Hari Om! Below is a list of all Reflection Adventure of the Week (RAW) for the 2023-2024 Vedanta in Bhagavata Class.
- Week of December 10th, 2023
In 168 words or less, write what Vedanta in Bhagavata (ViBha) meant to you.
- Week of December 3rd, 2023
Feel that Srimad Bhagavata never existed.
- Week of November 19th, 2023
Everyday for 30 minutes reflect and or contemplate on ‘there is no creation’. Let go and just be.
- Week of November 12th, 2023
Explain what Srimad Bhagavata is to 7 different people who are not in this course.
- Week of November 5th, 2023
If you were the leader of sanatana dharma or spirituality, what would be the 3 policies that you would mandate for humanity.
- Week of October 29th, 2023
Research what the 5 arrowheads are. These are outlined in verse 25, chapter 5, skanda 12.
- Week of October 22nd, 2023
Dharma + Bhakti = Bhagavan
In the equation above, all of us are sort of orientated to dharma. Bhagavata is reminding us to focus on bhakti. Think and reflect on this.
- Week of October 15th, 2023
Everyday, invest 15 minutes in the verses we covered. Re-read chapter 6, verses 1 to 15. Visualise it and personalise it.
- Week of October 8th, 2023
Write to Rishi Shuka on what he means to you and what he’s done for you.
- Week of October 1st, 2023
Feel like Rishi Shuka is your mind. Feel that it is Rishi Shuka making your decisions for you.
- Week of September 24th, 2023
On the 4 values of satya, dhaya, tapa and dhana covered in class, rate yourself out of 25 (with 25 being the max, 1 – poor and 25 – awesome). How much integrity, compassion, openness and generosity do you have?
- Week of September 17th, 2023
Write one paragraph to one page maximum on what it means to be a humble leader.
- Week of September 10th, 2023
Write out in clear terms, 5 utility points in being in this course.
Share your reflections in the comments below.
Week of October 29th, 2023-Research what the 5 arrowheads are. These are outlined in verse 25, chapter 5, skanda 12.
The Five Arrows of Kamadeva
In Hinduism, Kamadeva is the god of love. He appeared from the mind of Brahma carrying a bow made of sugarcane and five flowery arrows. As per Hindu scriptures, the five flowery arrows are made of white lotus, red flower, mango blossom, jasmine and blue water lily.
1. White lotus (Aravinda) creates pleasing and desiring feeling (Harshana).
2. Red Flower (Ashoka) creates attraction or temptation (Rochanam)
3. Mango blossom (Amra) creates infatuation or delusion (Mohanam)
4. Jasmine (Nava Mallika) creates weakness or love sickness (Shoshanam)
5. Blue water lily (nilotpala) creates death (maranam)
Week of October 22nd, 2023 – Dharma + Bhakti = Bhagavan In the equation above, all of us are sort of orientated to dharma. Bhagavata is reminding us to focus on bhakti. Think and reflect on this.
Dharma is my responsibility. i feel my responsibility is to serve as much as possible. i do complain a little sometimes as i go about doing my duties. This i would like to raise to the level of Bhakti – being dedicated and surrendering as i go about doing my responsibilities. These days i try to do things that i love and want to do! Want to take it to the point where i never complain! Narayana!
Week of October 8th, 2023
Write to Rishi Shuka on what he means to you and what he’s done for you:
Rsi Shuka
My pranaams!
I have been asked to write about what you mean to me? You have been the guiding light teaching me how to live and die. I admit that awhile ago , (for me ) you were a character in a scripture. I did not know you at all. In the last 160 ish hours I have got to spend lot of time with you through Vivekji’s classes. Needless to say – The more I know you the more I love you. Nothing compares to you !
What have you done for me?
-More than I can express. Lot of unlearning happened as I listened to you teaching Raja Parikshat and me.
You have helped me let go of lot of my fears and dependence. Most importantly you have taught me how to be dependent on Bhagvan. This bhakta is eternally grateful
Week of October 1st, 2023 – Feel like Rishi Shuka is your mind. Feel that it is Rishi Shuka making your decisions for you.
Write one paragraph to one page maximum on what it means to be a humble leader.
i Offer my humblest oblations to Mother Saraswati… today i realize that in the trinity of the Goddesses’ world she is the most humblest of all leaders and she is my inner space and my own brilliant intellect which politely remains dormant unless… i n v o k e d.
i humbly offer full prostrations to the 2G God Guru force… a decade ago in 2009 i immersed this mortal body in the esteemed presence of His divine grace offering myself fully with a sankalpa to merge her unto Mother Ganga.
i humbly bow down at the feet of my own mother who greeted me extra sweetly saying my Lakshmi has arrived, her blessings tamed my mind to invoke the inner beauty and poise of Mother Earth within me. Along with her usual welcome ritual she graced me with a spattika mala.
This 2G blessings (accompanied by self effort worth one decade and one year respectively in unit of time) now humbly invokes Mother Saraswati blessings to voice my inner voice.
Because of Guru-s grace now i observe she remained dormant and walked out of unhealthy environments always beaming with self respect and self shine always emerging as the humblest leader in each and every experience since then… 🙂
RAW from 9/10/2023
In a way this course is also a reality check.
Am i practicing what i am learning?