Hari Om Parents,
Following was discussed in the e Balavihar class on May 31.
1. Class was conducted again using Zoom conferencing technology.
2. Initial prayers and Tapovan Shatakam verses were chanted.
3. After the prayers we showed short video about 'prayer' so they can appreciate better the need to pray and importance of chanting the mantras. Pujya Gurudev says that prayer is not a spare wheel to be taken out in the times of trouble but it is a steering wheel that directs us in the right path. Our mind is essentially flow of thoughts; if we analyze thought they are sentences; sentences are words; words are letters and letters are sounds. All sounds are vibrations; hence our mind is essentially vibrations. Our rishis understood the science of sound vibrations and gave us mantras. When we chant the mantras repeatedly they will create positive attributes in us like compassion, courage, concentration, peace etc. With repeated chanting of these mantras we tune ourselves to the higher in our personality. It helps us to unfold and get in touch with the divine within – that essentially we are! (All video show today was by Swamini Supriyanandaji – Chinmaya Mission)
4. We continued with the values taught by Sri Krishna in Chapter XII of Bhagavad Gita, where He enumerates 35 virtues or gems for us to live by. Bhagwan says he is showing us these gems so that we can make use of them and be happy. He says "anyone who lives by these virtues is My darling". Last class following values were covered Gem 20 - Untroubled – gatavyathah; Gem 21 - Renounce all undertaking - sarvarambhaparityagi
; Gem 22 and 23 - Neither rejoices nor hates – na hrsyati, na dvesti; Gem 24 - Grieves not – na socati; Gem 25 - Desires not – na kanksati; Gem 26 - Free from good and evil – subhaasubhaparityagi; Gem 27 - Be equal to friend and foe – samah satrau ca mitre; Gems 28, 29 & 30 - Same in honor and dishonor, in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain – samah mana-apamanayoh, samah sita-usnasukhadukhkhesu.
5. Gem 31 - Be equal in censure and praise, tulyanindastutih
Being equal in censure and praise does not mean that one is immune to insults or cannot understand them. But when one is true devotee of the Lord, he does not give any significance to the praise or criticism that other people level at him. He understands people and circumstances change all the time. The same person who might be praising us at one time may come back and criticize u at a different time. Moreover we cannot please everyone all the time. Even in Mahabharata, Lord Krishna was not able to please Duryodhana to avoid the war.
Once a son and father were going to a town to sell a donkey. The father asked the son to ride on the donkey, on the way - the first person who met them started criticizing that the old father was walking while the son was riding. After this the son got down and the father sat on the donkey. Little later they met another man who commented how cruel the father is that he is letting his son walk. After hearing this both of them sat on the donkey. Little later they met a third person who commented how cruel both of them are, as the poor donkey is going to die with their weight. Now they did not know what to do, they started carrying the donkey, seeing which people started laughing at their foolishness! In the same way we can never satisfy everyone.
Once Buddha was sitting under a tree. People around him started praising him, his expression did not change. He had a calm composure and beautiful smile full of compassion. Then a man came and started saying abusive words to Buddha. His expression did not change. The man got tired of shouting, went home and slept. He could not sleep properly. Next morning he went straight to Buddha and asked him that despite his shouting and abusive language, why did Buddha not get mad at him. Buddha had the same beautiful smile on his face and asked him, if your stomach is very full and somebody brings you gourmet food would you like to eat it – the man replied no. At the same time if someone brings you bad food would you eat it. The man said no because I am already full. Exactly said Buddha, when you are full with God's love, you do not need anything from outside to make you happy or mad. You are always full and content. The man realized his mistake and became his disciple.
6. Gem 32 – Be silent, mauni
It not only implies external silence but also silence within. It implies control over all senses. Pujya Gurudev states that when man is left alone he will become spiritual. Once we start thinking, materialism does not survive. We are afraid of loneliness because we do not have the courage to meet ourselves. When we're alone we will see a parade of our past deeds and thoughts; recognize how base our values are. With regular introspection we can change ourselves. The problem is we have a great image of ourselves but our real self is not as good as anything we imagine. Gurudev states emphatically that - Be with yourself, and you will turn to God!
We viewed couple of you tube videos - once an old devotee of Tapovan Maharaj, along with his grandson visited him. The old gentlemen complained that his grandson does not listen to him and lives his life like a vagabond. Tapovan Maharaj agreed to meet with the boy. When the boy entered he did not have any reverence towards Tapovan Maharaj. Tapovan Maharaj received him warmly and discussed with him about Bollywood movies, his college and all other things that youngsters are interested in. Looking at this Pujya Gurudev's jaw dropped, as he was not used to his Master speaking anything unnecessarily and being austere with his speech and interactions. As the boy was leaving the Tapovan Maharaj asked him if there was one thing he could do - he told him not to worry about prayer or poojas; but to get up in the morning at 5 o'clock, go for a walk and spend about 10 - 20 minutes in the park by himself. He can then come back and sleep if he wants to. He asked him to do this for a month. After couple of months a letter came from old gentleman saying that the grandchild has changed. When Pujya Gurudev met the boy several years later he asked how he changed. The boy said on the first day when he went to the park he enjoyed the sunrise, the birds and the nature in general. After a few days the experience was the same, so the only thing that came to his mind was his deeds that he had done in the past. When he looked at his past actions; he realized what an ugly life that he was leading. After few days of early morning introspection in the park he decided to change. Thus the boy became spiritual through solitude. When we look at ourselves we invariably make changes; think about what we do when we see a mirror. Similarly when we start looking at our thoughts/mind in solitude we want to make it better. Gurudev states if you don't like your own company don't impose it on others. Improve it, make it better, be happy and spread the happiness. Few moments of daily solitude and silence will facilitate this change in us.
