Balakendra.org

February 14th Balakendra Class Update

varsha — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:55:33 EST

Dear Parents,

Today's classes were as follows:

Younger Group--H for Humility.

Middle and Older Groups--Opening story of Ramayana discussion of how effort and sincere prayer bring God's Grace. Without both effort and and Grace, we cannot hope to have success in our endeavors. We used the story of King Dashratha and his quest for a son to be the heir to the throne to illustrate this point.

The importance of Spiritual Practice Sheets cannot be overemphasized for the kids to get the benefit of the Bala Kendra program. Daily practices and good values are Amma's main message to all of us, young and old. Please put the blank sheets up in a prominent place and then have your child do the practices and fill out the chart every day.

January 24th Balakendra Class Update

varsha — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:59:10 EST

om namah sivaya

Dear Parents,

The last few classes for the younger kids were continuing the Values Alphabet. F is for Friendship and G is for Gratitude.

The middle and older groups covered Mahavir Swami (Founder of Jainism) and then began the study of the values of Ramayana. This past class was dedicated to the study of prologue which is the story of Sravana Kumar and his devotion to his parents (to the benefit of all of you!).

Next class is Feb 14 since January has five Sundays. For continuity, you may wish to come to the Children's Satsang on Feb 5 in San Ramon. Pls see: http://www.balakendra.org/upcoming-events.html.

Kindly note that the heart of Bala Kendra is the Spiritual Practices Report which is designed to give children a chance to pray and practice good values on a daily basis. Without building good practices and habits, we will not really impact the kids lives. A copy of the practices sheet can be found via a link at: http://www.balakendra.org/curriculum.html. Pls post the sheet in a visible location and have you child do the practices daily and fill it out daily. This process is very useful.

The new bhajan that was practiced will be posted on the website later today-- "Faith Be My Companion".

Varsha Govindani is joining the Bala Kendra volunteer team and will be helping with website updates, reminders, etc. She may also reach out to everyone for feedback and input on how to improve the program. Amma has said repeatedly that this program is important to Her and She would like us to maintain a high standard. We need your feedback to ensure that we make appropriate changes and improvements.

The King and His Hawk

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:52:25 EST

Genghis Khan, ruler of a vast empire, had trouble controlling his own temper.

One summer morning, he went out hunting with his friends. Genghis Khan was a skilled huntsmen, and he was ably assisted by his pet hawk. At a word from his master, the hawk would soar into the sky, and scan the ground below for prey. If it saw a deer or rabbit, the hawk would swoop down upon it with amazing speed.

That day, fortune seemed to favour Genghis Khan. He caught much game, and everyone rejoiced. Before dusk, the hunting party gathered together to make their way home. They took the shortest route back to the palace. Only Genghis Khan took another path. Even his pet hawk flew away. Genghis Khan knew that it would find its way back.

He rode along a trail that led to a spring. When he arrived where the spring was supposed to be, he realised that it had dried up. He rode on, and soon spied some water trickling down over a rock. He dismounted from his steed, took out a cup from his hunting bag, and made his way to the water.

He held it under the rock. The water was dripping down slowly, and Genghis Khan was really thirsty. Bristling with impatience, he managed to hold on until the cup got filled. Just as he was about to drink the water, he heard a whirring sound in the air. Looking up, he saw his pet hawk flying down towards him. To his shock, it knocked the cup out of his hand. All the water splashed to the ground.

Genghis Khan was surprised to see the hawk, and even more so at what it had done. He thought that it was probably being playful. The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and then alighted among the rocks by the spring.

Ignoring it, Genghis Khan picked up his cup, and held it under the rock again to collect the trickling drops. When it was half full, he brought it up to his lips. Just then, the hawk swooped down, and knocked the cup away again!

This time, Genghis Khan began to feel irritated. He was extremely thirsty, and the bird seemed bent on keeping him that way! "Accursed creature!" he muttered to himself.

Picking up the cup once again, Genghis Khan held it under the rock. He noticed that the hawk was perched on a rock higher up, and its gaze seemed to be focused on him. With the disengaged hand, Genghis Khan slowly slid his sword out of the scabbard.

When the cup was full, he slowly brought it towards his lips. This time, he kept his eyes on his pet hawk. Sure enough, it swept towards him rapidly. Mad with imperial range, Genghis Khan raised his sword and savagely slashed the hawk. Blood spurted from its neck, and it fell, lifeless, at his feet. "That will teach you, Sir Hawk! Never trifle with a world ruler," he said.

