In the first class of this month, we were preparing for Janmashtami by recording the teen’s skit over zoom. It was really great to be able to do a skit, even if it was virtual. The second class was also a Janmashtami prep class where everyone used the time in order to prepare for the festival which was on tuesday. Everyone spent the time finishing up on their respective roles and because of this, the event went smoothly.

During the third class of the month, the main topic was glorification of Srila Prabhupada. We talked about his many accomplishments and his ability to globalize ISKCON. Throughout his life, he established 108 Krsna temples on six different continents and wrote more than 70 books. He also personally initiated over 5,000 disciples. He established schools, vegetarian restaurants, and so many more organizations that helped people worldwide. Srila Prabhupada was an incredible guru and a true leader who we should all look up to. 

In the next class, we officially began the new semester. We discussed our curriculum and the topics that will be covered. The classes of this semester will give us the tools to succeed in the material and the spiritual life and the path to harmonize both of them. We will learn vaishnava etiquette, how to act, what to do and what not to do, etc. Throughout this semester, we’ll also develop skills to help with stress management, lasting relations, negative energy, peer pressure and non-violent communication. These topics are the foundation of a Krsna Conscious life and they will guide our actions in every situation. 

The last class of this month was about spirituality. The class started with an icebreaker where we each said the color with which we felt like. An example would be blue, because I feel calm or red because I feel stressed, etc. This activity helped us understand each person’s mood and how their week had gone. Next, we discussed how the purpose of our existence and the reason that we are in this material world is that we are looking for happiness. Spirituality reveals to us, the true way to be happy and that is to combine your spiritual life with your material life. Constantly think of Krsna while performing your material activities. Awareness of your spirituality is the first step to a successful spiritual life. Next, we were asked a question. Who are you? There were many different answers, some people responded with their names, others with their nationality, and some with their personality. But, the truth about who we are is that we are all spirit souls. We need to stop associating ourselves with our body instead of our soul. A body is made of matter, it’s temporary. However, the soul is eternal. Now coming back to the beginning, our main goal in life is to be happy and the way to achieve  this goal is to reach Krsnaloka and constantly be aware / think about Sri Krsna. 

In conclusion, we had a busy month that started with Janmashtami preparations and ended with settling into our new semester. It was a very pleasing and enjoyable month!