We asked the students what they felt was a difference between loneliness and aloneness. They had several different ideas, afterwards we agreed that in loneliness a person is dejected and depressed to be with himself, but in aloneness person is happy to be with himself. In aloneness one becomes more aware of his own self, his own thoughts and observes what is happening to oneself. One can be in a crowd of people yet feel lonely. So aloneness and loneliness does not have to do with people surrounding us, rather it is our state of mind. Gurudev states – be silent and understand how really silent silence can be. In sleep mind is silent, but dull and unaware. True silence is when mind naturally stops chatter out of peacefulness and contentment. In this state the mind is dynamic and beautiful. All creative and constructive activity stems from that silent mind.
7. Gem 33 - Be content, samtustah
Being content is to be happy whatever may be the condition of the body or the outer circumstances. If we seek happiness outside ourselves we never find complete and everlasting satisfaction.
There is a certain type of rat trap where dry coconut is placed on top of the wheel and the door to the trap is left open. The rat gets in and tries to reach the coconut, but as it is too high it steps on the wheel - it almost reaches the coconut when the wheel starts to move. Each time the rat thinks that it is close to the coconut the wheel starts moving. After doing this many times the rats gets exhausted and gets trapped. This is exactly the picture of ours, who live to fulfill our desires from outside world of objects and persons. We run after them even though our experience teaches us that we never get total satisfaction in indulging in them. All we gain is exhaustion and disappointment as the rat does in the trap! The students were told that it does not mean that they should not have goals or ambitions in life. Firstly we should be happy for what we have and then vigorously pursue goals/ambitions with the understanding sometimes we gain what we want and at other times we won't. Contentment helps us to maintain equipoise. This can be achieved if we always remember God in our mind in all our pursuits.
In a forest there was an ugly looking tree, around which there were many beautiful looking trees – in perfect shape. Ugly tree always used to feel sad and sorry for itself. One day woodcutter came to the forest looked at all the trees and cut all the beautiful and shapely trees. Ugly looking tree was left alone. Now that tree smiled within and thanked Lord for his ugliness. We need to be content with how we are as we do not know what the Lord has in store for us.
8. Gem 34 - Homeless, aniketah
One who has no possession, home. Having a roof over our head and four walls around us does not make it home. We go to vacations and live in hotels but don't call them home despite staying there for several days. Only when we have a sense of possession over the property we feel it is our home. In addition home is a place where we feel comfortable, where we can live as we want to, where we are loved by people around us. It is a place where we share equally and sacrifice together. If we extend the same sense of possessiveness towards the whole world, and are willing to share with everyone in the world and work together with everyone in the spirit of sacrifice then the whole world will become our home with the blue sky as the roof over our head. A true devotee of the Lord realizes that Lord is the father and guardian of the whole world. To him the entire universe is Lord's kingdom and his home. So in this sense he is 'homeless', because he lacks a sense of possession over a particular object or property. He takes shelter only at feet of the Lord.
9. Gem 35 – Steadfast, sthiramatih
Steadfast in the intellectual understanding of goal of life. We had previously discussed that the ultimate goal of this human life is attaining moksha. So in and through our daily activities and worldly pursuit we should not forget our ultimate goal. A true devotee of the Lord has intellectual understanding to pursue this goal in all circumstances. To such a devotee the Lord himself will grace him with strength and courage to pursue the path. If someone persistently keeps knocking at your door how long can we resist before we open the door. In the same way if we keep calling the compassionate Lord, He will surely shower His grace on us.
Once a father gave his son a $10 bill and told him that he can buy whatever he wanted. Later in the day the father asked the boy what he did with the money. Boy replied that he gave to a man who looked very hungry. Father got a little upset, and told him that he should have bought something for himself. Now he won't be able to get that money for his own needs. The son told father that he was told in Balavihar that we should help the poor and the Lord himself will take care of us. Touched by the son's simple faith, the father reached out to his pocket and gives him another $10 bill. The boy then said he was sure that he would get his $10 back, only he did not know that it would come back to him so soon. So please encourage your children to follow the values that they have learned all through the year.
10. We briefly talked about the ongoing protests and how students were feeling about it – all of us felt that racism should be rooted out from the society and all humans need to be treated equally irrespective of color and race. Antidote for hate is love – we shared a last you tube video about love. Love is the means to get to the goal of love. Pujya Gurudev said that love is an art and skill. It is not something that happens randomly for most of us. Like any other skill it can be learnt, developed and improved. We need to learn and practice it. Love alone enhances love! Keep Loving!
Pranam,
Mekhala Girish
Devender Akula
Sun AM 8th Grade Teachers