When Genghis Khan turned around to drink, he realised that he had dropped his cup, which had fallen between two rocks, where he could not reach it. He decided to go to the source of the spring.

After a long time, he arrived there, utterly tired and thirsty. He was about to help himself to the water when he noticed a huge, dead snake of the most poisonous kind, floating in the water. The sight made him forget his thirst. He understood why his pet hawk had tried to prevent him from drinking the water. "It was trying to save my life, and I repaid his kindness by killing him."

"I have learned a sad lesson today, and that is, never to do anything in anger."

Yudhisthira's dogged legacy

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:47:53 EST

Yudhishthira, the ruler of the Pandava people, had fought many years against evil forces, and after vanquishing them all, sought to enter the realm of Immortality. He set out for Mount Meru, planning to travel to Celestial City from there. Yudhishthira was accompanied by his four brothers and his wife, Draupadi. Soon after they set out, the pilgrims were joined by a dog, which followed behind, quietly.

The pilgrimage proved arduous. Yudhishthira's brothers began dying, one after another. Soon thereafter, loyal Draupadi too succumbed to death. Yudhishthira, alone except for the dog, finally reached Celestial City. Lord Indra, the king of the gods, was there to receive him. But Yudhishthira was not quite ready.

"Without my faithful brothers and wife, I do not wish to enter Heaven," he said. Indra replied, "Fear not. They are already here, and are eagerly awaiting your arrival." Hearing this, Yudhishthira said, "I am glad to hear it. But I have one more request to make. Please admit this dog into heaven as well. It is devoted to me, and my heart is full of love for it."

Indra tried to dissuade him. "One must be pure in order to enter Heaven. Even touching the dog will take away all your merits. Therefore, I advise you to abandon it. It is no sin, anyway!"

"I cannot do that," said Yudhishthira resolutely. "I have always cherished this vow: never to desert one that is frightened and seeks my protection, one that is afflicted and destitute, or one that is too weak to protect himself and desires to live. I also cannot abandon one who is faithful to me."

Saying so, he turned away from Heaven's gate. Seeing the dog, Yudhishthira stretched out his hand to pat it. At that point, an amazing thing happened. The faithful dog changed into Dharma, the Lord of Righteousness and Justice.

Indra said, "Yudhishthira, you are a good man. You have shown boundless love towards all creatures. You renounced the highest happiness for this humble dog. For your faithfulness and compassion, you will certainly be honoured in Heaven."

Thus, Yudhishthira entered the Celestial City, with Dharma by his side. There, he was reunited with his brothers and wife, and lived blissfully ever after.

The vessel of grace

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:46:06 EST

Young Sudha is sent on a mission to bring some water back to her to drought-rought village. She brings back much more.

Once upon a time, in a remote corner of Kerala, there lived a woman named Valsala, and her seven-year-old daughter, Sudha. They were not rich, but they were contented with their lot. Valsala worked as a washer-woman at the houses of her richer neighbours. Whatever spare time she had was spent with Sudha, showering her with love and attention. Ever since Valsala's husband passed away, she had taken extra pains to see that her daughter did not lack love, even though she could not afford to give Sudha toys. Valsala made up for it by dipping into the rich treasure-trove of scriptural lore and feeding young Sudha with stories of kindness, heroism and honesty. Thus Sudha, though young, imbibed wonderful values and ideals.

A few years later, drought visited the land. Wells dried up, streams evaporated, grass shrivelled and rice fields withered. The lush and green landscape turned bare and brown.

Valsala, due to the strain of finding work during such hard times, fell ill. Seeing this, Sudha became worried. "I must help my mother. I shall try to find some drinking water for her." Entrusting her mother to the care of a kind neighbour, Sudha set off, with only a tiny vessel in her hand.

Sudha walked past dried-up river beds where buffaloes used to bathe, past what used to be a fruit orchard, and along a trail that led up a mountain. On and on she trudged, hoping to find a spring. At about noon, she saw fresh water trickling down a rock. Sudha carefully held the tiny vessel below the rock until it became filled with water.

Then, Sudha started walking back home, all the while making sure that not even a single drop of water fell out of the vessel. When she reached the foot of the hill, she saw a puppy. It was struggling to walk, and its tongue was hanging out. "You poor thing," uttered Sudha. "I must give you some water to drink.

I am sure that there will enough left for my mother." Saying so, Sudha poured some water into her palm. The puppy eagerly lapped up the water. When it finished, it wagged its tail in gratitude, and scampered away. Sudha did not notice that the vessel had changed into a silver vessel, and that the water level had remained unchanged.

