Hari Om!
Dear Parents,
Hope everyone is safe and following the recommendations of safety and social distancing. Please find below the summary of our class on Friday, Apr 17, 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: No one gets bound by one's possessions, it is the mental slavery to our possessions that shackles us.
Lesson: Vibheeshana Gita :
Dharma Chariot: Charioteer - Devotion to God ; Shield and Sword - Passion and detachment
Next eBalavihar class: 4/24/20
Announcements: The House Team is still accepting Likhita Japa entries until May 31st. You can send the pictures with your child's name, house (Bajrangi Bolts), grade, session, date and count for each page (at least 4 pages at a time) to cnjbalaviharhouses@gmail.com
Summary: We started the class with the opening shlokas led by one of the students. We then went on to discuss the charioteer of the Dharma chariot. The charioteer symbolizes devotion to God. Devotion to God is not only very important but it helps us realize that we don't carry the burden of worries. We should always do our best but never forget that God is the one that leads us to our destiny. Krishna was the charioteer for Arjuna, one of the greatest warriors of Mahabharata but he had utmost devotion and faith in Krishna, the lord himself. Hence his confusions about fighting his own relatives were cleared by the Lord Himself leading him to victory! God takes care of all beings and their welfare. Even the tiniest of beings like an ant in a busy train station platform is able to successfully cross the tracks and reach the other side safely! This is because of the infinite grace of God. Especially in our current situation, faith in God and prayers play a major part in getting us through the tough days!
We had a special guest in our class this week. One of our JCHYKs (Junior Chinmaya Yuva Kendra) Grade 10-12 group visited our class. He spoke about the shield and sword. The children were asked to list 5 things that they think that they absolutely cannot live without. The condition was that they shouldn't list essential things like food, shelter etc and parents. It had to be something other than that. Most kids listed Netflix or their video games or social media. He then spoke about how none of the things listed are unavoidable and it's all in the mind. We have to give up our attachment to lower and attach ourselves to the higher in order to progress, just like when we climb the rungs of the ladder, we have to let go of the lower rung in order to put our leg on the higher rung in order to climb higher up the ladder. We should also try to use our passions like sports, music, swimming, etc for a higher purpose. Our guest gave his own example. He is passionate about playing cricket and each year they play a match in August for fundraising for Breast Cancer research and treatment. It was a very interactive session and the children responded well to the JCHYK. Overall, it was very interactive and fun! We decided that each of us will take up a habit or thing that we think we cannot do without and pick a day and try to give it up for a few hours. we will keep a log on how we felt about give it up and discuss next week. We then finished with ine of the studnts leading the pledge. We will continue to discuss more parts of the Dharma chariot in the upcoming classes. Please stay safe everyone.
Pranam,
Anandhi and Shanthi
