Dharma 8-9 - Intro to Hindu Dharma

Class Information -

This class covers: The class focusses on Moksha out of the four Purusharthas. Should start with situating the Gita in the Mahabharata and explaining its popularity in the world. Teaching the Gita in the sequence of the verses can be confusing. Therefore a thematic approach is preferable. The student should become sufficient familiar with the text of the Gita so that they are comfortable using it as a guide for the rest of their lives. Not a chapter by chapter study but a thematic study of key concepts – Karmayoga, Rajayoga, Bhaktiyoga, Jnanayoga, Gunas etc. Key verses of the Gita should be recited and memorized during this year if possible. Note: Each class should start with the recitation of Geeta Dhyanam

Ages: 12+ / Grade: 7+

Classroom: Classroom 3

Teachers -

Teachers:

• Vishal Agarwal

• Shankar Rajagopal

• Dinesh Goel

EMAIL teachers: Click HERE

Teenage Volunteers:

• Vidhi Sharma (teen)

• Shashank Murali (teen)

Class & Homework-

May 6th-

Namaste Parents and Students,

Apologies for not sending the updates for a long time. The good news is that the textbook containing the material covered this year in the class is finally printed. We will distribute it on this Sunday (13th May). If you are unable to make it on 13th, you can collect it on the 20th.

As we lost 3 Sundays this year, we were not able to cover the topic of 'How to do the Puja', which takes at least 2 weekends to teach. However, this material is included as an appendix in the textbook. You can also download a soft copy of the book from the following link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1M7FFN4AcG7KQBVOijH9G14gpN80J2pR7.

PRESENTATION FOR ANNUAL DAY: On the annual day, our class will lead the entire assembly in singing the two Bhajans that are attached 1) Sarasvati Bhajan 2) Vaishnav Jan to. I will bring handouts, so that the students do not have to memorize them.

• Saraswati Bhajan -- Click HERE to Download/View

• Vaishnav Jan To -- Click HERE to Download/View

PARTY ON 5/13: As the students have worked very hard and tolerated us teachers a lot this year, we will spend this last Sunday (which is also the Mother's day) to have a celebration outside the cafeteria. Please send a vegetarian snack (free of nuts and eggs too) with your child to share. We will also arrange for some sandwiches etc to share and enjoy. Parents are also welcome to join but please do send something for all of us to share and eat.

NEXT YEAR: Some of you are graduating from HATS if this was your second year with me. Others will continue with me next year to complete the last class of our curriculum (Bhagavad Gita). I will send separate emails after the annual day to clarify who is graduating and who needs to come back. The graduating students can volunteer in HATS classes next year, and non-graduating can still volunteer in Language classes (but not in Dharma class).

Thank you and see you the next two Sundays before we shut down for the summer.

Regards,

Level 8/9 Teachers

March 11th-

In our class on 3/11, we discussed the topic of Caste System. First, we did a class exercise on the choices that we make, and how that determines our 'nature'. We discovered that EVERYONE, without exception, is comprised of three gunas (constituents) namely Sattva (light, goodness, knowledge), rajas (energy, passion) and tamas (stupor, ignorance). Some are Sattva dominant, some are Rajas dominant and some are Tamas dominant. And many of us are a 'hub', or in other words, have a good mixture of all the three Gunas.

According to the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures, those who are Sattva dominant are suited to be Brahmanas, Rajas = Kshatriyas, Tamas = Shudras. Hubs are Vaishyas. We had a brief discussion on professions that students would like to adopt when they are adults, and in many cases, these correlated to their answer choices and resulting Guna nature.

We discussed the so called 'Caste Pyramid' which is taught in Public Schools and learned why it is a false depiction of the caste system. We also looked at social stratification in western, Christian and Islamic societies to understand that they have their own version of the caste system.

Then, we looked at whether Hindu scriptures really privilege the Brahmana and condemn the Shudra. From a spiritual perspective, all have the same Divine Soul in them, and Bhagavan loves us equally. Where we need to work is remove social inequalities.

We discussed the material in slides 1-23 of the attached powerpoint. On 3/18, we will complete this topic.

