ॐ असतो मा सद् गमया।
तमसो मा ज्यओितिर् गमया।
मॄत्योर् मा अमॄित गमया।
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः ॥
Growing up, school day started with a assembly; each student and teachers joined together for prayers followed by different things each day. Mondays & Fridays were Virmatiben, Our progressive principal’s, domain. She had taught my dad as well as most of my peer’s fathers. Our beloved, benevolent principal had pulse of the kids and love for them in her heart. Students and teachers lead assembly on other days. Here is what I recall :
Mondays – Happening @ our school to around the world & its impact on us.
Tuesdays – A piece of literature or a talk about a literary figure
Wednesdays – Poetry, a skit or on the spur talk
Thursdays – Science talk
Fridays– Student Concerns. Outside the Principal’s office, we had a locked mailbox for students to drop off a question or a list of questions in it. On Fridays, Virmatiben answered some of the questions along with teachers. Cool, ya?
Saturdays– Straight to the group exercise lead by several students.
Yes, we went to a half-day school on Saturdays.
Each day, we started the assembly with this hymn from the Vedas:
ॐ असतो मा सद् गमया। Ohm Asato Ma Saad Gamaya
तमसो मा ज्यओितिर् गमया। Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
मॄत्योर् मा अमॄित गमया। Mrityor Ma Amrit Gamaya
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः ॥ Ohm Shantihi Shantihi Shantihi
Are you wondering what does it mean? Let me tell you that you will find similar prayer in your hymn book – whichever religion you are following. It has a special meaning to me as my Grandpa used to recite this each morning and taught us the meaning of it by living his life following the tenets of it. It says:
Lead us from Ignorance to Truth
Lead us from Darkness to Light
Lead us from destruction & death to Life & construction
Ohm
May peace be prevailed
May peace be prevailed
May peace be prevailed.
How did your school day started as a kid? How is it organized now? Would you like to share it here or with the supportive Slice of Life community hosted by Two Writing Teachers?
Feel free to leave your blog’s url, so we can visit your blog as well.
Ohm = The sacred sound, the beginning the end and everything in between.
Asato = Not Truth
Saad = good, pure, Truth
Tamaso = Darkness
Jyotir = Light
Mrityor = from death
Amrit = Embrosa, Life giving substance
Shanti = Peace ===> Shantihi = May peace be prevailed
#SOL18
#DWHabit
Wonderful backstory of your school days. It is especially interesting to see how your day flowed and what a peaceful prayer to introduce the morning.
OH MY GOSH: beautiful coincidence! Just today I was listening to Wade Imre Morissette on my walk, and his version of this mantra; it’s a kind of modern mash-up called Inside: https://goo.gl/uAsjsc
It was fascinating to read about your childhood school days. My husband’s school had a weekly “student question” assembly and he remembers it quite fondly. I have a horrible memory and don’t remember much about the day to day details of school. The prayer you shared is lovely.
Molly,
I really feel sorry that kids now a days have lost recess and being kids.
I wonder how the school is changing in my hometown.
I am sorry you have horrible memories of school. I have a hunch you used your past experience and help kids make positive memories. Glad you liked the prayer.
Best.
Purviben
Thanks for visiting.
Carol,
It was a nice way to start the day. We had this beautiful school. It was almost like a resort. We did not have cafeteria; we went to small gardens, on terraces or on grass for lunches that we brought from home.
Laura,
Thanks for sharing the video for Asato Ma. As I grew up listening to all these hymns, it is always different when I hear it others singing them.
I meant to post RaviShankar’s Youtube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uOoNT88HP4
Best wishes.
Oh, yes yes yes to that Ravi Shankar album. It is one of my favorites. The Sarva Mangalam mantra on that album is my favorite version of that chant. 🙂
Eye-opening slice showing ways we differ and ways we’re united. I remember my high-school starting with a morning meeting, largely focused on announcements re: daily business.
Brian,
Isn’t is amazing that we all share same fundamental values? The first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, fondly called Chacha (Uncle) Nehru called it Unity in Diversity. Yes, our morning assembly also had announcements but they were after the prayers and daily specials.
Best wishes.
Purviben
Isn’t it strange, I don’t really remember routines to start the day? I’ll have to think more about this. I know we always started with the Pledge, after that I don’t really know
Deb,
You remember the most important part about begining of the school day -pledge. I remember pledge in elementary school but after that, I am not so sure. Funny, how our memory works.
Best.
Purviben