Ekadasi Cheese Biscuits! Cooking Lab :)

We had a wonderful cooking lab with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Prabhu! Who said Ekadasi prasadam has to be boring? :) 

For a full album of pictures, check out our Facebook album here
See recipe here

The Heart of the Gita

This week in Sunday School, we delved deeply into the heart of the Gita, Chapter 9. In small groups, students immersed themselves in selected verses , trying to extract the essence of Chapter 9. I was impressed at how students were able to thoughtfully listen to one another and engage in deep and personal conversation. 

 Some of their points included:

-Doing anything with love for Krishna is the most important, more important than how much we give
-Krishna is simple and does not want much from us
-Krishna gives second chances....He forgives us and wants us to come back
-Krishna is always there for us, He always provides us with what we need
-Whoever we worship, that's where we will go, so if we worship Krishna, we will go to Him

Students immersed in writing personal prayer

The second half of class centered around a practical application of Chapter 9. How do we actually build a relationship with God? Students analyzed prayers from exemplary devotees such as Queen Kunti, Prahlad Maharaj, Dhruva Maharaj and King Gajendra. Together as a class we identified qualities of prayer. Class ended with a quiet reflection, where students were able to write their own prayers to Lord Krishna. All their prayers were offered at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. 

I was personally inspired to see how sincerely all of them worked at creating some connection with Krishna through both quality discussion and personal prayer. 

They say that students learn from their teacher, but I have to say that I find myself constantly learning from my students. May I follow in their footsteps of sincerity. 

Students prayers offered to the feet of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai

Better Than Good

Trai-gunya-visaya veda     nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna

Nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho     niryoga-ksema atmavan

Translation: The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.

             
           My understanding of this verse is as follows. There are three modes of material nature. They are the mode of ignorance, the mode of passion, and the mode of goodness. One may think that the mode of goodness is the highest mode of material nature, but it does not free oneself from the cycle of birth and death. Even though we do everything we can, we can’t be perfect until we surrender and serve to Lord Krishna, continuously, with pure love and devotion. This is the only way we will be able to free ourselves from the cycle of birth and death. I chose this verse because it is one of the one hundred eight most important verses. Also, it tells us that no one can be perfect until they surrender themselves to Lord Krishna, and pray to Him with pure love and devotion.

                This verse relates to my and other people’s lives because we all have probably known someone who either believes in the mode of goodness, the mode of passion, and the mode of ignorance. An example of the mode of goodness is a Brahmana because he/she strongly believes in God but still has not completely surrendered. An example for the mode of passion is a politician because he/she works very hard to earn material enjoyment and does not strongly believe in God. Last but not least, an example for the mode of ignorance is atheists because they are lazy, they don’t worship a God and they are always angry. Because they have no interest in spiritual life, they have no chance of liberation. Those are examples of the mode of goodness, the mode of passion, and the mode of ignorance.

                This relates to what we talk about in class because we have discussed about people who are atheists and who don’t believe in a God or that God exists and even had a debate on that topic. Also, we have talked about how we should surrender Lord Krishna with pure love and devotion. That was my realization and thoughts on this particular verse.

Reflections written by Nandini Majmudar

Time Flies!

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

TRANSLATION

As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

                This verse truly signifies time passing as days and weeks to years and decades just fly by. We have really no time to procrastinate and “enjoy” our senses. We need to utilize this time to serve Krishna, which is simple - love him, follow the healthy lifestyle of the four regulative principles, and chant and be happy.

However even this is hard and loads of people cant do this because they truly don’t have time, don’t prioritize or simply just don’t care of its importance.  This is a major flaw and it should be diminished in our hearts but if we procrastinate too much and give Krishna less priority then he gives you less priority and death is just around the corner. After Death we have no idea where we are going - to heavenly planets, lower planets, going through the cycle of 8,400,000,000 living species or maybe reaching Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. The only way to not be shocked or impacted too much is to be a self-realized soul and understand you are not this body and this so-called enjoyment is just an illusion.

For my generation this is very difficult. Middle school students are not sannyasis and are not usually self realized but they do feel emotion and they may be anger, sadness, or loss and possibly lost a family/friend. If you just realize that they or you are not this body then it may help you cope with grieving.

This truly helps me and can help you realize that death and sadness is not something to be alarmed about since it is possible to become a self realized soul and when this is achieved then can you truly be in the spiritual world your home.

Reflections written by Madhav Barot