Harih Om Parents,
1. Following was discussed/taught to the children during Bala vihar class on March 13, 2022.
2. Initial prayers.
3. Verses 67, 68 and 69 of Bhagavad Geeta chapter 2 were taught: please have your children practice at home.
4. Initially we recapped what we learnt last class – we reminded them of ten eternal values that all should practice; what is ultimate goal of life – Moksha/Liberation; roadmap to achieve the goal – use GPS – Guru Positioning System and our current discussion of three cardinal principles of Sanatana Dhama – brahmacharya, ahimsa and satyam.
5. Why Self-Control? – When human beings live with self-control it is a blessing to them and to society. When we lack self-control, we bring destruction and disaster to nature, to society, to family and to oneself. We can see that when nature is not in control (e.g. floods, forest fires etc.) it leaves considerable destruction in its path. If we are stuck with the attitude that that "my desires alone matter" we compromise our values, morals and ignore and/or forget our responsibilities and obligations. Self-control is even more important in modern times since we are constantly bombarded with so many enticements from all around – TV, radio, smart phones, social media – it is a wonder that we can live sanely! Desires never get completely satisfied. The more we indulge in our impulses, the more the longing for more material goods. Since the desired objects are limited, and desires are so many, not all desires will be fulfilled, leaving us frustrated and bitter. To make matters worse when we overindulge, we will feel fatigued. Instead of a sense of calmness and peace we will feel dissatisfied and sorrowful. We gave an example to the children that if playing video game is an activity they like and desire, they would notice that after several hours of playing instead of feeling rejuvenated one feels tired. Similarly, if we overindulge by eating our favorite foods all the time (chocolate cake, pizza, ice cream etc.) or we keep watching re-runs of our favorite serial on television for the best part of the day, instead of feeling happy, rejuvenated and calm, we can all admit we will feel tired and fatigued.
6. Develop Self-Control: - Self Control is a learned behavior. Learning self-control is worth it. Longitudinal study done by scientists in young children has shown that children who display self-control at young age were far more successful and stable in their lives – emotionally, economically, and intellectually. Everyone loves freedom, but freedom without disciple leads to chaos. One who submits to discipline is a disciple/student. Getting a driver's license is a long process: attending driver Ed. classes, getting a decent score in the written exam, practicing driving with parents, making it through a driver license exam etc. and finally getting the actual driver's license. Just because you earned a driver's license after long process you can't drive as you want. One must be disciplined because it is not a right but a privilege. Or else, it will lead only to accidents and disasters. With freedom comes responsibility and one must undergo adequate training in order to be disciplined.
Mark Twain said, "Do something every day that you don't want to do." This is golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing our duties without pain." Disciplining ourselves to do what is right despite our likes and dislikes will train us to follow our Dharma and do our duties without complaining. A simple thing like putting our dirty, unwashed clothes in the laundry basket instead of throwing it on the floor etc. should be practiced.
7. Result of self-control: The immediate result of having self-control is that as a student you will be able to finish the tasks in a timely fashion, instead of falling behind. Because our mental energies are conserved, we can channel them into more productive fields. At physical level one can lead healthy life and at a mental level we can experience some degree of calm and happiness. When self-control is combined with faith and devotion/dedication it does wonders for us. From a material standpoint, faith in ourselves and dedication towards our chosen goal will lead to success and victory in any chosen field. These are the two wings we need to soar higher in our pursuits. In trying to achieve our goal (moksha) faith and devotion is essential. Faith in ourselves, in our scriptures and in our Guru; and devotion to God or Guru is a must.
8. Ahimsa – it is the last of three cardinal principles of Hinduism we discussed today. At highest level it is not to cause injury or hurt to someone even in our thoughts. Our scriptures urge us not to even think of hurting anyone on a mental level because we believe in the eternal value of life. This means that we should not curse anybody, never wish/ harm on anyone or have ill feelings towards anybody. Golden rule is – do unto others, as you want done unto you. Sometimes you may have to cause physical pain to help others – for example a doctor cutting off an infected leg to save the person's life – this is not Himsa.
