Hari om everyone,
Here's a brief synopsis of our class this week.
This week was special as we were doubly blessed. At the beginning of class, Swamini Radhikananda ji visited our class with her guitar! After meditation, she taught the class a small fun song. We grooved together with her guitar tune. It was fun and we will look forward to seeing her again some other time :).
Chanted Bhagavadgeeta ch. 3 and learned until verse 30. The students were given 3 choices to do as a class. Together, they have chosen to chant chapter 3 as a group at the Geeta Chanting Yagna on April 22nd. More details to follow. We are so excited about their choice. They are chanting wonderfully and we are sure they will be a great inspiration for the youngsters as well!
We have finished reviewing the first shaTkam (6 chapters) of the Bhagavadgeeta so far. This ShaTkam taught us about the 'tvam padaartha' (which is about 'me'). Now we start learning the second ShaTkam which teaches about the 'tat padaartha' (about the nature of 'that' bhagavaan). The last ShaTkam teaches about the 'asi tattva'(union of the two).
One of the mahaavaakyas that give us the highest vedaantic knowledge is 'tat tvam asi'. As mentioned above, bhagavadgeeta gives a wonderful understanding of this statement through out the 18 chapters.
Chapter 7 is called 'jnaana-vijnaana yoga' because of what it teaches. These two words can be translated as - 'jnaana' is knowledge; 'vijnaana' is wisdom.
What's the difference? jnaana is something that needs to be known. vijnaana is its practical application; how we can put it to use. Knowing that good grades will get me into a good college is 'jnaanam'. Putting it to practice and working towards that is 'vijnaanam'.
In the previous chapter, Krishna had spoken about being an integrated person. He had said that our head and heart should be integrated. To achieve that, He had said meditation is a good method. But I can't possibly meditate on a random thing that I don't know anything about. Hence, Krishna talks about the nature of the Lord in the next 6 chapters.
Even as we were discussing the higher and lower natures of the Lord, our Swamiji blessed our class with his presence! This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise for us!! 
He spoke to them about the 5 elements that make up the 'lower nature' of the Lord. EVERYTHING in the world, all matter, is made of the 5 elements. But they lack sentience (awareness). This awareness, too, is none other than the Lord! This sentience is the 'higher nature' of the Lord.
Thank you, Swamiji, for your time in our class and your inspiring words to our students 
When Krishna says 'I am' He is NOT being arrogant about himself :). He is not talking about His birth as Krishna, but His true nature as brahman.
We understood the difference between the creator 'brahma' (with 4 faces) and this entity we are calling 'brahman'. They are both different! Brahman with the power of 'maayaa shakti' becomes the trinity of Gods - brahma, viShNu and maheshwara. So, brahman is the ONE and ONLY 'ingredient' :) of everything we know, even the Gods.
Why do I need to know about this 'brahman'? We will see that knowing about Him is the same as knowing about ourselves! When we know about ourselves, we won't have sufferings, because
Our discussions continued on and we realized we were super late for aarati in the temple. We made it just in time for the pledge.
See you all next week.
Regards,
Rashmi.
Rashmi.
