Dec 16, 2012 - Section 2

Class started with a prayer to bring peace to the victims of the Connecticut tragedy, chanting eleven times the  “Maha Mrityunjaya mantra” - Triyambakam Yajamahe…. , followed by the meaning of the mantra.

This was followed by guided meditation during which we silently chanted Om Namah Shivayah.

Regular prayer was followed by learning another verse of Geeta Dhyanam.

To prepare for the 2013 Geeta Chanting Competition (in April ’13) we taught verse 4 of chapter 13 of the Holy Geeta, followed by translation of the first four verses.

The class continued the study of Lord Vishnu.

The children were presented a book on Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam (Thousand Names of Vishnu).  Each one placed a dab of turmeric paste on the inside title page of their copy. It was explained that turmeric is considered auspicious in Hindu culture. We shared our expectation that students would use and cherish the book forever.

 The book contains the sloka verses in Samskrut (Devnagri) and English script, along with transliteration (pronunciation guide), translation and detailed meaning.

Some students shared their homework results – to bring pictures of Bhagwan Vishnu. There were questions on the different depictions of Vishnuji and Lakshmiji in different versions of the picture.

We completed our study of Sri Vishnu Dhyana sloka (Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam….) from the Vishnu Sahasranamam (The Thousand Names of Sri Vishnu). Children shoudl have teh meaning written down in their notebooks.

Next class we shall start learning the first 100 names from the Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam

Children were informed of the upcoming class play during the annual day in June 2013. It shall be a 10-15 minute play, in a game show format based on Vishnu Sahasranamam.  Students were given a few pointers and asked to come up with some ideas for the play.

We concluded the class with closing prayers.

Blessings,

Kasturi Uncle and Sangita Aunty

Dec 16, 2012 - Section 1

Hari OM.
We started our bala vihar class with the Likhita Japa: OM parama̅tmane namaḥ. The class then meditated for a few minutes. We sang our opening prayers, followed by the dhyana shlokam and first two verses of Vishnu Sahasranamam. Four children had memorized the dhyana shlokam already, and one among them had memorized the first verse as well. We listened to these kids chant from their memory and gave them a round of applause. We are pleased to have such dedicated students in our class.

To review the second SVS verse, we played the Seven Little Words game and solved the names of Vishnu we had learned in our previous class. It is a rewarding experience to watch the kids look up their notes for the meaning of the names, and guess the tiles correctly. The children guessed the longest name in a few seconds: mukta̅na̅m parama̅ gatiḥ.

We recalled the forms of Lord Vishnu that we have explored so far and the symbolism behind his blue body, resting posture on ananta/a̅di seSha, Goddess Lakshmi at his feet, milky ocean, conch, mace, discus, lotus, etc.

We then moved on to discuss the symbolism of his Yellow clothes. We recalled how Ganesha is pictured to be wearing shukla ambaram; similarly Vishnu or Krishna is depicted to be wearing pita ambaram, yellow clothes. We discussed what yellow color could signify. Children shared that the yellow color indicates the brilliance and radiance of sun, gold, etc.  It is to show that Lord Vishnu is brilliant and radiant. We then talked about earth, how anything buried under earth gets a yellow hue, how mud when burned in fire gives out yellow sparks. The physical representation of Lord Vishnu is showing that the infinite lord when clothed in earthly robes, helps us contemplate on his glory in a form that our mind and intellect can comprehend.

Prasad Uncle recommended an app for i-devices called Little alchemy. Game Assignment: Download Little Alchemy free app and check it out before our next class.

We then discussed about the ornate crown that adorns Vishnu's head and how the crown symbolizes that he is the sole proprietor and the Lord of the entire universe. We listened to a beautiful story of a vishnu devotee who wanted to wear the Lord's crown for a few minutes and write the future of his son. The story reassured that the Lord loves us all equally, in His vision we are all adorable children.

With that we concluded our symbolism lessons on Vishnu.

We then continued our study of SVS and learned the third verse of SVS.

yogo yogavidāṁ netā pradhānapuruṣeśvaraḥ |

         nārasiṁhavapuḥ śrīmān keśavaḥ puruṣottamaḥ || 3 ||

18. Yogaḥ: One attainable through Yoga.
19. Yogavidāṁ netā: The master or goal of Yogis, those who are established in Yoga.
20. Pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ: The master of pradhana/Prakriti/nature and Purusha/Jiva/Spirit/Soul.
21. Nārasiṁha-vapuḥ: One with the body of a man and a lion combined.
22. Śrimān: One in whose chest/heart the goddess Shri/Lakshmi always dwells or resides.
23. Keśavaḥ: One whose Kesa or locks are beautiful.
24. Puruṣottamaḥ: The greatest among all Purushas.

