Shining Through: Sunbeam School Lahartara

 

Through the Sunbeam Lens: My Learning and Growth by Manisha Khanna 

Learning doesn't end when the lesson is over—it continues when we take a moment to pause and reflect. At Sunbeam School, reflection has become a powerful tool in helping us connect with what we've learned, how we've learned, and who we've become through the process. By reflecting on our past experiences, successes, and even failures, we gain clarity, insight, and direction for the future. Reflection allows us to understand not just the what, but the why behind our learning. It turns information into wisdom and routine into purpose. Whether it's a class project, a group activity, or a personal challenge, reflecting helps us recognise our growth and identify where we can improve. In doing so, we become more mindful learners—more thoughtful, confident, and self-aware.

My Good School, Sunday the 1st June 2025

Screening of Episode 18 सुमेरू (चेतना): Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels by Amardeep Singh 

The Sunday School began with introductions and technical setup, followed by a presentation of a documentary series focusing on northern Pakistan and Tibet, exploring Guru Nanak's teachings and historical connections in the region. Discussions covered various geographical, cultural, and spiritual aspects of the area, including Mount Kailash, Baltistan, and the India-Pakistan border region. The conversation ended with an overview of Guru Nanak's travels and teachings, emphasizing the spiritual wisdom he documented rather than historical details of his journeys.

Next steps

• Amardeep: Continue filming and production of the documentary series on Indic aims as mentioned in the discussion
• Kunal: Write and share the impact study report about Guru Nanak allegory's influence on My Good School's growth with Amardeep
• Amardeep: Schedule and conduct Episode 19 viewing session after July 15th due to travel commitments

Summary

Meeting Setup and Participant Introduction

Jugjiv opens the meeting and greets participants as they join. He confirms that he has host controls and discusses scheduling with Amardeep for future meetings. Jugjiv then asks participants to rename themselves with their names and schools for easier identification. As more people join, Jugjiv decides to start the meeting, noting that it will be a long session and others can join as they proceed.

Documentary on Pakistan-Tibet Border Regions

Amardeep introduces episode 18 of his documentary series, which focuses on the northern regions of Pakistan and Tibet. He highlights that these areas are less accessible to Indians due to political boundaries. The episode, which is over an hour long, begins with a message about the essence of Guru Nanak's teachings, emphasizing the importance of intent over rituals. Amardeep also touches on themes of religious commercialization, the power of creation, and the historical connections between regions now separated by political borders.

Historical Border Freedom and Diversity

Amardeep presents a video about the historical freedom of movement across borders in the region, particularly focusing on the now-extinct settlement of Boogie Kingdom at Saparag. The video, which is in a language other than English, appears to discuss cultural and religious diversity in the area, mentioning Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and British. Amardeep plans to end the episode after showing the extinct settlement and then move on to Kailash man server.

Multilingual Meeting With Limited Context

The meeting transcript appears to be a mix of different languages and disjointed phrases, making it difficult to provide a coherent summary. The only clear segment is at the end where Jugjiv speaks in English, mentioning that participants can ask questions in the chat and starts to ask Amardeep a question. Without more context or coherent discussion, it's not possible to provide a meaningful summary of decisions, alignments, or action items from this transcript.

Guru Nanak's Spiritual Journeys

The discussion covers Guru Nanak's travels to Kailash Mansar over and Baltistan. Amardeep explains the spiritual significance of Mount Kailash as a gathering place for ascetics and its importance in feeding the Asian subcontinent's water systems. He highlights Guru Nanak's dialogue with Nath Jogis at Kailash, emphasizing the importance of respectful discussions in spiritual matters. The conversation then moves to Mansar over and Rakshastal lakes, representing wisdom and negativity respectively. Amardeep also discusses the challenges of filming in these high-altitude areas and the profound messages conveyed through Guru Nanak's travels in Ladakh and Baltistan.

Soham Mantra and Mount Kailash

Amardeep explains the meaning of the mantra "Soham," breaking it down to "So" (that) and "Hum" (me), emphasizing that the cosmic energy resides within oneself. He then attempts to play an audio or video clip about Mount Kailash, but encounters technical difficulties. The clip, once playing, describes Mount Kailash's geographical and spiritual significance, mentioning its height, surrounding rivers, and importance in various religious traditions.

