January 8, 2020
Notes by Dhruva Shreejay
Review
We started class with Vivekji asking us — Why we do what we do?
1. Dukha nivritti — absence of pain: Because we don’t want to feel bad
2. Sukha prapti — presence of peace: Because we want to feel good
We are learning and practicing being happy in our Happy Hour class by studying values — to know what the values are and to live them. In our last class, we learned about the value to be accepting.
Value for this week
When you go to a doctor and the doctor asks you how you are feeling, you usually say that you are feeling fine but, on the inside, you don’t feel so good. If you do not say how you really feel, the doctor may not be able to help you and send you back home. This highlights the value for this week — “Being honest”. We learned about Japa: learning to ask for help. When we are honest, we learn to ask for help and are given help. When this happens, we grow and can help others. A good example of this is the trees outside our homes. In newer homes that are less than 5 or 10 years old, the trees outside are shorter and need more protection with a fence and water. In older homes, the trees are longer and help other trees around them. Similarly, as we grow from kids to children to young adults to adults, we go from receiving help to giving help. As we both receive help from others and give help to others, we feel closer to others.
Practice
1. Reflect for 2 minutes — What is the one thing that you need the most help with right now?
2. Ask your parents for this one thing that you need the most help with. Be honest.
3. Make a promise to yourself — If there is something that your parents help you with today, promise yourself that you will not ask your parents for help with this e.g. waking you up in the morning, making your bed or any other responsibility that you can do on your own
With this practice, we actually practiced being honest about something we need help with and in the process felt closer to our parents when we asked for help and received it. We also became more aware of the ways in which our parents help us do things we can do on our own, which makes us feel even more closer to them!
Lessons from Questions
1. Be present wherever you are (body and mind). Imagine a string that is tied from your mind to your hands so that you are fully present and aware of what you are doing.
2. Lessons from Ramayana — Mother Sita had the power to escape from Ravana, but we see the power of togetherness in the battle of good over evil. Also, we see how animals can be role models (Hanuman, Ganesha) and why we should care as much for animals as we do for humans.
3. Lesson from the Little Prince — When the baobabs are small, it is easy to remove them. As they grow, it becomes harder and harder to remove them. This teaches us that whatever we do every day helps us build discipline and by doing small things every day, the hard things will seem easier.
Lesson from last RAW
Our RAW from the last class was to speak in the same tone to your family — no raising your voice in anger or lowering your voice in annoyance. When we do this, we feel happier.
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Notes by Keshav Ganesh
Message
Vivekji started by asking a few questions, like “How many have a cold?”, “How many paid taxes?”, “Who all drive to school?”. He was looking for honestly.
Always be honest. When you are honest, you get help, and give help.
Practice
Think of the thing that you need the most help with. Then go and ask your parents if they can help you. Then think of something you do not need your parent’s help anymore, and go tell them about it.
Story — Little Prince
Baobab is a dangerous tree that grows on the Little Prince’s planet. He has to clean up the small trees every day before it becomes too big. If he doesn’t do that, it will be impossible to remove the trees and they will destroy the planet.