We had bulk ordered copies of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam/naamaavali for all the children, as they have been so enthusiastic about learning this hymn. It is a chinmaya publication that costs $4.00 per copy. Please Click Here to find out more about this book.
Parents: Please pay $4 to one of the Grade 5 teachers when you drop your child in the next class, if your child wants to own a copy of this book.

We then chanted Chapter 13 Gita verses 1-3. We discussed the meaning of verse 3.

Homework: We handed out a word match puzzle and a craft project template summarizing symbolism of Lord Vishnu to all the kids. Kids, hope you have fun with both the activities. If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to email your teachers at 5thgradecmtc@gmail.com

Happy Holidays. Waiting to see you all rested and recharged, with renewed enthusiasm on January 6th.
Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

Dec 9, 2012 - Section 1

Hari OM.
We had almost full attendance today and a new addition to our class! Kids assembled in a cheerful and playful spirit :) OM Chanting and meditation got us calm, still and focussed. Opening prayers were loud, clear and melodious.

Kids took turns and recapped what they had learned about Vishnu so far in the prior classes. We then moved on to learn more about Vishnu symbolism.

Milky Ocean

Today we discussed why Vishnu is shown to be resting on AdisheSha floating in the milky ocean. The first connection kids made to the milky ocean was the Milky Way. It represents that His abode is in the milky ocean, the milky way. We had learned in the last class that when mind is introverted, one can realize the blissful Vishnu resting in one's heart. Extending that analogy, the milky ocean symbolizes the virtues, values or beliefs that are near to one's heart. 

We then recalled samudra manthanam, or the churning of the milky ocean. When we introspect ourselves, or, so to speak, churn our thoughts, undesirable thoughts or impurities often surface first, just as the haalaahal poison emerged when the devas and asuras churned. But if we are persistent, with divine grace, the divine and refreshing values shall manifest, just as the many goodies followed by Amruth, the divine nectar were obtained.

We then discussed the properties of milk and concluded that all things related to milk were refreshing or nutritious or nourishing. Milky ocean is thus reminding us to practice values that refresh and nourish ourselves and those around us.

We narrated the story of Abraham Lincoln and a wounded soldier during Civil War. We talked about Ramana Maharishi and his exemplary behaviour in day-to-day activities. 
Moral: Any unselfish good deed that one does always brings back joy, contentment and happiness to the doer. The time it takes to experience its fruits/results might vary, some quicker than the others, nevertheless one reaps what one sows.

Conch, Mace, Discus and the Lotus Flower

We then discussed what Vishnu holds in his four hands, when he is pictured to be standing on a lotus flower. 
Conch: Signals or reminds to do one's duty/dharma
Every one has a duty. We discussed the duties of a student, a teacher, a president,   etc.
Mace: The mace gives a nudge to get back on track, when one strays from due-course, forgetful of his/her duties.
Discus: The discus puts an end to the time given to the being, if none of the warnings and consequences have any effect, and one is being harmful to the society.
We discussed that this always does not mean death. It symbolizes that the time given in a particular role shall come to an end. With the example roles we had taken, it could mean that a student gets detention from school, teacher loses the job, or the president shall not be re-elected for another term.
Lotus: Sweet reward, for those who stayed on course, diligently doing their duties.

We then talked about the lotus flower, and why it is a symbol of self-realization.

Game: Seven Little Words

We played the Seven Little Words game with names of Vishnu that we had learned in the last class. The clue for the word was the meaning of the name. We were pleasantly surprised to see that kids could pick the tile with the correct transliteration letters and knew the meaning of each name!! 

After solving the word puzzle, kids chanted the first verse and moved on to learn the second verse from SVS.

pūtātmā paramātmā ca muktānāṁ paramā gatiḥ |

avyayaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣī kṣetrajñō'kṣara eva ca || 2 ||

10. pūtātmā: Pure Self, One whose nature is purity
11. paramātmā: Supreme Self, He who is the supreme one and the Atman
12. muktānāṁ paramā gatiḥ: The ultimate/supreme goal of the those seeking liberation
13. avyayaḥ: Changeless
14. puruṣaḥ: One who always exists
15. sākṣī: One who witnesses everything, Omniscient
16. kṣetrajñaḥ: The knower of the field or body
17. akṣaraḥ: Eternal, Indestructible, He who is without destruction

We dispersed with closing prayers.

Kids, practice chanting the verses. 
Parents, enjoy listening to your kids chanting these verses. 

