The Seer and the Seen - Rishona Chopra

Photo by https://stock.adobe.com

The question about who we really are often bugs me. Who are we? Are we the mind? The body? Or are we the soul? 

There is a simple philosophy to finding this out. "The Seer Is Not The Seen". If I am seeing a plant, that means I am not the plant. So I, the seer, am not the plant (the seen). Now, I can see my body, that also means that we are NOT our body. We know our feelings and thoughts so in a way we can see our thoughts. But if we can see our thoughts that means we are not our thoughts so if we are not the body and not the mind, who are we? 

We are the conscious; our soul. But is my soul different from yours? No, we are all the same conscious and have the same guiding lights within us. We are only so different in our thoughts and body but we are all the same. 

The "God" we look for in temples and photos is within us. Our conscious and guiding light is God. Going by the definition, God is the creator and the light within us, in fact, the creator is the very reason for our existence. God is not living on Jupiter and noting our deeds in his long register. It's a power within us and that's what makes humans so special. We have the power to choose and to create. 

Let us take the example of two pots kept in a room. In that room air flows. Both pots also enclose air in them. But can we see that the air in one pot is different from the other? No, not at all. The air in both of them is just the same. Can we also say that the air enclosed within the pot is the "pot's air" alone? The same air is enclosed in the room too. 

Similarly, consciousness is one, but we assume each has a different soul by looking at different thoughts and looks. But the soul in each is the same and one. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII 

Gyanshree School

Sylvan Reverie: A Soul’s Unveiling

I came across a forest;
Which was full of green, 
With the colossal trees-
They were so tall they couldn’t be seen.
With animals so enigmatic, 
The mist was so dramatic.

I came across a forest-
Where lay the river’s poetic grace.
I saw a reflection that seemed honest, 
The reflection told me what was seen but unknown,
Heard but ignored.

I came across a forest-
Where the water showed me a reflection true, 
A tale untold that became a mystery to pursue.
The one I saw in the reflection-
Was it me or a girl in the past? 
At thirteen, a memory that couldn’t last.

I came across a forest-
It was just another forest,
But it was the place where I found myself. 
I came across a forest, 
But the forest was just my dream. 

-Aarika Banka 
Grade IX, Gyanshree School, Noida 

Inner beauty- Saikiran Sahu

Oneself is not judged by how one looks,

but the soul with that shines bright.

The skin how may ever it look,

at the end matters how ferocious or delicate it is,

Not the most fanciful but the empirical that stands out

Oneself is not judged by how,

One appeals but the power of will and inner beauty within!

Saikiran Sahu, 
Class-IX
Gyanshree School
Image courtesy-  Theda Sandiford visual collaborative

The 'My Good School' Forest

 "And Into the forest,

I go to lose my mind and find my soul"

~ John Muir

My Good School is all about reading. The joy of reading, writing, learning, speaking and simply the pleasure of relishing the good moments in life. And what is better than our very forest, where we can merely roam in the lush green gardens, rediscover ourselves and enjoy the beauty?
With this feeling, let us hear how one of our students feels about this luxuriant forest. 

"I remember one of my conversations with students of schools in Burg where they were telling me how different their school is by having a swimming pool, a garden to walk, an air-conditioned auditorium hall, and trips and camps outside school which make them stand out in their category.

I felt gloomy at the time because my school (The Fabindia School) had no point which would fit into this category of schools. And I couldn't get into the conversation. Later on, I came back and sat under my glorious Wisdom Tree.

I realize that we are not part of this category or any category because we are exclusive and unique in our ways. And I know everyone feels the same about their school, but I have several reasons to prove my statement.

If your school has a swimming pool, We have a whole natural pond.
You may have a garden to walk, but we have a Jungle to talk with.
You need to find a place to set up your camp while we can easily create one in our jungle.
Your school might use bleach for your pool, but we are a green school.

We don't harm the environment. We wish to nurture flora and fauna. We create our electricity and conduct rainwater harvesting. And that too from the time when schools had not defined what sustainable development was. We have been doing this for long enough, and the best part is that our vision and mission are not only on paper. It is in everyone's heart, and we carry it all along. 

