December 16th Class

Beginning Prayers:

• 'om' chanting - 3 times
• meditation
• shuklaambaradharam, saraswati namastubhyam, gururbrahma

gitaa chanting:

• 13th adhyaaya 1- 8 shlokas

hanumaan shlokas/bhajans:

• buddhirbalam
• hanumaan chaalIsa 1-15 chaupas

Brain Storming:

• What is seva
• Why should we be kind and what does kindness do to the world

Story time:

• Video - Kindness boomerang - life vest inside - One day (song)

Activity:

• making breakfast baskets for TASK - seva project
• making cards to accompany the breakfast baskets
• PS check

Ending Prayers:

• sarvebhavantu sukhinaH
• pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
• aarati and pledge

Comments:

Rashmi Aunty and Prajna didi:

Today was an especially special day at our class!  We did our initial prayers, meditation, gItaa chanting and hanumaan chaalIsa.  After that, we spoke about the seva project, for which we'd raised money.  We shared ideas about why we were doing this project.  We spoke about the importance of sharing what we are so fortunate to have.  Then, was the brainstorming session regarding kindness and its effects on us and as well as those around us.  Our awesome group came up with such wonderful thoughts that we couldn't believe they are little second graders!!  To establish how a little act of kindness cheers us the receiver and inspires him to pass on the kindness and how that little act boomerangs back to the initiator when in need, we watched our video in class!  There was pin-drop silence for those few minutes while watching the video :).  After that.... it was a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas from all!!  We the began putting together the bags, with all those good thoughts running in the minds.  We packed each bag with breakfast items for two people - cereal boxes, cereal bars, milk boxes, fruit cups, napkins, spoons, bowls.  Most important of all, the children made beautiful, thoughtful and heartfelt cards to accompany the bags.  They decorated them with sequence, colorful drawing and warm messages :).  We were so touched by the way they expressed their love and thoughtfulness in those cards.  Each one was so artistically and beautifully decorated!  We are so pleased that their love shall brighten someone's morning for sure!!

We had a few parent volunteers who came to our class to help us out with this project.  We can't thank them enough not only for their time, but their involvement and participation in the activity.  So, parents, once again, our sincere thanks to you for all the help in class today.  With such parents, no wonder we have such smart, kind and diligent children!!  Isn't that why we say, 'this class rocks' :).

We wrapped up the class with our ending prayers and parted for the winter break.  Have a happy time, celebrating the New Year.  We will see you all in 3 weeks.  

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Madhuri Aunty and Shilpa Aunty:

Hari Om

December 9th class

Beginning Prayers:

• 'om' chanting - 3 times
• meditation
• shuklaambaradharam, saraswati namastubhyam, gururbrahma

gitaa chanting:

• 13th adhyaaya 1- 6 shlokas

hanumaan shlokas/bhajans:

• buddhirbalam
• hanumaan chaalIsa 1-12 chaupas

Brain Storming:

• Who is a messenger
• What is kumati and sumati

Story time:

• swallowing of the Sun (becoming hanumaan)
• who is anjani-putra/kesari-nandana/pavana-kumaara
• anjani's (punjisthalaa's) curse - curse/boon
• qualities of a messenger

Activity:

• Are you a good messenger
• PS check

Ending Prayers:

• sarvebhavantu sukhinaH
• pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
• aarati and pledge

Comments:

Rashmi Aunty and Prajna didi:

Looks like good progress in the gItaa chanting practice.  We had the kids rolling till the 4th verse all by themselves today!  We have worked on the next 2 verses as well.  Learnt few more new verse in hanumaan chaalIsa.  During story time, we learnt the meanings for a lot of words in hanumaan chaalIsa. We learnt that anjani-putra means devI anjanI's son.  We heard about the story of how punjisthalaa had disturbed the penance of a sage with monkey like pranks and was cursed to be born as a monkey.  When she realized her mistake, she did penance for Lord shiva and turned her curse into a boon.  The Lord promised to be born as her son and redeem her birth as a monkey.  Hence, Lord shiva was born as hanumaan.  His divine father was pavana, the Lord of wind and hence the name pavana-kumara.  His earthly father was kesarI, a very courageous monkey.  kesarI-nandana means kesarI's son, and one who made kesarI happy.  We spoke about what makes one a nandana(boy)/nandinI(girl).  We had a check list for that too.   The children came up with the idea that they want it put up on the blog so they can print it!  So here it is.  Click here to print the nandana/nandinI check list.
We then spoke about the many stories regarding kumati (bad intellect) and sumati (good intellect).  We saw how a jealous neighbor wanted to hurt his neighbor, even at the cost of getting hurt himself.  We have some very good children who said, they would not bother with what the neighbor has or not, but would be very happy to just have what they needed!!
We spoke about why hanumaan is called raama-duuta.  It means raama's messenger.  A good messenger is very focused, does not get distracted, alert and time conscious.  hanumaan had all these qualities.  To see if we are good messengers, we played a game of passing the message around the class.  If we passed the message correctly to the last person in the class, that means we have good messengers...  And, we did!
For parents who brought in the money today for the Seva project, our many thanks.  For those who haven't we encourage you to do so in the next class.
See you all next Sunday.  Until then, stay warm.

