Oct 1, 2023 - Grade 4 (Sunday AM)

Hari OM Dear Families,

Here is this week's update.

Week 4:

1st October 2022 / 9:15 AM

Opening prayers and Shlokas

Slokas: Class began with 3 OMs followed by

"Om Saha Navavatu" (page 8 in My Prayers book)

Om shrI Ganeśaya Namaha,  shrI Saraswatyai Namaha,  shrI Sat Gurubhyo Namaha.

"Vakratunda Mahakaya" (page 27 in My Prayers book)

"Saraswathi Namastubhyam" (page 12 in My Prayers book)

"Gurur Brahma" (page 60 in My Prayers book)

"Krishnaya Vasudevaya" (page 105 in My Prayers book)

Krishnashtakam - we continued learning with the third shloka.

Kutilaalaka samyuktam - Poornachandra nibhaananam - Vilasath kundaladharam devam - Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

Meaning : One with dark curly hair and the face like the full moon with his ear drops shining, salutations to the teacher of the universe.

Today's Lesson :My 24 Teachers

We had introduced this teacher last week through a riddle.

I'm free flowing, You can't catch me, you can't live without me either. you can't see me, but I'm in and through you. What am I ?

Answer : AIR

We continued the lesson in today's class.

Air by itself is ever pure and unattached. Whether it moves over a rose garden or a dumpster, it never holds on to anything. Air teaches us not to get attached. Air wanders around everywhere. Just like air, we wander around and mingle with a lot of different people. Learning from the air, we should take only what is necessary and should not pick up any bad habits from others and never forget our goal. 

We then briefly discussed goals, having goals, making goals and setting up plans to reach those goals. We then had a short story about a 15 year old John Goddard, who made a lifetime goals list, that contained 127 goals and at the age of 87, was able to complete 109 of them. 

Air teaches us to be pure and uncontaminated by the surroundings. Air within us teaches us to eat only what we need to keep the body nourished. Air is a symbol of non attachment and purity. Moving in the world of good and bad, one should not be affected or influenced by them. We discussed that we don't carry everything around with us everywhere. Hence we try to detach. It's good to share some of our things with people who don't have any, instead of holding on to too many things. 

There was some singing in the class today. One of the kids sang a verse from Mahishasura Mardini sthotram that she is learning at home, and another kid led the practice of our house bhajan, "Hey Murali Shridhara". It was very nice to hear them sing. 

Today was a short class, and we all assembled in the temple hall for the house inaugural assembly. It was lovely to see all the children in their group color, singing the group bhajan, waving the group flag and doing the group activity!

We look forward to seeing the kids in the next class.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you and Hari OM

Neelima & Rekha