Blessings,
Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

Dec 2, 2012 - Section 2

Hari OM.
We started the class with OM and meditation. Once we got composed, the class sang the opening prayers. Kids enjoyed chanting the Ganesha shlokam - praNamya shirasA Devam. We reviewed the first verse from Chapter 13 of Gita and learned to chant verses 2 & 3.

We reviewed the symbolism of Goddess LakShmi and the virtues she bestows. Having learned this, we revisited the significance of the festival nava-raatri, with a fresh perspective. It is wonderful to know that our festivals have so much meaning and they symbolize our diligent effort to learn and practice values that take us closer to self-realization or God-realization.

We then discussed about Goddess Saraswati and many interesting facts. We reviewed the Trinity and the goddess, or, devi counterpart associated with them. Goddess saraswati holds a japa-mala and book in her rear hands and is depicted as playing a musical instrument, veena, with her other two hands. We discussed the significance of knowledge, self-knowledge and how meditation is crucial in the process of self-knowledge.

Kids had fun working on their word search activity, and discovered words that pertain to Goddesses, forbearance and Ganesha.

With closing prayers, the class dispersed to the auditorium for aarti and pledge.

Parents! Please encourage the kids to chant the prayers and shlokas that they have learned, at home.

Blessings,
Sangita Aunty

Dec 2, 2012 - Section 1

Hari OM.
We started the class with a special Likhita Japa - ॐ  विष्णवे नमः
We chanted OM and meditated for a few minutes.

We sang our opening prayers including the dhyana shloka that we had learned in the previous class describing Lord Vishnu.

Few kids had researched and shared their findings on: "Why the Sky is blue?" As blue is a color that represents infinity, no beginning or end, limit-less, we could very well understand why Vishnu, the one who pervades everywhere, is represented in blue color. That led us right to the discussions on the symbolism of Shri Vishnu.

AdisheSha

In the last class we had learned that Vishnu is depicted to be resting on a Thousand-headed snake/serpent, known as ananta or AdisheSha. Today we put on our inquisitive fifth-grader hat on, and asked what would resting on a snake imply? We discussed what a snake usually symbolizes in mythology, recollected few other symbols with a snake, and a few interesting facts about snakes: how they renew their skin, how they can be venomous, how they get charmed with music, etc.

In order to strike a victim, a cobra lifts up to a third of its upper body, fans out its rib bones to make a hood, hood/head facing outwards or away from its tail, and then strikes the victim with its fangs, acting like hypothermal needles, injecting neuro-toxins in the victim. If however the head is facing inwards and towards its tail, the cobra cannot strike the victim with its venom. Its predator, mongoose, hence attacks the cobra from behind! How interesting!

We now looked at the picture of Shri Vishnu carefully and noticed that the hoods/heads of AdisheSha are in-fact facing inwards or towards the tail/body! Harmless! We then made a connection with a human mind, when absorbed in objects around it, it is indeed capable of spreading its venom around, in the form of anger, jealousy, hatred, revenge, etc. On the other-hand, if it is turned inwards, it is harmless, and even more, it is capable of discovering the blissful, Shri Vishnu resting in its bosom!

No wonder in Bala Vihar we meditate, turning our mind inwards.  If we sincerely strive eliminating all other thoughts, one fine day, in our heart, we are going to realize the blissful, glorious, Shri Vishnu!

We discussed that sheSha in sanskrit, means the rest, or, what is left over. Thus it can also symbolize that Vishnu always remains. He is not limited or bound by time, he is beyond time, hence the Lord of the past, present, and future.

Yoga nidra
We then talked about the significance of the restful posture in which Shri Vishnu is depicted. We discussed that in order to project a movie, a white, still screen in the background is required. Similarly, Lord Vishnu is being the still substratum in which the cosmic universal drama of creation/sustenance/dissolution is being played. 

We narrated a story of a painter and a farmer. An artist is focussed, completely absorbed, in order to create master-pieces. The moral was one could be silently creating wonders, while being still!

First verse of shri viShNu sahasranAmam
The class learned the first verse of Vishnu sahasranamam, understanding what each name of the lord meant. We were thrilled to hear the melodious fifth graders chant the glorious names or Shri Vishnu, in chorus, in harmony!

viśvaṁ viṣṇurvaṣaṭkārō bhūtabhavyabhavatprabhuḥ |
bhūtakṛdbhūtabhṛdbhāvō bhūtātmā bhūtabhāvanaḥ || 1 ||

1: viśvaṁ: Universe or the Cause of Universe

2. viṣṇuḥ: All pervading, one who is everywhere 

3: vaṣaṭkāraḥ: One who controls and directs, For whom offerings are sacrificed in yajnas
4: bhūta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuḥ: The Master of all things past, future, and present

5: bhūta-krit: The creator of all beings

6 : bhūta-bhṛt: The supporter of all beings

7: bhāvaḥ:  Pure Existence, He who exists always, independent of anything else
8: bhūtātmā: The soul of all beings

9: bhūta-bhāvanaḥ: One who nourishes and nurtures all beings

Parents, please encourage your children to chant the shlokas they have learned when the family prays at home or at temples. Ask them what each name of the lord signifies in the first verse, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Well, Gita chanting was a breeze, after chanting SVS. We have learned to chant verses 1 and 2 of chapter 13, so far. 

