go to Citrakuta and when they reached Citrakuta the beauty of the mountain and forest area made them so happy that their minds were made up to make that place as home for next few years. Note: Showed the place in India map from the coloring book and traced their journey from Ayodhya till now. This is one of the best way to have them involve in history and geography of Bharat more. We suggest to have conversations with them on the places that they have learnt so far.
9. Now we took them from forest to king Dasaratha's palace settings and continued what had happened in the palace after Rama's departure. when Minister Sumantra reached the palace he saw the entire city was so sad and lost it livelihood. When Sumantra went inside the palace, he gently shared Rama's loving message to King Dasaratha and mother Kausalya and other mothers. Kausalya's grief worsened and she started to accuse Dasaratha for his son's exile.
10. Dasaratha said, my queen now recollect why it happened to us at my old age where I had to be separated from my son. Hear this story which happened in my young age. Then He narrated the story of "Sravana and the blind parents" and how the blind parents cursed Dasaratha for what he did to his son Sravana. They cursed him to be separated from his own son in his old age. That's the curse played now in our life. Then he was unconsolable and fainted. Later they realized that king Dasaratha was no more in this world with them. We stopped it there.
11. Inference from Sravana and blind parents story: We do mistake unknowingly, however acceptance of it is the best way to handle it. Dasaratha accepted his mistake and even blind parents recognized that his action was done unknowingly. However each action has certain results and that's the curse that Dasaratha got it.
12. Homework: coloring Lesson 10, 11 and 12. Please encourage them to share the story as they color.
13. Then To quieten the mind we did meditation. They close eyes and hear pebbles beingg dropped into a container and learn to count in their mind focusing on only the sound of pebble being dropped. Then we counted the pebbles that were dropped in Sanskrit.
14. Finally did closing prayer and went to arati.
15. Happy Holidays and Happy New year to all!!
Pranams
Subha and Selvi
