Notes by Aarya M
Today, we had Gaurav Uncle come in to teach us about the word philanthropy.
If you go to Balavihar, you know about the pledge. The pledge states, “We live honestly, the noble life of sacrifice and service, producing more than what we consume, and giving more than what we take.” This part of the pledge means that our Chinmaya Mission family believes in sharing, and giving back to society and those who are less fortunate. Meanwhile, philanthropy means giving back to those that are needy or not quite as fortunate as we are and sharing our blessings. Right now, we are in a special time of year called Navratri, which many people celebrate in different ways. Some do golu, others dandiya, and most puja. Our community also celebrates by sharing with people who are less fortunate.
Next, he shared a story. There once was a man who loved to walk on the beach. Every morning, he would go for a long walk. It so happened that the night before, it had rained heavily. As he was walking, he thought he saw someone dancing on the beach. As he got closer, he realized that it was a little girl, not dancing, but bending down, picking up starfish stranded on the beach, and gently tossing them back in the water. He walked up to her, and asked why she was doing this. She replied saying, “If we don’t help the starfish, they’ll die in the sun.” The older gentleman responded, “Don’ t you realize there are miles and miles of beach, and countless starfish stranded? You can’t possibly make a difference.” The girl listened, then picked up another starfish and threw it back in. She then replied, saying, “I can try to help as many as I can, and I made a difference for that one.” The old man took her lead and started helping her. And as time passed, more and more people came along, and before you knew it, the whole beach was covered and all the starfish were saved.
Every year, during Navratri, our community comes together for philanthropy. Last year, we raised money for Chinmaya Vijaya, who support orphan girls and provide them with shelter, food, and education. This Navratri, we are supporting 3 charities. The first is Miracle Feet. This helps kids walk and run just like you can. The second group is called Wildlife SOS. This takes care of elephants and makes sure they are not hurt or mistreated. And lastly, is Elevate Her Story, who support less fortunate women and children in India. Even if you can’t donate money, there are other ways you can help, like planting trees, cleaning up parks, or making food for the homeless. No matter your age, you can always find a way to help.
After this, it was handed off to Captain Vivekji, who elaborated on this. He told us another story. Once, Bhagavan Brahma awoke from his sleep. He is the creator of all, but nothing had been created yet. It was simply him and darkness. Bhagavan Brahma was scared, as we are in the dark, and closed his eyes, and listened carefully. He heard a voice that came from inside, and heard one word with two syllables. The word was Tapa. Tapa means to be bigger than yourself, and to go outside of your comfort zone. So Bhagavan Brahma tried to think even harder about what Tapa means. Here he felt Bhagavan Narayana, the original parent, teacher and creator, saying, you can do this. I have your back. You can be bigger than yourself. Go, and create earth, and the solar system. Bhagavan Brahma smiled, and felt so great that Bhagavan Narayana had his back, and he could do what he was supposed to.
In Happy Hour and Stepping Stones, we are listening to Bhagavan Narayana telling us that we can be more than just eating and playing. Instead, we can learn to be strong and help others. Next, Vivekji shared about IQ and EQ. IQ is what helps us learn outside of us, like weather, math, and in school. EQ is what we experience in Happy Hour and Stepping Stones, like how Bhagavan Brahma was listening to the voice inside of him.
Navaratri can be split up into two words, Nava, and Ratri. Ratri means night. Nava technically means nine, but there is another meaning, which is new. So Navaratri is a period where we can be better than who we are, and change. A very simple way to do this is to just be grateful. Those who are grateful, they become great.
Right now, go to a family member, and whisper in their ear someone that you really, really, like about them. So far we have learned about IQ and EQ, and that the way to move from IQ to EQ is to be grateful. The final thought Vivevji shared is about all the people who are not kids in the meeting. These included Gaurav Uncle, Dwija Didi, Vansh Bhaiya, Anvita Aunty, and more. All these people are part of our seva team. They work for us, not because they are paid to, but because they want to, and we should always show our gratitude.