We were running late for the assembly at the auditorium, amidst all the fun and excitement we were having in our class. With concluding prayers, we dispersed, eagerly awaiting to reconvene on Dec 9th.

namaste.
Section 1 Teachers

Nov 18, 2012

Hari OM!
We chanted OM and started the class with a calming 3 minutes of meditation. Fifth graders are getting better at their meditation, with less fidgeting. We sang our opening prayers.

Section 1:

We had completed our study of Ganesha Symbolism in the last class. The class guessed the next deity we were going to learn about, by looking at the altar: Sri Vishnu. Each child shared a fact they knew about Vishnu: He takes avatars, He holds a disc in one hand, He holds a lotus, He lies on a serpent, He is married to Lakshmi, He is the Preserver/Supporter in the Trinity, etc.

We recalled from our last class that a name brings to our mind an associated form to focus on. Hence we chant so many names of our beloved Lord, each name reminding us of his glory, his powers, or a certain aspect of his divine personality. In the case of Lord Vishnu, we have a stotram or prayer that comprises a thousand names, known as Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam; sahasra means 1000 and naama means name in sanskrit.

Few kids mentioned that they had listened to Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, SVS to be short, at home or in temples. We asked the kids how many names of Vishnu they would be able to learn in fifth grade. The consensus for the target was 100 :) They even had the math sorted out that if they learnt 20 names in each class, by 5 classes they should be able to accomplish this goal. We also discussed that this could be the topic for the fifth grade game-show. Homework:  Actively listen to an audio of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam before our next class on Dec 2.

We listened to the story of how Bheeshma gave these thousand names of Lord Vishnu to Yudhishtira after the mahabharata war ended. We chanted a dhyana shlokam from SVS, given in the Fifth Grade prayers hand-out. We carefully practiced the correct pronunciation of sha and Sha, as in shiva and viShnu. We studied the meaning of each and every word, the class made sure they understood each one of the names of Lord Vishnu. Discussing the meaning of the word gaganasadrsham(the one who is all pervasive like the sky), led to our next assignment. Research Assignment: Why is the sky blue?

We listened to the story of a Vishnu Devotee, Devadatta, and learned one more name of Vishnu, draviNapradaH, the giver of wealth.

Section 2:

As today was a special day for fifth grade students, the day when we had the opportunity to offer Bhiksha to Swami ShantandaJi and have satsang with him after the class, We started the class with a discussion on Why do we offer Bhiksha to SwamiJi? It is an offering to a teacher from whom one has received knowledge. It is a sadhana, an act of reverence, and an expression of gratitude. By gaining knowledge one can understand oneself better. Devotees have the privilege of serving a sadhu/swami/acharya where He resides, with humility and devotion.

Kids were introduced to Gita dhyaanam, the prayer that is chanted before learning or reciting Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is affirmed as a mother (bhagavatīm, amba) who rescues from ceaseless change (bhava dveṣiṇīm). The class then chanted the first verse, a question from Arjuna to Bhagavan Krishna.

We then reviewed what we had learned so far about Goddess Lakshmi. She is considered to be the bestower of wealth/assets. Though wealth is commonly interpreted as material wealth, today we learned about how one's true assets are the good virtues that one has and practices. We learned the six good virtues/values, referred to as Shatsampatti, by Adi Sankaracharya:

1. shama
2. dama
3. shraddha
4. uparati
5. titiikSha
6. samaadaanam

Bhiksha & Satsang with SwamiJi:

