Class on 12/20/15

Hari OM
Dear Parents and Children.
Today we had a very nice assembly which had a beautiful Skit by Adult study groups. It's about the significance of learning and understanding Bhagavad Gita. This was presented as 12/21 being celebrated as Gita jayanthi, the birth of Gita, the Holy textbook.

In class, we started with our regular OM chant and the Sahanavavatu prayers. Followed by we sang Hanuman Chalisa, the children knew most part of it, just towards the end they couldn't go along with the audio(we sang with an audio clip being played) But they all seem to have a great listening ears for easy learning. We will soon learn all the 40 verses :)

We learned the meaning, story or/and activity involved in verses, 10.11 and 12. (please see the pic attached for a visual understanding of the class summary)

*Assuming the dreadful form to destroy the demons, Hanuman JI accomplished the mission of Srirama.
Hanuman Ji is the commander in Vanara army, destroys the evil forces.

There are a few bad qualities in anyone which makes a demon types. We need to cut all those bad thinking, just like Rama cut all the 10 heads of Ravana.
Ravana is a demon because he had bad thoughts and all his thinking were self centered for personal motives and benefits.

We did a game/activity where in we cut all the bad qualities (children have worked in their notebook, kindly check that. Some did not bring in a notebook, please send in 1 with them every class, having a notebook is very important and a must in our class)
We need to invite compassion, love, pray, share, kind, smile and being nice to ourselves for a better way of living.

*Hanuman JI uprooted the big Sanjeevni mountain to cure Lakshmana and made Rama happily embrace the Ramadasa (Hanuman JI)
Rama loved Hanuman JI like a brother, as he saved Lakshmana's life.

We saw the story of how and why Hanuman JI uprooted and brought the sanjivni mountain

*Rama praised Hanuman JI highly and said, Hanuman JI is as dear to Rama as His brother Bharatha.

Homework- 1. Write a letter to a dear person in a child's life (please make them write in their notebook)
2. Do something nice to a friend or a sibling or anyone in this winter break.

Snack time- healthy, nut free snack recommended.

We had in our class Abhiram a freshman from Princeton U to help us. He is our BBNJ balavihar alumnus. He lead the Guru stotram today and we learned 8th, 9th and 10th verses. We thank him for teaching us. We already knew up-to 7. Now we need to learn 1 to 10.

We then moved to a very interesting part of the day. The bhagavad gita quiz. The class was divided into team A and B. Each child in both the teams, tried their best to guess and/or answer. So proud of all of them for doing an excellent job in answering most questions.
We concluded with Shanthi mantra.

Please remember our class bhiksha is on Jan 10th, the first class in 2016 and the Bhiksha event will be at Vikram Pedapudi's home. Kindly watch out for emails regarding food sign ups and please do the needful as soon as possible. The coordinators have lots to work on this, so please make their jobs easier by responding faster. Thanks for your understanding.

Have a nice winter break- happy Holiday seasons and Happy new years!

Thank you.
Dhairyam teachers

Class on Dec 13th 2015

Hari OM
Dear Parents and Children,
We had a long assembly today, where in a few important announcements were made. For those who missed today's assembly, Dec 20th our last Balavihar for 2015 before we go in for winter break/Christmas/New Years. Next class celebrated as Gita Jayanthi and we will have a quiz in our class. (Emails to follow regarding the chapter, well in advance for enough time given to children to study and understand) It will be simple questionnaire.

Our first class is on Jan 10th, our Dhairyam class is doing the Bhiksha vandana to our swamiji. Vikram Pedapudi family have voluntered to host this great event at their home in Bridgewater. We will have more emails to follow regarding this beautiful event. Thank you Pedapudi family.
Jan 17th, we will celebrate the Chinmaya mahotsav (details to follow) Please watch out for emails

In class we as usual started with Om chant and Sahana Vavatu our opening prayers. Today, we began chanting Hanuman chalisa until what we have seen so far and learned verse, 6,7,8 and 9 with meanings, activity/story involved. (Pic attached summarizes the session)

*Hanuman Ji's glory is praised by the whole world.
*Hanuman Ji inherited all good qualities like devotion, compassion and austerity from Lord Siva:
Strength, service and humility from Pavan Dev: Courage, valor and loyalty from Kesari Maharaj:
Beauty, purity, gentleness and love from Anjani Devi.
Anjani Devi and Kesari Maharaj- Hanuman Ji's parents
Lord Siva and Pavan Dev- Hanuman Ji's God Fathers.