The attached PDF files might be of interest to parents for advanced reading.

Links:

• Varnadharma: Click HERE to view/download

• Organizing our Society - Varna & Jaati: Click HERE to view/download

• Equality and Inclusion: Click HERE to view/download

Regards,

Level 8/9 Teachers (11 March 2018)

March 4th-

Today, all students were given a book on Interfaith Marriages by Dr Dilip Amin. We strong request that parents read that book.

25th Feb was a snow day due to which we resumed and closed the topic of Grihastha Ashrama. First we revised all the concepts covered in our class from the beginning of the year. Then we started discussions on the contentious topic of interfaith marriages.

For this topic, we leveraged the only methodical research available, and done by Dr Amin. The attached PPT slides list shared kindly by Dr Amin examine the pros and cons of Interfaith marriages and how our Hindu youth should be aware of these.

The Sikh community of UK has been particularly in the forefront of countering attempts by members of some other communities to convert their members. The attached PDF slides "Love Jihad and Interfaith Marriages" shared by them list the major issues from their perspective. I have deleted some of the slides sent by them.

Attached also are some word documents shared by Dr. Amin with us.

As teachers, we are aware that this topic is controversial. But as our students are born and raised here, there is a great chance that they will marry outside our community. And it is our duty to provide them with our own perspectives on this topic, and make them aware of the pros and cons so that they can make more informed judgments.

Links:

• Interfaith Marriages by Dilip Amin: Click HERE to view/download

• Love Jehad and Interfaith Marriages: Click HERE to view/download

• Interfaith Marriages by Dilip Amin: Click HERE to view/download

• My Pride: Click HERE to view/download

Level 8 Dharma Teachers

February 5th & 8th-

On these two days, we covered the second of the four stages of human life - the Married Couple. In Hindu Dharma, the married householder is the bedrock of the society. As parents, they raise kids to keep the wheel of life moving, they generate wealth for the society, support their elderly parents, provide charitable donations and so on.

One enters this second stage of life after finishing the first stage (studentship) through the wedding ceremony (vivaaha samskaara). Therefore, on 18th Feb, we started a discussion on how a wedding is performed, the major steps and so on. This was illustrated using pictures from Vishal's wedding.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE FIVE DEBTS (PANCHARINA): No man is an island unto himself and we are all inter-connected-

We often take the comforts, the prosperity and other facilities that our environment gives to us for granted. We seldom acknowledge the role that our elders, our older generations, our sages and the divine powers have played in the continuous progress of our civilization to its current state. Just as they have done their bit to make our present lives comfortable, so must we too exert ourselves to make this world a better place for our future generations. Hindu scriptures teach the doctrine of ‘Three Debts’ to make us understand the importance of keeping the wheel of life in moving in the right direction. According to this doctrine, all humans are born with three debts. The first debt (Devarina) is owed to God and the Devas, who uphold the natural order – timely rains, change of seasons, flow of rivers and so on. The second debt (Rishirina) is owed to the Sages, Seers and Saints – who were visionaries, are the teachers of humans, the founding fathers of our nations and societies, the revealers of spiritual truths and the authors of our books of knowledge. The third debt (Pitririna) is owed to our parents, grandparents and all of our ancestors because they brought us into this world, took care of us when we could not fend for ourselves, and toiled hard to give us a great future. Sometimes, Hindu scriptures say that we are born with a fourth debt (Manushyarina) or the debt towards our society, because who we are depends a lot on every person and creature we interact with. As they say – “It takes a village to raise a child.” In addition, some scriptures say that we must acknowledge that what we are today is also due to the silent labor and contributions of the plants and animals around us. Even the humans who are disabled have contributed to the society in some way. This is the fifth debt – Bhutarina, that we must repay. Hindu Dharma says that we must all pay off these debts in our lifetime. As an example, historians say that the reason why Native Americans could not reach the cultural level of Asians and Europeans was because there were no horses, cattle and sheep in the Americas to do farm labor etc. This example illustrates how important animals are to advance and sustain human civilization.

