Story

Beware of the Company You Keep

Once a hunter captured two beautiful parrots. He sold one to the butcher and the other to a Haridasa, that is to say one who gathers devotees around him and glorifies his Lord Hari through song and story. After six months the hunter happened to pass by the side of the butcher’s stall. He remembered the parrot. He stepped into the stall. Immediately he heard the parrot’s shrill voice, “Catch, kill, carve, slice.”

He left the stall ruminating over the words uttered by the parrot. He was curious to know about the other parrot. He walked into the ashram of the Haridas. The parrot in the cage fluttered its wings with joy and cried out, “welcome ! welcome! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!” . He was delighted at the sight of the parrot and the sound of its words. As he was walking towards his hut, he marveled at the words uttered by the two parrots which were poles apart in their tone, temperament and content.

The words of one were outrageous and repulsive. Those of the other parrot were sweet, soothing and sublime. It is the environment and the constant company in which they had grown up that made all this difference. Rightly has it been said,.

“Tell me who your friends are, I shall tell you what you are”.

Story

When Adi Shankara was on a pilgrimage, he came across a pond where fishes were struggling due to lack of water. He requested the villagers nearby, “Please give me some water. I want to pour it into the pond.” The villagers laughed. “ We are ourselves suffering due to scarcity of water, Swami. And you are asking us water for fishes in the pond! We get water for ourselves only at a place of 10 miles from here.” “Ok, is someone willing to guide me to the place that is 10 miles away?” asked Adi Shankara and taking a villager with him, brought water in his Kamandala and poured it into the pond. The fishes jumped and danced in joy. Immediately there was flashes of lightning and thunder followed by a heavy downpour of rain. Then Adi Shankara said to the people, “ You said you were suffering from water scarcity for 12 years but this is the secret of bringing in rain in just 1 second.”

Story

The kindly king

Once Maharaja Ranjit Singh who was known as Sher-e-Punjab i.e. Lion of Punjab, was strolling in the palace garden, accompanied by his ministers and several attendants. Suddenly, a stone came from somewhere, wounding his forehead. Blood gushed forth from the wound. The ministers were aghast. They ran out of the garden to find out who had thrown the stone. After some time they caught the stone thrower and returned to the Maharaja with the culprit.

It was a poor old woman. She shivered with fright. The Maharaja looked at her and asked, “Woman, why did you throw the stone at me?” The old woman trembled in fear and cried out, “O king, pardon me. I did not throw the stone at you. I did not imagine that you would be taking a stroll in these grounds. My son has not eaten for three days and is starving. I threw the stone at these mango trees which are full of ripe fruit. Had I been lucky, the stone would have hit the fruit and my son’s hunger would have been appeased. How unlucky I am that it hit you instead. Please pardon me Maharaja. Don’t punish me. I did not intend to hurt you.”

As he listened to the words of the woman, Ranjit Singh’s eyes were filled with tears. He turned to his ministers and said, “I never knew that there is such poverty in my kingdom. Please send enough food for this woman’s family immediately and also provide them with arable land so that they can get enough food in future.”

The ministers were surprised at this strange order. “Maharaja, this woman has injured you. Why are you being so kind to her?” the Maharaja smiled and said, “ Had the woman succeeded in hitting the mango tree, her son’s hunger would have been appeased. Instead she hit a Maharaja. Should she not get much more from me than what she would have got from the tree? Her son’s hunger must be removed for ever.”

The woman shed tears of joy and hailed the king. The ministers too learnt a lesson from the generosity of the Maharaja.

Story

The Rope

The night fell heavy on the heights of the mountains and the man could not see anything. There was zero visibility; the moon and the stars were covered by the clouds.

When he was just a few feet below the top of the mountain, he slipped and fell into the air, falling at great speed. He could see only black spots as he went down, and feel the terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.

He kept falling, and in those moments of great fear, all the good and bad episodes of his life came to his mind. He was thinking now about how close death was getting, when all of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard. His body was hanging in the air. Only the rope was holding him. In that moment of stillness he had no choice other than to scream, “Help me God.”.

All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the sky answered, “What do you want me to do?”

“Save me God.”

“Do you really think I can save you?”

“Of course, I believe you can.”

“Then cut the rope tied to your waist.”

There was a moment of silence. The moment passed, and the man decided to hold on to the rope with all his strength.

“The rescue team” says that the next day, the climber was found dead and frozen, his body hanging from a rope, and his hands holding it tight. He was only one foot away from the ground.

How attached are we to our ropes? Will we let them go?

Don’t ever doubt God. We should have enough faith to cut the rope, if that is what God tells us to do, even when it seems to be the most foolish thing to do.

Song

जब कोई बात बिगड जाए

जब कोई बात बिगड़ जाए
जब कोई मुश्किल पड जाए
तुम देना साथ मेरा, ओ हम नवाज
ना कोई है, ना कोई था
जिन्दगी में तुम्हारे सिवा
तु म देना साथ मेरा, ओ हम नवाज
हो चांदनी जब तक रात, देता हैंहर कोई साथ
तुम मगर अंधेरो में ना छोड़ना मेरा हाथ
जब कोई बात बिगड़ जाए.. ..

