Here is this week's update.
Week 9 :
3rd December 2022 / 9:15 AM
Opening prayers and Shlokas
Slokas: Class began with 3 OMs followed by
"Vakratunda Mahakaya" (page 27 in My Prayers book)
"Gurur Brahma" (page 60 in My Prayers book)
"Krishnaya Vasudevaya" (page 105 in My Prayers book)
Krishnashtakam : We practised the first six shlokas and learnt the seventh shloka
Gokula wakes up to the cries of the newborn baby at Nanda and Yashoda's house. Everyone is rejoicing in the birth of little Krishna. People are decorating their houses with flower garlands and flags. All the Gopas(cowherd men) wear new clothes. The gopis wear their best and brightest dresses and they all go to Nanda's house with many many gifts, including milk, butter and curd. They are all eager to see the baby and hold him. Everyone is singing, dancing and rejoicing.
While this is going on, Kamsa, finds out from his spies that a baby is born in Gokula and he is determined to kill the baby. He sends a rakshasi, Putana for the job. Putana disguises herself as a beautiful gopi and mixes with the crowd. She takes baby Krishna into her hands, and starts playing with him and when no one is looking, sneaks away from there. Her plan is to feed the baby poison and kill him. She starts feeding him poisonous milk. She feels slightly guilty doing this wrong act of trying to kill a baby, but continues as it's the King's order. Soon, Putana is choking and getting suffocated, and falls down dead. Yashoda ma, who comes out looking for Krishna, is stunned to find him playing next to the dead rakshasi. She runs to him, picks him up and hugs him. The villagers burn the dead rakshasi, and surprisingly, the fumes that came out have a fragrance in them. The Kind Lord had forgiven her and liberated her.
Kamsa, who heard this news, sends Trinavarta, another rakshasa, to kill the baby. Trinavarta comes to Gokul as a sand storm or a tornado, that can sweep away the heaviest of objects. Ma Yashoda is sitting with Krishna in her lap. Suddenly she realizes that the baby is growing heavier and heavier, until she could not hold him any longer. She puts him down and frightened, runs to call the villagers. In the meantime, Trinavarta attacks with all his might as a swirling tornado. He lifts Krishna high up into the air. Krishna catches Trinavarta by his throat. Trinavarta is choking and in pain and falls to the ground dead. The dust settles and the air clears. Yashoda runs to Krishna and holds him hard.
Today's lesson - 24 Teachers
Like always, we started with a riddle : -
I am round but not always around,
Sometimes I'm light, sometimes I'm dark, sometimes I'm both,
Sometimes I'm whole, sometimes I'm not, sometimes a glimpse of me is all you'll get,
Everyone wants to step on me but few got chance
The kids were quick to guess this one.
Today's teacher was the Moon.
We began with a short story about how the Moon asked her mom to design and stitch her a nightgown. Upon that request, Moon's mom responds saying that she's unable to tailor a suitable size nightgown for her, as she is constantly changing. We went on to discuss if the moon was actually constantly changing or does it appear to be constantly changing.
We then went into a story, "This Too Shall Pass". It was about how Oscar was a traveller and had observed in a small town a man pulling a heavy load on a cart to be delivered to a factory. When he asked the man why he was doing the job of a bull, he responded saying, "This too shall pass". On another occasion, several years later, visiting the same town, Oscar saw the same man had become the factory owner. When he approached and congratulated that man, he said, "This too shall pass". The king of that town had grown old, had no children and gave his elephant a garland to choose the next king. The elephant chose the factory owner to be king. And he told the kingdom that, "this too shall pass". Many years later, Oscar visited the same town and was stunned to see that it had been devastated by an earthquake. Saddened by the scene, he told himself, "This too shall pass"!!! We then discussed that we should accept change and not be highly elated or perturbed in any situation.
"I will eat this chocolate yesterday". This quote was shown on the screen. We had a discussion about how it is impossible to make sense of it! The kids actively participated. "Now" is the only time you have to accomplish anything. We then discussed Gurudev's famous quote:
'Everyday is bursting with opportunities for us to do and to serve, to express, to love, and to live. We must make use of these lush chances and diligently make our life rich, fruitful, and useful for others at all times.
"Today belongs to us..
Yesterday was..
Tomorrow will be..
Only today belongs to us
So, let's do our best today"
-Swami Chinmayananda
Circumstances that we face are changing like the phases of the moon, sometimes happy like the full moon and other times not so happy like the new moon. Everyone goes through this cycle. We discussed various cycles and scenarios. We then went into a discussion of how we should not try to attempt the impossible. Like a black dog owner giving his dog multiple bubble baths trying to change him into a white dog. If our happiness relies on things that are changing, we are bound to be unhappy when they change. Enjoy things when they are there. We concluded the Moon, with some Gratitude time, sort of like the season...Thanksgiving!!
What should we do when circumstances are like the full moon? We should thank God for giving us this good time. We should thank all the people for bringing this good time in our life. What should we do when the circumstances are like the new moon? We should thank God for bad times, as we will be able to appreciate what people go through during tough times. It will make us sensitive to other people's needs.