 Both the sections then dispersed with closing prayers and we all reconvened at Vrindavan Ashram before 12:30PM to offer Bhiksha to SwamiJi. All moms, may be dads too, had cooked hearty and healthy dishes. The parents helped in setting up the table. Kasturi Uncle had baked Ziti for the kids!!
Anjana Aunty accompanied few fifth grade students to SwamiJi's kutiya, and invited SwamiJi to come and have lunch with the fifth grade families. SwamiJi was delighted to see many toddlers and siblings, in addition to the fifth grade kids. We also invited EricJi for the bhiksha.
We all chanted the prayer: brahmaarpaNam ..., and then proceeded to have lunch. We served SwamiJi and Eric Ji their healthy meal: quinoa salad, rotis, dhal, vegetables, rice & sambar, buttermilk and a tiny piece of dessert :) The kids, parents and teachers had their lunch as well.
We then had an interesting Q&A session with SwamiJi. The kids slowly warmed up to SwamiJi and asked him questions lingering in their mind. Who created God, When God was created, Why there are so many Gods, Who started Chinmaya Mission, etc. etc. SwamiJi beautifully answered their questions, in simple words. 
The kids then prostrated to SwamiJi, got his blessings and prasad. 
We cleaned up the Ashram and left with a longing for our next satsang with SwamiJi, and a chance to get together as the Fifth Grade Team. What a great satsang it was! Thanks to all the parents and teachers who made this possible.

namaste.
Fifth Grade Teachers,
Anjana Aunty, Prasad Uncle & Kasturi Uncle
Note: We all missed Sangita Aunty who is in India and hence could not attend this event. 

Nov 11, 2012

Hari OM.
After a long break we had our regular BalaVihar class today. It looked like many of the kids and their families were not badly affected by the storm, Sandy. How Lucky! After Likhita Japa, the class chanted OM and meditated for a few minutes. After opening prayers, we reviewed what we had learnt in the previous class.

We talked about why we learn different names of the Gods that we worship. The kids took turns and recalled one name of Ganesha that each one knew. We discussed the meaning of the names, and how to visually imagine Ganesha when we chant His name. We listed the names of Ganesha, Gowriputra, in Sankashta-naashana stotram and learned the meanings of the names.

                              1. वक्रतुण्डं vakratundam

                              2. एकदन्तं ekadantam

                              3. कृष्णपिङ्गाक्षं krishnapingaaksham - 

                              4. गजवक्त्रं gajavaktram

                              5.लम्बोदरम्  lambodaram

                              6. विकटं vikatam

                              7. विघ्नराजेन्द्रं  vighnaraajendram

                              8. धूम्रवर्णम् dhoomravarnam

                              9. भालचन्द्रं  bhalachandram

                            10. विनायकम् vinayakam

                            11. गणपतिं Ganapatim

                            12. गजाननम् Gajaananam

We then talked about why during Ganesh Chaturti celebrations, on anantachaturdashi, the ganesha clay idol is taken in a procession to a river and dissolved. Kids shared their own reasoning. Everything that is made up of the five elements, eventually disintegrates back to the five elements. Anything that has a form is mortal, including God in his avataar. Ganesha visarjanam is to remind us of this basic law of nature, circle of life.

We then had an interesting hands-on activity. The kids made their own Ganesha. We mixed turmeric powder with water and made a dough. Each child sculpted their own Ganesha. Prasad uncle led the class with the sixteen-step prayer. After we greeted the Lord, we offered water, seated him on a throne, washed his feet, gave him a bath and new clothes, offered flowers, akshataan, incense, and prayed to Ganesha chanting his names. At the end, we asked Ganesha to forgive any shortcomings or mistakes in our prayer, acknowledging that we do not know the proper way to invite him and bid him farewell.

After the prayer, the children learned to be dispassionate, and not get attached to the idol, each one dissolved their Ganesha in a big bowl of water. Well, they consoled themselves saying they could make their own Ganesha when they go back home :) 

With that we concluded our study of Ganesha Symbolism. 

Announcement

Fifth Grade students and parents have the opportunity of Satsang with SwamiJi and serving Bhiksha for Swamiji. Email has been sent to parents to sign up for food items. Please remember to sign up as early as possible. After BalaVihar on next sunday, Nov 18th, we will go to the Ashram for the satsang.

We then dismissed after closing prayer. It was so much fun in such a little time :) Can't wait for the next class.

Happy Deepavali to all the kids and their families!

Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

October 21, 2012

Hari OM.
After meditation and opening prayers, we learned the second stanza of Ganesha Pancaratnam. We then moved on to an interesting discussion on Navaraatri.

Navaraatri

The kids shared with the class how this festival is celebrated in their home. Some of them had already visited Golus, display of dolls; few others had participated in a Gaarba dance; many visited temples and friends' Golu; some of their moms had fasted and prayed; all had tasted sweets and special treats on the occasion of Navaraatri. We then learned that nava(nine) raatri(night) is a celebration spanning nine nights, praying to the Supreme Goddess: aadiparaashakti. It is believed that Goddess Lalitha Parameshwari fought a fierce battle against the demon Bandaasura. Lalitha devi's army comprised many devis: sampatkari, mantrini, varaahi, dandanaatha, etc.. Vijaya Dasami is celebrated on the tenth day when the asura was vanquished by Lalitha devi. 

