Hari Om!
This past week, we discussed our scriptures and their purpose.
We started out by having a discussion about if any of us had been asked what Hinduism's holy text was. We all found that we had been asked this at some point and that we had all struggled with answering this question. Then we delved into how expansive our scriptures are, and the different varieties that there are.
- Sruti - Four Vedas (We said that this can be considered the holy text of Hinduism)
- Smrti - Dharma Sastras - that which is remembered and taught from memory
- Itihasas - epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Puranas - story format to educate about values and lessons
- Sad Darsanas - Six philosophies
- Sadangas - Six limbs
- Upavedas (Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gaandharva veda, Sthaapatya veda)
From this we saw that the scriptures are very expansive and we discussed how answers to any question can be found somewhere in the scriptures. We also talked about the Guru Sishya Parampara, and mainly about Veda Vyasa (compiled the Vedas into the four vedas we know today), Sri Adishankaracharya (wrote copious commentaries on many of the scriptures and is credited with reviving Hinduism), and our own Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, who brought Hinduism to the masses of India through Chinmaya Mission and Balavihar. Feel free to have a more detailed discussion with your children about our Gurus, and why their contributions are so important.
We then talked about the relevance of these scriptures and how they can be of use to us in our ultimate goal for graduating from this Earth.
The Vedas are split into three sections: Karma Kanda, Upasana Kanda, Jnana Kanda
- Karma Kanda - removes the impurities of the mind, likes and dislikes, by prescribing rituals and daily activities
- Upasana Kanda - stills the restlessness of mind by teaching the value of meditation and prayer on the Lord
- Jnana Kanda - Karma Kanda and Upasana Kanda prepare the mind for the true Knowledge of the Self
Food for Thought
- How can we implement some of the teachings from the different parts of the Vedas into our daily lives?
Other Announcements
1. Come to the Garba on Saturday, October 13th at the ashram. It is at 7pm and the high school students play a big role in organizing and helping out!
2. CORD Walkathon is on Sunday, October 28th at 10 AM. CORD Walkathon: More details at http://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/cord-walkathon/
It's a great event to support a wonderful cause!
Pranaams,
Thejasvi & Nitya
