Hari om everyone,
Here's the synopsis of our class this week.
We started with a quick meditation and practiced our Ch.3 Geeta chanting. We are very excited about our stage presentation, a group chanting on Apr 22nd, Saturday. Swamiji and everyone else are looking forward to seeing our awesome group this Saturday! Please be at the ashram by 12:00 pm.
To help those who are doing individual chanting, we were supposed to play a game of Kahoot! It was to learn the meanings of some of the words from this chapter. Unfortunately, we had technical issues and couldn't do it. Here's the link to the Kahoot to play on your own and practice. Best of luck.
Before attendance, our Kyun Kyun (QQ - Quirky Question) was written on the board:
Fill in the blank with a 'yes' or 'no'.
"___, I have no brain!"
Boy, was the class awfully quiet during attendance! :). Obviously, any answer to this question would mean the same thing, that 'I have no brain!' :)). Somewhat like the question that was raised in class last time about bhagavaan!! 'Can he make a rock so big that even he can't lift it?'
We were leading towards the answer to this question, with this quirky question. The question raised about bhagavaan would have only one outcome: bhagavaan is not so powerful after all, because no matter what, he can't do one of the things!
To understand that, we said, to make the biggest rock, it would mean that the rock has to be the size of the entire creation itself. When the rock is as big as the creation, and if bhagavaan has to 'lift' it, there has to be a place where he can lift it up to!! But the rock is so big that it becomes immovable, by definition!! So, we have to understand that the question itself is problematic :). So is our understanding that bhagavaan is 'all powerful'.
He is 'all powerful' does NOT mean that He can do ANYTHING, it simply means NOTHING can be done without His presence!!! He is the one who empowers anything and everything in this world. Without His grace, even a blade of grass or a flake of snow canNOT exist!!!!
We discussed many other examples to establish the same. Now the question was -
They: How do you know what they are saying is right?
Aunty: Ok, wait. Have you seen atoms?
They: No, but KNOW there has been research and papers have been written by many scientists to prove their structure and existence.
Aunty: But YOU didn't see, right?! You believed what someone (scientists) said. Why can't we do the same about what our rishis have said, believe what they said!!
They: How do you know what they have said?
Aunty: Have you seen your great, great grandfather?! Then how do you know he existed?! The proof is in the fact that you exist, he HAD to have existed at some point. Similarly, the knowledge was transferred from one teacher to another till we came to study it.
They: But how do we KNOW that there has been no tampering of information because there was no internet or books to write upon?!
Aunty: The method with which knowledge was transferred was foolproof! The way the vedas and upanishads were chanted, there is not a syllable that could be passed down wrongly.
They: How do you KNOW that whatever they are saying is the absolute truth?!!
Aunty: Because, so far, no one has been able to refute the truths established in this dharma! That's the beauty of our sanaatana dharma!! Our rishis welcomed debate. People would question their claims and they had to prove their point. There would be elaborate debates and conferences among scholars to institute their views. It is not like in other religions where they command 'you better follow whatever I say!' We were allowed to question the very existence of bhagavaan Himself!!!! There were very healthy debates to know the truth and then establish it.
The story of how Shankarachaarya defeated Mandana Mishra in a spiritual debate was discussed to see the magnanimity of our culture!!! We discussed how even 'Hinduism' has many different streams of thinking. Then Shankaraacharya established advaita siddhaanta (what we learn at our ashram) since NOBODY could refute what he taught!!!! So, questions are ALWAYS welcome. But we should have 'jnaana niShTaa' (trust in the knowledge that is being given to us). Then we can certainly understand. We have to have an open mind for sure to explore the possibilities.
Our students are asking the right questions just as Arjuna did. Bhagavaan was describing His glories when Arjuna wanted to know more. This discussion leads us right into chapter 11 where He 'displays' all His splendor! We will continue the discussion in the next class.
Remember to come to our stage presentation on Saturday, Apr 22nd at 12:00 pm.
Until then, we will leave you with these thoughts: Remember to hear the music that our scriptures are singing :). It's all about perspectives!
Regards,
Rashmi.
Rashmi.