I am so grateful to our founders and patrons for choosing this land in Bali, Rajasthan, as the launching pad. Thank you for believing that we could give back to our community." 

- Kunal Rajpurohit

(Visit our website here: https://schooleducation.com)

Its beauty and extravagance are beyond comparison. And we do hope that you will come to our forest one day. We are sure you will feel enriched and refreshed after having a short walk in our forest.

Appreciation - Kiran Vehniwal

Picture Courtesy- https://picpedia.org/handwriting/a/appreciation.html

Appreciation is a simple word that means 'to tell others that you are thankful for their efforts towards you'. Just a 12-letter word that can brighten up someone's day or make someone feel good about themselves.

We, being humans, tend to show appreciation only when someone does something for us.

Have you ever paused and thought about how people make a difference in our life just by being a part of it? Even if they are doing nothing extra to add value to our life?

I assume the answer will be no.

At points, we try our best to do better to make someone proud because that one person matters to us. That someone may not be doing anything in particular, but their existence drives us to achieve more.

Don't they deserve the most appreciation for giving us a motive in life. Definitely, they do.

Let's not only be appreciative just for showing a gesture in return for something but appreciate every living soul we come across, as they will definitely leave an impact on you to make your life better. 

Kiran Vehniwal 

Prita Lee Lesson School, Kapurthala 

Love To Serve - Rishona Chopra

It is said that what we do comes back to us. Karma, as some of us would call it. A good act of kindness comes back to us. It may be true and correct, but it should not be our cause to do something good. We shouldn't give, help, care or be kind, just believing that we will do good so good will come to us.

The law of karma isn't something that can be fooled. It is just a power of the universe. It looks at the thought behind it and not just the action. 

When we give something, do we expect something in return? Well, I did, and I realised that when you give someone something - not an item but even an act of kindness and care, not many return the same to you, and we have to live with it. The only way to yet be happy is to first accept it and then know that your deed of kindness has helped somebody. 

When God blesses you financially, don't raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving. - Mark Batterson

It is true what Mark Batterson has said, we should give not only when we are rich in our everyday lives, we should raise our standard of giving, it may not be just giving money, even giving a toy to a person who needs it or a book is an act of giving too! 

A small act of giving could mean everything to a person. Giving not only makes the other person happy but also makes us happy. As said,' make others happy, and you will be satisfied the same way give and give, and you will feel better.

                                                                       ***
Do we have this life entirely for ourselves? Are we given this life just so we can enjoy and live happily? Well, we are absolutely nothing alone. One cannot be anything alone at all. Mahatma Gandhi alone did not defeat the British. Mother Teresa alone did not help the people. No one has ever accomplished anything alone because it is simply not possible. As brave and fascinating as doing something alone sounds, it isn't. We are all connected; we are all one. We say Unity in Diversity, but do we mean it from our hearts?

We may differ in colour, race, background, education, age, and height, but we are still the same. We are just one soul. 

So why do we believe that all our actions must be for ourselves? Can't it be for others? Will that do us any harm? 
To check, let us just list out what could happen. 

DEED: LOSS
I gave a child my pencil: I had another one
I helped someone tie their laces: No loss
I donated money to charity: I earned some more
Meeting my sick friend: No loss
Gave food to a homeless: Spent little money
Helped someone study: No loss
Complimenting someone and appreciating them: No loss
Sat with someone and listened to them: No loss

These are a few examples of deeds of giving. I may have lost money, pencils and a few more little things, but all these deeds made me happier and were defiantly worth it. These deeds may have taken out some of my time, but they all make me happier. 

What we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others lives on forever. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School

Living in the present, leaving the past in the dust - Rishona Chopra

Life is like a piano. You are the master; you choose the keys and create your own tune. But to make that memorable tune, you must first learn life's chords and rhythm. Understand the essence and be patient; only you can be the master and create a marvellous theme.

