September 18/19, 2010

Transcription

1 Date Topic Annual CM D/ Aug. 28/ September 4/5, 2010 Introductions Closed for Labor Day September 11/12, 2010 (Ganesh Chaturthi Puja) September 18/19, 2010 September 25/26, 2010

2 October 2/3, 2010 October 0910, 2010 October 16/17, 2010 (Saraswati Puja) October 23/24, 2010

3 October 30/31, 2010 November 06/07, 2010 November 23/14, 2010 (Diwali Celebration - Laxmi Puja) November 20/21, 2010 November 27/28, 2010 December 04/05, 2010 Thanksgiving Break December 11/12, 2010

4 December 18/19, 2010 December 25/26, 2010 January 01/02, 2011 January 08/09, 2011 Winter Break Winter Break Sadhana Day for Teachers January 15/16, 2011 January 22/23, 2011 January 29/30, 2011

5 February 05/06, 2011 February 12/13, 2011 February 19/20, 2011 February 28/27, 2011 March 05/06, 2011 (Shivaratri Puja) March 12/13, 2011

6 March 19/20, 2011 March 28/27, 2011 (Ramanavami Puja) April 02/03, 2011 April 09/10, 2011 April 16/17, 2011 Saturday, April 23, 2011 Sunday, April 24,2011 Picnic/Walkathon April 30/May 01, 2010 May 07/08, 2010 Gurdev's Jayanti/Mother's Day May 14/15, 2010 Graduation, Grade 12 May 21/22, 2010 Summarize

7 l Lesson Plan /FW Balavihar Grade xx Topic Introductions. Orientation and introduction Discuss the overall theme. Distribute the goals sheet and collect input from kids on what they wish to learn in class over the year. Art of Living Essentially a tool kit for intelligent living. Start planning and practicing for bhajan performance day is 26th Sept for Saaket kids. Closed for Labor Day (Ganesh Chaturthi Puja) Introduce concept of Japa. Determine an appropriate method to do this during beginning of class every week. This needs to be done every week. Define Art of Living - Why is living an art vs. a science. Have the students establish this through discussion. Perhaps a debate since it is such a strong talent? Establish Purpose of Life Here the discussion on (Chap. 1, 2, 5) Have kids establish a high level definition (any activity around this will make it more fun). Find all the common points across this list. Funny thing is, it probably is similar across all kids regardless of which part of the world they live in. Hopes, aspirations and dreams of 16/17 year olds world wide would be similar. Discussions around this topic would be around: Goals Where we are today and where we wish to be. Freedom and license (Chap. 1) Art of right contact (Chap. 2) Freedom is built Intelligent selfrestraint and discipline. Bhajan practice Freedom vs License With true freedom comes responsibility and rules of engagement that gives lasting joy. Freedom and License continued: How can we find freedom within rules? Are rules necessary? The set of rules that guide society's actions are the nation's laws and regulations. From a Vedantic perspective these laws equate to Religion or Dharma- the set of scriptural pointers that (are supposed to) guide our behaviors. Practice Bhajan. The inevitability of Action (Chap.5)Actions - How much of this we have control over. Try to tie these back to the goals as well. The inevitability of action One must act. There is no choice here. A great resource on this topic is swamijis yagna Prasad on Karma Yoga from his Bhagavad Gita lectures. This is available on the website. What is the origin of an action? What is the lifecycle of an action? (Have a timeline/diagram) What drives us to do things? What determines the quality of the action? What determines the quality of the action? Why do same actions differ coming from different people? Bring back license and freedom to explain how actions can be different when driven by diverse reasons. Difference between actions coming from great saints is the way they do the same common tasks that we also do. What is the differentiating factor in how they do simple things? What matters is not what we do, the glory of the endeavour lies in how we do it. Productive work vs. non-productive work. (The topic on action is quite extensive. You may need to spend more than one week on th

