October 30, 2019

Notes by Dhruva Shreejay

Review of last class

We reviewed last week’s lesson — about the story of Dhruva. He was told that he CAN’T sit on the throne by one mother and told that he CAN sit on the throne by his other mother. He worked hard and smart and was able to sit on the throne and changed the mind of his mother who said he CAN’T sit on the throne. We explored the value of being ENCOURAGING — be a “I CAN” person and not a “I CAN’T” person.

Story for this week

This week we covered the story of Charles Blondin and how he walked over the Niagara Falls from the Canadian side to the American side. He was born in the early 1800s and set up a tightrope across the Niagara Gorge from the Canadian side to the American side for a total distance of 1,100 feet. The tightrope was 3 inches wide and almost 150 feet high. He walked across the tightrope and back by being focused and balanced. When he finished walking across the tightrope, he decided to make it challenging for himself, so he put on a blindfold and walked from the American side of Niagara Falls to the Canadian side. He was successful with that too. He wanted to make it even harder for himself so he did the same thing carrying his manager on his back and carried a long bar across the tightrope. He was successful with that too! Today, there is a monument of Charles Blondin balancing on a rope at Victoria Avenue in Canada.

Message of Story

1. The story of Charles Blondin highlights the value that we explored this week — Sama — to be BALANCED.

2. Vivekji shared a secret with us — You cannot control what is outside of you (e.g. the world, your parents, your school, what others say, think or understand). You can control what is inside of you (e.g. what you say, what you think). When we know this, you will start to adapt what is inside you (the way you think, speak).

3. This is shown in “The Little Prince” — Adults sometimes don’t understand themselves and so they can’t understand others. So, they need to be told again and again and again. If we learn to understand ourselves, then we will be able to understand others better and we will be happier. When you know who you are, you can help others know who they are.

Practice

Our practice was to balance ourselves while walking across and back on a 15-foot-long string or piece of masking tape slowly and carefully with feet always on the string or tape under 3 conditions –

1. With eyes open

2. With eyes closed

3. While eating a fruit

This practice was harder going from eyes open to eyes closed to eating a fruit.

This practice shows us how to be focused and balanced.

Questions

If someone hates you or bothers you or doesn’t like you, what are you supposed to do?

Try to be happy and peaceful even when people are not nice to you — because you can control your inside! Also, try to understand why this person does not like you.

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Notes by Sahana Iyengar

In Niagara falls, there is a Canada side and an American side. One day, a man named Charles Blondin attempted to cross from side to side. He put a tightrope across the water which was 1,100 ft. The rope was three inches thick. First, he walked across the water with his eyes open. That was really easy for him so he did it again with his eyes closed and he succeeded. The next one was to walk across the tightrope while eating an omelet. Again he succeeded. He accomplished such a great feet.

The reason Charles Blondin was able to cross the Niagara falls three times because was balanced or “Sama.”

Psst. Now, let me tell you a secret. You like secrets? Good. this one is extra good. You cannot control what is outside of you. You can always control what is inside of you a.k.a. Yourself.

For example, let’s say you really like Physical Education activities but your friends don’t really like it. You can’t magic them to like it or any of that.

Example two. There is a really mean bully in your school that makes fun of your shirts and clothes and calls you names and just can’t stand you. You can’t make them not hate you. At times you can but others NO.

Practice:

For our practice, we used tape of string to make a “tightrope” to walk over. WE also got a fruit. For our first walk, we had to just walk over it without messing up with “Sama.” For our next one we did it with our eyes shut. It was hard for me. For our last one we ate our fruit while we walked across it. I think the purpose of this practice was to be Sama and show us to concentrate a lot to achieve our goal.