Hari Om!
Dear Parents,
Please find below the summary of our class on Friday, Jan 31, 2020.
Opening prayers:
Om Sahana Vavatu
Om Sri Ganeshaya NamaH
Om Sri Saraswatyai NamaH
Om Sri Sadgurubhyo NamaH
Neelambuja Shyamala Komalaangam (Rama Shloka)
Quote of the day: You are successful and creative only when you see an opportunity in every difficulty
Ramayana Story: Sundara Kandam - Hanuman meets Sita
Lesson: Formula for success
Bhagavat Gita: Ch. 1, Verses 21, 22, 23
Aarati and Pledge : Temple - Lead by Grade 8
Next Balavihar class: 2/7/20
Summary: We started with the opening Shlokas and then discussed the quote of the day. The students shared their views on the quote and also gave a personal anecdote when they were able to turn their difficulty into opportunity and persevere on without quitting, be it sports, academics, or other extra curricular activities. It is really heartening to see that they have a positive attitude towards all that matters. We encouraged them to continue being positive and putting their best effort in all their endeavors. We then moved on to the Ramayana story. The episode when Hanuman crosses all the hurdles and is successful in his mission to find and give Sita Rama's message is rightly named Sundara Kandam since it is considered the most beautiful part of Ramayana. It is one that gives hope and positivity. From the time Rama was exiled until this point, it has been one difficulty after another for Rama and Sita. Once Hanuman delivers the message that Rama is on his way to rescue Sita, she is filled with renewed energy and hope. Hanuman also gave a final strong message to Ravana, giving him the last opportunity to correct his grave mistake. Ravana insulted him and had his tail set on fire. Hanuman set the entire capital city of Lanka on fire before flying back to Rama with Sita's Choodamani as a symbol of his successful mission. The eloquence of Hanuman is understood when he first told Rama that he saw Sita before going into the details of his visit. It is a skill we should learn in effective communication. Eloquence does not necessarily mean being descriptive and using flowery language. It also means that we are able to give a concise message where necessary.
We then moved on to discuss our lesson of the day where we learnt a formula for success: Hard Work+Knowledge+capacity to laugh = Success. To elaborate a little more on this, hard work refers to working diligently towards our goals irrespective of distractions or obstacles. Knowledge refers to 2 things, self knowledge, which means the knowledge of our true nature (happiness) and the know-how of the task at hand. Capacity to laugh: this was the part that the kids were intrigued about. Many of them thought that it means that we should know to have fun and enjoy ourselves too. In this formula, the capacity to laugh means that we should be able to laugh at our failures rather than get discouraged by them. We spoke about Thomas Alwa Edison's famous remark about his 2000 failed attempts before he invented the light bulb, that he found 2000 ways that won't work! It was a very interesting discussion and a life skill to learn in order to be successful. We will continue more such discussions in the upcoming classes. We chanted Bhagavat Gita verses 21 -23 and then went to the temple hall for Arati and Pledge. Next week, it will be our class' turn to lead the Arati and Pledge.
Shanthi & Anandhi
