Week week week week week week233k 19.docx
- 1. Week 19 Cooking can be a fun activity for the children and useful too. So this week for the activity session, we have a simple but interesting recipe to cook for the children! Tulasi arati: 10 minutes Set up the Tulasi stand holding Tulasi in the middle of the room. Keep all the paraphernalia for worshiping her ready in advance. Lead the kirtan as the children follow you. Perform the arati offering Tulasi incense, ghee lamp, and flowers. Make the children offer water to Tulasi and also go around her three times while singing the song. Ice- breaker: 15 minutes When you are seated in a circle, ask them one by one to speak for a minute on: “The time when I was tempted to speak lies and not the truth.” Kirtana: 15 minutes If any of the children know to play some musical instruments, you can ask them to bring it and play as an accompaniment for the kirtana. Involve the children in kirtana by asking them to clap their hands and to dance some simple steps. Also ask them to go up to the altar and offer some flowers or an incense stick which all of them can use for offering to the Lordships. Story: 30 minutes Story telling has to be interactive for maximum effect. This means that you have to ask them questions every now and then so that they remain alert and learn all the important facts. With this in mind we have included questions after every few paragraphs . You can read out the text of every paragraph, explain it in your own words and then ask the questions. Ask them to raise their hands if they know their answer. No shouting or screaming out the answers and no speaking out of turn. You have to emphasize this from the very beginning, so that they learn proper discipline from the very beginning. Also you can encourage the quiet ones to participate. Speak encouraging and appreciative words especially to the shy and quiet ones and also to all the others in general. This will make them very enthusiastic and responsive. Srimad Bhagavatam The Life of Ajāmila
- 2. In the city known as Kānyakubja there was a brāhmaṇa named Ajāmila who married a prostitute maidservant and lost all his brahminical qualities because of the association of that low-class woman. This fallen brāhmaṇa, Ajāmila, gave trouble to others by arresting them, by cheating them in gambling or by directly plundering them. This was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children. While he thus spent his time in abominable, sinful activities to maintain his family of many sons, eighty-eight years of his life passed by. 1) What was the name of the brahmana? Where did he live? 2) Who was he married to? 3) What happened after he married her? 4) How did he maintain her and his many sons? That old man Ajāmila had ten sons, of whom the youngest was a baby named Nārāyaṇa. Since Nārāyaṇa was the youngest of all the sons, he was naturally very dear to both his father and his mother. Because of the child's broken language and awkward movements, old Ajāmila was very much attached to him. He always took care of the child and enjoyed the child's activities. 1) How many sons did Ajamila have? 2) Who was the youngest? Why was Ajamila attached to him? When Ajāmila chewed food and ate it, he called the child to chew and eat, and when he drank he called the child to drink also. Always engaged in taking care of the child and calling his name, Nārāyaṇa, Ajāmila could not understand that his own time was now exhausted and that death was upon him. When the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajāmila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Nārāyaṇa. 1)How did Ajamila manage to keep chanting the names of Narayana throughout the day? 2) What did Ajamila think of when he was about to die? Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. 1) Who had come to take him to the abode of Yamaraja? What did they look like? 2) What did Ajamila do when he saw them? The order carriers of Vis ̣ṇu, the Vis ̣ṇudūtas, immediately arrived when they heard the holy name of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajāmila, who had certainly chanted without offense because he had chanted in complete anxiety. The order carriers of Yamarāja were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajāmila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resounding voices the messengers of Lord Vis ̣ṇu, the Vis ̣ṇudūtas, forbade them to do so. 1) Why did the Vishnudutas come there? 2) What were the Yamadutas doing to Ajamila? 3) What did the Vishnudutas tell the Yamadutas? When the order carriers of Yamarāja, the son of the sun-god, were thus forbidden, they replied: Who are you, sirs, that have the audacity to challenge the jurisdiction of Yamarāja? Dear Sirs, whose servants are you, where have you come from, and why are you forbidding us to touch the body of Ajāmila? Are you demigods from the heavenly planets, are you sub-demigods, or are you the best of devotees? Your eyes are just like the petals of lotus flowers. Dressed in yellow
- 3. silken garments, decorated with garlands of lotuses, and wearing very attractive helmets on your heads and earrings on your ears, you all appear fresh and youthful. Your four long arms are decorated with bows and quivers of arrows and with swords, clubs, conch-shells, discs and lotus flowers. Your effulgence has dissipated the darkness of this place with extraordinary illumination. Why are you obstructing us? 1)Who is the father of Yamaraja? 2) What did the Vishnudutas look like? Being thus addressed by the messengers of Yamarāja, the servants of Vāsudeva smiled and spoke the following words in voices as deep as the sound of rumbling clouds. The Vis ̣ṇudūtas, said: If you are actually servants of Yamarāja, you must explain to us the meaning of religious principles and the symptoms of irreligion. What is the process of punishing others? Who are the actual candidates for punishment? Are all karmīs engaged in fruitive activities punishable, or only some of them? 1) What questions did the Vishnudutas ask the Yamadutas? The Yamadūtas replied: That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion. The Vedas are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamarāja. 