Notes by Mahathi Yathiraju 

Ant Philosophy Part 1

• What do ants do when you try to obstruct their path with your finger? They go over or around it!
• Never give up!

Ant  Philosophy Part 2

• What are ants doing in the summertime? They are preparing for winter- building ant hills, storing food
• Look ahead!
• When you look ahead, you are thinking ahead, meaning you will be more prepared

Ant  Philosophy Part 3

• In the winter time, ants stay positive and think about summer
• Stay Positive!

Ant  Philosophy Part 4

• Ants are not individuals
• Ants live as systems and communities
• Ants don’t compare themselves to other ants
• Do all we can!

4 Teachings:

• Never Give Up
• Look Ahead
• Stay Positive
• Do all we can

As the weather becomes darker, remember this: Ants were probably around when dinosaurs were, that’s how awesome they are! And you can live through this philosophy as well 🙂

Activity! 

– Group 1: visualization is TRAFFIC

– Group 2: visualization is VACCINATION CLINIC

– Group 3: visualization is a SNOW PERSON / SNOWMAN- PEOPLE MAKING A SNOW PERSON!

Come up with philosophies for each of these visualizations; 2 teachings for each group!

Group 1: Traffic

• Expect the unexpected
• Patience + Empathise with others

Group 2: Vaccination Clinic

• Be vigilant and show strength
• Planning ahead and look ahead

Group 3: Making a snow person

• Have patience building the snowman and with the people you’re building it with
• Everything created has to undergo change, but it never goes anywhere, just another form in another place

RAW: Take up one of the ant philosophy teachings as your mantra for the next two weeks.

Notes by Dwija Ramesh

November 22nd, 2021

Discourse:

Today’s class was with Vivekji!!

The Ant’s philosophy: There are 4 teachings here

1. If there was an ant on the table and you try to obstruct the path with your finger, it will find a way to follow its path — Never give up
2. During the summer, ants are preparing for winter — Look ahead
3. During the winter, the ants are thinking about summer and planning for it — Stay positive
4. Ants are not individuals-they live as systems — Do all we can

Activity – Discussion:

Come up with two teachings from this visualization

First group : Traffic philosophy

1. Accept the unexpected because if you try to rush everything and expect things, you will be angry and disappointed
2. Be compassionate because whatever is holding the traffic back is affecting other people as well, not just you

Second group: Vaccination clinic philosophy

1. Be vigilant – you want to fight the virus so you must be vigilant about getting the shot as well as being strong during the actual happening and aftereffects of the shot
2. Planning ahead – you do not want to be caught in the rush of the other people also wanting to get vaccinated

Third Group: Snowperson (people making one) philosophy 

1. Patience with building the actual snowman as well as the people around
2. Staying positive – it might not always work out because of the different conditions or it melting, but spinning it around to the joy and peace you had while building it
3. Based on the actual snow person – everything created has to undergo change but it never goes anywhere, just in another form in another place

This week’s RAW is:  Out of these four teachings, take up one as your mantra for the next 2 weeks.