It is our world, our decisions and our choices that we have to make. One cannot make a choice for us, but we should always lend an ear to good advice. Life is like an open book. It starts with an introduction followed by the growth of the story and, in the end, a conclusion. Whether we plan to make it a horror, fantasy, comedy, happy, emotional, or any other way is up to us. But we notice in the story that one is never alone; there are a thousand helpers.

The pianist can only make a good tune with the piano's keys, and each key is critical. Do the keys fight with each other? No, they all know they are equally important, and the song is incomplete without any of them. Therefore, we should understand that no one is the best or the worst. No one is any greater or less than us. We are all equal and have nothing to fear. We have our own unique qualities that bring us together. 

"We all are one soul in different bodies."

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

The Power Of Love - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Have I felt the power of love?
(Thoughts and experiences)

Feeling the power of love, love to me is loving someone without any self-seeking interest; it may be full of evergreen thrill, adoration and concern, but it can also be thinking about a friend, being reminded of a glimpse of each other laughing together or having deep conversations and having a good time.

I feel love whenever I hear of someone's trust in me and how they can rely on me after coming a long way together with them in life. I feel love whenever I practice self-love by looking out for myself, no matter what, feeling that I have matured in myself and invested that time for myself.

Love is like a journey; the deeper you go, the more immersed, wise, and experienced you become and the more content and happier you feel with life. You may die, but your love shall stay on to be. 

Follow your heart; everything will be alright and meaningful, and helpful. It may be a journey of a relationship with someone else, something that goes down the lane of life with you such that if it's gone, it feels like there is no purpose in life. Love is what drives us all. It keeps us alive, whether it be the love for a hobby, for yourself, someone else or this world.

I feel love when someone listens to me carefully, is understood, has a place in someone's life and is cared for whilst the other person looks out for and considers themselves and wants the same respect in return is what is love to me.

The true mark on human memory is when you leave any impression on someone's soul with your heartfelt actions. That's all it takes to manifest your love for anyone by doing or saying whatever comes straight from the heart, which forms the phrase, 'Follow your heart and all shall be alright', a short but meaningful and helpful one.

Just the way it is famously said that your bad times give you a reality check about your close ones only, the ones who actually love you will come forward to extend a hand of assistance. If the love in you guides you to help someone who looks at you with distaste in their bad times, they will come to help you if they are a good person. Love leads you to goodness.

Love teaches you patience, and the good you do remains good no matter how the person responds. Your karma is only yours. Even if it is not returned from the person you do good for, it does come around.

Go on and love yourself!
Shambhavi Nautiyal

Class 8D
Ahlcon Public School

My Hero: My Dad - Vani Pandey

 My Dad is my hero

A huge humble soul

In everything he does 

He would always serve his role

But as every other father

He would annoy me with his jokes

And then I would rather

Start reciting my wise quotes

Then he would say,

"Don't call me later; call me Dad."

But I just love him this way

Cause, after all, it's the dads who are so talented at making these jokes so bad.

So I just say nothing 

For the sake of his kind heart.

He is my dear Dad

Who delightfully plays his part.

Vani Pandey

VIII C

Gyanshree School 

It’s Not Over - Reveda Bhatt

“You die when you die, but it’s not the end.”

Death is the physical end of an organism on this planet which is its definition.

But, as always, in life, there is a twist.

Going deep into its meaning, it’s actually the process via which our soul escapes its present physical appearance into another or somewhere away to a place unknown to mankind. This opens up the question or maybe a belief in our minds about the concept of ‘life after death,’ the study of which is termed as ‘Thanatology.’ After years of denying this hypothetical statement, even some people in the field of Science have given in to believing it.

One of them is Dr. Stephen Mayer of the United States who said that there was a study proposed which states that Life After Death may be a reality. For this study, researchers at the University of Southampton in England examined more than 2000 victims of cardiac arrests from 15 hospitals out of which 360 of them had revived and about 40 percent had some sort of awareness during the period when they were ‘clinically dead.’

You see, lying unconscious or dead, there is something in the body which is conscious and aware of everything going on around.

So, life is not over after death and death is not the end of life.

There supposedly is life after death in a different form, in a different body and in a different world.