Sudha quickly walked back home. It was late afternoon when she got back. The neighbour who had been taking care of her mother opened the door. This lady was so tired that she could hardly speak. Without a moment's hesitation, Sudha poured out some water for her. Gulping it down, the neighbour said, "Thank you so much. May God bless you." Unknown to Sudha, the vessel changed into a golden vessel, and the water level did not go down one bit.

Sudha then hurried to her mother and held the rim of the vessel to her lips. After drinking some water, Valsala felt much better, and asked Sudha to drink up the remaining water. Just as she was about to do so, she heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, Sudha saw an old sannyasi. "Please give me some water. I shall die of thirst if I do not get some water soon," he pleaded. Sudha promptly handed over the vessel to him. He smiled as he took it, and then turned it upside down. The water splashed out and fell onto the ground. From that spot, a fountain sprang forth. There was enough water, not only for Sudha and her mother, but for the entire village! As soon as Sudha had recovered from her surprise, she turned to look at the sannyasi. But he had disappeared, and on the spot where he had been standing, she noticed a diamond vessel!

Because she had been so compassionate to all those in need, Sudha received God's grace. She and her mother were never in need again.

The bear's nail

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:41:39 EST

Nine-year-old Mahesh wants to become a master archer, but to achieve his goal, he must get a nail from a living bear's claw.

Mahesh, a nine-year-old lad, longed to be the best warrior in the land. But a warrior had to be an excellent archer. At night, Mahesh dreamed that he was the warrior whose arrows always found their targets. He was the hero of his dreams. But was he destined to just dream his life away?

The village wise man taught Mahesh and the other children in the hamlet whatever he knew in return for their services. Everyday, he taught them lessons in history, mathematics, music and martial arts, including archery.

Mahesh knew only too well that he had to excel in archery to be considered a true warrior. After six months of training, he still had not learned to aim well. He became sad.

Seeing him dejected, the teacher asked, "What's the matter, my son?" "Nothing," replied the boy. "Surely something is on your mind," prodded the teacher. Thus encouraged, Mahesh asked, "Sir, will I ever become a master archer?"

The wise man looked at the boy silently and then said, "I know a way you can. Bring me the nail of a living bear and I assure you, you will be the best archer in the hamlet."

A living bear's nail! He could never do that. Despondent, he saluted the wise man and took his leave.

As he walked through the woods, Mahesh consoled himself saying, "Well, at least my hamlet is in the bear country." True enough, the villagers spotted bears once in a while.

A few days passed, and on one of his treks through the hills, Mahesh stopped in his tracks when he spotted a big brown bear at a distance. At the same time, the bear saw him. Scared stiff, Mahesh placed his lunch on the ground and didn't move. The bear just looked at him. Hours passed. The sun went down. Finally, the boy gathered enough courage to move and trekked back home.

The next day, he returned to the same spot and guess who was there? The bear! Mahesh sat down without making any noise. Occasionally, the bear would look at him, but both were content to leave each other alone. Once again, the hours passed but Mahesh did not budge. In the evening, he slowly rose and went back home. This went on for nearly two months. With time, Mahesh grew bolder and started moving closer to the bear. The bear did not seem to mind his presence. After six months, the bear was literally eating out of his hands.

Mahesh realized that he now had a golden opportunity to cut the bear's nail. He gently took the bear's paw in his hands and sat caressing it. To his amazement, the bear didn't seem to mind. Gathering more courage, he gently cut the bear's nail.

When he left the bear that day, he ran all the way to his teacher's house to show him what he had gotten. The wise man, noticing the youngster's joy, took the nail from him and said, "Well done, Mahesh. Tell me how you managed to get the nail."

Almost breathless, the boy replied, "Sir, you won't believe this. I waited six months and then I was able to cut the bear's nail." Mahesh then narrated how he was able to get the nail.

"Ah, so you waited patiently for six months! You can leave now," said the teacher.

Mahesh, who had expected the wise man to perform a miracle and turn him into a master archer, was sorely disappointed. He blurted out, "Sir, aren't you going to do something?"
The wise man smiled and said, "Son, the patience that you showed in getting the bear's nail is what you need to help you master archery."

It was that simple! Mahesh had learned the secret and the magic formula to success. Yes, he realised finally that patience was the secret key that would unlock his dream.

Everything has Value

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:39:23 EST

Once upon a time, there were two pupils who were ready to leave the Gurukula. They went to the Guru and said, "Gurudev, please tell us what gift we may offer you as our Gurudakshina?" The guru was pleased with the pupils' love and gratitude. He also loved their devotion, discipline and sense of duty. He expected nothing more from them. However, he decided to add a little more to his pupils' wisdom. So, he said to them, "Dear children, go into the forest behind our Gurukula and bring me some dry leaves for which no one has any use."