To repay these debts, we should perform the ‘Pancha-Mahaa-Yajnas’ or the five great daily sacred acts (see next section) and some other things. The Devarina is repaid through the performance of Devayajna. The Rishirina is repaid through the performance of Brahmayajna. The Pitrrina is repaid through the performance of Pitriyajna and by marrying and giving birth to one’s own children so as to keep the wheel of life moving from one generation to the next. The Manushyarina is repaid through the performance of Atithiyajna, and the Bhutarina through the Vaishvadevayajna.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE FIVE GREAT DAILY SACRED ACTS: Do great acts in a small way, everyday-

We cause injury and commit violence unintentionally even by performing the bare-minimum activities needed to survive. E.g., agriculture involves the uprooting of weeds, and the killing of worms and other bugs in the cropland. Hindu Dharma says that we should atone for these sins, and also repay the debts that we are born with through the daily performance Pancha-Mahaa-Yajnas or the five great daily sacred acts during the householder stage of our life-cycle. These five daily acts are:

i). The Brahmayajna involves the daily study of scriptures (and other branches of knowledge) and teaching them to others. This keeps us connected to the collected wisdom of our Sages, and also helps in transmitting it to future generations. In modern times, we could perhaps make endowments to educational

ii).The Devayajna involves performing daily worship to Devas and to God. This enables us to stay connected with the Divine at all times, and keeps the tradition of religious ceremonies alive.

iii). The Pitriyajna involves serving our living elders with food, drink, clothing, shelter and respecting them. Periodically, we should also remember our departed ancestors by performing worship in their honor and giving charity with the hope that they are nourished in whichever state their departed souls are. This debt is similar to the contract between generations, or the ‘Social Security’ system in the United States . The Social Security taxes we pay today serve the needs of our elders. Likewise, it is expected that when we grow old and cannot fend for ourselves, the taxes that our children and grand-children pay will take care of our needs.

iv). The Atithiyajna means serving, honoring and giving charity to ‘atithis’ or scholars, ascetics, passing strangers, ill persons and any other needy persons who arrive at our doorstep without notice. One should also go out searching for these beneficiaries even if they do not land at our doorstep. In modern times, this could take the form of making regular donations to charitable organizations such as orphanages.

v). The Vaishvadevayajna (‘worship of all Devas’) involves feeding the really disadvantaged and reviled sections of the human society (e.g., criminals, lepers, social outcastes) and stray animals and birds. In modern times, this can take the form of making donations to or volunteering with wild-life conservation or animal humane societies, or providing medical care to those who cannot afford it.

Hindu scriptures say that it is a sin to eat one’s food before serving it lovingly and respectfully to the Devas, to one’s elders, to the ‘atithis’, and to social outcastes and stray animals. The doctrine of Pancha-Mahaa-Yajnas weaves lofty ideals and virtuous actions into our daily routine.

The doctrine of the Pancha Mahayajnas shows that one need not have to be a rich man, or a great person to repay the debt that we owe to everyone around us. We can repay it slowly, in small amounts, by performing these five great daily duties every day, without fail. This is another way of saying that we should do great deeds by doing simple and humble acts of Dharma every day, without fail.

When we discharge our five debts, we become fit for Moksha. If we do not discharge our five debts, we are burdened with the sin of being ungrateful to all those who have benefitted us. Performing these five daily yajnas fulfills the first of the three major goals of a married couple's life - Grihastha Dharma. We discussed modern ways in which we can fulfill this particular duty. For instance, we can repay the debt to animals by being kind to them, feeding stray animals, donating to animal shelters, volunteering at animal humane centers and so on.

The second duty of the married couple is to have children and raise them to be responsible citizens and Dharmic individuals. The last few slides attached list the duties of a good parent towards their children.

The third duty of married couples is to enjoy life. The married householders are adults, and they generate their own wealth due to which they earn the right to enjoy the fine things of life, as long as they do not violate Dharma.

The attached slides discuss the Grihastha Ashrama from a Hindu perspective.

On 18th February, we continued the topic and also discussed the pros and cons of arranged marriages versus love marriages. See the attached document for the points discussed.