It is just a ticket to a plane heading to another land that everyone has to board!

Wish all our readers a Happy Diwali!

Reveda Bhatt
Grade IX
The Aryan School, Dehradun

Attachment - Rishona Chopra

If we continue to become attached to our specialities, personality, or role for most of our lives, then over time, we forget the authentic self, waiting to be recognized. Whenever I think I am one of the above, I become more and more disconnected from my authentic self, which will give me more self-esteem and, as a result, permanent happiness.

The personality skills, the sparkling education success and the way I dress up, these are all temporary. This is because don’t forget life is a roller coaster where success can quickly leave me within a short period. So, enjoy all of them because even if they are attainments and enjoying attainments is not being materialistic or non-spiritual. But don’t become dependent on them for your happiness. On the other hand, the source of all the specialities and personality – the real I is a sum total of the essential qualities of the soul – peace, love and joy. All that is good inside, which is eternal, and the relationship of the I or myself with a higher source - God, which is also imperishable (un-destroyable) is what I need to be dependent on because it will never leave me.

Don’t forget, in our earliest births, we were highly skilled, excellent and wealthy, so much so that everything good a human can have physically was with us. Yet we were wholly detached from all these attainments, enjoying them. That too at a time when these attainments were imperishable because that was the original world, a world of happiness. But, now, all these attainments in our life are no longer permanent and can very quickly go away from us in a split second because we live in an unpredictable world with many ups and downs. No skill or role has with it the assurance of being permanent.

On the other hand, it is the time when the imperishable I is the one who stands by us permanently. So, it is this I, the hand we need to hold tight consistently and connect the I with a permanent source – the Supreme Soul. As a result, enjoy every moment of life with complete security, surety and safety.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Peace - Arav Agarwal

As we are celebrating peace as the month's value, I wanted to share this beautiful article I read in The Times Of India. This article tells us that we do not need to seek peace as peace is already there within us and is our soul's stabilizing and harmonizing strength. 

These days we live in a noisy and stressful world, so we just need to remember the great people who fought all battles of life with peace, like Gautham Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.

Peace helps us respond and not react; when we are peaceful, we can listen to our inner voice, which is our guiding light. 

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade: 6A

Billabong High International School, Thane

Left So Soon: Part 2 - Reveda Bhatt

Rolling the rim of my life back to the year 2020, when my 12th birthday (So as called MY FIRST BIRTHDAY by my family and doctors) was knocking at the door of my life, a significant achievement of mine for the previous year was that I came back ALIVE! As always, there was a party about which I had been blabbering for months to my parents, and my blackmailing dialogue for this one since COVID-19 had knocked at the same door before I was at - “Mom, Dad, I couldn’t celebrate it last year, so this year before me was that I have a chance!’

Amusing, right?

25000 COVID cases per day across India, post-traumatic me, my tensed parents, my worried family… It might not seem possible to have a party, right? But how could my parents deny it!? After all, the “Me, Coming Back” was true.

October 20 passed, 14 days to go for my birthday party on 3 rd November!

We started making the list of invitees, and all my friends and teachers knew what had happened to me, so no one could deny their coming. I called or sent a message to all the invitees- my relatives, friends and teachers -who are close to me. Dropping messages, I sent one to my teacher, Ritu Ma’am, who came to see me often in the hospital and at home. A few hours passed; I had gotten confirmation from many except her. Waiting for hers, I kept checking my WhatsApp repeatedly until a notification dropped in from her number, and I was eager to talk to her. But, you know, sometimes the reality turns out to be not what you expect, but something better or worse, and it was the second option.

The message that came to me was-
“Dear Reveda, your beloved Ma’am left us on the 17th. Unfortunate husband, Pawan”
Bummer, right?

First, it took me a while to comprehend, but then, a flashback to my memories with her ran through my mind, and I ran to show it to my parents. They remembered what she had said when she came home,” You’ll be fine soon, brave girl!” Now that I was, she left…I called him, but after the first ring, my Dad refused to do so. He asked me to give her contact number to him, and he called via phone. Sir picked up and later, after speaking for long and passing condolences, in the middle of the conversation, they learned that they knew each other, school friends!

