Notes by Aarya M

Review:

Last week, we all made a diya for Deepavali, and on it, we wrote one word that reminds us of Bhagavan. We can think of these diyas as ourselves. First is the vessel, which is our body, holding the wick, oil, and flame. Next is the wick, which are like our minds, always pointing up, like how our minds reach up to be better, more noble. Then the oil, which is like our faith, steady and quiet. Last is our flame, which is kept burning by our oil. This is symbolic of our goodness and effort to live virtuously. And the words on our diyas are the flames of these diyas inside of us. When we practice these virtues, the flame burns away the ego in us.

To help us think about what ego is, Sumanji shared that ego is what compares. He also shared 3 more C’s relating to this. He told us that comparing leads to complaining, criticizing, and crying. So if you find yourself doing any of these 3 C’s, know that this is that ego. And when we remember Bhagavan and live up to our virtues, we stop blaming and finding faults in others and ourselves, and we tune into the light inside us. And that is what Deepavali is about, lighting the diya not outside, but within. And when one lights, it naturally lights another. Deepavali is of two words, deepa, which means flame, and avali, which is a garland. So Deepavali is a garland of all these diyas burning together. 

Last week’s Sanskrit word was Nayana, which means to see with the heart, not just with our eyes. When we see with love, faith, and understanding, we see everything differently. All ordinary moments become special. In our story from last week, where we were standing in the city of Ayodhya, waiting for Sri Rama and Bhagavati Sita, we realized that the person who needs these diyas is us, not Bhagavan. They were for us to see through the darkness and stop our hearts from forgetting the light. Similarly, when Sri Krishna returned to Gokul, it was not an outer journey, but an inward one of us loving Bhagavan.

And through the weeks, we have learned the path to reach divinity. The first word was Ashreya, meaning our refuge and support. Next was prayer, and we saw that everything we do should be offered as a prayer, and we shouldn’t desire results. NExt was smarati, which means to remember Bhagavan with our heart and mind.

Story:

After Vasudev had crossed the Yamuna river in the middle of the night and brought Baby Krishna to Gokul, then returned to his prison. Meanwhile in Gokul, the air was fresh from the rains of the previous nights, and the birds began their morning calls. Cows were shifting, their bells chiming quietly. Inside one home, Mother Yashoda was sleeping, overcome by the strain of giving birth. Beside her was her newborn child, radiant, and wrapped in white cloth. No one but Vasudeva knew what had happened.

As dawn crossed the sky, Mother Yashoda awoke. She turned to look at the cradle next to her, and gasped softly. Her heart burst open, as if all the love in the world had filled it. And she called for her husband, Nanda. He came running, relieved to see her awake. When he saw the child, he just stopped, tears in his eyes. It felt to him that years of prayer and hope had led to this moment. 

Word spread through Gokul. It was like something gentle and bright passed through every heart of the village. They all felt lighter, kinder, and happier. The whole village was alive with this feeling. The women were filling their pots at the well, laughing together. The men swept up the courtyards and spread fresh earth on the ground. Children were running around with flowers and petals. Cows were being washed and adorned with garlands. The smell of ghee and butter spread everywhere. Flutes and drums played lively music in the background.

Nanda Baba stepped out into the courtyard, his face calm and shining. He looked around at the busy, happy people, and said to all, “Today we rejoice, but let our joy be pure. Let us begin with what is simple. We should all bathe, clean our homes, feed our cows, greet each other with love, and let every action today be gentle, every word be kind. Give food to those who have none, share what you have. Sing with feeling, pray with gratitude. Let our hearts be as clean as these streets and as steady as the diyas we light.
Everyone smiled, and immediately did as Nanda Baba shared, not because he ordered them to, but because his joy was contagious. By mid-morning, doorways were painted, courtyards sprinkled with flowers, lamps burning, and children carrying trays of sweets from house to house. And noise did not fill the village, but peace, peace in every sound, word and footstep. 

And the curious part was no one yet knew this child was Bhagavan Krishna. His very presence stirred in them what he truly was, what we are, Ananda, or independent joy. So each heart felt lighter and brighter, as if remembering something they had always known. 

Lesson:

If you think about what Nanda Baba said, he didn’t just say go home and take care of yourself. He said, be joyous, and in your joy, take care of the village, of each other, and of all beings. Joy is contagious and uplifting. It is caring, and that is the power of joy, when it rises within and when it’s inspired.

Today’s Sanskrit word was utsava, which means festival. Ut means up, and sava means to rise or move. So together, this word really means rising in joy. When Bhagavan Sri Krishna is born, Nanda Baba rises in joy, and raises everyone else in his joy too. Utsava is the kind of joy that makes us better, kinder, and lighter, and then it spreads to others. We can think of this in 3 simple ways.

1. Spiritually: When we lift ourselves closer to Bhagavan through good efforts, like lighting a lamp to make everything brighter. 

2. Mentally: It refreshes our mind, like a cold drink on a hot day. It clears away our dullness and fills us with energy.

3. Socially: It brings our friends and family shared joy. We feel connected and joyous, and it spreads. 

A few final thoughts Sumanji shared were about Nanda Baba. When he left his house, he saw the excitement and energy of everyone, but saw that it needed direction on how to celebrate. The first thing he asked them to do was to bathe and clean, since a clean body and clean space prepare a clean mind. The second thing was to go feed the cows and care for others. This allows love and joy to grow when we include everyone. The third thing was to share sweets and gifts. When we give, the happiness grows with all of us. The final thing was to sing and pray. When we do this, our minds are present, everything becomes special. What he was sharing was for us to build good habits, because doing all these good things helps us feel whole and true to ourselves. 

Dynamic:

Go and find something that allows you to feel more clean and pure in your mind. Like if you love to run, and feel clean and pure when you do it, you can get your running shoes. Bring this thing, and if you can, tell someone about how this makes you feel clean and pure. If not, just think about it for yourself.

RAW

Choose one small action that lifts up someone’s day without telling them it was you.