Hari om everyone,
The topic of discussion today was 'ShoDasha samskaara-s'. We discussed how in different stages of life, we are initiated into different responsibilities. We know some of the big ones, but don't pay much attention to the smaller ones. We all have seen celebrations upon childbirth, first day of school, graduation, marriage, etc. But then, there are 16 specific 'refining rituals' at 16 different junctures of life in our culture. They are precise prescriptions. Beginning from when the child is in the mother's womb, we have different rituals for the well being of the baby, etc. Such practices not only prepare one for that particular stage but also give an insight into the demands of the upcoming new stages of life.
We learnt about the first few leading up to upanayanam. Most of them were familiar with upanayanam they had either undergone the ceremonies or attended one. We will continue the rest of them in the next class.
During the discussions, a question arose as to why humans are considered a league apart from other beings and have all these rules and disciplines? The answers received were -
- we are great architects! But then, bees are amazing architects too..., so, answer disqualified!!
- we are social beings! But then, even ants colonize and make their own societies..., so, answer disqualified!!
- we have a language! But then, birds, bees, animals... all have their own language..., so, answer disqualified!!
- we make homes! But then, birds make nests, lions mark their territories..., so, answer disqualified!!
- we make our food! But then, animals like 'take out' just like some of us :)..., so, answer disqualified!!
What is it that makes us different? We recollected what we learnt last week - 'Only in human life we have an exit door, to break the cycle of birth and death!' It is our intelligence to discriminate right vs wrong that gives us the opportunity to open this door. These samskaara-s help us purify that thought process.
We learnt BG verses till 55. Below is the recording for 51-55.
Our 9th graders did a great job making the Thanksgiving bags for HomeFront. We listened to a few stories to make sense of why we are giving and the attitude with which we should be giving -
- Karna or Arjuna - who is the greatest giver? - story
- Paid in full with a glass of milk - story
- Coffee on the wall - story
- few real-life experiences some of us shared
This is an amazing group of kids! Please ask them to share more details about these topics.
Attached are some pics from that day. Check out the beautiful cards they have made!
No Bala Vihar for the next two weekends. Have a nice Thanksgiving break. See you in December.
Regards,
Rashmi and Sitaram.
Rashmi and Sitaram.
