Hari OM Dear Families,
Here is this week's update.
Week : 23
21st Apr 2024 / 9:15AMClass 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)
"Saraswati Namastubhyam" (page 12 in My Prayers book)
"Gurur Brahma" (page 60 in My Prayers book)
"Neelaam buja" & "SriRama Rama rameti" (page 129 My prayers book)
We did a meditation session with OM background.
Vibheeshan Geeta (Key to Success)
Today's topic- EEsha bhajan Sarathy sujaana- The charioteer.
Devotion to God is the intelligent Charioteer. An intelligent charioteer is the one with a pure intellect. Love is the greatest motivational force that keeps pushing us forward. Devotion to the Lord is the pushing force. The Love towards the Lord is Bhakthi. Love towards materialistic things is attachment (Raaga)
The charioteer symbolizes devotion to God. Devotion to God is not only very important but it helps us realize that we don't carry the burden of worries. We should always do our best but never forget that God is the one that leads us to our destiny. Krishna was the charioteer for Arjuna, one of the greatest warriors of Mahabharata but he had utmost devotion and faith in Krishna, the lord himself. Hence his confusions about fighting his own relatives were cleared by the Lord Himself leading him to victory!
The charioteer symbolizes devotion to God. Devotion to God is not only very important but it helps us realize that we don't carry the burden of worries. We should always do our best but never forget that God is the one that leads us to our destiny. Krishna was the charioteer for Arjuna, one of the greatest warriors of Mahabharata but he had utmost devotion and faith in Krishna, the lord himself. Hence his confusions about fighting his own relatives were cleared by the Lord Himself leading him to victory!
Stories discussed- The priest and the milkman, who from these two had more bhakthi bhava in fulfilling their duties. The milkman had full faith and bhakthi that he walked across the river to fetch milk to the priest at the right time to complete the pooja. The jealous priest could not even put one foot on the water as his full bhakthi lacked.
In another story, Naradha wanted to prove his pure bhakthi for Narayana than Hanuman ji and both started to play veena and sing. Hanuman ji's singing and playing was so divine and had no pause and the continuity was filled with sweetness but whereas Naradha was burning with jealousy and his presentation lacked bhakthi and he had to agree that he had lost to Hanuman ji when all the strings of the veena broke.
Having bhakthi bhava with full heart leads to the path of moksha and reaches God directly, that's the power of sarathy who could easily navigate through any turbulence on the way and take us to the Lord's feet.
The Shield - Dispassion/Detachment (Birati): Passion, the development of an interest or a liking can be towards something on a lower level or a higher level. A passion for something higher can inspire us to work hard and achieve great things. If we want to stay happy, keep the shield of dispassion or detachment in front of us. The attitude of "I have it, but I don't own it" is the key to withstand the detachment. An example would be, your beautiful beach vacation home which faces the dancing waves. You enjoy until your vacation time and that's your booked resort and you don't own it for yourself and you leave happily on the day of the end of the vacation, instead if you claim it's your cottage, this is absurd! This art, if you learn, this method, this value you cultivate within, wherever you go.., you'll be free. Recognizing that happiness is within us and not in the objects that we seek, we develop dispassion in our lives.
The Sword- Santosa (contentment) "There is enough in the world for our needs, but there is never enough for our greed".
"I wanted 20 things, but I got 12 things, I'm happy!"
"I wanted 20 things, but I got 12 things, I'm happy!"
"I wanted 20 things, but I got ONLY 12 things, I'm happy but I didn't get it all"- Both these statements do convey different sense, one is non materialistic (No Raaga) and the other is materialistic (raaga, attachment in abundance) Sri Rama tells Vibhisana, "my sword is santhosa ; I cut the world with happiness, I can go and wield the sword happily" Do we need reasons to be happy? We have enough and more reasons to be happy, always!
Pujya Gurdev was content just to taste only three dishes during Chappan Bhoga at one of the govardhan pooja celebrations, even though devotees wanted him to try everything offered.
Stories discussed- The barber and 12 pots of gold, where he lost his happiness and was so attached to his materialistic mind in earning for the 12th pot to be filled with gold. In the process, he became so poor but tried to be richer going the wrong path without being honest.
We practiced for our upcoming grade presentation.
The date is May 5th.
The stage (rehearsal) practice is scheduled on 5/4 at 5 pm until 6.30.
Our next class - 4/28/24, we will continue our class presentation practice.
Please don't absent yourself.
Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have.
Hari OM
Prarthana Gururaj and Vidhya Aiyer