Links:

• Grihastha Ashram - Householder Stage: Click HERE to view/download

• Arranged Marriages versus Love Marriages: Click HERE to view/download

Level 8 Teachers

February 11th-

Please see below the notes on the topic "The Feminine in Hindu Dharma" covered by Shankar-ji on 11th February. Attached is the document for your perusal.

We covered up to 17 pages on the slide set:

Covered information notes:

1. Every religion - other than the Hindu religion - considers God as a man and not a woman. Hinduism considers the Brahmam as the eternal truth and God. For easier realization and for focusing to assist us as humans, the Hindu religion portrays the eternal truth (God) in different forms (Shiva and Parvati, Vishnu and Lakshmi, Ganesa, Kartikeya and so forth) and gives importance to both men and women gods. Hindu religion places a very high significance to Sakti (Energy) as the Mother of the world for Parvatiji who is responsible for the power Shivaji has. So are Saraswatiji (Knowledge) and Lakshmiji (Wealth) who play a significant role in daly worships.

2. The vedic age gave significance and position in the society to women. Many Rishinis have particpated in the vedic expansion and Upanishads. Later the emphasis to Women got diluted in the last two millenniums. It is getting corrected in the last century and decade rather quickly. Still there is much progress to be made.

3. There were some discussions regarding Greek mythology and Greek goddesses. It is to be noted that Greek mythology considers Women goddesses only in support role. Where as Hindu religion considers for example Parvatiji as the one responsible for Energy (Sakti) which gave everything else in the Universe and gave Shivaji the powers needed. Also we discussed the distinctions in terminologies - between mythology and that of Purana's and Vedas of Hindu Religion.

4. Notion of Motherland in Hindu religion was contrasted with the concept of Fatherland in the west.

We went a little slower than we wanted. But, there was participation from the class justifying the slow pace.

Link:

• 24 Women in Hindu Dharma: Click HERE to view/download

January 7th-

After explaining how our Svadharma (personal duty) typically approximates the Varna-Ashrama Dharma, we switched to the next topic - the Four Stages of Human Life, or the Four Ashramas.

Hindu scriptures lay out a very comprehensive plan as to how we should lead our lives systematically and Dharmically in order to achieve the four goals of human life. We started with a class exercise (attached) in which we compared the ages in India, USA and in ancient Vedic times at which people went to school, graduated, went for higher education, married, had kids, divorced (if divorce was permitted), retired and so on.

We had a very lively discussion in which we looked at the benefits of doing the right thing at the right point of our lives. For example, students learned how not completing High School or College can lead them to a downward spiral in life from which it is very difficult to come out. We discussed in brief why it is important to marry at the right time, why divorces are frowned upon in the Hindu tradition. These topics will be discussed in much greater detail through Jan-Feb; and we will also cover contemporary topics like Dating, Arranged Marriages, Interfaith Marriages and so on.

After the class exercise, we started with how Hindu scriptures divide our life span into four stages starting with 'Studentship'. Hindu Dharma provides some guidelines regarding the order of these stages, their relative importance and so on. Presently, all the students in the class are in the first stage of their lives - Brahmacharya Ashrama. In this stage, Hinduism teaches us specific duties towards our parents, teachers, siblings, friends and the need to focus on education rather than getting distracted by other things. Our educational foundation is established in this first Ashrama, and is very important for the future success in the rest of our life later on. We also briefly discussed the need for choosing our school and college subjects and majors judiciously (e.g. Music versus Biology) and how this translates into different incomes in our lives. Life is about choices, and we must plan our life by making better choices now, so that we are offered better choices later.

The attached slides give a gist of the Ashrama System; and our topic for next week - Duties of Students towards their parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, friends and so on.

Level 8/9 Dharma teachers.

