Reflections from Sunbeam Lahartara

Sunbeam School and Hostel Lahartara in Varanasi share #JoyOfLearning in their maiden newsletter!

Jai Hind - Pasang Sherpa

 

'Jai Hind' is not just a word; it's an emotion, a feeling of oneness and patriotism amongst the people, whether in or outside India. 'Jai Hind' is not just a slogan but an expression of love for the country of India. 'Jai Hind' is not just a sentence; it's the source of unity among all the citizens of India, whether he or she is of any religion, caste, colour, or gender. 'Jai Hind' remained, remains, and will always remain in the hearts of Indians. 'JAI HIND'

Name-Pasang Sherpa

Pestalozzi Children's  Village Society

Two men looked out the prison bars; one saw mud, one saw stars - Nishan Karki

The image is for representation only.

The man who saw the mud was sad and angry. He never remained happy and was very aggressive. He never practised happiness; in fact, he did not know it. He could not control his emotions and actions. He often fought with the other prisoners. This made the other prisoners hate him. They never wanted to be with him except for the prisoners who resembled him in nature.

What about the man who saw stars?   Well, he was a man with a joyful and happy nature. He laughed a lot and made other prisoners laugh, too. The other prisoners always enjoyed his company. They preferred him rather than the first prisoner. Although he was a prisoner, he was soft-hearted.

Everyone has different perspectives, perceptions, ideas, views, opinions and experiences. They usually differ from each other. People's behaviour and actions define who they are. 

To be like the second prisoner, one must have a healthy (pure and soft) heart. He must know how to control his emotions and actions. He must know how to behave with others and enjoy their company. He must be happy. Remember, "the one who gets angry for a minute loses 60 seconds of happiness."

A positive attitude and mindset can also make a person happy and joyful, like the second man. To get happiness, one must have a burning desire for it, which must be mixed with faith to gain it.

"To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions." – Stephen R. Covey. 

Nishan Karki

Class 10, Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Image Courtesy- iStock

A kind word can warm three months of winter - Smarika Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://balance.media/kindness/

The cold can be anywhere from annoying to life-threatening. Winter is considered as harsh, cold, bleak and gloomy. It is the kind words that can warm.

In reality, it does nothing to the temperature of those winter months, but it's a metaphor, so it doesn't have to. Some words warm your heart a little. Therefore, one should always talk politely with everyone and never use harsh words with anyone.

'A kind word can warm three months of winter' means they will be happy and contented, and even you will feel good because you have done something good for them.

Smarika Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

People are more important than things - Tenzin Jambey

Reflection from Sunday School

Some people will choose expensive things, luxury items and valuable commodities over human beings, and some will give more importance to humans than any other things, even over the bag of gold and diamond. We all know very well that everyone is not the same. And therefore, one person can not change or bring goodness to others. First, we should be one to improvise our mindset, and we should be the ones to bring a good change in ourselves.

It is so true that people who have been close to death always give importance to other humans. These people respect all classes of people- from young to old and from poor to rich. I still remember the tragedy of my uncle, who once almost lost his life after being stuck under a rock while working. Nowadays, he is earning his life by serving as a driver. He has a very kind heart. He respects everyone. And sometimes he gives a free ride to the labours and workers as he has also been a labour and he knows their conditions of working and the level of physical hard work they do. 

If we are kind to others, then goodness comes to us through 'Karma'. When we give others love, care and importance, we get it all back from others. Having a great affection towards earthly things like gold and diamond would make your heart much like coal. But if you give importance and are affectionate towards humans, your work and contribution will always be remembered and told. It is not only the humans to whom we should give importance but also the animals, plants and our mother Earth, as in this world, everything is interconnected to each other in some way or the other.

At last, I want to bring up a powerful thought to acknowledgement- "When we were born the world rejoiced while we cried. Therefore, do a work that the world will cry when you die with rejoicing and happiness”.

Written by-

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

A Cause That Is Dear To Me - Keyura Rao Cheeti

Reflection from reading the book.