In south India, the first three nights are dedicated to Durga Devi, second three nights to Lakshmi Devi, and the last three nights to Saraswati Devi. The Golu usually has an odd number of steps. Why? - a girl asked, and that shall be the research topic for next class. An array of vegetables, fruits, birds, animals, men & women, mahatmas, avataars, gods, goddesses, and a kalasham are displayed in a specific order. The steps represent various forms of life from lowest to highest, and symbolically represent that as humans we have the power to ascend and become mahatmas, or realized souls. At the same time we also have the risk of descending to lower forms of life.

Kasturi Uncle had invited the fifth grade class to visit the Golu in their house. Some of us had the privilege to see the amazing display at his house.

Golu at Kasturi Uncle's House

Ganesha Symbolism

We divided the class in to three teams: Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswati, and had a quiz on Ganesha and all the facts we had learned about. The kids were quite sharp in their memory and could recall new vocabulary words: mUrti, upaasana, upavaas, names of vedas, what Ganesha held in each of his four hands, symbolism of the trunk, mouse, etc. Good job kids, keep up the spirit.

The class then did an origami project and created a booklet, summarizing the symbolism of Ganesha. The kids really enjoyed the activity, and leaned another Ganesha shloka: "vakratunda mahaakaaya .."

Gita Vidyaarambam

We had a glorious, auspicious start to our study of Gita. We prayed as a class to Ganesha and Saraswati before beginning our study of Chapter 13. We lit a candle, an incense stick, prayed and sought blessings for our Gita study. Kasturi Uncle had brought hand-outs of chapter 13 printed in exquisite card-stock. Kids applied a mark of fresh sandalwood paste and kum-kum to the sheets. They then put them in sheet protectors and safely stored in their folder. We learned the name of the thirteenth chapter, and the first verse, which is Arjuna's question to Bhagavan Sri Krishna. 

Parents! Please encourage kids to chant Gita at home. Please be their role-model and chant Gita with them, to inspire them. There is an online learning tool available to help with the chanting. These resources can be found at CMTC Gita Chanting Yajna Home Page.

Next sunday the class will meet at Mercer County Park for the CORD Walkathon. Please remember to register for the walkathon. Parents were sent emails regarding CORD Walkathon registration and information. We will have a brief Bala Vihar class at the park prior to the walk, then the kids shall walk with their family. 

Well, we had so much fun in one class! We concluded the class with closing prayers and Pledge. 

Eagerly waiting to see you all at the park on October 28th,

Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

October 14, 2012

Hari OM.
We started the class chanting OM followed by meditation. Few kids who had come in earlier than 10AM had remembered Likhita Japa and got stamps for their exemplary behavior :) We sang the opening prayers and revised the first shloka of Ganesa Pancaratnam.

We quickly reviewed what we had learned in our last class, leading to the discussion of the research assignment. We then looked up and found out that the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S.Government is the "Presidential Medal of Freedom". The kids wanted to know about the recipients of this Award, leading to the discussion of Stephen Hawking, who received this award from President Obama in August 2009. Some of the kids were really excited to explain how inspiring Stephen Hawking is. Click here to know more  about this award.

We resumed our discussion of Ganesha. We discussed about the trunk of Ganesha and how it is an efficient and highly adaptable tool. We also discussed about what Ganesha holds in his four hands. Kids quickly remembered Modakam and the blessing mudra. We then discussed about the significance of holding an axe and a rope. In some pictorial representations, Ganesa is also found to be holding a lotus along with a rope, and we briefly discussed the significance of the lotus flower. We also learned that in the state of Tamil Nadu, one of the many names of Ganesa is "Aingaran", meaning one with five hands; as the trunk is also considered as another hand. It is known as tumbikkai, kai meaning hand in Tamil. We discussed about Ganesa's pot-belly, and how it represents that all the knowledge he has acquired has been assimilated or digested. We talked about how knowledge is useful, only when one can apply it in the correct situation.

We then talked about C.O.R.D, the walkathon that we are going to participate on October 28th, and why it is part of the Chinmaya Mission Tradition. Kids were excited that this year, they could walk together with their BalaVihar class-mates, provided their parents permit. Parents please register as early as possible for the walkathon. Please refer to the Announcements section for the link to register.

We talked about the story of Kubera and Ganesa. We also talked about the story of how mouse became Ganesa's vehicle. 

