A quick synopsis of our Sunday class. We started with pebble-drop meditation and started learning to chant BG ch. 12. We were learning Ch. 15 so far. We will practice it in the assembly with everyone.
Quirky Question (QQ) of the Day: If you hide, it grows; if you ask, it goes! What is it?
Exactly. If you hide a doubt, it grows. If you ask it, it goes.
But that opened up a deeper reflection. Who you ask and how you ask matters.
One student pointed out, "It influences the response."
Another added thoughtfully, "Either you're trying to prove something… or you actually want to learn."
That was the heart of it.
We explored the subtle but powerful difference between a doubt and a question.
They said, "A doubt is when you think what someone said may be wrong."
We said, "Exactly. Doubt questions the speaker. A question comes from humility — I don't understand yet, can you help me understand?"
That's precisely where Arjuna stands in the Bhagavad Gita. After pouring out all his confusion in Chapter 1, he finally turns to Krishna and says, in essence: I'm confused. I surrender. Please guide me. Not doubting Krishna — but questioning to learn.
From there, we discussed the three steps of surrender:
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Pranipaata – prostrating with humility toward the teacher
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Pariprashna – sincere questioning, not argumentative doubt
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Seva – service
And the class discovered something beautiful about seva.
"How do you serve a Guru on a battlefield?" we asked.
"Listen carefully," someone said.
Exactly. The first and greatest service is attentive listening.
"It's like therapy," someone observed.
We agreed. The Gita is psychology at its finest! When someone is overwhelmed, the first gift you give them is not advice — it's listening.
Then we turned inward to the real challenge: quieting the mind.
The mind, we discovered, behaves exactly like a monkey — jumping from branch to branch.
One moment you're meditating on three pebbles…
Next moment you're thinking about three gulab jamuns…
Then rasmalai…
Then bhel puri…
Then the person who interrupted you at a party while eating bhel puri...
The class laughed — because everyone recognized the "noodle soup mind."
So what's the solution?
"Train it like a muscle," just as runners train legs and athletes train arms, attention requires training — through meditation, japa, and simple awareness.
Another beautiful insight emerged:
"Don't beat yourself up when you slip."
Yes. Notice the slip. Reset. Try again.
Over time, that inner alert signal — "Hey, you're drifting" — starts appearing faster and more frequently. Awareness grows.
We also remembered a wonderful practice used by young Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. He would stare at Lord Shiva's picture, close his eyes, and recreate every detail mentally — the jata, the crescent moon, the Ganga. Lose the image? Open eyes, start again. A powerful way to train focus.
The class wrapped up with a reflection through Unique Statement Review. Insights flowed:
"Being silent isn't just not talking — it's quieting the mind."
"If you want help, first let everything out so you can listen."
"A question should be asked to receive an answer, not to prove someone wrong."
"The way you ask a question changes the answer."
"We can train our mind with practice — and be kind to ourselves when we slip."
And perhaps the most memorable line of the day:
"Are you in attendance… or are you attentive?"
A powerful question for all of us.
We closed with gratitude — recognizing how fortunate we are to encounter these life lessons so early. Because the wisdom of the Gita isn't meant for someday. It's meant for life.
Rashmi and Jacqueline.