Everyone is connected and moved by what is happening around them. They must decide if they need to take up a cause and bring about change. They are reasons for action to be taken or action to happen. For something good to happen, the cause needs to be good too. It gives us a reason to live. I have thought about this since a very young age. My heart aches to see poor people begging on the road. Older people are beggars too. They have a right to live happily, too. I would like to set up a charity for them when I get older. In the charity, people will donate money, clothes, food etc. We will provide them with good education and ensure they get a job to live independently. We will set a small goal first, and if we achieve that, we move on to completing something bigger, thereby trying and making sure that they have a good life. They need to live as peacefully as we do. We must take care of them as our responsibility as good citizens. We can educate others on how to help them.

Keyura Rao Cheeti

Class VI

The Hyderabad Public School

Begumpet

Being Human - Tenzin Jambey

Having a good brain, two hands, two legs, two eyes, and a good outlook doesn't make you a human. Being human means being kind to humans and other living beings like animals, birds and insects. Being human means having a kind, gentle heart and personality with a  positive attitude toward everything. Some people have no mercy and love for people, and they do kidnappings and murders. People are killing people than just thinking about the way of treatment given to animals; these people are no less than a monster who has no mercy and love for anything except themselves. A good human has a kind and open heart that accepts other living beings as their own family, and they give love and care; they have mercy upon all living beings, even microorganisms.

I remember the saying of a great monk who once said that he feels sad and pitied to take steps because it kills microorganisms which can not be seen. 

We can not be called human until we feel humanity, humanism and tenderness upon living and non-living. We all should have mercy and love upon everything. At least let's be human with a kind and soft heart with gentle behaviour rather than being a monster with no compassion and love. 

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

A memorable moment - Rishona Chopra

 

Sometimes, all we need is just to talk to someone, all alone, telling them about everyone and everything. And I need that time every day. I absolutely love it when I have interesting long conversations with my mother. It is when I can reflect and listen to how my mother's day went. 

With no doubt, my favourite time of the day is when I have a long talk with my mother. We discuss many things, from how the day went to the people who irritated us. Often we find ourselves fighting with each other and then, the next minute, laughing and enjoying ourselves. 

I absolutely love and cherish this time; there is so much to say and tell that you just can't stop. While on some rare days, there is nothing to say, but sitting together makes me so happy. No matter where we are, we always have this time with each other, whether before sleeping or during the day during our morning walk. This is definitely the best time of the day for me. 

We had a long deep conversation a few days ago. We both sat on the floor with support from the bed. We talked about how people irritate us and complained about our personal issues. It was something so enriching for me and yet so enjoyable. I genuinely wished that time would never end. 

There are a few lines from a song that I would like to quote:

"For all the places I have been, I'm no place without you
 If I could fly, then I would know
 What life looks like from up above and down below."

This song is written by a father to his daughter; the song means to say that the little moments are the big ones. The father has been to many places, but what matters is where our family is. 

These moments I have with my mother are priceless and hold quite a meaning in my heart. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Sharpening The Saw - Nishan Karki

Sunday reading with Jugjiv Sir

"We must never be too busy to take time to sharpen the saw." - Stephen Richards Covey.

Sharpening the saw means making the best use of your greatest asset, i.e. you. It means sharpening your mind physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. Sharpening the saw and sharpening yourself are the same thing. It helps to keep yourself in the best place and fresh to do your work most effectively. If you sharpen yourself, you can bring change in yourself and your habits.

You can sharpen the saw through the following :

* Positiveness on yourself

* Meditation

* Be resilient

* Read, write and learn new things

* Take care of your mind, body and spirit

* Listen to your heart and mind

* Create balance

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village India 

Are you in a dilemma? - Tenzin Kunsel

https://quotesgram.com/dilemma-quotes/

The dilemma word that we all are familiar with is a situation we all face daily. But when we think we are facing a dilemma, it's just a game that our mind plays. We all are already aware of the choice which we want to go with but create another choice just to confuse ourselves. When we debate which option to go with, we should always choose the brain's advice though hard to follow but better for us than the heart's advice which is easier. The brain's choice is better and more practical than the heart's.