• Links:

  • Ashrama Dharma: Click HERE to view/download

December 17th-

We covered the following topics:

1. Complexity of Dharma: We did a class exercise that consisted of students answering an open ended question. Much of the class was taken up in discussing how the quantum and nature of punishment that the judge would give to convict brought to him will be determined by seeing the issue from many perspectives. Similarly, we should practice Dharma in our real life wisely by considering multiple sources and perspectives. We must consider whether our actions are appropriate for the time, place, situation, who is impacted by our actions, and what the end result will be, and what means we are adopting to accomplish our actions. What is Dharma in one situation can be Adharma in another. Sometimes, even speaking lies and commiting a crime is the right thing to do. The attached documents give the 1) Class exercise worksheet 2) Traditional Hindu perspectives on choosing correctly our personal Dharma (Svadharma).

2. Hindu Dharma as Varna-Ashrama Dharma: It can become very confusing as to what is our right duty at a particular time. There are many factors to consider. Each individual has many roles in play in life - for his family, as a professional at his workplace, in the society, for his country and for humanity at large. Hindu scriptures teach us that in more than 90% of the cases, our true or correct duty (Svadharma) is decided by answering the following two questions: i) What is the stage of life that I am in? Am I a student, a householder, a retiree or a Sadhu? ii) Which of the four social classes do I belong too and what are my corresponding professional qualifications?

Most of our interactions with others are those with our family and friends, or with our professional colleagues. For this reason, considering these two questions helps us decide the correct duty for us in a great majority of the cases.

Our scriptures define in great detail the specific duties of each of the four stages of life (Ashrama Dharmas) and the four social classes (Varna Dharmas). For this reason, Hindu Dharma is often termed as 'Varna-Ashrama Dharma'.

The attached slides depict the different identities or roles we play in our lives, and the guidelines for selection our Svadharma in various situations.

• Links:

  • Complexity of distinguishing right from wrong: Click HERE to view/download

  • Svadharma - Finding my own Dharma: Click HERE to view/download

  • Context Sensitivity of Dharma: Click HERE to view/download

  • Layers of Dharma: Click HERE to view/download

December 3rd & 10th-

Homework: Students should bring in their HW assigned before Thanksgiving. On a sheet of paper, they should write all the things or steps that they will complete to invite a very respected and loved guest to their home – starting from planning the invitation, receiving and serving the guest, and seeing him/her off.

On 3rd December, we learned about the Hindu scriptures in brief. Unlike religions that are a ‘Religions of the Book’, we Hindus are a ‘Dharma of the Library’. We have thousands of scriptures to suit different needs, people with different temperaments and abilities and so on. But, the Vedas are considered the supreme Hindu scriptures. Based on the Vedas are the writings of Sants and Rishis, called the Smriti scriptures. Hindu Dharma also asks us to rely on examples set up virtuous great people (sadaachaara). If there is no guidance from the above three sources, we fall back upon our own inner wisdom and conscience. If we are still confused, we can make a choice with good intention. Hindu Dharma also lays great emphasis on learning about Dharma and Moksha from expert teachers, called the ‘Guru’. We chanted the Guru Stotram in class. We also contrasted the Christian view that conscience is the ‘voice of God’ with the Hindu view that says conscience is reliable only if the person is noble and virtuous to start with. We discussed briefly why the latter view alone is acceptable from the modern scientific view as well. Several stories were narrated on the best way of reading scriptures. Refer to the Word doc sent before Thanksgiving for these stories. For stories on Gurus, refer to the chapter, ‘Respecting our Teachers’ at the website https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-_cyS7sAF4RSzEybjlROWRuMEE/view because we will not be able to cover this in our class due to a shortage of time.

On 10th December, we discussed the special features of the Sanskrit language and how its scientific nature continues to be appreciated today. One of us also chanted a passage from the Yajurveda to demonstrate the ‘accented’ nature of Vedic Sanskrit. We also discussed that it is a myth that Hindu scriptures or our prayers must be in Sanskrit. As an example, we passed around a scripture on Shaivism and Yoga written in the Javanese language of Indonesia more than 1000 years ago. The book is called Dharma Patanjala. Refer to the attached slides on the material covered.

On 17th December, we will discuss how we must use our common sense and intelligence in choosing our correct personal Dharma. We will start with a class discussion cum exercise to illustrate how even the simplest of decisions require us to use our common sense, and see things from many angles to make a proper, Dharmic choice. The materials used will be sent out after the class to parents and students for reading. After the Winter Break, we will start a new Unit, ‘Planning our Life in a Dharmic Way’.

