Hari OM! Parents,
We began with starting prayers. As Mahashivarathri is coming up, we
started to learn Om namasthay asthu bhagawan... in our chanting
segment. It gave us all great joy that most of the students chanted
this quite fluently, with or without help.
In meditation, we did ahimsa meditation, in line with the value for
the day's class. We brought to mind the need for ahimsa toward oneself
and others, and how to fill our hearts with compassion and bravery so
that in thought, word and deed we may embody this value.
After recap of last week's value Satyam, we started to explore Ahimsa
and Daanam.
'Ahimsa paramo dharmah'- called the greatest among dharmas, it is that
inner value that beautifies the giver and recipient. Very easily, the
class was able to name Mahatma Gandhi as a champion of Ahimsa . The
class watched the powerful clip of the start of Dandi March by the
party workers led by Maulana Azad after Gandhiji had been arrested.
Peacefully, column upon column of freedom fighters came up to the
entry point guarded by soldiers of the British army, only to be caned,
beaten, sometimes on the head, on the chest, on the arms or legs.
Falling down in pain, taken away to be nursed by women led by
Mirabehn, this scene of wordless, peaceful protest exposed the
savagery of the violence unleashed by the British. We discussed this
and talked about the level of bravery needed for such action, often
dismissed as cowardice. While most of us may not be called upon to do
such actions, in our own lives, while witnessing bullying in school,
on cyberspace, we must summon the needed courage to stand up for those
who have been wronged.
https://youtu.be/yrHNig2aIjQ
We also told and discussed the story of Prince Siddhartha, later know
as The Buddha and his cousin Devadatta. Once Devadatta shot a bird on
his hunting trip. The bird was badly injured and fell to the ground.
Prince Siddharth who happened to be there picked the poor bird and
nursed it. Devadatta demanded the bird back but the Prince refused to
part with it. A sage was called to sort their fight and the sage said
' the one who gave life to the bird gets to keep it'. So the one who
follows Ahimsa is always a winner.
Daanam- translated as giving or charity.The class listed things we can
give - like money, prayers, materials like clothes, time, happiness,
smiles. The joy of giving is a natural outcome of giving, a natural
outcome also of seeing others as no different from self.We explored
the motivation behind big philanthropy which sometimes may have more
to do with desire for one's own fame.The class remembered Karna's
effortless giving and why even Krishna considered him a Daanveer over
Arjuna. We also explored this idea connected with giving that one must
consider who we are giving to, how we give, and where we give. To give
without expecting something in return, to give joyfully, to give
without rubbing it in are things the class considered important.
We then revised and learned verses 57- 61 from Chapter 2 of the
Bhagavad Gita followed by Arathi and Pledge.
Our next Bala Vihar class is on February 11th. The students should
wear their team color for a fun filled Spirit Day.
Pranams
Uma and Nirmala