Hari OM! Parents,
Thank you parents. For the last 2 weeks in a row we have been having very good attendance in our class
This week we chanted and meditated on Lord Shiva using the the vedic manta Namaste astu bhagavan…
We all chanted Trayambakam Yajamahe… for one of our children’s father. He is undergoing a surgery soon
We chanted and revised verse 61 and 62 from Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita. We also chanted along with our Pujya Swami Ji verse 63 and 64 from the same chapter
Our class is still in the lead of having sent the most verses in recordings in Friday PM session
The last recording of 8 verses has earned us 44 points for Grade 9. 11 points have been awarded to each of the four Houses.
Congratulations to the children. Keep it up and keep practicing!
For this week our curriculum was on the Great Declarations which are also called Mahavakyas
We taught that there is one declaration in each of the 4 Vedas
We taught the same like a story in 4 parts:
1. The student approaches the teacher, with an attitude of surrender, the teacher gives a objective definition of Brahman, The Supreme Being, Prajnanam Brahma from the Rig Veda
Discussed the meaning as, the Supreme Consciousness is Brahman. Here the student is asked to contemplate and understand that al living beings down to the a blade of grass are all expressions of the same Consciousness or Brahman.
2. Then the teacher declares to the student, Tat Tvam Asi, which is from the Sama Veda
Discussed the meaning, as that Brahman is not somewhere far away, but right here to be experienced by me every moment in my life
3. The student understands this only intellectually. He meditates on what his teacher has said, in solitude
Discussed the 3rd declaration made by the teacher, Ayam-Atma-Brahma, from the Atharva veda
4. The student tries to understand and mediate what the teacher says
Finally after long periods of meditation in solitude he declares “Aham Brahma Asmi”, from Yajur Veda
Discussed what the student declared: “I am that Brahman”
We will be discussing more about the declarations in our coming classes
Did a story on how to shift the focus from the world of objects to the lord behind all the objects
The story was about the famous painting “The Last supper” painted by Leonardo da vinci
Why it took him 4 years for a great painter like him to complete the painting. Leonardo’s mind was filled with negative emotion such as hatred. Only when he shifted his mind from hatred to forgiveness and to the lord he could complete the famous painting
Again stressed why Ishta Devata upasana or meditation is important. Told the children to practice meditation on their favorite Lord everyday at their home
Started our play practice in the class
Announcements:
Please register your children for Shlokathon (includes all shlokas from single verse shlokas to Sahasranamas!)
Shlokathon link - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15YOqRECSsKrXGq4kbVmcmW_cvzAasQriR3jSq3Vg3CU/edit?ts=5c0bba88
Registration form for storytelling
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAulpPmVPaEIDQnm6oopfYP2vEsFA3eDRbktDtge84RFLdAg/viewform?usp=sf_link
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAulpPmVPaEIDQnm6oopfYP2vEsFA3eDRbktDtge84RFLdAg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Registration form for Art competition https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvftCv8wEfW10HwC24epdZ3gJTosvyk35173clqXoeTbDwqg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Pranams,
Nirmala and Purnima