9. There are several types of Himsaa:
a. Himsaa by Action: Most of us civilized enough not to be physically violent. We know that physical violence is frowned upon and there are repercussions if we get into physical fights with anybody. Fear of suspension, fear of facing the wrath of parents etc. will often prevent us from being violent with anybody.
b. Himsaa toward the Environment: We hurt the environment by deforestation, disposing off waste chemicals/effluents into rivers, by littering, by not recycling, by polluting the air by not having proper, by not maintaining the cleanliness of our home, by excessive use of air conditioners which release chemicals that damage the ozone layer, overuse of chemicals to fertilize our lawns etc.
c. Himsaa towards Animals: Some people hunt and kill wild animals for the thrill of hunting and for pleasure. The animals are killed and then either eaten or stuffed and/or mounted on living room walls. Some animals are also killed for making leather handbags, shoes and still others for making mink coats. Another way of himsaa towards animals is taking them away from their own natural habitat and confining them in a cage. Hinduism advocates vegetarianism and there is scientific basis for this - we neither have the claws nor the sharp front teeth to tear meat. In addition, our digestive tract is 10 times longer than our body whereas for carnivores it only about 3 times longer. This means that the waste products of digestion of meat remain in our body for a longer time exposing us to more toxins. People may argue that vegetarian food is not a source of complete protein. Agreed that no one vegetarian protein is a complete source of all the amino acids. However, the combinations of food items we eat in a balanced vegetarian meal or thali do provide all the amino acids necessary for proper growth and development. One does not need to eat meat to be strong: the horse, elephant, bull are all examples of strong animals that are vegetarian!
d. Himsaa towards Self: How are we violent towards ourselves? We harm ourselves by having poor eating habits, watching excess amounts of television, gossiping about others etc. Our body is a gift given to us by God and we need to take care of it, nourish it with good healthy food, with clean thoughts, by keeping it clean, by exercising regularly, by saying and doing good and serving others cheerfully.
e. Himsaa through Speech: we humans have this great God given ability to be able to speak and communicate and express ourselves. With proper use of speech and words, we can make friends, acquire wealth and success. Improper use of words can lead us into a lot of trouble. Very often we see that people like to gossip – this makes them feel important and that they are the center of attention; they feel they can influence others and win over more friends - in the end it comes to hurt them only. Story – once a woman spread untrue rumors about her neighbor. The news went around the community and reached the neighbor eventually, who was hurt and upset. The woman who spread the gossip later found out that the gossip she had spread about her neighbor was wrong. Surprisingly her conscience bothered her, and she went to a Sage and asked him how she could atone for her sins. The Sage asked her to drop one feather in the backyard of every person to whom she had gossiped with. She was surprised at his advice but followed it diligently. Next day, when she told the Sage she had followed his advice, he asked her to bring back all the feathers that she had dropped in each person's backyard. When she went to fetch them, she found that the wind had blown away most of the feathers. Sage told the women just like the feathers it is hard to take back what we have said / gossiped about. She realized the negative impact of her gossip. It had created havoc in the other person's life. It is easy to spread a rumor but impossible to undo. So, we need to be very careful about what we say. Guruji says – 'Word power is far greater than weapon power'. Our sastras say – that Lakshmi dwells at tip of the tongue; friends & relatives, bondage and death all are at the tip of the tongue.
10. Vaachikam tapah is a discipline in which we should maintain the quality of our speech. The four parameters of speech are: Anudvegaram vakyam, Satyam, Priyam and Hitam.
Anudvegaram vakyam means speech that is non-hurtful.
Satyam means speech that is truthful,
Priyam means speech that is cheerful
Hitam means useful speech. In other words, impulsive speech should be avoided, and speech needs to be thought out and deliberate.
11. We watched you tube videos of Swamini Supriyanandaji's. about ahimsa and self-control.
Pranam,
Mekhala Girish
Devender Akula