{"id":1153,"date":"2025-06-01T03:15:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T10:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/?p=1153"},"modified":"2025-06-10T15:47:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T22:47:58","slug":"valedictory-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/valedictory-address\/","title":{"rendered":"Valedictory Address – Kalpana Krishnamurthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Class of 2025 Graduation Speech<\/strong><\/p>\n

To the 2025 Graduates of Bala Vihar,<\/p>\n

I am truly honored to speak today on this momentous occasion\u2014your graduation from Bala Vihar after 12 whole years. That\u2019s right, many of you have given up more than 600 Sunday mornings to participate in Bala Vihar. While other kids were sleeping in, you were coloring pages with Hindu gods and goddesses, chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, learning the Manasa Puja, or engaging in discussion about Hinduism. That deserves serious respect.<\/p>\n

Through this journey, you\u2019ve been guided by a patient and heroic group of Aunties and Uncles. And I know that you don\u2019t remember their names\u2014because let\u2019s be honest, you figured out early on that \u201cAunty\u201d and \u201cUncle\u201d work for everyone. But these teachers volunteered their Sundays, year after year, to pass on the wisdom of a tradition more than 5,000 years old. Teachers, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.<\/p>\n

Now, we say this to every class, but it really feels true this time: you are graduating in wild, uncertain times. We\u2019re asking some big questions: Who belongs in America? What rights belong to citizens and what rights belong to anyone in this country, regardless of their visa status? Should the government be a safety net\u2014or just… disappear altogether?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the economy is on a daily rollercoaster, we don\u2019t know if the Environmental Protection Agency will still exist next year, and the climate crisis is like that group project where no one is doing their part. And in case we forgot, conflicts are erupting around the globe on a seemingly daily basis.<\/p>\n

So basically\u2014everything is totally fine…You guys got this!<\/p>\n

In all this chaos, the teachings of Bala Vihar can actually serve as your compass. Let me remind you of four things we hope you carry with you:<\/p>\n

1. We Are All One<\/strong>
\nWhen the world feels divided, it\u2019s easy to look at the people that don\u2019t believe what we do and make them into our enemy. They voted the wrong way, they don\u2019t believe the same things we do, they want to take away our rights. \u201cThey\u201d sound pretty awful, right?<\/p>\n

But Sanatana Dharma teaches: we are all one. The same spark of divine consciousness exists in every being. Even in people who voted differently than you, or whose opinions make your eye twitch.<\/p>\n

Now, this doesn\u2019t mean you have to agree with everyone or accept that their opinion of who deserves rights is correct. But it does mean we can\u2019t write people off as hopeless. If we believe in our own capacity to grow and change, we must extend that faith to others too. That\u2019s how oneness works.<\/p>\n

2. Do the Next Right Thing<\/strong>
\nWe spend a lot of time in the highschool program drilling dharma into you. In fact, the answer to almost any question is \u201cDo your dharma.\u201d For example, should I study for this test or go to this party? Do your dharma. But life will hand you trickier choices\u2014like, should I take a summer internship at a biotech lab or go work on a fishing boat in Alaska? (Parents: I know you think you know the answer to that one, but really, you don\u2019t!)<\/p>\n

In these moments, look inward. Ask yourself about your intentions. Are you choosing out of fear, or out of courage? Are you seeking meaning, or avoiding discomfort? Hinduism teaches us to act with integrity in the moment\u2014without getting attached to how it all turns out.<\/p>\n

3. Remember Your True Nature<\/strong>
\nOne of the most profound teachings of Hinduism is that your true nature is bliss\u2014sat-chit-ananda. Your true nature is not your GPA. Your true nature is not what college you go to. It\u2019s not if you meet your parent\u2019s expectation of success. When you remember your true nature is joy\u2014not the fleeting kind, but the eternal kind\u2014it can be easier to come back to yourself, no matter what happens.<\/p>\n

There will be moments in the coming years when you feel lost. When the path ahead feels unclear. When everyone else seems to have it figured out and you’re just… refreshing your email and eating cereal at midnight. In those moments, I hope you can pause and remember this truth: You are not broken. You are not behind. You are not alone. You are made of something divine.<\/p>\n

4. Find a Daily Practice<\/strong>
\nLook, I\u2019ll admit it: as a kid, I thought pujas were long and confusing and\u2014let\u2019s just say\u2014a test of stamina. And when I got to Bala Vihar, I found our emphasis on chanting Sanskrit a little bit annoying too. I mean, I have no idea what we are saying, it\u2019s all really hard to pronounce, and it all kind of sounds the same, am I right?<\/p>\n

But here’s the truth: all these practices are tools. Tools to help us quiet our minds and connect to something greater. Whether it\u2019s puja, meditation, chanting, yoga, or selfless service\u2014find one that works for you. Then do it. Every day. Because when the world feels like it\u2019s spinning too fast, that daily practice can bring you back to center.<\/p>\n

Graduates, it has been a privilege to teach you. We honor your commitment, your curiosity, and your many Sunday mornings spent at Bala Vihar. May your path be joyful.<\/p>\n

Congratulations. Hari Om.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Class of 2025 Graduation Speech To the 2025 Graduates of Bala Vihar, I am truly honored to speak today on this momentous occasion\u2014your graduation from Bala Vihar after 12 whole years. That\u2019s right, many of you have given up more than 600 Sunday mornings to participate in Bala Vihar. While other kids were sleeping in, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-balavihargraduates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1153"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1265,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions\/1265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmportland.org\/HariPatrika2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}