Multilingual Meeting Summary

The transcript appears to be a mixture of Korean and Romanian languages without a clear topic or coherent conversation. Due to the lack of meaningful content and the language barrier, it is not possible to provide a summary that meets the given guidelines.

Baltistan: Borderland Cultures and Landscapes

Amardeep discusses various geographical and cultural aspects of the India-Pakistan border region, focusing on Baltistan. He mentions mountain ranges, glaciers, and the Line of Control that passes through the area. The conversation touches on religious diversity in the region, including Hindu and Muslim populations, as well as linguistic elements.

Guru Nanak's Spiritual Journeys Overview

Amardeep presents an overview of Guru Nanak's travels and teachings. He explains that Guru Nanak did not write about his own life or travels, but left 928 verses of spiritual wisdom in scripture. The details of Guru Nanak's journeys come from hagiographies written by followers 60-150 years after his life, based on oral traditions. Amardeep emphasizes that Guru Nanak's focus was on documenting spiritual insights rather than historical details. He notes that Guru Nanak's verses demonstrate deep knowledge of various religious traditions he encountered in his travels, showing how travel broadened his wisdom.

A Recording Of The Session

Reflection questions that will help deepen your understanding of yourself and the world around you.

1. Thinking about your awareness
   What does "consciousness" mean to you, and how do you stay aware of your thoughts and actions in daily life?

2. Recalling a deeper moment
   Have you ever experienced a time when you felt truly connected to something bigger than yourself—nature, people, or a quiet inner feeling? What was that moment like?

3. Considering your daily interactions
   How can you become more mindful and present when you're talking, listening, or spending time with others?

4. Exploring the idea of unity
   Guru Nanak spoke of a universal consciousness that exists in everyone. How can understanding this help us become more empathetic and accepting of people from different backgrounds?

5. Reflecting on your inner world
   In what ways can taking time to reflect on your thoughts and feelings help you understand your values, goals, and purpose better?

Reflection helps us pause, understand ourselves better, and grow through our experiences. We invite you to share your takeaways or reflections as a post and send it to mk@learningforward.org.in.

Through Our Eyes: Sunbeam School Lahartara

 

Shining Within: Insights from Sunbeam Learners by Manisha Khanna

At Sunbeam School Lahartara, every reflection is a step toward self-awareness and growth. As our students pause to look back on their experiences, they are not just recounting events—they are learning to understand themselves, their emotions, and their journey. With each thoughtful word, they demonstrate how reflection helps shape responsible, empathetic, and mindful individuals.

It is truly heart-warming to see how wonderfully our students have captured their thoughts, turning everyday moments into meaningful insights. Their reflections speak of curiosity, learning, challenges, and triumphs—woven together with sincerity and depth. This process of thinking, feeling, and expressing is not only helping them grow as learners but also as thoughtful human beings.

Purpose To Live - Arfa Khan

We all have a purpose. Our purpose gives us a reason to wake up each day. Without a purpose, our lives feel meaningless. Our lives become equivalent to wandering on a crooked path with no destination. In a world where money, power, and status are chased, we often forget what truly matters: a meaningful life. These pursuits don’t fulfill our existential emptiness; after all, there is always a question of why we ‘need’ power or status. To boast about it? Is that our purpose? Of course not! Our purpose plays a role here too; just chasing after material wealth won't solve the lack of meaning. Without awareness of the motive, our lives would be stuck in an endless cycle, waking up without a goal and then working a regular job to support a meaningless life financially. To find a reason to work, to live, and to keep going, we must find our purpose, but how?

Imagine you are held at gunpoint. While you’re begging to be set free to live, the criminal says, “Give me just one reason why I should let you live”. What would be your answer? That’s your purpose. A soldier’s purpose is to protect his nation’s land; an artist’s purpose is to amuse everyone’s eyes with their art; a doctor’s purpose is to save lives; an activist’s purpose is to fight for equality; and a mother’s purpose is to care for her child.

Finding our purpose takes time and requires a lot of pondering. Maybe it resides in one’s passions—to care for a loved one or to fight for justice and freedom. It gives us a reason to keep pushing forward—something to live for and die for. Each person has their own purpose, and you can find yours.

Arfa Khan

8-A  

Ahlcon Public School

Image courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/603975000052552263/