Hari Om Parents,
Below is what we covered this week.
Shlokas:
Opening prayers, Sahanavavatu,
Nama Ramayanam -Uttarakandam (Page 138 - first set of 8lines)
Geeta Chanting
Verses 28, 29 &30
(26) Verses 28-30 Ch.3 BG - YouTube
Lessons and activities
Vibheeshana Gita:
As a recap, we mentioned that Lord Rama talks about the dharma chariot needed for success when Vibheeshana gets very anxious about the safety of the Lord.
We discussed 2 components of this chariot.
The wheels of chariot Valor - courage - souraj, Fortitude - Dhiraj
The flags of the chariot Truthfulness - Satya, Good Character - Shila
Lord Rama says "Valor"(Souraj) and "Fortitude" (Dhiraj) are the wheels of the dharma chariot. Chariot cannot move forward without wheels. When wheels are strong, the chariot of life can move smoothly.
Valor - courage - souraj is to face the challenges in life bravely with poise.
Physical courage is the ability to face physical pain,hardship,death, threat of death…e.t.c. Moral courage is the ability to act righteously in the face of opposition, shame or discouragement. Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery over it.
Class watched a YouTube video of Malala Yousafzai who is a Pakistani activist and Nobel laureate who advocates for girls' education and human rights.
(26) Malala Yousafzai, Activist | Biography - YouTube
Fortitude - Dhiraj is the ability to withstand the onslaught of all our inner weaknesses. Many have valor but not the courage to withstand the inner weakness. Someone who is a great hero in the battlefield may still be destroyed by lust and passion and Ravana is the perfect example for this.
Class watched a video of - A Girl who went from homeless to Harvard.
(26) From Homeless and scrubbing floors to Ivy League student - YouTube
Just as politicians and diplomats have flags on their cars, the chariots of war have 2 flags. These are Truthfulness - Satya, Good Character - Shila
Truthfulness - Satya: Truthfulness means being factually accurate and sincere. When a person gives a word he fulfills it. Lord Rama and Dasaratha are examples of truthfulness. Sri Rama followed the promise that he gave to his mother Kaikeyi and went to the forest for 14 years. King Dasharatha fulfilled his boon to Kaikeyi and sent Rama to forest though it was heartbreaking.
Truthfulness is The key to winning hearts. We discussed the story of George Washington and his hatchet. When George Washington was a little boy he had the courage to admit his fault of chopping off the cherry tree to his father. Father praises George Washington for speaking the truth and he was exempted from the punishment.
Good Character - Shila : implies good conduct, integrity and modesty. In Ramayana, Rama exemplifies good character. When Rama was told that he had to go to the forest, he did not grumble. He told mother Kausalya that he was presented with the kingdom of forest, in a very sweet and composed manner.
Good company inspires us to have good thoughts. Good thoughts give good action. Good actions develop good habits and good character.
Please find the link below to read the Power of Satsang story discussed in the class.
Moral Stories: Satsang and association (moral-stories-to-read.blogspot.com)
We also talked about how a bad company can interject bad values.
Story discussed in the class from Amarchitrakatha - A royal elephant comes under the influence of bandits and starts destroying things and hurting people around. When the association of bandits with the elephant in the late nights was discovered, bandits were caught and the elephant was encouraged to spend the time with good and wise people. Subconsciously, the Elephant gets rid of all its bad habits and becomes friendly again.
Class Activity:
There is a fine line between lack of fear and foolishness. Children should recognize the fine line to remain safe.
Class was divided into 3 groups. Each group was given a poster board with chutes and ladder grid. They had to design this board game keeping the perspective of " fear and foolishness"
Class did an analysis on challenges kids face in their school years. A foolish act brings a person down and kids had to associate this to slide in the game. The Courageous and Noble act would elevate them and kids had to associate this with ladders in the poster board. Class had fun working as teams.
Pranams
Sirisha and Prarthana