Regards,

Level 8/9 Teachers

• Links:

  • Guru and Guru Stotram: Click HERE to View/Download

  • The Scriptures and Sanskrit: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, November 19th-

The students had meditation class for the entire session.

Sunday, November 12th-

NOTE: Please see the HomeWork at the end.

This past Sunday, we completed the tropic of the Importance of Human Birth. The conclusion was that those who remain fixed at the level of Artha and Kama are no better than animals. But when we add Dharma to our pursuits, we transform from an animal to be a good human. In the animal kingdom, 'Might is Right'.

The 'Law of the Jungle', or 'Law of Big Fish eat Small Fish' (as it is called in Hindu scriptures) in the animal kingdom makes stronger animals kill weaker animals. But, at the end of the previous creation, when all humanity had turned evil, one man named Manu went to great lengths to protect even a small fish from being eaten up. Pleased with his loyalty to Dharma even in evil times, Bhagavan Vishnu asked him to be the first human in our current cycle of creation. The moral of the story is that we must not give up our humanity or Dharma even when everyone else seems to be following the path of evil.

The human body gives us another opportunity that is not available to other creatures - to make a conscious choice and elevate ourselves from a human level to the Divine level --how this is done is the topic for next year.

Then, we switched gears and had a lively discussion using the classic 'clockmaker's exercise'. Just as we learn to do the right thing in our day to day lives by reading manuals, help books, going to knowledgeable people, google stuff, or use our wisdom, in a similar way, correct Dharma is known through the Vedas (=Manual given to us by Bhagavan), or other books that explain Dharma (Smritis), or through a human teacher (Guru), or by watching what other saintly people have done in similar situations (Sadaachaara) or by using the voice of our conscience (Atmapriya). So we taught students these 5 new Hindu vocabulary words. A sixth source of Dharma is 'sankalpa' or a good resolution or good intentions. Sometimes, our intentions are good but our actions yield a bad result. Our scriptures teach us that if our intentions are in good faith, then that act is Dharma irrespective of the result.

ON 19TH NOVEMBER: Students will have 1 hour meditation

ON 26TH NOVEMBER: We are off for Thanksgiving

ON 3rd December: We will complete the topic 'Sources of Dharma', and start with the new topic ' Veda and Smriti - the Scripture sources of Dharma'. Time permitting, we will chant the Guru Stotram.

Attached are files that parents might find useful. These files are work in progress, but will be good reference material for you.

HOMEWORK: Students will write on a page a description of all the things that they would plan to invite a very dear and respected guest (e.g., a very close friend) to their home, make his visit memorable, and the see him off with love. Please use all your experiences and imagination. We will use this exercise to invite Bhagavan into our lives as a beloved guest through Puja (Hindu worship).

Thank you.

Level 8/9 Teachers

• Links:

  • Sources of Dharma - Class Exercises: Click HERE to View/Download

  • Sources of Hindu Dharma: Click HERE to View/Download

  • Overview of Hindu Scriptures: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, November 5th-

Today, we completed the topic of 'Four Goals of Human Life'. We revised the vocabulary words: Dharma, Adharma, Kaama, Artha, Moksha and Purushaartha.

We read some stories as to why Kaama, Artha and even Dharma cannot lead to everlasting happiness. Then, we read a few stories to understand how the final Goal namely Moksha, alone takes us beyond sorrows, death, evil etc. for all times to come.

To test whether the students have understood the distinction between the four goals, we did a class exercise. The students classified all the items presented to them correctly within the four categories (check the appendix in the word doc sent last week). Then, we also discussed how the same action can be artha, or kama or dharma or even adharma if performed with a different intention. For example, charity is an act of Dharma. But if give someone a gift in expectation of a return gift, then it is like a business transaction (i.e., artha). Or if we give a harmful gift to someone, it is Adharma. We looked at historical examples like the Opium Wars of China, and the White Elephant gifts of Thai emperors to understand adharmic gifts, and add some humor to our class.

