{"id":24286,"date":"2020-04-09T14:33:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T11:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revers-sun.fi\/?p=24286"},"modified":"2020-04-09T14:35:09","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T11:35:09","slug":"lessons-for-sequestered-families-chapter-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revers-sun.fi\/fi\/sanatana-dharma\/lessons-for-sequestered-families-himalayan-academy\/lessons-for-sequestered-families-chapter-3","title":{"rendered":"Lessons for Sequestered Families. Chapter 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Affirmation<\/h1>\n

Each lesson will begin with an affirmation, as seen above, for the family to repeat together or alone. Repeat it together or individually to impress the mind with positive thoughts. This one is perfect for our global happenings.<\/p>\n

An Audio Story<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Story from\u00a0Guru Chronicles<\/em><\/h1>\n

In this audio story Gurudeva journeys to Europe for the first time, and many adventures ensue. As the painting shows, he dictated his Yoga Letters from the front seat of a Volkswagen van, and discovered an important place that was related to a previous birth.<\/p>\n

Click the URL to play the story.<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/www.himalayanacademy.com\/media\/audio\/books\/the-guru-chronicles-audiobook\/guruchronicles-stories-excerpts\/3-Europe-1967.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

\n

A Story About Nonstealing<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
\n

Ananya and the Teacher\u2019s Purse<\/h1>\n

\"\"The school bell rang loudly, telling Ananya that it was time to pack up her books and go home. All around her was the noise of joyous laughter, squealing and shouting as the girls got ready to leave. But strangely, her legs would not move. It was as though her feet were attached to the ground. She slowly put her hand into her pocket and felt the $100 bill. It was sitting snugly, but to her it seemed like a live bomb. She had not meant to steal the money. She had actually gone to the staff room to ask the teacher if she could borrow Ramya\u2019s math notebook. But there was no one in the room. Mrs. Guhan\u2019s handbag was lying open on the table. Ananya looked into the bag, and the first thing she saw was the $100 bill. Without even thinking about it, she snatched the money and dashed out of the staff room. She ran and ran and only stopped when she was close to a classroom at the other end of the school.<\/p>\n

Panting and out of breath, she looked at the money. Now, as the bell rang, she wondered if she should spend the money with her friends or keep it for the Diwali holidays. As she sat there thinking, she felt a light tap on her shoulders. She looked up to see Mrs. Ganesan staring down at her. A terrible feeling of shock and fear filled her body. Mrs. Ganesan beckoned her to come with her. As she followed the teacher, Ananya felt as though she was detached from her body. She wanted to run home and hide in her room. When they neared the principal\u2019s office, she felt a strange pain in her chest and almost started crying right there.<\/p>\n

The principal, Mr. Rao, came straight to the point. He did not believe in beating around the bush. He demanded to know, \u201cAnanya, did you take some money from Mrs. Guhan\u2019s handbag today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking down at her shoes, Ananya murmured, \u201cNo, Sir. I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a few seconds there was utter silence. The silence became very loud for Ananya. She feared she had been caught. She looked up and saw that Mrs. Shah had joined the group. The three teachers looked at each other puzzled. Ananya had always been so well behaved in school. Finally, Mrs. Shah said, \u201cAnanya, I saw you taking the money. I was behind the cupboard, and you didn\u2019t see me. Confess and hand it over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silently, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the $100 bill. Tears blurred her vision. She knew what the teachers must be thinking about her. She had not only\u00a0stolen money but had also lied. She dared not lift her eyes and see their disappointed faces.<\/p>\n

\"\"After a moment\u2019s pause, Mr. Rao said, \u201cAnanya, for your own good, I think your parents should be made aware of your behavior today. If we call them here, it will be embarrassing for you. Because this is the first time you\u2019ve gotten in trouble, I would like you to confess to them at home. Then we will discuss your punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

That night Ananya sat down for dinner with her parents. She saw the world around her collapsing. Oh, why had she done something so stupid? Why had she peeped into Mrs. Guhan\u2019s handbag and then stolen her money?<\/p>\n

\"\"When dinner was nearly over, she said, \u201cAppa, something awful happened in school today.\u201d Then she narrated the incident. Outside, a lonely owl let out a hooting sound, and in the distance, a dog barked loudly. All familiar sounds, but today they sounded alien, harsh and scary. In those few minutes, she had wounded her parent\u2019s belief and trust in her.<\/p>\n

Much to her relief, her Appa acknowledged how difficult it must have been to confess to them and praised her for being such a strong girl. Ananya told her parents she had learned her lesson. Both her Appa and Amma consoled her with hugs and assured her that even though she had made a big mistake, she was still loved.<\/p>\n

The next few days went by in a blur. Her parents grounded her for a month, and she had to spend two weeks in detention after school. But that wasn\u2019t the worst of it. The news of the theft had spread like wildfire. Everywhere she went, students whispered behind her back. \u201cThere she is, that girl who stole the money,\u201d they said. Over and over again, the same words and the looks of contempt. Her teachers used to trust her, but now they were suspicious. Even though she wrote a note of apology and gave it to Mrs. Guhan, she still didn\u2019t feel forgiven or right inside herself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At night, in the privacy of her room, she cried bitterly and prayed. \u201cSiva, everyone hates me and I don\u2019t blame them. I hate myself. Please save me. Please make my parents, teachers and friends trust and love me again.\u201d<\/p>\n

One night, as she wept bitterly before going to sleep, she heard the door opening and she saw the shadow of her mother. \u201cAnanya, are you crying?\u201d she asked softly.<\/p>\n

