It's because of you - Rishona Chopra

It is because of you - that is what we say. We blame people for our troubles and failures, and believe me, even you do. If you get a cold, you blame another person in the family who also had a cold. You don't blame yourself for having a weak immune system! If you couldn't go somewhere, then you blame the weather. When you spill water on your t-shirt, you blame the person who bumped into you.

When we blame others, we are avoiding some truth about ourselves. We can blame other planets for our fault; we blame nature, people, and even our parents! It's always easy to blame but challenging to find and correct your faults. This also connects with one of Dr Sibal's values - Making mistakes, and accepting flaws.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Ignorance - Rishona Chopra

Ignorance is when we ignore the law of nature.

When we think life will never end and we are immortal and will live forever is ignorance. When we forget that things change, we and ignorant.

 If you think you have come out of the world of ignorance and have achieved something great, and now you are more extraordinary, this thought simply displays that you are in the world of ignorance.

Ignorance is thinking that you are greater or your success will never end. Once you achieve something big and instead of being greedy for more, you cherish it: being free from ignorance. When the thought does not come to your mind that your success will never end, you are free.

The most prominent example is Lord Buddha. Did he ever show off his success and strength? No, because he was free from ignorance. And as he rightly said, desire is the cause of pain. This doesn't mean we shouldn't have ambitions and dreams. There is a simple difference between the desire of want and need. If you desire to be selfless and humble, then be it but then don't be too proud over that because once you link want and greed with need, all the pain begins.

Ignorance leads to ego, and ego leads to anger and greed. To stop this connection, we need to be humble.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

Ignorance, Evolution and the Avatar - Anvesha Rana

It is uncanny that we sometimes just need a short story or a mishappening to make us realize our position in this circle of life. We all are human, yet we stand at different steps of the same staircase. Our mindset defines the place we idealize, but there are many positions to choose from: 

Realization of Ignorance is the first stage of development. It is the state where we think we are superior to our fellow beings, but in reality, we are just the same. Ignorance makes us turn a blind eye to the tiny creatures; it fills us with a sense of pride and destroys the humility within us. When the worms discovered the ray of light, they felt that it was meant for them to find and that they were special, but if the worms had been a little wiser, they would have decided to share this finding with the entire the worm population for everyone's wellbeing. Ignorance makes us immature, and after some time, it will cause us to rot. There is no development in ignorance; when we blindfold new learning opportunities and avert our eyes from new people when we disregard new things, that would stop our learning. Ignorance stops us, but observance adds a boost to our life. 

The second stage of development would be Evolution. Evolution is simply letting go of all sad things, destructive grudges, negative emotions and guilty practices; it transforms yourself and then rises above others. Evolution is perhaps the final and supreme stage of development for all humans; it is exploring and experiencing such a level of spiritual consciousness that no pleasure can be more significant. It is simply breaking free of all the chains that hold you back and then unfurling your wings to fly in a free and limitless sky, only to discover the real deception of life. We can live genuinely only when we have evolved, grown, learnt and understood, for Evolution is the true joy. 

The third stage of development would be The Avatar. The Avatar is the truest, pure, divine form one can pursue. It is a reconciliation with the almighty to develop the utmost level of emotional, mental, spiritual and physical being. The Avatar is definitely hard to reach and even more challenging to maintain. The Avatar is not god, but it can be us if we attain the final enlightenment possible. Buddha and Mahavir were ordinary people, but the course of their actions was so holy that they acquired the form of The Avatar. The path is not hard, but it is filled with thorns and pricks until the rose. 

The development that I hope for is Evolution. Some day I do expect that I can be the worm who could spread its wings, cross the horizons and truly realize life.

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School

The Worm I want to be: Story Reflection - Anusha Jain

My reflection from the story Ignorance, Evolution and Avatar

After reading this beautiful story about enlightenment and awakening, I think most people would want to be like the last group of worms which grow wings and fly away from the canal, those yogis, saints and sages who raise beyond the belt of ignorance to the supreme freedom of spirit.

It is wiser to first be the initial group of worms who represent the first stage of ignorance, those who cross the physical and vital evolution phase and rise to the higher mental being and live content and satisfied. It is because we live in a world where we run an endless rat race and chase after money.

We are told to make a promising career and think about our aspirations. So, practically, if we can become like the first group of worms, we would be able to decide about our future in a better way whilst living up to society's expectations. By doing so, we would be able to help other people attain enlightenment and make a difference.

Anusha Jain, X-D
Ahlcon Public School
I am very fond of reading; Harry Potter is my favourite series.

The worm I want to be - Rishona Chopra

 I want to be a worm who grew wings and flew away from the canal.