Next week, we will complete the short topic of "The Importance of Human Birth", which will stress the importance of Dharma. Those who cannot rise above Artha and Kama are no better than animals. It is Dharma that transforms us from an animal to human; whereas Moksha makes us from human to Divine.

Please see the attached material that we will use next week. We also plan to start the next topic: Sources of Dharma ('How can I Distinguish Right from Wrong') next week.

Thank you.

Level 8/9 Teachers

• Links:

  • Importance of Human Birth: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, October 29th-

This class introduced the core Hindu concept of the four Legitimate Goals (Purushaarthas) of human life: Dharma (duty, virtue, righteousness); Artha (Material Security); Kama (Fulfilling the desires of our senses, pleasures; Moksha (Reaching the Divine, Attaining Liberation).

We started with a fun class exercise where everyone listed they wanted in life. The results of this exercise were, AS ALWAYS:

1. An overwhelming majority of our desires fall within Artha and Kāma. Few in Dharma and hardly any in Moksha à Most people are not interested in Moksha, and some have an interest in Dharma.

2. All the wants of animals will fall within Artha and Kāma à We should try to be better than animals by aspiring for Dharma and Moksha.

3. A little kid will not think much of Dharma or Moksha.

4. A poor man will not think much of Dharma and Moksha à It is important to fulfill Artha and Kāma in life too.

5. It is possible to get Kāma and Artha by disobeying Dharma à Use Dharma to control Artha and Kāma.

Thereafter, we started studying the four Purushaarthas in detail. I am attaching the Slides and the Word doc containing the material. You will find the stories fascinating and very inspiring. The framework of Purusharthas also enables us to see how lopsided our priorities in life are. We tend to spend more than 99% of our day running after things that either less important or not important at all. Page 59 of the Word Doc contains the results of an earlier year's class exercise that was also done today.

Next week (11/05), we will close this topic and proceed with the next one - 'The Importance of Human Birth.' The students have already understood the fact that being stuck at the level of 'Kama' and 'Atha' makes us no better than animals. And it is this distinction that will be emphasized next week. Dharma transforms us from an animal level to the human level; and Moksha transforms us from a human level to the Divine level. This year, our focus is Dharma, next year, it will be Moksha. On 11/12, we will do a class exercise that will help us understand the 'Sources' of Dharma. On 11/19, the class will do a 1 hour meditation.

Thank you.

Level 8/9 teachers.

• Links:

  • What is the Purpose of our Life: Click HERE to View/Download

  • Purushaartha Doctrine: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, October 22nd-

Most people believe that Hindu Dharma is an Indian religion, or that only Indians can be Hindus. This is false, just as non-Arabs are or can be Muslims; or only westerners can be Christians. Our class started with a mini-debate between two halves on this topic.

Thereafter, we also looked briefly at Hindu communities in other parts of the world outside India. Some students were surprised to learn that over 3 million Americans are Hindus, or that Hindus have traditionally lived in millions in other countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. We were not able to complete this topic due to lack of time, but all students and parents are requested to peruse through the file "02 Hindus around the World."

Also, the debate on whether non-Indians can be Hindus or not is written in detail in the file "02 Is Hindu Dharma India Centric."

The second document at least will be appreciated more by adults, and might be tedious for the students. Please save all these on your computer for future reference, if you prefer.

NEXT WEEK: We will start with the core topic of "What is the Purpose of our Life according to Hindu Teachings"?

Thank you.

Level 8/9 Teachers.

• Links:

  • Hinduism As a World Religion: Click HERE to View/Download

  • Is Hindu Dharma India Centric: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, October 15th-

On 15th October, it being the Festival Season, we started with a quiz on "Hindu Festivals around the World". Those who answered the questions correctly got a golden dollar coin. The PPT is attached and the correct answers are bolded/underlined

Thereafter, we completed the topic, "Contributions of Hindus to the World Civilization." In this class, we focused on the influences on western Civilization, and the scientific and mathematical contributions of Hindus (zero, base 10 number system, metallurgy, algebra, trigonometry) as well on areas like agriculture, grammar, arts, music, martial arts.