8 Paradox of Living (chap 17) Why is it important to acquire the correct values in life. Acknowledge and analyze how man seems to have acquired all materialistic things, yet experiences no peace. Logic of spirituality by Gurudev is a great DVD to start watching. The advancement of the western cultures with great material comforts offered does not seem to give lasting joy. The eastern cultures spent a lot of time on the science of life. The great sages researched inwards and recorded their findings (scriptures). Tested solutions for lasting peace! The dignity of man lies in living up to his own convictions at all times. Brahmacharya Ahimsa Satya The Dual Paths Everything looks cool now but may be impossible to handle it s effect down the road. Shreya marga Preya marga Nachiketa's story from Kathopanishad Story focuses on the path of Good v/s Pleasant in light of dharmic actions - offering the BEST during yagnas, honoring parents' word (even if they uttered "Go to Hell"), taking care of parents is one's foremost duty, doing good for the community that nurtured you, and finally focusing on knowledge of the Self. Self knowledge: "purifies", it is "Power", purification = distinguishing rigth v/s wrong, truth v/s untruth, real v/s unreal, change v/s unchangeable, etc. Compared it with life situations wherein we also have the choice of choosing the path good v/s pleasant at every step, and failure to listen to the inner voice from the intellect pushes us on the path of pleasant. Kids knew the two paths and said that "Preyas" and "pleasant" both start with "P" whereas "Shreyas" word has "shree" in it, which means pure and auspiscious!!! The Dual Path (Chap. 8) Origin = Kathopanishad. Teachings can t get more authentic!!! Key to Happiness Activity Balance Sheet. Chart out how the paths differ in terms of traction; person; world; energy; and personality Group discussion: Ask each group to analyze the balance sheet Which of those characteristics is THE key to happiness? Realize that each response is right. There are multiple means to reach the same goal. Do not place the key to your happiness in anyone else's pocket!!! Origin of actions Why do people react differently to a given situation? From where do actions originate? Activity Development Cycle (Sequencing words). Game of life by Guruji is a great book. Define type of workers. Laborers, Sevaks, Leaders, Saints. Why do same actions coming from great people have much more impact? Simple things done by great people are different because? Start discussing the BMI chart. o Vasanas >> Thoughts >> Agitations >> Words >> Actions >> Habits >> Tendencies >> Character >> Personality

9 Classification of Actions (Karma) as ordained by Vedas (i) Nitya Karma (Daily/Obligatory duties) e.g. our responsibilities in the particular role we play - as a child, parent, teacher, etc. (ii) Naimitya Karma (Special occasion duties) e.g. during festivals, or our responsibilities during Graduation ceremony! (iii) Nishiddha Karma (Forbidden actions) e.g. lying, stealing, non-veg. food, etc. (4) What prompts actions (Vasanas >> Thoughts >> Words >> Actions >> Habits >> Tendencies... sequence) (5) Upadesh Saram: The first two verses point out the inert nature of action, and the law of nature that guarantees the fruit for every act. We then saw how events in our current life relates to actions of our past lifetimes. For example, Gurudev's grace of taking all of us under the umbrella of Chinmaya Mission must certainly be a result of a lot of punya (good karma) acquired over prior lives! By the same token, facing unpleasant situations is the fruit of our past actions. In any case, the key to ensuring our future events is to recognize and live by the current actions. It is indeed tempting to get away with not-so-noble actions, but then we m In depth launch into BMI. Use Gurudev's logic of spirituality extensively. (Diwali Celebration - Laxmi Puja) Discussion on Vasanas How they manifest in our BMI The mind-and-intellect constitutes the essence of the human personality. Discussion on Body Mind and Intellect (BMI) Path to perfection (Chap. 13) Harmony of existence (Chap. 10) Paths to salvation Bhakti yoga Gynana yoga Karma Yoga Hatha yoga Problem is because of the perception when istinction between the nija swaroopa and bhavane (altered condition) are understood clearly, problems are not real. The solution to the problems of life therefore, lies in streamlining our experiences. Recognizing the Gunas and characteristics The three gunas Sattwa Rajas Tamas Activity Guna Circle Learn to identify these gunas and categories Gyana (Knowledge), Karma action), Karta (doer), Buddhi (intellect), Dhriti (fortitude) and Sukha (happiness) have shades of gunas. Pass out sentence strips and have children categorize the gunas. Reinforce that each one of us has a combination of all 3 at all times. Right combination with each guna manifesting at the right time is the key to success. Divinity Factors that influence actions How thoughts and the food we consume influence us. Who am I? What is a thought? Path to Divinity (Chap. 25) Discuss how desires veil the divinity within us. Thanksgiving Break Difference between mind and the intellect? Like isomers. Same faculty performing two functions. Continuous flow of thoughts is the mind. Nature of the mind is fluid, non-stop thoughtsm no control. The mind is an instrument of feelings and emotions while the intellect is the one, which discriminates, and judges. The four distinct states Manassu(mind) Buddhi (intellect) Ahankara (ego) Chitta (memory) Fundamentals of vedanta (Chap. 27, pg 91-92) Activity Express the subtle differences in thought manifestations seen in Manah, Buddhi, Chittah, Ahankar. Power of a mantra and how it energizes us. By conserving that energy, it can be used for constructive purposes. This was followed by a discussion on thought = vritti; self-willed thoughts through japa (versus unwilled thoughts that sway us); Pravitti - the thought that goes OUT into the world of objects versus nivritti - the thought that goes IN towards introspection.