दिल को मेरे हुआ यकीन, हम पहले भी मिले कही
सिलसिला ये सदियों का, कोई आज की बात नहीं
जब कोई बात बिगड़ जाए.. .

Story

Transformation

An old man lived in the farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his prayer.

His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the prayer just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the prayer do?”

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read prayers. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed inside and out. That is the work of God in our lives.”

Song

ए मालिक तेरेबंदेहम
ऐसेहो हमारेकरम
नेकी पर चलेऔर बधी सेतले, ताकि हस्तेहुए निकलेदम
बड़ा कमजोर हैंआदमी अभी लाखों हैंइसमें कमी
पर तू जो खडा हैंदयालूबड़ा , तेरी किरपा से धरती थमी
दिया तूने हमेजब जनम तूही झेलेगा हम सब के गम
नेकी पर चलेऔर बधी सेतले, ताकि हस्तेहुए निकलेदम

जब जुल्मोंका हो सामना , तब तूही हमे थामना
वो बुराई करे , हम भलाई भरे नहीं बदलेकी हो कामना
बढ़ उठे प्यार का हर कदम और मिटेबैर का ये भरम
नेकी पर चलेऔर बधी सेतले, ताकि हस्तेहुए निकलेदम

Story

RIGHTEOUS ACTION

The cunning fox was angry at the exalted position of man in God’s creation. According to him, he was also intelligent and more contented than man. According to the fox, animals possess more nobler qualities than men. So he decided to consult all the animals and to seek their opinion and then come to a decision as to who is superior – man or the animals. When all animals had gathered, the elephant suggested that they should go to a great sage, who too lived in the forest, and ascertain his views. They all agreed, and went to see the sage.

The dog said, “I am the symbol of gratitude. I am grateful to man throughout my life. But man forgets the thousand services rendered to him and remembers the one wrong that his friend might have done. Sir, can you say that man is superior to beasts?”

Now it was the cow’s plea. “Man gives me little straw or grass but I give him nourishing milk. Sometimes he starves my baby and takes all the milk for himself and children. The moment I go dry, I am ill treated and ignored. When I become old, I am sold to a butcher. Tell me Sir, is man superior to beasts?”

Next it was the crow’s turn. “Even if I get a small crumb of bread I crow and call all my friends and share it with them but man hoards and hoards. He has forgotten sharing and caring. How can the selfish and greedy man be called superior?”

The fish whispered, “Oh! Sage, I cause no harm to man. I serve him by keeping the ponds, lakes tanksand rivers clean by eating away the dirt that is thrown in the water by him. But instead of protecting me, the foolish man catches me and kills and eats me. Do you regard man foolish or superior?”

The mule brayed, “I am the beast of burden. I am famous for the quality of patience. Without my service the people living in the hilly region would suffer. What is my reward, beating and more beating?”

Then the dog boasted about its wonderful sense of smell; the kite boasted about his wonderful sense of sight and the cat about its cleanliness and the wonderful sense of sight in darkness. The elephant spoke about his intelligence and utility. He asked the sage to enlighten all of them about the superiority of man.

The sage said, “Listen, my kinsmen of the jungle. All that you have said is true but man is endowed with the power of discrimination, which helps him to distinguish right from wrong, truth from untruth and good from evil. Man can control his senses and through intuition attain God. You animals are governed only by instinct.”

“But if man doesn’t behave as a human being should do?” asked the cunning fox.

The sage said, “If man doesn’t behave as he should do, he is worse than a beast. If he behaves as a human being should do, he is far superior to all else in creation.”

The animals went away satisfied.

Dear children everyday remind yourself “I am a human being. I am not an animal” as many times as you can. This awareness of your real nature alone will help you to become ideal children of our motherland.

Song

Itani sakthi

Itani Shakti Hamen Dena Daataa, Manka Vishwas Kamjor Ho Na Hum Chale Nek Raste Pe Humse, Bhulke Bhi Koi Bhul Ho Na Dur Agnyaan Ke Ho Andhere Tu Hamen Gnyan Ki Roshani De Har Buraai Se Bachke Rahe Hum Jitani Bhi De, Bhali Zindagi De… Bair Ho Na Kisika Kisis Se Bhaavana Mann Me Badle Ki Ho Na Hum Chale Nek Raste Pe Humse Bhulke Bhi Koi Bhul Ho Na…..

Hum Na Sochen Hamen Kya Mila Hai Hum Ye Sochen Kiya Kya Hai Arpan Phool Khushiyon Ke Baaten Sabhi Ko Sab Ka Jivan Hi Ban Jaye Madhuban Apani Karuna ko Jab Tu Bahaa De Karde Paavan Har Ek Mann Ka Kona Hum Chale Nek Raste Pe Humse Bhulke Bhi Koi Bhul Ho Na…

Activity

• describing about the animal and its quality without telling its name. Other children guess the animal.