1) From where do we get religious principles? 2) How do we know that they are perfect? The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and Supersoul Himself all witness the activities of the living entity. The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. 1)Who are the witnesses to all our activities at all times? O inhabitants of Vaikuṇt ̣ ha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmīs, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is inevitable for one acting under the modes of material nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable. 1) Why did the Yamadutas say that everyone in this material world can be punished? Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward position, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome. 2)How can we overcome the punishment due to us? In the beginning this brāhmaṇa named Ajāmila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajāmila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elderly members of his household. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.
- 4. 1)What good qualities did Ajamila have in the beginning? Once this brāhmaṇa Ajāmila, following the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruit, flowers and two kinds of grass, called samit and kuśa. On the way home, he came upon a śūdra, a very lusty, fourth-class man, who was shamelessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. The śūdra was smiling, singing and enjoying as if this were proper behavior. Both the śūdra and the prostitute were drunk. The prostitute's eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose. Such was the condition in which Ajāmila saw them. 1)Why did Ajamila go to the forest? 2) What did he see on the way? The brāhmaṇa lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situation, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house. He began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various material presents so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahminical activities to satisfy the prostitute and engaged in sinful acts in her association. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. 1) How did the brahmana start associating with the prostitute? 2) How did he try to keep her happy? 3) What wrong things did he do after associating with her? Although born of a brāhmaṇa family, this rascal, bereft of intelligence because of the prostitute's association, earned money somehow or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain the prostitute's sons and daughters. He irresponsibly spent his long lifetime transgressing all the rules and regulations of the holy scripture, living extravagantly and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities. 1)How did Ajamila get a lot of sins? This man Ajāmila did not undergo atonement. Therefore because of his sinful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamarāja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified. -To be continued – 1)Why did the Yamadutas say that they were forced to take Ajamila to Yamaraja? 2) What would happen when he went there? Japa :15 minutes You can make them chant 108 times or one mala together. Before giving them beads to chant and teaching them to chant together both the Panca Tattva Mantras, please read the following text to them. After that you can ask them if they have understood it and need any further explanation before they start chanting. Read
- 5. Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the Holy Name Of all the holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the name "Krishna" is the most powerful: It is stated in the Vedic literature that by chanting the different names of Lord Vishnu a thousand times, one may be bestowed with the same benefits as by thrice chanting the holy name of Lord Rama. And by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna only once, one receives the same benefit. In other words, of all the holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, including Vishnu and Rama, the holy name of Krishna is the most powerful. The Vedic literature therefore specifically stresses the chanting of the holy name of Krishna: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya introduced this chanting of the holy name of Krishna in this age, thus making liberation more easily obtainable than in other ages. In other words, Lord Krishna is more excellent than His other incarnations, although all of them are equally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Tell them to chant one round of japa together. Tell them how they should chant loudly and listen to the words and should also plead with Krishna to make them better devotees. Tell them to chant in a prayerful mood. Hand over the beads to them. Make them repeat the Guru pranam mantra and Sri Panca tattva mantra. Then begin to chant loudly and quickly the Hare Krishna Maha mantra together on the beads. If they feel restless to keep sitting down chant, you may permit them to also walk and chant. At the end of the session, inquire from those who have started chanting at home daily about how their chanting has been. You can also ask the others if they would like to start chanting also at home. Slokas: 20 minutes Children have good memory power and learn the slokas easily too. But you must make it interesting for them to learn and most important they should have some understanding of the meaning. It is good to have a drawing describing the sloka. We have attached these drawings in the CD enclosed. Keep the drawing ready for this sloka. Put it up on the board. First read out the sloka and the translation to them and then read out the explanation. Then with the help of the drawing , explain it once again in your own words what you just read out. You can ask them if they have understood it and if they have any doubts or questions about it.
