Hariom Parents,
We began this week's session with 10 minutes of Likhita Japa, followed by our opening prayers and Nāma Rāmāyaṇa chanting, creating a calm and devotional start to the class.
Discussion: Elements of Success – Led by Anu-ji
Anu-ji guided the students through a deep reflection on the three essential elements of success:
Hard Work
Knowledge
Capability to Laugh at Oneself (a positive, light-hearted attitude)
To help the children understand these concepts, we shared two inspiring stories:
Thomas Edison's 2000 Attempts
Edison's long journey to invent the light bulb illustrated perseverance. He reframed his failures as "steps to success," teaching the children that setbacks are part of progress.The Woodcutter Who Never Sharpened His Saw
This story highlighted how hard work must be combined with knowledge and wise effort. Without sharpening his tool, the woodcutter's labor became ineffective—showing the importance of learning and applying knowledge thoughtfully.
How We Gain Knowledge
We then explored how our five senses, together with the mind and intellect, function as instruments for gaining knowledge.
Students learned how impressions are stored in memory and why it's important to keep these tools sharp and disciplined.
This discussion concluded with a review of the four laws:
Knowledge I gain depends on my instruments (senses, mind, intellect).
I act according to my knowledge.
As the act, so is the result.
The actor receives the result.
We emphasized that if we want true and lasting happiness, we must consistently choose right, noble, and good actions.
Ramayana – Ayodhya Kāṇḍa Continued
We continued journeying through the Ayodhya Kāṇḍa, focusing on the deeply moving events surrounding Shri Rama's exile.
Shri Rama displayed perfect equanimity upon hearing Kaikeyi's decision, though moments earlier he was to be crowned as king, he accepted the command to spend 14 years in the forest and for Bharata to be crowned instead.
Before leaving, he sought blessings from Mother Kausalya.
He was joined by Lakshmana and Sita, who chose to accompany him in his exile.
Shri Rama lovingly advised the people of Ayodhya to remain loyal to Bharata and work with him to keep the kingdom as prosperous and noble as it had always been.
The journey then continued:
After spending a night on the banks of the Sarayu River, Rama traveled to the Dandakaranya forest.
There he met Guha, the tribe leader, who welcomed them.
Lakshmana kept vigilant watch through the night while Rama and Sita rested.
Before moving on, Shri Rama bid farewell to the charioteer Sumantra, sending messages of comfort and guidance to all his loved ones.
Closing
We concluded the class by listening to Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15, Verses 15 and 16 recitation, followed by closing prayers.
Our Next Class is on Dec 5th. No Class on Nov 28th - Thanksgiving Holiday
Happy Thanksgiving to all
Hariom and Pranams
Anupama and Shankar.
