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, May 1, 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:
Mind at rest is the Temple of Joy. So long as it is gurgling with its desires, passions and attachments in its stormy surface, the signature of joy gets ruffled out.
Lesson: Vibheeshana Gita : Dharma Chariot: Bow - Self Knowledge
Quiver - Pure and Steady mind
Next eBalavihar class: 5/8/20
Announcements: Friday, May 8th marks the 104th birth anniversary of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda ji! There will be Facebook live telecast of Guru Paduka Pooja at the temple. We will be watching it as a class at 8:00 pm. Parents, please join your children at 8:00 pm to participate virtually.
Summary: we started by discussing about the importance of having a calm mind which is not distracted. With such a mind, our productivity improves and we feel happy too. Today's parts of Dharma chariot were bow that stands for self knowledge and quiver which stands for a pure and steady mind. One of the main enemies we face is ignorance. Self knowledge is our weapon against this enemy and our Guru plays a major role in alleviating our ignorance. Self knowledge is the realization that we are one with all the beings in the universe. We asked the class about if they had the power like God, what is the one thing that they will change. Among many interesting answers we got from the children, some said they will cure hunger, the sufferings due to the virus, etc. It was heartening to know that they are thinking beyond themselves and along the lines of the common good for all! We have a lot to learn from our children each day! When we see God in everything and everyone, we know that we have attained self knowledge. When our ego is humbled, we learn to see everyone as equal.
Our mind is never free of thoughts. Thoughts flow like water in a river. The quality of the waterflow describes the quality of the river. Similarly, the quality of our thoughts determine the quality of our minds. Every action we perform starts with a thought. Good thoughts lead to good actions and yield good results. We did a short exercise where the students closed their eyes for a minute and let their thoughts flow. At the end of the time we asked them what was the first thought they had. The exercise was to reinforce the fact that if we steady our mind we are able to clearly observe our thoughts. This in turn will help us purify our mind. A pure and steady mind, symbolizing a quiver in the Dharma chariot, paves the way for the right thoughts and actions and helps us lead a successful life. We watched a short video related to this, an excerpt from the animated series Avatar, the last air bender. Here is the link to the video for your reference:
We will meet again in the next class! Until then please stay safe and be well!
Pranaam,
Shanthi and Anandhi