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Madhuri Aunty and Shilpa Aunty:

Hari Om

December 2nd Class

Beginning Prayers:

• 'om' chanting - 3 times
• meditation
• shuklaambaradharam, saraswati namastubhyam, gururbrahma

gitaa chanting:

• 13th adhyaaya 1- 5 shlokas

hanumaan shlokas/bhajans:

• buddhirbalam
• hanumaan chaalIsa 1-10 chaupas

Brain Storming:

• Why should we pray

Story time:

• Who is pavanakumaara
• Serving silently like pavanakumaara
• guNa saagara meaning
• God is everywhere!
• TASK seva project

Activity:

• Cleaning the heart
• PS check please

Ending Prayers:

• sarvebhavantu sukhinaH
• pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
• aarati and pledge - at auditorium

Comments:

Rashmi Aunty and Prajna didi:

We had TOO many stories in today's class!  We started with our invocation prayers and meditation.  Children remember to bring your japa-maala to EVERY balavihar class.  Most of you did, but for some that missed, please be reminded to bring it.

We are learning the meanings of the words in hanumaan chaalIsa and the importance of praying.  We compared current day's technology to connect with the world through wi-fi, to prayer :).  Just the way the internet is the channel to connect to the world of information, prayer is the means to connect to the Lord!  When we were on the topic of connection, the children came up with questions like, how can prayer connect us to God?  How can we ask Him questions and how will He answer them to us?!!  We learnt that prayer is just like the alphabet.  Once we learn the alphabet, we can learn words and then make sentences, progressively.  Similarly, prayer, japa, meditation and contemplation are the steps towards attaining the Lord (getting our questions answered :).

We learnt about hanumaan's attribute of invisible service.  Just like the wind serves all the time, without bragging about his presence, hanumaan serves the Lord continuously, with humility and devotion.

We learnt why hanumaan is called 'guNa saagara'.  The only way to hold the most amount of water on earth is, in an ocean (saagara).  Similarly, hanumaan holds the most 'guNa's, meaning 'virtues' (goodness).  That means, He is an 'ocean of virtues' and by praying to Him, we attain virtues as well.

While discussing about prayer, the children questioned - how does God, who is in our heart, answer the questions we have in our head?!!  Wow!  These children are awesome thinkers!!  To establish this, we heard an extra story -

A teacher once had a group of students.  The students thought that the teacher favored one student than the rest of them.  When they questioned the teacher, he posed a test for them.  He gave a banana to each of them and told them that they had to eat it where NO ONE saw them.  They all went to find isolated places.  Someone ate it behind the door, one ate it under the bed, another ate it behind a couch, etc.  But this one student (on whom the others were complaining), brought back the banana.  All students made fun of him.  But when the teacher asked why, he replied that he couldn't find a single place where there was no God and the condition was, to eat the banana where 'NO ONE' saw!!  This made others realize how wrong they were in teasing that student.  This established to us, that God who is in the heart is in our head too!

We then spoke about the Seva project our class will be doing for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.  A lot of children came prepared with the donation for the task.  Our sincere thanks to all those who have already contributed.  If you haven't already made the contribution, we would encourage you to do so in the next class.  In connection to this we were discussing about why we should give?  When we give, we make someone happy.  That someone in turn, makes someone else happy... Like this, the chain of kindness and giving continues, making a world a happier place.  We were referring to a particular video in this regard.  Here is the link to see this wonderful circle of kindness.  Enjoy!

See you all next week.  Until then, stay warm!

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Madhuri Aunty and Shilpa Aunty:

1. starting prayers
2. Gita chanting
3. Bhajans
4. Dhyana sloka
5. Hanuman backbone project

The hanumaan backbone project was completed.

As madhuri aunty sent out the email to all for the seva project fund, parents who were unable to pay last week kindly do so in the upcoming class. Children will be putting together the gift bags.

Hari om.