Hari Om! Parents,
Happy Makar Sankaranthi to everyone!
We began class with starting prayers and in the chanting section, we
continued with Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 2. Currently we are on verse 54
and would like to encourage all to register for Geeta chanting
competition, as grade 9 has the reading option.
For meditation, we did Maitri upasana or wishing good health, peace
and happiness to everyone on this earth. We slowly widened our circle
starting with ourself, family, teachers etc, and finally the whole
earth.
It gave us all great joy to learn from one of our students that her
mother took oath of public office on the Bhagavad Geeta.
After a brief recap that Hindu culture is a Vedic culture that gives
reality and validity to not just what the senses perceive, but what is
beyond these, we explored ashrama dharmas. Brahmacharya, Grihastha,
Vanaprastha, Sannyaasa. Phases/stages of life loosely translated as
student, householder, retired individual's intensive spiritual
studies, renunciate.
Entry into brahmacharya through the samskara of upanayanam was
discussed. In olden times, what was available to men and women, to all
varnas, is now a practice only for men, and certain varnas.The
brahmachari was initiated into Gayathri mantra and this is available
to all of us to chant. Dedicated to the Sun God- the very
personification of knowledge, and in more gross terms, the very
sustainer of life, this mantra opens one's heart in gratitude for the
gift of life and light and becomes a source of strength especially
during times of crisis.
Some children chanted the Gayatri mantra and shared some events of
their upanayanam ceremony.
In brahmacharya, sole focus is on acquiring knowledge in material
and spiritual fields, so the individual is prepared for what life will
bring. Assuming a life span of 100 years, the first 25 are
brahmacharya.
Grihastha- the ashrama in which one takes up a job and starts a
family. From age of 25-50. Samskaras in this ashram will be looked at
later.
Vanaprastha-from 50 to 75 years. By the age of 50, an individual has
created wealth for self and family, the family is more or less
independent , and now he/she can spend more time and effort in
scriptural study, reflection to get into the purpose of life and that
too in human form.
Sannyasa- from 75. After scripture study, the individual renounces
family, society and focusses entirely on owning the knowledge gained
in earlier ashramas.
We will next be studying the Varna dharma, which is perhaps the most
misunderstood Hindu idea.
Our next Balavihar is on January 21st
Pranams
Uma and Nirmala