Dear Parents, Harih Om!
The following was discussed in our Balavihar class on April 02, 2023:
1. We commenced our class with our opening prayers.
2. We recapped the below topics that were discussed in our previous Balavihar sessions:
(a) The ten values in life that one must follow and practice all the time
(b) Facts of life: There are six stages in life: Jaayate (we are born), Asti (we live in the world), Vardhate (we grow), Viparnimate (body changes), Apaksheeyate (body decays) and Nashyati (we die). Each moment in life is the real performance. One cannot rewind life - once a certain time is gone, it will never come back. We will all have ups and downs: we need to learn to live with poise and equanimity.
Just like the puzzle pieces in a box cannot be arranged without the picture in front of us, similarly we cannot achieve moksha unless we fix a goal, prepare, and follow the roadmap to go through the maze of life. There are three cardinal principles upon which Hindu dharma is based. They are Brahmacharya, Ahimsa and Satyam.
3. We then deep dived into the concepts of Satyam, Ahimsa, and Brahmacharya. To reinforce these concepts, we asked the children several questions/situations they would encounter in everyday life. The responses were discussed.
(i) Brahmacharya is achieved by controlling our sense organs. Enjoy what the world has to offer, but with restraint! Self-control is even more important in modern times since we are constantly bombarded with so many enticements from all around – TV, radio, smart phones, social media. Desires never get satisfied. The more we indulge in our impulses, the more the longing for more material goods. Since the desired objects are limited, and desires are so many, not all desires will be fulfilled, leaving us frustrated and bitter. Similarly, if we overindulge by eating our favorite foods all the time (chocolate cake, pizza, ice cream etc.) or we keep watching re-runs of our favorite serial on television for the best part of the day, instead of feeling happy, rejuvenated and calm, we can end up feeling tired and fatigued.
- Why Self-Control? When human beings live with self-control, it is a blessing to them and to the society. When we lack self-control, we bring destruction and disaster to nature, to society, to family and to oneself.
- Develop Self-Control - Self Control is a learned behavior. Learning self-control is worth it. Everyone loves freedom, but freedom without discipline leads to chaos. With freedom comes responsibility.
- To follow the road map successfully we need to change our habits. How do we do that?
o Watch your thoughts – they become your words
o Watch your words – they become your actions
o Watch your actions – they become your habit
o Watch your habits – they become your character
o Watch your character – for it defines your destiny
Hence it all starts from controlling and being aware of our thoughts, we should not dwell upon bad, negative, or wrong thoughts. We must detach our mind from lower/inferior thoughts and attach it to higher/divine thoughts.
(ii) Satyam : To live up to one's intellectual convictions and to act in harmony with them is satyam. When we compromise our values and live a life of dishonesty that is asatyam. Few other points were reinforced. When we observe life of successful people one of the important traits that seems to be common in them is integrity, which can be understood as truthfulness at all levels of activity. That is at physical, mental, and intellectual levels. Our values determine our thoughts which in turn determine our actions. An integrated person will try to live up to his ideals no matter what challenges he faces from within or without.
(iii) Ahimsa is not to cause injury or hurt someone even in our mind. This means that we should not curse anybody, never wish/ harm on anyone or have ill feelings towards anybody. Golden rule is – do unto others, as you want done unto you. Sometimes you may have to cause physical pain to help others – for example a doctor cutting off an infected leg to save the person's life – this is not himsa. There are several types of himsa : himsa by action; himsa towards the environment, himsa towards animals, himsa towards self, and himsa through speech.
4. Yaksha Prasnas:
(a) How does one become a Brahmin?
Not by heritage, not by study, nor by listening to the scriptures one becomes a brahmin. Only through conduct one becomes a brahmin!
We reminded the children of our grade's performance on April 23rd and asked that they practice and memorize their dialogues at home.
Thank you!
Inchara, Rekha, and Mekhala (Grade 8 Sunday AM Balavihar teachers)
