Hari Om! dear Parents,
We started the class with the beginning prayers followed by the vedic chanting of,
Namaste astu bhagavan...
Chanted trayambakam 3 times followed by observing a 20 sec silence praying for the recovery of people sick with the virus.
This week our curriculum was based on childhood and educational samskaras.
Talked about Chudakarma, or first head shaving of the child between the age of one to three years. This ceremony is for the removal of bad thoughts of the child from previous births.
Talked about Karnaveda, performed between the age of three and five years of the child. This ceremony involves the piercing of the ears and the chanting of prayer, bhadram karne bhih.. in the child's ears. This is performed so that the child will always have auspicious thoughts. We had learned this prayer at the beginning of the year.
Talked about educational samskaras, or Vidyarambha performed at the child's fifth year. This ceremony is for the beginning of the primary education of the child.
Also talked about the 16 steps of the Saraswathi pooja. Reminded the children about this Pooja at the ashram during Navaratri.
Last Friday was a very special day. It was our Pujya Gurudev's 104th birthday.
Talked about the life and vision of our Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda.
Talked about Gurudev ashotara namavalli and its significance. Discussed about how we can imbibe Gurudev's glory and can make it our glory too by chanting and meditating on the names of Pujya Gurudev. Learning to live by the values which Gurudev lived we can change our lives for the better. Told them that Pujya Guruji and our Pujya Swamiji had written the namavalli.
The children together watched the pooja performed at the ashram. We then watched many Chinmaya families chant the ashtotara with its meaning. Finally we sang the Gurudev arathi and recited the pledge.
Next week our class will be watching a movie together on Zoom.
Pranams
Nirmala and Purnima