The subtle influences of Hindu thought on American culture is reflected in two attached articles: "We are all Hindus" by Lisa Miller (published in Newsweek in 2009) and another article, "Is America a Hindu Nation?"

The complete slide-deck highlighting Hindu contributions was sent two weeks ago. If you did not receive it or want it again, please write to us.

Thank you.

Level 8/9 Teachers

• Links:

  • Quiz-Hindu Festivals Around the World: Click HERE to View/Download

  • America a Hindu Nation by Brad Pfeiffer: Click HERE to View/Download

  • Newsweek - We are All Hindus now: Click HERE to View/Download

Sunday, October 1st-

Dear Parents and Students,

We started our first topic, "The Gifts of Hindus to the World". We covered 1/2 of the attached slides, and dealt with the deep cultural and religious influences that Hinduism has had all over SE Asia, E Asia and now, on the US. Next class (on 15th Oct, because 8th Oct is a holiday for HATS), we will complete these slides, and proceed to the next topic, "Hindu communities around the world." Please save these slides on your computer.

During the class, we showed kids some books of relevance, like a 1000 year old Arabic translation of a Sanskrit math textbook and so on.

Bhajan at the MN State Capitol (St. Paul)

Level 8/9 kids are also invited to lead the 'Vaishnav Jan to' Bhajan at the MN State Capitol on 7th Oct around 10 AM. I am attaching the program flyer. The Bhajan will be around 10:15 AM. After the Bhajan, we are all invited to enter the Capitol and interact with the MN political leaders. This can be a wonderful and rare experience in case you want to participate.

The Bhajan need not be memorized as we will bring printed copies. And I am holding 3 practices at my home from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Monday, Wednesday and on Thursday. It is recommended that participants attend at least 2 sessions out of these 3. We can do another Bhajan practice at the venue before the program starts, if needed. Vishal's home address is 18583 - 63rd Ave N, Maple Grove MN 55311, and the cell is 763-227-1049.

Parents and teachers are also most welcome to participate in the group singing of this Bhajan (just like last year) and honor the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, a great Hindu of our times. Hope to see at least some of you at the State Capitol on 7th morning, and then in the HATS class on 10/15.

Another incident recommended is the meeting with the Indian documentary maker Binoy Behl on Tuesday evening. The event is free, and free snacks/tea will be provided at the start. At the end of the program, you can buy a dinner. Binoy Behl is famous for his documentary on Ajanta Murals. Those who cannot visit the Ajanta Caves can have an e-Darshan through this program of this wonderful example of Indian art and sculpture.

Regards,

Level 8/9 Teachers

Sunday, September 24th-

I covered today Sept 24 - - Benefits of Meditation with an emphasis on healing effects.the basics of

Started the class with basic definition and understanding around meditation and health. One of the students was new to HATS and so to Meditation. Covered some basics for his benefit.

Answered some of the questions kids had (interactive session) and discussed with their participation how various stress levels affect our day to day life, read the book, "Meditation as Medication" by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Meditated for 5 minutes.

Regards,

Dinesh Goel

Sunday, September 17th-

Dear Parents and Students,

On 9/17, the students experienced 30 minutes each of Hatha Yoga and Chair Yoga taught respectively by Anisha Sharma and by Shashi Gupta.

Anisha taught them some simple Yogasanas that promote good physical and mental health. Shashi-ji taught the kids very very simple asanas and breathing techniques that can be practiced even sitting on a chair. These can help relieve muscular (physical) as well as mental stresses.

During the course of the year, we will revise some simple Pranayama (breathing) techniques which will kids relieve their stresses, especially while they go to higher classes in school. During January, we will also do some Surya Namaskar sessions.

On 9/24, the students will have a full 1 hour session of Dhyana Yoga (meditation) that will be led by Dinesh Goel ji, who is one of the primary class teachers for this year.

Please note that in the final class in HATS (which will happen next year for all but 4 students in the class), we cover Dhyana Yoga theory in great detail and look into its spiritual, health and other benefits.

With regards,

Level 8/9 Dharma teachers

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