Apr 27, 2025 - Kindergarten (Sunday AM)

Hari Om, 

Please find the summary below for our 23rd session.

Opening Prayers:  We together chanted three OMs and then chanted the Opening Prayers - Sahana Vavatu and various slokas we have learnt so far. 

Yoga : Children did exercises and yoga stances we have learnt so far.

We refreshed W for Work and X for Excellence lessons. 

Year end Mela Practice : We practiced the year end mela skit. We have sent individual dialogues with the children , please make them practice at home. 
 

Introduction : Y is for Yagna. Yagna is a fire ritual performed to please God. The Yajna Spirit is to work towards a common cause with dedication, sacrifice and service. In olden days, the priests and sages used to sit around the fire kund and chant some special mantras while making offerings of ghee and herbs into the fire, for the well being of all the people. Everyone would come together - some bring flowers, some prasad, some people help with decorations etc... and work together in the Yagna Spirit. When we participate in Yagna with Yagna Spirit, we cure ourselves of the disease of Selfishness ( I & Mine). 

Brainstormed :  We discussed several questions.

1. In today's age, there are not many fire kund based Yagnas like earlier times. Do we still have the Yagna Spirit? Children said emphatic YES! We spoke about various events which happen around our Vrindavan. where everything is done with the YAgna Spirit. Akhandaramayan, Gita Yagna, the Radha Kalyanam etc.. At the end of each aarti , we sing the closing prayers. Children repeated after us and we explained the meaning. 

Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niraamayaah |
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

2.  Why should we pray for other people? Children were able to explain how it makes them sad if others are sick or sad. Yes, God is very powerful. and if he is so powerful, why should i ask so little just for me! I can ask for the well-being of Everyone!  

3. Why should we think of other people? We learnt the African word called "UBUNTU". It means everyone is interconnected and I am because we are! We spoke about situations like how if one child keeps making noise in a library would disturb everyone there, or when I throw something on the road and the road is dirty for everyone etc..

Story time : We shared the story of how young children of Africa , taught a foreigner visiting their land the true meaning of Ubuntu. Foreigners drew a circle around the tree , put a box of candy in it and said that whoever got in first gets all the candy and they are not allowed to share! The children held hands to form a circle around the tree and stepped into the circle together ! They won together and hence shared the candy. We'll only be happy when everyone else is also happy.

Activity : Through role play of the story of Devas and Asuras being invited by God for a feast, and Bagwan giving them the task of enjoying the feast without bending their elbows, we experienced Ubuntu and how thinking about others can bring all of us equal joy! Children really enjoyed this role play and had a lot of fun! 

Story time : Through the story of the Enormous Turnip , We learnt that We must all work together, even the smallest and weakest can help to achieve our goals.

Attendance : Children responded with HariOm as their names were called out.  After that We headed for the aarti.

We had a really wonderful time with the children. Looking forward to the next session. 

Next Class : 4th May. 

Pranams, 
Shreya and Veda