They didn't think they were more extraordinary because of little light but tried to attain peace and freedom and did not let pride and ignorance touch them.

The first group of worms represents the first stage of evolution in ignorance. They are those human beings who have crossed the physical and most crucial phase of evolution and risen to the consciousness of the higher mental being. The second group of worms represents the next stage of evolution in which human consciousness or the mind opens itself to a higher light beyond the rational mind and receives intuitions and inspirations from it but still lives within the world of ignorance. 

The last group of worms which grow wings and fly away from the canal are those human souls who proceed further and rise beyond the belt of human mental ignorance to the supreme freedom of the spirit. 

I want to be like the last group. That person who would raise beyond the belt of human ignorance and go beyond the sky. In the wheel of life, I want to be free from suffering and desire like Buddha. All stages represent the worms, and in the end, the first two stages still desire more and live in human and mental ignorance.

I want to be like the last group who open their wings and fly in the spiritual world with a smile.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

A sprinkle of HHL - Rishona Chopra

All you need is a sprinkle of HHL,

Let me tell you more about it, yes I will speak,

HHL is Hope, Humility and Love,

That will make you shine like a dove,

Hope will make your heart smile,

Humility will take you a mile,

And love will make you feel in heaven, right above!

Make someone else smile,

And your heart will shine,

Some positivity,

Some freedom from pride and negativity,

It will make your day for sure,

And then you'll score life's big goal!

All you need is Hope, Humility and Love!

I am sure it will make your life full of happiness and love.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

A Trip To a Hot Spring - Amaira Bhati

It was getting dark when all the children of Tomoe Gakuen were ready for a three-day trip. It was almost time for dinner when all fifty students had finally arrived. The Headmaster hadn't brought along any food supplies with him, and he had an amusing thing for the students to do. 

The Headmaster sent all the kids to buy the veggies and fish. He knew that some kids would be afraid of this, but he wanted to make them experience the essential things in life. This simple action of buying vegetables could make them more open and make them learn more about doing calculations.

People at the market were eating their food and asking the students about them, and the students were supposed to reply politely. Some students took all the fish and veggies, but others either got lost or didn't get it. Some children went missing and had even cut their feet in the sand since it was filled with glass. This might have not been fun for some students, but in the end, it enclosed a lesson for life.  

When it was time to go back, everyone was sad that the trip was over, but they couldn't stay there forever…Half of the students slept on the way around, and the other half could not stop talking about this beautiful memory of the hot spring trip.

Amaira Bhati
Grade 3-F, Gyanshree School. 

Getting To Know You,life - Reveda Bhatt

So, today, I'll tell you a truth that humans need to face boldly.

First of all, let's ask ourselves once what life means? I think life is just a path leading to a very mournful destination- death!

When you realize the meaning of this one statement profoundly, the first question popping into your mind is that 'Then what am I struggling for!?' If this is it, then you are back on the right path - I mean working really hard to earn money, not being a spendthrift, saving it for your future generations and then, after getting old, waiting for 'the payback' from your children for what all you've done for them but when you get what you expected or have more than you expected, it is too late.

At that particular point in time, all the places in the world long for your presence to be there, but your life doesn't allow you to, and by the time the reality hits you, you get a callback from where it all began. So, see, where you are, at this moment, this place is unique, so why not live life to your best right now, and not think about what's ahead or what's the end, cherish every moment so, at last, you do not blame anyone or anything for not being able to, and that's just life, the sooner you understand it, the better it'll be!

Reveda Bhatt 
Class 9
The Aryan School

Colors Of Life - Rishona Chopra

Painting by Rishona Chopra

Colour - It is the deep mysterious language of dreams

It is a power which directly influences the soul.

Splash colours on a paper, put a stroke of brush and water, and let them flow like rivers of hope and shine through the form!

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI 

Gyanshree School

Acoustic Life - Reveda Bhatt

Our fate and will to live,

Opens the lifelong gate.

Our love for others,

Makes us feel as gentle as a dove,

But when it comes to playing the blame game,

We should act like a human,

And not an animal who's not tame!

Being the way you are,

Never makes anyone feel bad.

It makes them feel good,

Even when they are sad!

So, just be kind to everyone, lad,

And, with following that, you'll never go mad!

Never hurt someone,

And, if you do,

You'll never get along with anyone!

And if you say sorry too,

That wound won't fill,

Just give them some time,

And they'll be talking to you of their own will!

- Reveda Bhatt 
Grade IX The Aryan School

Reveda has signed up for the Internship Program at the National Office of the Learning Forward India Foundation; she helps with social media outreach for My Good School.