After attendance, the class dispersed to the auditorium for Aarti and Pledge.

Take care until we meet next on Oct 21st. Please remember to look for an item that you could donate to the CORD Silent Auction program, and bring it with you next sunday.

Regards,
Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

October 7, 2012

Hari OM.

We started the class with meditation. We chanted OM and sang our opening Prayers.

We had a discussion on the Research Topic assigned from last class: Why do we fast?
Kids shared their reasoning, and findings on Fasting. Majority of the class believed that we fast to purify our body and mind, while some were concerned that we would hurt ourselves by fasting.

We talked about the word upavAs, which in many Indian languages means "fasting". In samskritam upavAs means to 'live near God'. We had learned in Chapter 12 of Gita last year a similar word, upAsanA, which means to 'sit near God', or to 'worship God'.

During Swami IshwaranandaJi's lectures in Vrindavan Ashram last week, he had explained how the practice of fasting originally started. upavAs started as a day to spend with God; singing His names and reading or listening to various stories that depict His glory. We inherit the divine virtues of the glorious God by spending a day with Him, just like we catch the enthusiasm of a friend after having a play-date with him/her. During upavAs, as devotees skipped daily chores of shopping, planning a meal, cooking, etc. , they had ended up eating lightly - fruits and prasad offered to God, or sometimes even skipped their meals. The mind otherwise pre-occupied by thoughts on food, now entertained noble thoughts and stayed with the Lord. Thus fasting was an effect of the decision to dedicate a day to the Lord.

We also talked about the medical benefits of a light diet. Eating easy-to-digest and light food, detoxifies the body and flushes undigested food products consumed by us. Every system needs a break and an overhaul to work at its best. Periodical fasting thus rejuvenates our digestive system, cleansing our body and does not harm our body. Fasting also helps us gain control over our senses and purifies our thoughts.

Ganesha

We then listened to M.S.Subbulakshmi's rendition of Ganesa Pancaratnam, a shloka/poem composed by Adi Shankaracharya.  We discussed that M.S.Subbulakshmi is the first musician to have received the Bharata Ratna Award, the highest civilian honor in India. 

Assignment: What is the highest civilian honor bestowed by U.S Government? 

We learned the meaning of the first verse word-by-word, and sang as a group. Kids were asked to pratice the first verse until our next class.

We then moved on to discussions on what Ganesha's elephant head, ears, small focussed eyes and broken tusk symbolises.  We discussed why we call Ganesha to remove our obstacles: because he has the knowledge to solve all our problems. His vast knowledge is represented with his huge, elephant head. He gathers his knowledge, by listening carefully with his mind focussed, and retains the information in his head. Not only does Ganesha have the knowledge, but he effectively applies it in every situation. He discriminates between good and bad choices, always keeps only the good and discards the bad choices. We then talked about the story of how Ganesha broke one of his tusks!

Closing

After attendance, we sang Arati. We recited our pledge, lead by two kids in the class. 

We will meet again on October 14th to continue our discussions on Ganesha.

Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

Our Second Class - Sep 23, 2012

Hari OM.
We started our second Balavihar class with meditation and opening prayers.

We reviewed the significance and need for Symbols and how symbols make communication effective, easy and help us cross-over barriers of language, geography, etc. Couple of kids had researched about the Yin-Yang symbol and explained to their class-mates! We then discussed how the ancient Chinese had arrived at this symbol; with the help of a 8' long pole, the length of the shadow cast by the pole at a certain time of the day was recorded and plotted in six concentric circles divided into 24 sectors! Isn't that scientific? For more details please refer to http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm

We talked about the unique discriminative ability gifted to Humans, the intellect; the significance of Religion to Humans and how all the religions, in essence, prescribe a set of practices to live life to the fullest potential. We talked about instruments required to perceive various objects starting from microbes to gallaxies. To succeed in our quest to realize God the instrument that we have to fine-tune is our MIND. We discussed why in Bala Vihar we meditate, and work on purifying our thoughts: to succeed in OUR JOURNEY TO SELF/GOD REALIZATION!

We all closed our eyes for a couple of minutes and tried to think of God. Some of the kids pictured Rama, Krishna, OM Symbol, Devis etc. We then discussed the role of IDOLS known as mUrtis, and how our great Rishis used Idols to symbolize various ideals they wanted the human race to strive for. In the beginning of our spiritual journey, we need the help or assistance of these Idols or forms to keep us devoted to our End Goal.

Well with that, we switched gears to current events and discussed about Ganesh Chaturti. The class shared what each one knew about Ganesha, the different names of Ganesha, and reviewed the meaning of our opening prayer - "shuklAmbaradharam ..", and how this festival was celebrated in their home. Research Assignment: Why do we Fast? What is the significance of number 21?