Story

Grass eating Tiger

One day a shepherd saw a strange sight from a far. A tigress had given birth to a little cub and lay dead. The shepherd brought home the little cub and fed it and brought it up along with his sheep.

Now the little cub grew up, but he ate just the food that the sheep ate – grass. He even bleated like them and he romped and rambled like the sheep.

One day a great thing happened. A huge tiger passed by the sheep and the cub and saw to his surprise – the young tiger cub eating grass and bleating.

He jumped amidst the sheep. They ran away bleating fearfully. The cub too ran away bleating. The tiger caught the cub and took him to the pool of water nearby and said “Look, – you are a tiger like me – the King of all the animals’. Stop your bleating and eating grass. Be a tiger and roar.

The young tiger thus came to know his true nature.

Discussion

how can we know our real nature?

Through prayers, silent sitting and namasmaran. Like the tiger cub who thought that he was a sheep, we think we are the body only. But we are not the body – we are a part of the God who resides in the cave of our heart.

Early man depended on nature to help him survive with food and shelter. So he loved Mother Earth as Goddess Earth or Bhu Maata. He also worshipped the nature – fire, air, rain, the ocean, the Sun and the planets.

So, they lived in great harmony with Nature, respecting all forms of life.

While we believed that God, man and Nature have to be united, the west came to believe that everything has to be conquered and what man needed had to be taken forcefully taken from Nature.

So, civilisation all over the world began to cut down forests, clear valleys and change the course of rivers to make mighty empires. Science advanced and man’s conquest of Nature grew. Cement jungles called cities came up everywhere. Men began to feel that they were truly the kings of the world.

Men were so busy showing their power and greatness that they did not realise that while they were setting up empires, they were not only destroying Nature, but also destroying precious things that were important for human life on our planet like pure air, clean water, rain, forests and food crops, ozone layer.

Suddenly, all over the world people began to realise that something was going wrong in a big way.

Story – Environment awareness

One day Rohit’s mother asked him to go to the vegetable vendor and buy some potatoes and tomatoes. On his way to the shop Rohit met his friends who were going to play cricket. Rohit loved to play cricket and so he went with his friends. He completely forgot about vegetables.After playing for an hour he suddenly remembered and ran to the vegetable vendor. The vegetable vendor put the potato and tomatoes in a plastic bag. Rohit remembered his teacher telling him not to use plastic bags. She had told in the class that they are harmful to nature, animals and birds. He told the vegetable vendor to wait and ran back all the way home to bring a cloth bag. He apologized to his mother and asked for a cloth bag. He ran back to the vegetable vendor and bought the potatoes and tomatoes.He returned home and explained to his mother what happened. His mother hugged him and said she was very proud of him.

Sloka

• Samudra Vasane Devi, Parvata stana Mandale
• Vishnu Patni Namasthubyam, Pada Sparsha Kshamasva me

Activity

• List the harmful use of plastic bags

Story

A True Piligrim – Sant Eknath’s offering to a Donkey

Once upon a time a group of saints were carrying the pious water of the river Ganga from Prayag in north India, to offer to Lord Shiva at Rameshwaram in the South. It was a long and arduous journey.Saint Eknath was with them.When they were crossing a vast desert, they saw a donkey dying of thirst. Saint Eknath immediately offered his water to the donkey and saved his life.The other saints in the group were furious, and considered it an insult to the Lord Shiva, Since the water meant for offering to the God had been wasted on a donkey.Saint Eknath explained his act very calmly, “O wise men, you have read again and again in the holy books that God is everywhere.Then, why are you so upset? Any thing that is not utilized at the right moment is useless. The water that this dying donkey drank has reached straight to Lord Shiva in Rameshwaram!

Take a glass with water and a small stick. Then ask the following questions.

What is in my hand?

How long is this stick? How does it look? Is it straight or bent?

(The teacher then puts the stick in the glass of water)

How does the stick look now?

(The children : The stick looks bent)

The teacher then takes the stick out and shows it again to the class

How does the stick look now?

(Ans : the stick looks straight)

What does this experiment prove?

(Our eyes do not always convey the correct picture)

Can you give another example?

(If the children cannot answer, then the teacher can give example of trees moving when we travel by train although it is the train moving and not trees)

So we conclude : “Faith is the foundation of knowledge”

We do not see God with our eyes but we must have complete faith that God exists everywhere and in everything in this universe.

Story

He has got the sun and moon in his hands

He’s got the sun and the moon in his hands (3) He’s got the whole world in his hands
He’s got the wind and the rains in his hands (3) He’s got the whole world in his hands
He’s got the flowers and fruits…..
He’s got the mountains and rivers …..
He’s got the short ones and the tall ones
He’s got the fat ones and the thin ones
He’s got the blind and crippled …..