Hari om everyone,
Here's the synopsis of our class this week. We started the class with meditation. We then went on to learn Ch. 4, Bhagavadgeeta chanting. We have learned until verse 10 now.
Our Kyun Kyun (QQ - Quirky Question) of the day was - what is it that is always coming but never arriving?!
Ans: Tomorrow! Tomorrow never comes. So, we need to do what we need to do, here and now! :).
We started class with a scenario of doting parents... When the baby was small, parents said, 'My baby smiled!' Some months later, they said, 'My baby started crawling!' Then, 'my baby started talking, walking, jumping, dancing, etc....' Fast forward a few years later, the parents said, 'My baby is done with High School and going to college now!' Fast forward a few more years, and they will say, 'My baby is having his/her own baby!!'
We: Oh my! No matter what time and era, they just kept saying 'My baby, my baby...!!' Well..., could they attribute what the baby did to someone else?! Obviously not! Do we all agree?
They: Of course! It was the same baby. So as and when the baby grew and did new things, they attributed it to that baby!
We: Ah ha! That's right!! A question was raised last class - "Then, now or later, whatever is there, everything is attributed to God! Why is that?!" Just as naturally as whatever the baby did at any age is attributed to that baby, anything in the creation IS and CAN only be attributed to God!!
Why?
Because, the shaastras (vedas, upanishats, gita, etc.) say so!
So what if they say? Why should we believe?!
Because, 'in science, we see proof first and believe later. Whereas in philosophy, we believe first and then look for proof/understanding!!' This is called 'shaastre shraddhaa' (faith in philosophy). Shaastras were not written by any human. They came directly from great seers who 'saw' the reality from their seats of meditation. Hence CANNOT be refuted. We have to have faith in those words and then arrive at the realization ourselves.
Just as our destination doesn't change due to detours on the road, our faith in the words of the shaastra has to be undeterred. Our mind has to marinate in these thoughts with unshakeable faith. That is the only way to realize the truth about God!
It is said, 'Where Science ends, Shaastra (philosophy) begins!' Something to keep in mind.
After this, we started to review the story of Mahaabhaarata in a fun question-answer pattern. We have reviewed up until the swayamvara of the 3 princesses - Amba, Ambika, and Ambaalika.
We will continue this in the next class.
For now, we will leave you with this thought -
See you on Sunday.
Regards,
Rashmi and Sirisha.
Rashmi and Sirisha.