Tenzin Kunsel
Pestalozzi Children's India Village

Heart Vs Mind, a dilemma

The dilemma is a word that we all are familiar with, a situation we all face daily. But when we think we are facing a dilemma, it's just a game that our mind plays. We all know the choice we want to make but create another choice just to confuse ourselves.

When we debate which choice to go with, we should always choose the brain's advice though hard to follow, but better for us than the heart's easier advice. The brain's choice is better and more practical than the heart's.

Author unknown; received via Sonam Lhamo's email ID!

The dilemma between heart and mind - Tenzin Jambey

"Good evening, sir. How is everything and hope you are all good, me waiting for Sunday's Good School and will see you in Sunday's Class. This is my reflection on ( SHARE A DILEMMA OF HEART AND MIND). It took me almost an hour to write , and I guess  not everyone has the courage to share the dilemma experience which I have shared. Hope you would love and feel good after going through my reflection." Tenzin Jambey

Our minds and heart ask and wish for many things, but sometimes we come across such situations that our minds and heart don't agree to perform a task together. When the brain says 'yes', the heart says 'no' and when the heart says 'yes', the brain says 'no'. In this situation, we need clarification. I have also experienced the dilemma between my brain and heart, and the dilemma I faced is also faced by others.

1) "Being a student, our main purpose is "studying" every student is expected to learn good values, life skills, good morals and at last, they are expected to become a good human being". It has not been a long day since I last experienced this dilemma. My exams were near, and I had a lot to cover up; my mind would always tell me to stay focused on my studies and prepare for exams, or else I wouldn't be able to complete the syllabus. Still, my heart told me, "Don't take the pressure. You can cover up the whole syllabus before exams". When I used to sit studying, my mind and heart would fight for a few minutes, and every time my mind used to win. In the case of studying, I always listen to my mind. This time, I could only secure a good percentage in my finals because I listened to my mind.

2) The dilemma between heart and mind, which I am now going to share right now, is a Universal truth, and it is experienced by almost all human beings, including you and me. " FEELING ATTRACTED TOWARDS SOMEONE" means having a feeling of love for someone or having a crush upon someone. When we fall in love with someone, a powerful dilemma develops between our minds and heart. We still can't escape even after knowing that this would take us nowhere and is just a short-term distraction or an attraction. Our mind says that we try to forget the one upon whom we have the feeling of love or crush, but our heart doesn't agree with the decision of our mind. These feelings and attractions can last for a  few days or more. Still, it remains for a very long time for some, so even a more significant dilemma is developed between mind and heart, much like a" SMART EDUCATED  PERSON TRYING TO TALK IN ENGLISH WITH A INNOCENT UNEDUCATED PERSON ". This dilemma puts extreme pressure upon people and can lead a person to perform activities which he/she might not have ever dreamt of; they end up being bad cold-hearted people, and they remain in depression; they are often found sad, and at last,,, they ruin their own life. It is sad thing that many people commit suicide, and they prefer to kill themselves when they fail in love or when they fail to impress the other person. Still, we must understand and develop self-control to overcome this challenging and complex dilemma.

At last, dilemmas can come and get into our life from anywhere, so we have to be very mindful of the decision we are to make. It would be better to listen to " FIFTY - FIFTY " of both mind and heart rather than listening to the heart or mind altogether. As for me, our mind always thinks of our future and our results. In contrast, our heart would show the way to happiness, and by listening and following the instructions of both of them, you would indeed become HAPPY (which is a contribution of the heart) and SUCCESFUL (which is a result of listening to our mind) man, A HAPPY SUCCESSFUL MAN. 

Reading at the Sunday School

The dilemma between the heart and the mind - Shristi Khulal

A dilemma is a difficult situation in which we must choose between alternatives. We have to make many choices between many things, which can also change our lives. It can have both positive as well as negative impacts on us.