10 Discussion on Vasanas How they manifest in our BMI The mind-and-intellect constitutes the essence of the human personality. Discussion on Body Mind and Intellect (BMI) Path to perfection (Chap. 13) Harmony of existence (Chap. 10) Paths to salvation Bhakti yoga Gynana yoga Karma Yoga Hatha yoga Problem is because of the perception when istinction between the nija swaroopa and bhavane (altered condition) are understood clearly, problems are not real. The solution to the problems of life therefore, lies in streamlining our experiences. Purushartha vs. Prarabdha. Three main yogas prescribed for washing out our vasanas. As we clean a white cloth with stains (clorox, bleach etc) we need to use the prescribed saadhana margas to cleanse ourselves in deed, thought and action. Recap from the previous class.discussion on Friendship (and the effect of Satsanga) Very Important. Proposed Activity - The Logic Behind the Magic. Three clear glasses were filled with water. One glass had a lot of dirt in it, the second one had a little dirt and the third one was absolutely clear. A tealight was projected from behind each of the three glasses to see how clearly the "inner light" shone from each of the glasses. Recognize the dirt = vasanas / gunas and the inner light as the consciousness that enlivens each one of us. How can actions be used for purification such that we are as clear as can be! Break up into 4 groups discuss how "Divinity", "Detachment", "Dedication" and "Dharma" relate to purifying actions. Act we Must. So why not perform actions and face consequences intelligently?!!! Start planning and discussion on how to handle graduation. Discuss theme, analyze tasks, roles and responsibilities. Every class should have some time dedicated for this in the following weeks. Synchronized Efforts = Success = Happiness Success in life lies in one s own bosom; not in the world outside; and religion provides the access to it. The secret of success (Chap. 6) How energy is dissipated due to loss of focus Choose and dedicate actions to an ideal Align Manah (thought), Krama (deeds) and Vachana (words) and offer these to the ideal. Tuning external and internal worlds Harmony Happiness is measured by the tranquility of one s own mind. The Joy of living (Chap. 4) Harmony and poise (Chap. 18) When do you experience moments of peace, tranquility and silence? Every element has a predominant guna at a given time, and hence our thoughts/deeds/actions are dictated as being Satwa Rajas Tamas accordingly. Go with the flow of nature and capitalize on the gunas = For example, early morning when the Satvic guna is high, we ought to do our puja, japa, meditation. During daytime our rajasic qualities will push us to work actively; and at night when the tamasic quality is high, we naturally feel lazy, tired and sleepy. However, the stress is caused when we work against this natural tendency and end up staying up working late at night, and then sleeping through the day! New vocabulary: Tri-gunatmic: Don't get bound by the 3 (tri) gunas. Get over them. For e.g How to assess our natural tendencies it is likely that most of us do NOT have a natural inclination for being a janitor but then we also realized that if this was a "duty" or a respon