Ananya threw her arms around her mother\u2019s neck and continued weeping. She sobbed loudly as she trembled against her mother\u2019s shoulder. Finally, the tears slowed down and she lay quietly in her mother\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, my child. It\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never do it again, Amma, but it\u2019s not over. I did something bad, and today no one respects or loves me. Oh, what can I do?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnanya, my dearest,\u201d her mother replied, \u201cwe have forgiven you and the school has punished you. But robbing is a public crime and if you want people to change their mind about it, you need to do a public penance. I suggest you do some hard service at the temple. By cleaning the temple floors, you will erase the bad karma you made by stealing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ananya looked at her mother eagerly and said, \u201cI\u2019m ready to do anything! Anything to go back to my old life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following Saturday Ananya went to the Siva temple near her house. Standing in front of the altar, she promised, \u201cSiva, I hope you will forgive me for my wrong action. I am going to do penance. From today on, I will come here to the temple every Saturday for a month and scrub and clean the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Immediately after saying those words, Ananya felt a strange peace descend on her, and that night, for the first time in a week, she slept well.<\/p>\n

As the days went on, the girls in the school forgot what Ananya had done, but none of them was ready to be her friend again. She sat alone at lunch and was the only girl not invited for birthday parties.<\/p>\n

One Saturday, she was in the temple, cleaning the floor, when a shadow fell across her. She looked up and saw Anjali and her mother. Anjali was one of the best students in the school, and popular as well. Anjali\u2019s mother looked at Ananya with surprise. She said, \u201cMy dear, you\u2019re such a little girl and you\u2019re doing so much hard and dirty work!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the pujaris who was watching took Anjali and her mother aside. Even he knew about the theft. He explained, \u201cShe\u2019s been coming here on Saturday and spending more than four hours cleaning the temple. She\u2019s doing penance for stealing the money! I\u2019ve never seen such a young person do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ananya\u2019s face was covered in sweat, and her old salwar kameez was soaked with soap and water. She continued doing her work without looking at Anjali and her mother.<\/p>\n

The next day, as she ate her lunch, watching a few crows, Anjali walked up to her and said, \u201cMay I join you for lunch?\u201d Ananya bent her head down and said, \u201cWhy do you want to eat with a robber?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not eating with a robber. I am eating with a girl who has realized her mistake and is willing to punish herself to make up for it. Not many of us are so brave. You have not only realized your mistake but also done a severe penance. I am sorry for judging you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ananya said softly, \u201cDon\u2019t feel sorry for me. I made a mistake and I\u2019m paying for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSilly! Who\u2019s feeling sorry for you? I want to be friends with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

One month after finishing her penance, Ananya sat on her father\u2019s knee. He held her close and said, \u201cMy dear daughter, this last month has been very difficult for you, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Dad. It\u2019s been my very best month. I have realized the value of being respected and trusted by my friends, parents and teachers. Never again will I do such a foolish thing as steal! This has been a good experience, Dad.\u201d Saying that, she hugged him tightly.<\/p>\n

Inspiration<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Inspiration from Bodhinatha<\/h1>\n

In this video, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami talks about five core disciplines for bringing our inner perfection into our intellectual, emotional and instinctive nature.<\/p>\n

Humor from Hinduism Today<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Humor from Hinduism Today<\/h1>\n

Isn\u2019t this what we are all doing now? Taking better care of our physical body than usual during the pandemic?<\/p>\n

Featured Video: Drilling through Granite by Hand<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Featured Video: Drilling through Granite by Hand<\/h1>\n

A 1,500-pound stone, a hammer, long chisel and two master carvers. Discover how the silpis working at Iraivan Temple drill a hole through solid rock to create a socket for a massive stone chain that will be installed to last more than a thousand years.<\/p>\n

Path to Siva for Kids: Meditation<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Path to Siva for Kids<\/h1>\n

Lesson 47: How Do We Meditate?<\/p>\n

We quiet our mind, go inward, step by step, meditate on something, and then come back out. If you meditate every day, then your life will be happy, creative, calm and deep. Meditation is not easy for most of us, though. Often, the hardest part is leaving our usual thoughts behind. The goal is to focus on one thing, and only that thing, instead of letting your thoughts wander like ants. You need to be kind and patient with yourself. The best time to meditate is when your mind is quiet, in the early morning. The best place is a quiet space or room that does not distract you. Prepare for meditation by regulating your breath. Breathing is most important, because it quiets your thoughts. Then, you are ready! If you have 12 minutes, you should prepare by breathing regularly for 4 minutes, meditate for 6 minutes, and come back out of meditation for 2 minutes.<\/p>\n

Coloring Art<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In each lesson we will include some black and white illustrations, some simple, others complex. Above we see a young boy studying. Inwardly he keeps Lord Ganesha in his mind to guide his learning so he may do well as he prepares for his future.<\/p>\n

The idea is to print these out on paper and invite the kids to color them with crayons, colored pencils or chalk. Their uniqueness lies in their Saivite style and subject matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Character Quality: Calm<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Calmness means remaining serene, composed and undisturbed. It is cultivated by quieting my emotions when I am challenged or upset. Its opposite is agitation.<\/p>\n

Gurudeva explained: \u201cIf you are not peaceful, you are still reacting to past habit patterns. If you don\u2019t feel peaceful, pretend that you do. Feel peace. Feel everybody feeling that same calmness right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mind becomes calm through your understanding of experience and how experience has become created.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clouding of the mirror of the mind\u2014that reflective pond of awareness which when calm sees clearly\u2014or the ripples of disturbance on the mind\u2019s surface distort seeing and confuse understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your emotions are upset and you\u2019re suffering, there\u2019s an area within you that\u2019s calm, peaceful, dynamic, vibrant, watching. That\u2019s the body of the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kolams to Make<\/h2>\n