Hari Om Parents,
Below is what we covered in the last class.
Shlokas:
Opening prayers, Sahanavavatu,
Nama Ramayanam - Uttarakandam (page 139 My Prayers)
Lessons and activities
Vibheeshana Gita:
We reviewed the components of the chariot covered in previous classes.
Component of chariot:
The Quiver: A pure and steady mind
Quiver is the container that the warrior uses to place his arrows. If the quiver is unsteady and moving, how can he pick up the right arrow? Hence the lord says that a pure and steady mind is quiver.
Pure Mind:
An act is the result of thought. Right action is the result of right thought. Wrong thoughts make us do wrong actions. The kind of thoughts we have depend on where we go, what we do and whom we associate with, what we hear and see. To have pure thoughts we have to live with mindfulness and guard all the above factors.
Steady Mind:
To be steady is to stick to your decision, be direct, sure in movement. If we have an unsteady mind, we cannot make the decision of where to go, what to do and how to do it.
Once we decide on something with a steady mind, have patience with the goal to be achieved in mind. This is the key to Victory!!
Can a caterpillar ever think that he is meant to fly? But it does when it transforms itself into a butterfly.
Component of Chariot:
The Arrows- Quietude of mind(sama), Five noble values and Daily discipline
Quietude of mind:
A mind that is pure is a quiet mind and can accomplish anything. When our mind is not quiet, we fall for illusion and believe what is not there and see what is not there.
Five noble values: Non-injury, Truthfulness, Celibacy, Non-Stealing, Not hoarding
These values are common to all religions.
Non-injury is the avoidance of violence in thought, word and deed.
Celibacy is self control and self discipline.
When it comes to Not-stealing, if we pollute, we are stealing from Mother Nature what belongs to the future generation. Wasting water is also stealing. When we travel, be mindful of not stealing someone's comfort.
Not-Hoarding on things makes us free.
Below are the quotes discussed in class as groups. Each group were given quotes and they had to justify the statements with examples of real life and how it applies to them.
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything
Three things cannot be long hidden: Sun, moon and truth
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large one either.
Happiness is dependent on Self discipline. We are the biggest obstacles to our own happiness. It is much easier to do battle with society and with others than to fight our own nature.
We all have dreams, but in order to make dreams into reality, it takes awful lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and effort
Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self respect leads to self discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's the real power.
In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves. Self discipline with all of them came first.
The Daily Disciplines:
Swami Chinmayananda ji's saying on worship of God: True prayer is invocation. When we meet a friend on a road, we smile and a friend in you is invoked. Every moment we are called upon by the world around us to bring out an appropriate attitude. You invoke the parent in the child's company and an enemy in the enemy's company. When in front of God's idol, we invoke within ourselves the possibility of true love, cheerfulness, meekness and all other noble qualities of which God is an embodiment. By this, we cultivate more and more good qualities which others will naturally get attracted to. Our minds require cleaning and tidying every day. When the mind contacts the world outside it gets soiled with negativity. So everyday to make it beautiful again we should pray.
Prayer also means to thank the lord our creator and protector. Hence chanting daily prayers is very important!!
Component of Chariot: our weapon the unbreakable armor, devotion to Guru and Learned people
Lord Rama tells Vibheeshana, that reverence for Guru and for the learned who know the scriptures is the unbreakable armor. Our intellect is not always clear and capable of understanding the truth. We must get help from a spiritual master to lead us in right direction and we will always be protected in life.
We discussed the significance of "Guru Mantra", and how Guru transforms lives of people. We had a discussion based on the stories/episodes from Upanishad Ganga
Story of Valmiki:
Story of Totakacharya:
Story of Padmapadacharya:
Padmapadacharya's life exemplifies the Guru-Sishya relationship. For Padmapadacharya, the Guru is everything and the command of Guru is ultimate. Once when he was on the opposite bank of a river, Sankara who was on the other side called him, and Padmapadacharya, without even thinking that he might be drowned in a swollen river began walking and a lotus appeared on every step that he would take and hold his feet from drowning - and that is why he came to be known as Padma-Pada - Lotus - Feet. His devotion exemplifies the relationship of Guru and Shishya.
Class chanted a few verses from Gurustotram.
Next class will be our last class and we planned an outdoor class with fun games and food. Please sign up to contribute
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-I1-OHzLAhBQnuq-7OblRUotb44Jrw8rbIwKW6w434M/edit
Pranams
Sirisha and Prarthana