Activity- Children were asked to write down any qualities they have inherited from moms, dads or grand parents or older siblings or extended family members. They had fun doing this.

*Hanuman Ji is full of wisdom and highly intelligent.
*Always is ready to take up Rama's mission.

STORY- While crossing the ocean to locate Sita mata, Mainaka Parbat invited to rest- hanuman Ji politely said his goal is to find mata ji and take no rest until then.
Surasa the monster wanted to eat Him as she was hungry. Hanuman Ji agreed to be her food showing compassion, but was highly intelligent enough to get out off her mouth in a jiffy - Simhika another monster with jealousy, dragged Him down as he was flying, so Hanuman Ji fought with her and won over.
Hanuman JI knows how to react to any situation.
The qualities Hanuman Ji teaches us are-

1.  Work while you work- Play while you play
2.  Discriminate between good and evil
3.  Evaluate any situation and act accordingly- Use the situation wisely to face a challenge.
4.  Live by noble virtues

To serve the Humanity is to serve God.
How to serve God.
Smile more; complaint less
Talk sweet; no cursing
Always be happy; no dull face.
Smile makes a lasting memory and enriches everyone. Brings in happiness, a cheer to a discouraged, a sunshine to sad, medicine for a sick.

Hanuman JI a Rama Bhakth. It is said where ever Rama nama is taken Hanuman JI resides there to listen to Rama nama.
*Hanuman Ji is delighted in listening to Glories of Rama.
We performed a japam/bhajan SriRama Jayaraama Jaya jaya Raama  12 times with pure devotion. We could able to feel Hanuman Ji's presence in our class. Praying with pure heart makes us the feel come true.

*Rama Lakshmana and Sita mata resides in hanuman Ji's heart.
STORY- Once Sita gifts Hanuman Ji an expensive chain, Hanuman Ji rips all those diamonds and tastes to see if that's any sweet. Sita mata asks about His act and Hanuman Ji says, he has not seen or felt anything sweet better than Rama. Then, he rips his chest to show Rama, Lakshmana and Sita in His heart.

It is said that in a Hanuman Temple, there not necessarily be a Rama idol as Rama resides in Hanuman Ji. But in a Rama temple, there will be Hanuman Ji idol.

STORY- Hanuman Ji's strong desire to please Rama.
When He comes to know Rama likes Sindur (a saffron kumkum paste) while applied to the forehead, he immediately applies it all over the body. Sindur is one of the Prasads given in any Hanuman Ji temple.

*In a very small form Hanuman Ji shows himself to Sita mata in Asoka Vatika.
*In a gigantic monsters' form He burns the city of Lanka.

The children knew these episodes well and we had a group discussion more than story telling-listening form.

We heard M.S.Subbulakshmi amma version of Hanuman Chalisa (we know until 9 verses now.. some kids know more than that)
We chanted the Guru stothram until 7 verses today.

Homework for next week- Please practice 9 verses in Chalisa and 7 in Guru stotram.
Coloring- Verses 6,7,8 and 9. (page numbers given in the book at the Right bottom, next to an arrow)

There is a prayer log in the Assembly handout (page 40) you may please initial and write in the date when the child does the homework and or chants the verses.

Please send in a notebook and other supplies every session along with the prescribed books and Guru stotram (my prayers book)
Kindly send in a nut free healthy snack. Thanks.

 Please show the attached Sindur clad Hanuman Ji pic to our children.

Next class on 12/20/15.
Thanks. Take care.
Dhairyam teachers

class on 12/6/15

Hari OM Dear Parents and Children.

