The World Of Today - Divyanshu Singh

The world of today includes various ways to discriminate against society. One of them includes being biased. Bias refers to a predisposition or inclination toward a particular perspective, idea, or outcome, often resulting in unfair treatment or judgment. It can manifest in various forms and contexts, influencing decision-making processes, attitudes, and behaviours.

Bias can result in unfair treatment or discrimination against individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. This can lead to unequal access to opportunities, resources, and services. 

Bias requires concerted efforts at individual, institutional, and societal levels, including raising awareness, promoting empathy and understanding, implementing policies and practices that promote equity and inclusion, and challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours. 

Societies can work toward greater justice, equality, and harmony by confronting bias and fostering a culture of fairness and respect.

"Bias and prejudice are attitudes to be kept in hand, not attitudes to be avoided".

 

Divyanshu Singh
Grade- XI-D

Sunbeam Hostel Lahartara

The Learning of Jataka Tales - Animesh Kashyap

The Learning of Jataka Tales

Jataka tales are ancient stories from the Buddhist tradition that illustrate moral lessons through the adventures of both human and animal characters. 

Originating from India, these tales are believed to have been narrated by the Buddha himself as he recalled his past lives. Each story serves as a parable, offering insights into virtues such as compassion, wisdom, and kindness. 

Through encounters with greed, jealousy, and other human flaws, the characters in Jataka tales navigate moral dilemmas, ultimately leading to enlightenment and spiritual growth. These timeless narratives continue to captivate audiences worldwide, not only for their cultural and historical significance but also for the universal wisdom they impart.

-By Animesh Kashyap

-Class: IX-D

-Sunbeam Hostel Lahartara

Work Smarter, Not Harder - Prince Raj

"Work smarter, not harder" is a popular adage that emphasizes the importance of efficiency and effectiveness in accomplishing tasks and goals. Instead of relying solely on sheer effort and labour, the phrase encourages individuals to employ strategies, tools, and approaches that maximize productivity and minimize wasted time and resources.

Here are some principles underlying the concept of working smarter:

Prioritize tasks: Focus on tasks that are high-impact and align with your goals, rather than getting bogged down by busy work or less critical activities.

Use technology and tools: Leverage technology, automation, and specialized tools to streamline processes and reduce manual effort. This could include project management software, communication tools, or task automation platforms.

Continuous improvement: Regularly evaluate your workflows and processes to identify areas for optimization and refinement. Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and improvement.

Delegate and collaborate: Delegate tasks when appropriate and collaborate with others to leverage their expertise and resources. Delegation allows you to focus on higher-level responsibilities while empowering others to contribute.

Time management: Practice effective time management techniques, such as setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and minimizing distractions, to make the most of your available time.

Work-life balance: Recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout and maintain long-term productivity and well-being.

By adopting these principles and strategies, individuals and organizations can achieve better results with less effort, ultimately leading to greater success and fulfilment.

By Prince Raj 

Grade: IX-D

Sunbeam Hostel Lhartara

What Are Jataka Tales? - Harsha Solanki

Jataka Tales

The jataka (meaning "Birth Story," "related to a birth") is a voluminous body of literature native to the Indian subcontinent which mainly concerns the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. Jataka stories were depicted on the railings and torans of the stupas.  According to Peter Skilling, this genre is "one of the oldest classes of Buddhist literature." Some of these texts are also considered great works of literature in their own right.

Jataka tales include an extensive cast of characters who interact and get into various kinds of trouble - whereupon the Buddha character intervenes to resolve all the problems and bring about a happy ending. The Jātaka genre is based on the idea that the Buddha could recollect all his past lives and t
hus could use these memories to tell a story and illustrate his teachings.

For the Buddhist traditions, the jātakas illustrate the many lives, acts and spiritual practices which are required on the long path to Buddhahood. They also illustrate the great qualities or perfection of the Buddha (such as generosity) and teach Buddhist moral lessons, particularly within the framework of karma and rebirth. Jātaka stories have also been illustrated in Buddhist architecture throughout the Buddhist world and they continue to be an important element in popular Buddhist art Some of the earliest such illustrations can be found at Sanchi and Bharhut.