- 6. Only after this you teach them to repeat the words and then whole sentences of the sloka. Make them repeat it many times. If they are old enough to copy it on their own, they can do so in their note-books. Otherwise, you can ask each of the older children to write down in one of the smaller kid's note-book. If they are all young and unable to write, you can make photo copies of the slokas and file it for them.So that their parents can help them to memorize them at home. Every week, if you recite the previous week's slokas as well, they will learn it by heart it very quickly. Slokas: 15 minutes Bhagavad-gita Text 8.6 Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam Tyajaty ante kalevaram Tam tam evaiti kaunteya Sada tad-bhava bhavitah Translation Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail. Explanation Whatever one thinks about at the time of death, that is the body one will achieve in his next life. Maharaja Bharata, although a very great person, thought of a deer at the time of death and so in his next life, he was transferred into the body of a deer. But if one thinks of Krishna at the end of his life, he will attain the transcendental nature just like the Lord.One’s thoughts during the course of one’s life influence our thoughts at the time of death. So if we live a life in the mode of goodness and always think of Krishna, it is possible to think of Krishna at the end of one’s life. Questions: 1) Why did Maharaja Bharath take the form of a deer in his next life? 2) What happens if one thinks of Krishna at the end of one’s life? 3) How can we remember Krishna at the end of our life?
- 7. Activity:15 minutes Cooking- Cookies! Cooking can be fun, educative and practically useful as well. While teaching them how to do, keep talking to them to retain their attention and interest. Otherwise they may all start talking amongst each other and get distracted. You can tell them about cleanliness while cooking, about not tasting anything while cooking and to think about Krishna and His pleasure of eating while cooking for Him.You can talk to them about the ingredients you are using and anything about cooking and your experiences in cooking and so on. After you have demonstrated making a few cookies, allow them also to wash their hands, wipe them clean and roll out some cookies for offering to Krishna.They would enjoy honoring the prasadam very much! The ingredients required: Maida /wheat flour (wheat flour is healthier) -2 cups Powdered sugar(you can powder it yourself)- 1 cup Butter - 2 table spoon Baking powder -1/2 spoon Soda - 1 pinch Elaichi powder - 1/3 spoons Preparation Take a bowl and mix butter and sugar powder nicely. It should melt while mixing. Then add Maida/wheat flour, baking powder, soda and elaichi powder. Mix it very nicely and it will become like chapatti dough . Make small balls and then make them flat. Arrange them on a tray. Keep the tray inside the oven. Set the cooking time in the oven to 20 minutes over low flame. Home-work: You can hand out the coloring sheet for them to complete at home. Request them to write their names on the sheet, to file it and bring it to class next week.You can return the sheets which you have put up on the notice board to them. Prasadam: 15 minutes
- 8. Children look forward to eating the prasadam at the end of the class, however simple it may be. Ask them to think of Krishna while eating the Prasadam and to thank him for tasting it first and giving them back the remnants. You can play some music or play some devotional DVD movie for them. As they leave the class, speak to each one of them and wish them goodbye. T