Category: Monthly Articles

Isn’t it a beautiful coincidence that the monthly Hawan this time falls on the auspicious day of Diwali! Let’s take this blessed concurrence, which I do not recall happening in the last 21 years, as an opportunity to share with kids the truer, deeper meaning of Diwali and other festivals’ celebrations.   Navratri, Ashtami, Durga Puja, Dushehra, Ahoi, Diwali and… […]

When there is a pitch darkness, it is likely for one to stumble even if the surroundings is familiar and safe, but when there is light, the same person can sprint through dangerous terrains. Similarly, when right information is missing, it is almost inevitable for one to fail in smallest of small life situations, but when empowered with right knowledge, […]

Have you seen God? Answer to this question may be an unequivocally no. Why is that, BTW? Because God is beyond the senses of sight, touch, sound, taste and smell.   Agreed. But then, would it be absurd if I say that I have seen God. And not only that, most of you have seen Him too? Of course, it […]

No assignment because of the group’s annual function – just fun

Namaste Everyone, As mentioned at the last Hawan, this month, kids will revise the topics we learnt since the start of the year. Please pull up previous assignments from your inbox. The topic we have covered are so far: 1. See no evil 2. Hear no evil 3. Speak/do no evil 4. Sanyam (Self-control) 5. Achieving health through spiritual means. […]

One of the beauties of human life is that we can pursue multiple goals simultaneous. And, not only that, we can celebrate the fruits of those goals as well as enjoy the anticipation of the journey. However, when those goals appear to be incongruent or the means to achieve them seem unaligned, it makes for confusion, frustration and resentment. One […]

One of most versatile words in the Indian scriptures is Sanyam (संयम). It has several meanings that fit in myriad of contexts: self-control, restraints, forbearance, abstinence, moderation, sobriety, temperance, chastity and so on. While all of these meanings have deep significance, for this month’s assignment, we will focus on Self-Control.  We will explore the meaning of Sanyam (self-control), benefits of […]

Last in the series of articles we are covering this year is Speak No Evil. We’ll extend that to Do No Evil where “do” means action (कर्म). When we hear the term action (कर्म), generally we think of physical activities only. Because we seldom carry out physical activity with wicked intentions, we may conclude that this month’s lesson doesn’t really […]

Continuing on the theme we started last month, ‘Hear no Evil’ (बुरा ना सुनो) is the topic of this month. “What is hearing?” “How do we hear?” “What is evil?” “Is evil some other person who is always contriving to do others harm?” “Is it someone or something up close and personal?” these are some of the questions kids will […]

“See No Evil” is one of the lessons we have been hearing since our childhood. But, are we truly shunning the evil? What does “see” in “see no evil” mean? Why should we avoid “seeing” evil in others? Without a proper understanding of these points, “see no evil” also becomes, like several other Hindu teachings, an abstract wisdom that doesn’t […]