Harsha Solanki

Grade 8

Sunbeam School & Hostel, Lahartara

Reflection of the week - Sunday 5th May 2024

-From Jataka Tales- 

1. Why do we read about the Jataka Tales?

2. Did the story connect with you today, and why? 

3. What learnings can we take from the story "The Guilty Dogs"?

4. Thinking calmly and not hastily

5. Being Humble

- From The Hidden Life Of Trees- 

1. What are Vaccums?

2. What can we learn from the "Carbon Dioxide Vaccums" chapter?

3. What do you think we can learn from Nature?

4. What is shared between the two stories today?

5. Find out what is peat

`These are some suggestions you can choose from. Looking forward to seeing your wonderful and thoughtful reflections! 

You can email your reflections to - 

nk@learningforward.org.in

Thanks to Rishona for this post.

My Good School – Summary

 Sunday - 5th May 2024

• 1 hour 42 minutes • 

0:00 Using Telegram for communication at a school.

8:59 Using Telegram for secure communication.

16:01 Joining a telegram group for a school.

25:58 Jatakas and their moral lessons.

31:22 King's order to kill dogs, Bodhisattva reveals the truth.

39:33 Justice, bias, and self-reflection.

46:26 Cultivating virtues for enlightenment and avoiding emotional decision-making.

52:41 Learning from pets and AI assistants.

1:02:10 Self-love and inner peace through acknowledging and addressing negative self-talk.

1:08:36 Self-love, healing, and understanding of human nature.

1:13:44 Forest carbon cycles and climate change.

1:20:53 Forest ecosystems, carbon sequestration, and climate change.

1:27:47 Rejuvenating and revitalising forests.

1:34:04 Trees, their growth, and impact on climate change.

The audio recording hosted on TELEGRAM #SundaySchool

Jataka Tales - Pranjal Yadav

Jatakas were the tales that were probably composed by ordinary people, and then written down and preserved by Buddhist monks. Jataka stories are mostly related to previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form.

Jataka tales are extremely popular stories of the former lives of the Buddha, which are preserved in all branches of Buddhism. Some Jataka tales are scattered in various sections of the Pali canon of Buddhist writings

-Pranjal Yadav 

 -Vlll 'A'

Sunbeam Hostels Lahartara

The Secret Behind Her Productivity - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Surabhi was a 14-year-old straight-A student who always tried to make the most out of her time. She didn’t make friends, or maybe it’s just that her friends didn’t stick with her. She had been moving through her day, keeping much to herself and studying as much as possible. Then, a new transfer student ‘Kavita’ entered her life.

She was smart, confident, uninhibited and open about her feelings. She always looked so happy and ‘perfect’ in Surabhi’s eyes. It made her wish that she could be like her. Then, one day, Kavita came up to her and said “Hi!” She complimented Surabhi’s hair and how pretty she looked, which made her drop a tear or two.

Kavita kept probing her until Surabhi confessed how her mother never let her sleep, how she could not study ‘enough’ and just couldn’t make time, and then Kavita told her how the same things happened to her, and so she tried a new timetable which helped her.

Kavita asked Surabhi how she felt then, but she said "Nothing can ever help me". Then Kavita suddenly got all serious and said “If you don’t let yourself be helped, you won’t be helped”. Surabhi ran to the girl’s restroom, looked in the mirror, and realised that she had been betraying herself by telling herself that she could never succeed and everyone else was ahead of her not making any mistakes.

She told this to Kavita, when she confirmed to her that everyone including herself always went through times when they simply couldn’t achieve their goals overnight and had to do the job bit by bit. Surabhi was hit by a wave of discernment, how she had been gatekeeping a lot from her friends without actually knowing. When she was with them not much came out of her mouth and she just tried pushing her fears and problems under the rug because why would she trouble them with her problems, wouldn’t that just make her ‘uninteresting’, ‘cry-baby’ or ‘too sensitive and uncool’.

Kavita told her that it’s always okay to feel your feelings and first sort her things out before approaching a friend. Surabhi felt renewed and comforted for the first time in weeks and just decided to be grateful.

------------------------------------------- The End ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Shambhavi Nautiyal 

Class- 10

Ahlcon Public School