May 17, 2026 - JCHYK Gr. 10-12 (Sunday AM)

Hari Om everyone,

We began the class with meditation and chanting BG ch. 12. 

Quirky Question (QQ) of the Day: "Give me food, I thrive.  Give me water, I die!  Who am I?" 

We got a unanimous answer - Fire!  

So, what is the relevance of this question to our class?

Instantly came a sure-fire answer: Ego! (Our students are catching on to us :)

Yes! " If ego burns like wildfire, what is the water that can put it out?”

“Humility!” came the answer instantly. But then came the bigger question — why should we even bother reducing ego?

What followed was one of those deeply reflective discussions where the students themselves connected the dots beautifully. “When someone is full of ego, nobody wants to be around them,” one student observed. Another added, “It’s like everyone is trapped in their own balloon.” From there, we explored the very nature of the ego itself. “What is ego even made of?” we asked. “It’s just an idea,” came the thoughtful response.

Using reflections, echoes, bubbles, and mirrors, we discussed how the ego has no independent existence of its own. Just as a reflection exists only because we stand before the mirror, our ego exists only because of the Divine Consciousness giving life to everything. The moment we forget that truth, the reflection starts believing it is real — and that is where all the trouble begins.

From there, Krishna’s “ladder of fall” from the Bhagavad Gita came alive in class:

Sense object → Attachment → Desire → Anger → Delusion → Forget oneself → Loss of Discrimination → Destruction of intellect → Total Fall (Ruin).

Even a simple example like wanting ice cream despite being sick turned into a powerful discussion on how thoughts slowly become habits, habits become patterns, and patterns shape our destiny. One of our students gave a very relatable example: “You think you’ll just watch one show and study later… but that becomes a pattern.” That led us into a fascinating discussion about how even mighty formations like the Grand Canyon were created simply by repeated patterns over time.

The students also reflected deeply on introspection:
First introspect, then detect, now negate, and then substitute with something higher.

Another powerful takeaway came when we discussed offering the “fruit of actions” to Bhagavan. We said it doesn’t mean escaping responsibility — it means not allowing success to inflate the ego or failure to crush it. One student beautifully summarized, “Don’t let every action feed your ego.” 

We ended class with a wonderful reminder:
In Bhagavad Gita, we are the subject. Krishna was not giving Arjuna a distant philosophical lecture — He was teaching us how to understand ourselves.

Unique Statement Review brought out some beautiful reflections:

• “You’re always doing something — you can never really do nothing.”

• “Bad habits create paths in the mind. You have to consciously change them.”

• “If you don’t ask Krishna for help, you won’t get it.”

• “Don’t let success boost your ego or failure destroy it.”

• “Use your natural tendencies in a dharmic way.”

A truly thoughtful and introspective class overall.  

We reminded 

The ego says, “I did it.”
Wisdom quietly smiles and says, “You were blessed to be able to.”

Until next time, here’s something to ponder:

Regards, 

Rashmi and Jacqueline.