When it comes to the dilemma between heart and mind, I experience it every day. My heart usually tells me to enjoy and do fun things, but my mind tries to tell my heart to do those things at the right time and not to get away from my studies. Recently I experienced a dilemma when I needed to feel like studying. My heart said to me, "Let's sleep. I'm not in the mood to study." But my mind said," No, no study, don't you want good marks?" In which mind is correct, we should make the balance between the heart and the mind to live a good life.

The heart is sometimes wrong and leads to the right path. So we should also listen to our hearts sometimes to lead a happy life.

Shristi Khulal Pestalozzi Children's Village India We are reading the book with Jugjiv Sir at The Sunday School.

Reflecting on the dilemma between the heart and the mind - Monika Singh Pundir

A dilemma is a situation which mainly occurs in everyone's life, especially in students' life. Recently it happened to me when I went to receive my report card. I checked my marks and noticed I wasn't getting what others expected. They thought I was very talented and would get excellent marks, but I needed help to make it up. At that time, my mind told me not to show up to anyone I had let down and to tear off my report card. But the weird thing was that at the same time, my heart told me not to think much about such things because, somewhere, it was my own fault for not studying and not doing well. 

When such a situation occurs, one should think more than once before taking any step so we don't regret it later.

Monika Singh Pundir
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Reading The Art Of Focus by Gauranga Das, with Jugjiv Sir at the Sunday School

Have you ever experienced the dilemma between the heart and mind?

A situation in which we have to make a difficult choice between two or more things is a dilemma. Everyone has to face such situations in their life.

When I was in Grade 3, a child who was really fond of playing games rather than studying, but I had never failed any examination as I used to study the day before the test. Once examinations were approaching, and my father told me to start studying instead of playing every day. I didn't bother as my heart told me to go out and play. At the same time, my mind continuously reminded me about my examination and to study as I may fail my upcoming examination. I listened to my heart rather than my mind, not thinking about the outcome. At the time of the test, I could not remember what I had learned the day before the exam; thus, I failed the exam.

Later on I regretted making the wrong choice, from that day onwards, I decided to listen to mind rather than my heart.

Jeni Sherpa
Pestalozzi Children’s Village India

Reading The Art Of Focus by Gauranga Das with Jugjiv Sir at the Sunday School

Did you ever experience the dilemma between the heart and mind? - Smriti Rai

A dilemma means when you have to make a different choice between two things. This situation is something which we all face in our daily life. We have to face a dilemma when we have two options.

The dilemma between the heart and mind is a common experience in our daily life. The brain always wins, even if it gives more challenging and complicated options. It takes a more extended period to believe as the heart is always soft, so it provides more accessibility, making us regret it later.

Recently I experienced a situation where I faced a dilemma. Before my exams started, my brain told me to study from the beginning and complete the syllabus before the exam, but my heart said to go out and play and enjoy. It told me that there was still more time to study and even I could learn a month before the examination, then I chose my heart's advice, then later, even when I looked till late at night, I could not finish the syllabus, and I regretted the choice which I made.

Smriti Rai

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

We are reading the book with Jugjiv Sir at The Sunday School.

Reflecting on the dilemma between the heart and the mind - Nishan Karki

Dilemmas occur daily when we make decisions regarding our various problems. One of these dilemmas is the dilemma between the heart and the mind. This dilemma is recurring and unending in nature. It is like hunger which occurs many times. Our want or need is satisfied once, but after some hours, it again occurs. The same is true with the dilemma between the heart and the mind.

The heart and the mind are very much crucial for our survival. We may get many suggestions from our minds and heart while making decisions. We need to specify the wise, convenient and prominent decision.

I have experienced such a dilemma several times in my life. This dilemma makes me think more than I usually do. I investigate the problem and identify the most prominent and convenient decision.

When I have some money, I want to use it wisely. I want to spend the money on the items which are beneficial to me. Many things revolve around my mind, and the dilemma occurs between the heart and the mind. My mind tells different items, and so does my heart. I thought for a long time and decided to buy the items.