Coincidental, right, but was it, though? As soon as he hung up on the phone, my Dad told me that she had passed away due to cancer overgrowth in her body. Soon, it struck me that when I used to go to school, she had started taking many leaves, and those days, in her classes, we had tests, but she did not just take them. Her health forced her to! Just as I spoke to my other classmates, they told me she wasn’t coming to school for a month before her passing.

Just like that, an invitee to my birthday party wasn’t there because she had been invited by
the BIG ONE to the BIG PARTY above. That’s why, you know, live in the moment because thinking about the time passed, more will. Thinking about what’s next, anyways, be it good or bad, you’ll have to face it one day. These were the bummers I have had, and hoping not to have more!

Nobody should.
Stupid circle of life.
SO, MY FRIEND, WHY WORRY OR GET EXCITED NOW?
What has left, you won’t come back, and what is about to come to you, wouldn’t just vanish if you don’t think about it. The body is temporary, but the soul is immortal, and the time the soul gets to live in the body is limited.

Reveda Bhatt

Grade 9

The Aryan School

Today Is The Day When You Define For Yourself - Rishona Chopra

Decision making and trusting our inner voice is indeed an art. The actual counsellor we have is our inner voice, our soul that understands our feelings and situation better than anyone. 

Making decisions and choosing the right path is essential. It is better to choose a lonely path rather than a crowded path. Even as a child, when you try to stay on the right way, you feel the peer pressure, and due to that, you cannot make the right decisions. It's better to have one good friend than a group of bad friends. 

Therefore it's better to go along the road less travelled. It means that we should not get influenced by others on the wrong path but should always trust our voice because it knows it all and protects us.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Happiness - Lisha Soni

Happiness is the opposite of sadness. It is an emotion and a feeling of being happy. When our soul is happy, we also will be satisfied. And its pure vibes naturally come from our hearts. Happiness is a source to live a life satisfying. Happiness can lead to robust mental health and can keep you physically fit. Helping someone makes us happy and refreshes our minds. 

Once in my colony, I was standing on my house balcony and seeing people roaming here and there a poor old man came. He was looking hungry, sad, and suffering from a cold. I went and asked him, " What happened to you don't have a shelter to live a happy life. " He said, " Child, I don't have anything. There is no one of mine in this world." I talked to him. He also talked about his sad story, and I listened to him. Then I gave something like food and a sweater and some clothes and slippers. He gave me lots of blessings, and he got happiness. If we spread joy, we will also bring pleasure.

Name: Lisha Soni

Grade: X A
The Fabindia School

Gratitude - Rishona Chopra

I am happy because I am grateful. I chose to be thankful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.

- Will Arnett

Gratitude is to be thankful. We have so many things in our lives to be grateful for. In fact, everything we have we should be happy with! Here is a poem on gratitude.

We have a home to live in, 
We have goals that thrive, 
We have clothes to wear,
And we have the education to share!

The challenges that we face, 
Are just the base,
For us to become a divine souls,
And reach our primary goal!

This poem tells that there are several things to thank for! Every happy and sad moment is a blessing, the sad, challenging moments make you more resilient and mature, and the happy ones are for you to enjoy! I am so glad because of my connection with God. He probably thought I was a bit stubborn but could quickly learn, so he gave me a happy life with a few little challenges! 

Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School

Confined Anomaly - Sanskriti Agrawal

 

With what it's like in my mind,

At times I wonder,

If another soul

Could survive in here.

 

Am I an anomaly?

For the world just wouldn't leave me be.

Hurled into the chaos,

Left to suffocate in my own head.

 

Silence rests on the outer shell,

But all my insides yearn to yell.

Like a claustrophobic maniac,

Confined inside a stifling cell.

 

Anxious needles beneath my skin,

Stabbing me from deep within.

With what it's like, inside my mind,

I cannot help but wonder:

Will I ever truly, be free?

Sanskriti Agrawal
Grade IX
Ahlcon Public School