Kids then listened to the story of how Ganesha came into being! Wow, many of us never knew the story of Gajaasura and how his head found its place in Ganesha's body, crafted by Parvati Ma with her bath powder. We also discussed few other variations of the story.

We then reviewed the story of how Ganesha won the mango in a competition with Muruga, depicting the importance of parents to a child. We reviewed Ganesha's names, how he was designated to be remover of all obstacles and hence earned the name Vighneshvara, Vighnaraja, etc.

With that we concluded our second exciting class. After attendance, we sang Arti and two kids volunteered to lead the class in reciting CM Pledge.

Looking forward to the next sunday class on Oct 7th. Have a good time until then!
Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

Our Very First BV Class - Sep 16, 2012 - Section I

Hari OM.
The enthusiastic and energetic fifth graders all assembled in A115, and once they were divided into two groups, Section I moved on to room A116. We set up our classroom and the Altar. The class chanted OM three times and meditated for a few minutes. Those few minutes of silence took all the kids and teachers to a state of ease and peace, and when the lights were switched back on, we were all-set for our exciting new class.

The kids were given a folder with prayers they would be learning this year, blog card, and a flyer with information to be shared with parents. We request the parents to review this information with the children before their next BV class. Kids were handed labels to personalize their folder. Each kid then made a Name Tag with a sheet of white paper.

We tossed a ball across the class and the kid holding the ball introduced themselves. Each one of them shared their interesting summer experiences: experiences with grand-parents, chilling days at the beach, fun at water theme-parks, elephant-rides, camel-rides, watching U.S Open live, watching Olympics events, cruise journey to Alaska, visiting monuments like Taj-Mahal, participating in maha-samadhi camp, and other exciting camps. Wow! What a great summer vacation each one of us have had!

We then discussed about what we are going to learn in fifth grade BV. The children took turns guessing, and mentioned various Gods: Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, and when the answer was yes to all of them, they rightly guessed that they were going to learn about all the Gods :) Yes! In fifth grade we are going to learn about the symbolism in Hinduism: what AUM symbolises, why Lord Ganesha has an Elephant Head, Why Lord Nataraja holds fire and damaru in his hands, and Why Vishnu is lying on a thousand-headed serpent-Adisesha, and so many more thought-provoking facts like these. We also want the kids to be inquisitive and start understanding Why we do certain things in a specific way in our Hindu culture.

We then discussed the significance of Symbols, and why Humans have always designed symbols. The class recalled symbols they have seen so far. First one was the Flag.  When asked what they were paying respect to by saluting a country's Flag, the answer was "The country that values Liberty and Justice for all". The kids answers made us, teachers, understand the level of comprehension at this age they all had. We then discussed about OM-AUM and its significance.

Next we had a Quiz-Round in identifying symbols. The class correctly identified all the symbols including Bio-Hazard symbols, Deer Crossing Traffic Sign, Slytherin House Emblem/Logo, etc. When showed the Deathly Hallows symbol, a kid stood up and answered "Invisibility Cloak, Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone". Well we were not a bit surprised to see Hary Potter Fans :) We stopped our activity with the Yin-Yang symbol. Kids were asked to find out more about how this symbol was designed, before they come to their next class. In short, it was solid confirmation for us that a SYMBOL always reminds us the thing or fact or ideal it represents.

We then concluded our first wonderful class by chanting our closing prayers. Kids returned their Name Tag Sheet to be re-used for the next class and put their chairs back in their place. We lined up and dispersed to the auditorium for Arti and Pledge.

Eagerly looking forward to our next class on Sep 23rd.
Anjana Aunty & Prasad Uncle

Hari Om!

Welcome to the Chinmaya Vrindavan 5th Grade Balavihar blog.

Please continue to regularly visit this online journal to learn about our weekly Sunday morning class activities, as well as other important announcements pertaining to the Fifth Grade Class.

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Teacher Contacts

Below are the email id.s of the volunteers of 5th grade class. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or concerns.

Anjana Suresh -- anjana_suresh [..at..] hotmail [..dot..] com

Prasad Bapatla -- bapatlas [..at..] gmail [..dot..] com 

Kasturi Iyer -- sonvenkat [..at..] hotmail [..dot..] com 

Sangita Patankar -- patankarp [..at..] hotmail [..dot..] com

Note : The e-mail addresses above have been ciphered ;), to prevent automatic e-mail parsing software from deciphering for mass e-mailing purposes or spams. Please translate them accordingly.

Om

Ganesha Symbolism