First of all, Congratulations to all Dhairyam class kids for all their active participation in the Chitramela art work. There are 2 entries from our class selected for the calendar. Good Job everyone! It definitely is a happy moment for us teachers and all children.

The Gita chapter 16 was taught in the assembly starting today. Every assembly session there will be Gita teaching aimed towards our annual Gita Yagna which happens in April (details in the handbook)

We resumed our class session after the assembly in our class. We started off with opening prayers and OM chanting.
We did our Hanuman Chalisa- meaning of each verse and any story and/or activity behind.
Today we saw 3rd,4th  and 5th line of the 40.

*Hanuman JI is strong like Indra's weapon- Vajra. Hanuman JI's other name is Bajrangi.
*Hanuman JI has no wicked thoughts (Kumati), instead always has good thoughts (Sumati)
*Hanuman JI is Mahaveera. Someone considered Mahaveera, should have the following qualities
  1.Thyagaveera/Dharmaveera- Hero in Sacrifice
  2.Dayaveera                          - Hero in Compassion
  3.Vidyaveera                         - Hero in Knowledge/learning
  4.Dayaveera                          - Hero in Charity
  5.Ranaveera                          - Hero in Battlefield

We understood the story of the birth of Hanuman Ji  to Punjikasthala, the heavenly maiden born as Anjanidevi who married Kesari, the king of Vanaras. They prayed to the Vayudev who inturn blessed them with a powerful child, Hanuman. It was that time where the asura power trying to out number deva power. Lord Vishnu decided to take His 7th avatar by taking birth in a human form as SriRama. Lord Siva wanted to assist in Lord Vishnu's mission of removing the evil forces as Srirama. So Lord Siva's divine powers are blessed to Hanuman JI and the Brahma and other celestial devas took the form of Vanaras, the monkey clan. The trinity power won over the bad forces.

We understood that Indra's Vajra weapon was made out of sage Dhadhichi's backbone. This sage is a Thayagaveera who sacrificed his life to make a celestial/divine weapon to win the evil forces disrupting the world.

We saw a story of how bad thoughts in one person hurts not only himself but others too.
We saw another story of God being pleased when a devotee helps the community. Service to humanity is service to God.
We did an interesting activity of throwing away our negative thoughts in the garbage. We are not going to carry any wicked/negative thoughts- that makes us look no attractive.

*Noble, Divine and being humble are all attractive qualities. They are abstract, but phenomenal.
To be attractive, we need to see good, hear good and talk good. Use arms and legs to do good. Use mind for good thinking.
*Flag and vajra etched on Hanuman JI's palm. Vajra representing the strength; Flag represents success and fame.
*Janeu- sacred thread for self control. Once upanayanam is done, the boy gets to a sort of responsible level and is no longer playful all the times.

ART WORK- we did our backbone project and today we did the 5th quality Nirbhayam. No problem if we have not touched the 5th number. We will do it. No worries :)

We thank all parents for sending in supplies- pencils, erasers, markers, crayons etc. Thank you.
We also would want them to have their Guru Stotram and Hanuman Chalisa coloring book and Superman Hanuman (our prescribed text) to be brought to class every session. Please let us know if you do not have text books, or handbook or Guru stotram.

Thanks to all parents for sending in healthy snacks and we will continue encouraging that.
Kindly play the M.S.Subbulakshmi and the Sooryagayathri version of Hanuman Chalisa every day. It's just 10 minutes. If not at least every alternate days.

Homework- 1.Please make the children color until line 5 in Hanuman chalisa coloring book (numbers printed at the bottom R side of the page)
2. Please make them practice to sing the chalisa. let the youtube run and they can join along. We will keep singing in the class too.
3. Please practice guru stotram (first 5 lines and try to memorize it) We will have a memory quiz sometime which will be a SURPRISE!

We concluded with closing prayers. Next session on 12/13/15. Attached is a pic of today's class for quick visual understanding.
Thank you.

Regards
Dhairyam Teachers.