11 Mastering the Mind The secret of success behind all men of achievement lies in their faculty of applying the intellect in all their activities without being mislead by any surging emotions or feelings master the mind and you will master the world. Mind and Man (Chap. 12) The play of the mind (Chap. 16) RRR o Receive sensory input >> relay to intellect >> React per instructions. o Breakdown = Misguidance o Superimposition + Judgment = Indian Elephant!!! (story of different people describing the elephant as different objects. Mind always goes down the memory lane to identify an object/situation. If it is something new then the intellect is confused. Mind always wants to attach an experience to a memory. Herein comes the play of the gunas, vasanas, and the memory. We do not experience the 'experience' as it comes. Purity in action can be experienced when we can drop the baggage associated with our memories from our past experiences. What is dharma? The objects of the world present to us a false glitter of joy. The secret of success in life lies in keeping one s head above the storms of the heart. The experiencer, the entity experienced and the relationship between the two. Man s heritage (Chap. 3) Where is peace (Chap. 9) Explore what is Dharma o Natural state of Being o Roles o Responsibilities o In each situation assess our roles, and responsibilities. o If your thoughts, deeds and actions are consistent with your dharma you will be atease o Anything else = dis-ease. Continue to talk more on Swadharma. What is our 'Swadharma'? What is my inner nature? When man s control over nature far exceeds his control over his own inner nature, an imbalance is created in the society. The sacred and the secular (Chap. 7) Continue to explore what is NOT our natural state. o Activity Who am I? o Anything that interferes with my natural state of being content and happy should be dropped. Balancing BMI Vitals of a nation (Chap. 21) Activity Group Discussion o What does balancing BMI mean? o When imbalanced, how is it reflected in our lives? o Where can we learn various means and ways to balance? o Who is authorized to train you in this balancing act? o How does this relate to our ultimate goal of Self-Realization? Texture of mind In the world today, we have forgotten to nurture mind to understand inner personality. It is necessary to put forth our efforts in the direction indicated by the scriptures to enable us to grow inwardly and help in bringing about a progressive & healthy society. Personality rehabilitation (Chap. 11) o Activity Reflected Consciousness o One Consciousness expressed as many o Body is a dwelling for soul o Gross intellect to understand outer world; subtle intellect to understand inner soul o Religion is a mirror to man s real inner nature o Nothing wrong with mirror dust accumulated due to lack of regular cleansing! Hence images are distorted and hazy Evolution of human progress Discover the Eternal law of all laws the Knowledge of all knowledge. Science and religion (Chap. 19) o Philosophy is far ahead of science. o Rat Race; Ladder are you on the right one?!!!! o Where do you want to reach? o What and where is Home? Again Logic of Spirituality. Religion begins where science ends.

12 What are vasanas? Looking back into our past, we are helpless victims of our past actions but looking ahead we become architects of our own future. Mechanism of action (Chap. 14) o Nature of Vasanas how does a pristine impression become a vasana? (Attachment, classification mine-not Mine) o This birth has been taken to exhaust the vasanas, but we end up creating more blueprints by multiplying those o Activity Introspection Identify and trace your traits, actions, habits, etc. Observation and Awareness Having taken the human embodiment, would it not be suicidal to lead a life in this world, abandoning the great capacity inherent in them? What makes a man (Chap. 23) Rise above instinct and animalistic behavior. Key is to live a life responsibly. Alwyas know why you are doing what you are doing... o Developing awareness Breath observation o Observe the observer 3 levels: Egoistic, not-i; I am Supreme Consciousness o E.g - Viewing traffic outside on Saaket from different levels. Right next to the road, from inside Saaket, and standing on top of Saaket? What is the difference? Clarity and vision comes with identification with your role with regard to the macro level. Universal Rhythm Cosmos v/s Chaos What one meets in life is destiny and how one meets is self-effort. The law of karma is important limb of religion. Religion provides a scientific formula for right living. Law of Karma (Chap. 15) o Cosmic vision shows us that we ARE expressions of Supreme Consciousness o Restricted view makes our lives a chaos, not a cosmos o Activity Group Consciousness. Need several kids for the activity - have all kids blindfolded. Instruct them to stand and sit on a chair for a period of time. Do a few rounds. As they get into the activity and the spirit notice how they are more and more synchronized. Why? How? Knowledge is power Only when you know how to use it and more importantly - how to use it appropriately When the equipment is discarded and we go into the next cycle of birth-n-death, how does the jiva determine what dress to wear next lifetime? o Based on your papa/punya actions you acquire a score o Jiva will assume a body and place itself in a circumstance that will let the score to be settled (see attached image) o If you acquire points again in the next lifetime (via attachments) you will have to take more births to settle those scores. o Choice is yours - continue in this rut of birth/death cycles, or realize the Self and get liberated. Understand the makeup of our body. The different koshas. Annamya, pranamaya, manonmaya, vignayanmaya, and anandamaya. Chapter 27. Understanding our equipment will equip us better. Differences between the experience, experiencer, and the object of the experience. Where does true happiness lie? A clear understanding of these three is necessary. Use the various paths prescribed to reach the goal. All paths lead us to the same final goal. The key is to understand oneself and the equipment given to learn your strengths and hidden talents. This needs to be put to good use to make our journey to our goal a pleasant one. The key is the find happiness as we walk the path. Graduation - final prep. Graduation - final prep. Open House and farewell.