Dear Parents and JCHYKs,
Hari Om! Below is a summary of our 2nd class on September 12, 2025.
Topics covered
Shlokas: We started class by learning to chant the first verse of the Gita Dhyana shlokam, and the first two verses of Gita Chapter 15
Curriculum: We begin with a recap of the events that led to the Kurukshetra war so that we get familiar with the main Mahabharata characters and their actions. We discuss these actions in the context of high schoolers lives and showcase analogous situations that they have faced or may face. Once we begin the Bhagavad Gita, we can then use these discussions to understand Lord Krishna's teachings and how we may apply them to live a blissful, purposeful and healthy life.
We had a good class discussing the early stories of the Mahabharata starting with Shantanu, the reigning king of the Kuru dynasty, Bheeshma's story and his efforts to protect the kingdom as caretaker and secure heirs to the throne having himself abdicated. We have reached the point of the story where Pandu has been crowned King and the next generation is born - Pandavas and Kauravas.
The class discussed Dharma in the context of Shantanu's choice to agree to Ganga's condition for marriage, Bheeshma's decision to abdicate the throne to see his father happy again, Amba's predicament, Dhrithrashtra's disqualification, a very capable Vidura being overlooked, and Gandhari's choice to blindfold herself.
We tried to understand the different situations, each character's dilemma and what drove their choices in difficult circumstances. Then we related it to current affairs, and choices high schoolers face. The takeaway is that we all face situations now and then where making the right decision is not easy… we are often torn between head vs. heart, instant gratification vs. long term benefit, need vs. want, me vs. others etc. where making sacrifices that we are not prepared for may be required.
We also learned from the events in the Mahabharata story so far that seemingly small decisions in the short term can lead to huge repercussions in the future. It is clear we have to be thoughtful in our actions especially when it affects other people. We will continue our story discussion next week.
Classroom etiquette
We appreciate active participation from the students in our class. We are implementing the Socratic method of teaching where the class is kept interactive through probing questions encouraging critical thinking, uncovering preconceived notions or assumptions, and finally refining our understanding of the subject in a collaborative way. We have spoken to the students about the importance of keeping a single conversation going in class, and patiently waiting to be called on to participate. Actively listening to peers sharing their thoughts is also an important component of the learning process. While waiting to be called on, it is not acceptable to start a conversation with a neighbor. We are hopeful that if students come to class with this clear understanding of respectful participation, we will enjoy still deeper, more mature and meaningful discussions appropriate for high schoolers.
Guest speaker
Abhiram Ramachandran, a ChYK and fourth year student at Drexel University stopped by to share his experiences at YEP (Chinmaya Youth Empowerment Program) this past summer. The students asked him a number of questions and learned details about the program which is for 18-25 year olds. So our current high school seniors will be eligible to attend in June 2026. Application deadline is Dec 15, 2025. Abhiram can be reached at ***@gmail.com or via cell at ***5135 if anyone has additional questions.
Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!
Pranams,
Aruna and Sangita