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Childres's Village India

The Heart and The Mind - Rishona Chopra

While making a decision, I often find myself being the judge in the court where the two opponents are 'the heart' and 'the mind'. The mind usually gives logical explanations, but the heart gives verdicts showing your inner laziness and desire. It becomes difficult to choose as both opponents have their reasons.

This time, I had to decide whether to go to school as it was sports, but my exams were around the corner, and I had to take a leave to revise my concepts. It was 6:15 in the morning, the rush hour, and I had only 45 minutes left before the bus arrived. I was making this tough decision - Shall I miss out on my favourite sports or do it while simultaneously revising. 

My heart told me to go to school because critical worksheets were supposed to happen, but my brain told me to take a leave and revise with a clear mind. Both points had equal importance and were entirely valid. I first decided to listen to the heart and wore my uniform, but just then, I got a brainwave and decided to listen to the brain. So I lay down on my bed thinking who would win this time. 

It was 6:30, and I had to make my final decision. Guess what I did? I listened to the heart and went to school, but the next day, I also took a leave to revise, so I gave a balance to both, and it was a win-win situation. 

The heart and the mind sit on a see-saw as we sit at the fulcrum, deciding who's decided to go with. Making decisions like this becomes confusing (for me, at least). The heart and the mind are simply two different opinions, and you must choose. It is vital to maintain a balance between the two and maintain peace. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The Heart or The Mind ? - Anvesha Rana

The battle between the heart and the mind never really comes to an end. It is just like a tennis match. The ball goes back and forth, back and forth, until finally, the eyes give away, and we doze off. We talk about listening to the heart or mind, but most of the time, during crucial decisions, we are not even consciously aware of whether our heart or mind made this decision. Staying conscious about our inner voice, along with the doubts that it offers, is a part of being human. 

We often do not heed the voice within, but our best advisor is our own voice rather than family, friends or anyone. Whenever you find yourself running at a tremendous speed, you are running so fast that the faces of your loved ones have blurred away, then stop, pause and observe yourself. Being aware of who we are is life. 

Once we learn to listen to ourselves, the question of the heart or the mind arises. The mind always resonates with what makes sense, but the heart believes in the power of intuition, going with the flow and love; it complies with whatever feels right. The difference between the two is that the mind tells us what is wise, whereas the heart tells us what we will do anyway. 

It is up to us to decide whether we follow our heart or our mind. After all, we alone hold power to decide who we wish to follow. However, we can only find peace of mind once we listen to our hearts. The heart opens up doors of ecstasy, imagination and joyfulness, but the mind keeps us rooted in this material world where practicality implies the cornerstone of each decision. 

The key to mastering the heart and the mind is to strike a chord between the two. The heart and the mind play on a see-saw, but to muster up the courage to sit at the fulcrum of it is winning both. 

Anvesha Rana

Grade 11

Gyanshree School

Brain VS Heart - Arfa Khan

Image source:  https://myviews-reflection.blogspot.com/2011/11/mind-vs-heart.html

We have all been in such a dilemma in which our brain says something, but our heart says something else at least once in our lifetime. It can happen in small decisions like whether I should do my homework now or later? Should I buy this or not? And also in big ones like career choices. Such situations are intimidating. And the big question is; who should we listen to, the brain or the heart? 

When you are in a situation where you must act upon one or the other, are you really thinking about balancing your emotions and logic, or are you just pretending? Usually, when faced with a decision, we do not suspend the two options but act upon one or the other. While making such decisions, we shouldn't be biased and always stick to one side.

The brain nor the heart is always correct. We need to pick the right side if there is one. Sometimes there are no right or wrong answers to questions. We should carefully think and ponder before choosing a side.

Our heart makes decisions while considering feelings, which are often reckless. Our brain has a logical and rational approach but tends to overthink much and doesn't want us to take any risks when sometimes, depending on the situation, it can be worth it. 

In conclusion, we should take our time, consider both sides' consequences, and be circumspect while making decisions. You do you because whatever you choose, it will happen for good 😊.

       -Arfa Khan

             8-A

Ahlcon Public School