Hari om everyone,
A quick synopsis of our class this week. We started the class with meditation. In our chanting segment, we chanted 'geetaa dhyaanam' and verses 39 - 72 from 'BG chapter 2'. Happy to say that this completes our learning of the assigned BG chapter/verses for the year. We are way ahead of the schedule! For the rest of the year, we will practice every class and get better with the pronunciations.
Our interactive time started with a bunch of questions regarding our choices of attire for different occasions/situations. Everyone shared their thoughts - PJs to sleep, shiny/fancy attire for parties and sober clothes to a funeral, etc... The last question was, 'what was the reason for your specific choices of attires?' The answers were, 'mood of the event, social norm, appropriateness, atmosphere, etc.'
Now, during the discussion time, we tried to understand how this analogy applies to our current topic. We had said, in the previous class, that all our problems are due to our wrong identification with our Body, Mind and Intellect. The body, mind, intellect (BMI) that each one of us has is like the attire for each individual 'jeeva'! Just as we choose our attire based on the mood of the event, the jeeva's attire (BMI) is based on its previous actions. Our actions today will dictate our outcome of tomorrow and future lives too!
We further understood that - to see, it is not enough if I just have eyes. I cannot see something right in front of my eyes if I am not paying attention. Also, when I close my eyes or sleep, I cannot see. So, I need an engaged mind behind my eyes to be able to see! Furthermore, I need intellect to comprehend what my mind sees. For that intellect to exist, I need to exist!!! So, the most important aspect is that I exist. Everything else is impermanent.
BMI is impermanent and an ever-changing factor. We have to focus on the essence of the being, who is inside this attire!
Identifying ourselves with this BMI is as silly as - if I come to the ashram and say, 'Hari om Benz, I'm Audi...' (because I drove an Audi and the other person came in a Benz :). The vehicle is used just to transport me from home to ashram. I don't become the vehicle or identify myself as the vehicle! Then why do I identify myself with the BMI?! BMI is just used as a vehicle by the jeeva, from birth to death! The below quote by Gurudev puts it in perspective -
Notice the space between every and body. Every 'body' (vehicle being used) must die, but nobody (the traveler inside the vehicle) dies! Let's contemplate this.
We have some important announcements. We are planning to do a 'Teaching assignment' during the last week of February. JCHYKs will be assigned to different grades (KG thru 9th) to teach the Bala Vihar classes for that week. Our students will be preparing the material and teaching, after getting plans from respective grade teachers. For that, we need all our students to make teams of 2-3 people and update the info on the google sheet. The link was shared on the class WhatsApp group. Feel free to reach out if you are having any issues.
Have a great sankraanti/pongal/bihu/bhogi celebrations. We will see you in two weeks.
Regards,
Rashmi and Raghav.
Rashmi and Raghav.