Shanti Mantra

ॐ सह नाववतु| सह नौ भुनक्तु| सह वीर्यं करवावहै| तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै|

ॐ  शान्तिः  शान्तिः शान्तिः ||

This peace invocation is chanted both by the teacher and the taught before commencing study. This helps each to be in tune with the study and discourse and also in unison with each other. Misunderstandings may crop up in the form of teacher’s dissatisfaction towards his students or it can be due to the student’s misjudgment of the teacher’s attitude or words, leading to clogging in the attuning between them. Transference of knowledge is immediately blocked. This verse is chanted in all sincerity in order to avoid such a sad plight and to assure a perfect tuning up both from the teacher to the student and from the student to the teacher.

The Divine Scheme

We are all created in His image and yet we are each created different and unique. The human being has a unique place among God's creation. No two people are alike. No two hearts beat to the same rhythm. If God wanted everyone to be the same, He would have made it so. Each and every one of us without exception is designed to be God's delegate on earth. We must ask ourselves, just how often do we behave like a delegate, if ever we do so?  Disrespecting differences and imposing our thoughts on others tantamount to disrespecting God's holy scheme. It falls upon each of us to discover the divine spirit inside and live by it.

Forbearance / Patience

Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does it mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be so shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.

Bhaja Govindam

"मा कुरु  धनजनयोवन्  गर्वं |
हरति  निमेषात  काल  सर्वं ||" (भज गोविन्दं )

Take no pride in your possession, in the people at your command, in the youthfulness that you have. Time loots away all this in a moment.