Hari Om! :)

For this week's CHYK class, we discussed the chapter The Pride of Duryodhana. We established that the epic battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas is a metaphor for the internal battle that rages between our negative and positive tendencies. The Kaurava army was larger, and more efficient than the smaller Pandava army. However, they were weakened and eventually defeated by the sense of guilt and evil weighing on their consciences even before they reached the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Free of such negativity, the Pandavas emerged the stronger of the two sides.

Similarly, we are prone to far more negative tendencies than positive. However, these negative tendencies weigh us down with guilt, shame and doubt. Our positive tendencies, on the other hand, while fewer, make us stronger.

To illustrate this, we planned a role-playing activity in which each person represented various negative and positive tendencies, all being applied to a particular dilemma. The negative tendencies were: laziness, selfishness and a short temper. The only positive tendency in the group was dharma. We each made our cases for why or why not we should take a certain action.

In a similar vein, this week's sadhana is as follows:

Record down three instances in which you had a difficult decision to make. As exemplified in the class activity, separate out the various factors that were instrumental to your decision making. Analyse the case for each negative and positive factor, and the decision making process. In class, share one of these instances and decisions with the group.

Hari Om, and see you all next week! :)

We had our first interactive activity based lesson for the Art of Manmaking text on the Wednesday that just passed. And as with all new beginnings, we felt it appropriate to have some form of self reflection and goalsetting exercise. The following video by Swamiji was very inspiring and helped us think about the sort of ideals and goals we set for ourselves.

Do have a watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TTnN2icTm8

Key lessons from the video:

• The joy of true work requires that the worker set an ideal and goal for himself. If not, his work is just pure labour, just sweat and toil, not unlike that of animals.

• Maintain your ideal, but let the ideal/goal be high. So high that you will never reach.

• Why you may ask? What is the point of setting an ideal I cannot attain?

• Because reaching the ideal is not the goal. Striving to reach the ideal, that is when we grow.

• Once you reach your ideal or goal, then everything has ended, the purpose for living ceases.

• Reaching the goal is not the goal. Striving to reach the goal is the goal.

• The result or the fruits of our labour should not be the point.