The boys wondered why their Guru had asked for this strange gift. But being obedient, they left for the forest as their Guru wanted them to do.

As soon as they entered the forest, they saw a small heap of dry leaves beneath a tree. As they were picking up the leaves, an old farmer came running to them and said, "Please put those leaves back! I have collected them. I am taking them to my field. When I burn them their ashes will make excellent manure, which will enable me to get a rich crop of grains."

The boys left the heap and went a little further into the forest. There they saw three women collecting dry leaves and putting them into their baskets. "What are you going to do with these dry leaves?" asked the pupils. "Dear children," said one woman, "I use them as fuel to heat our bath water and for washing our clothes." The second woman said, "We pin the nicest leaves together with reed-pins and make leaf plates which are used as dinner plates in ashrams and temples. In this way, I earn some money to feed my children. The third woman said, "I collect dry leaves from this particular tree. My husband is a doctor who uses them for preparing herbal medicines. He cures many ailments."

The boys went still further into the forest. They saw some dry leaves under a tall tree. As they both were looking at them, a big bird swooped down, picked up a leaf, and flew away. The boys watched the bird carrying the leaf to the top of a small tree, where it was building a nest of dry leaves and grass. They did not wish to take away the dry leaves that were so useful to the bird.

Both the boys decided to go back to the Gurukula. On the way, they saw a small pond in which a big leaf was floating on the water. "There is a big leaf which isn't of any use to anyone," they said. They went to the pond and picked up the leaf. To their surprise, they saw two red ants crawling on it. As one of the boys held the leaf in his hand, the ants stopped moving as if to say, "This dry leaf is our lifeboat. If it weren't for this leaf, we would have drowned."

The boys gave up their pursuit and returned to the Gurukula. In a sad tone, they said to the guru, "Gurudev, we couldn't bring you any leaves because we discovered that even dry leaves have so many uses. All the dry leaves we saw were being used for some purpose. Please forgive us for not bringing you the Gurudakshina you asked for."

"Dear children," replied the Guru, "I have received the Gurudakshina I wanted. The knowledge you have gathered today is my real Gurudakshina. Even a dry leaf is of great use and of help to human, birds and insects. How much more precious then is a human body when we put it to good use! So, take good care of your body and use it to make your life, as well as the lives of others, happy. Never miss the chance to serve the needy, the sick and the aged. Always help the ignorant and the poor. Never forget the lessons you have learned today.

Learn from Nature

varsha — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:33:54 EST

The river constantly flows towards the ocean. It reaches its goal overcoming many obstacles. As it flows, it gives life to the entire creation: plants, animals and man. We too can use our skills to help others. This is the way to reach God.

The spider is known for its perseverance. It goes on building its web again and again even when its threads get broken. We should never give up until we reach our goals.

Love is our natural state. The moment we stop loving and instead hate, we become like a fish out of water!

The dog is known for its faithfulness to its master. It can recognize its master even if he is wearing a mask. We must also have such faith in God.

A baby monkey clings to its mother and so he is guided by her wisdom and strength. We must attach ourselves to God in the same way.

The horse is known for its restlessness. It will always be moving about. Our mind is also like that. We must practise meditation to keep the mind steady.

An elephant is a smart animal. It will not take a step forward without properly looking ahead. It moves steadily and boldly, overcoming all obstacles. We must look before we leap.

The musk deer runs in its search for the delicious fragrance. When it becomes too tired to continue, it discovers that the source of that smell has been with it all along. We search outside of ourselves for the bliss that has always been with us.

The lion is known for its fearlessness. We must also believe in ourselves no matter what others say or do.

It is in giving that we receive

varsha — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:27:19 EST

One of the most extraordinary qualities that Mother possesses is her ability to be both the Mother and the Child simultaneously. Her all-expansive Love sees no imperfections in her children. She is a mountain of strength and inspiration. At the same time, She seemingly flows through life with the spontaneity of a small child.

Mother has recently said that we will never find the love that we are looking for in the world. The only way we will experience that love is by giving it.

There is a story that beautifully expresses this teaching. A little girl lived with her two parents. She seemed to have everything she needed: clothing, food and toys. When she was about nine years old, she was invited to her little girlfriend's house for a sleepover. When it was time for the two girls to go to sleep, the mother of the little girl came into the room and gave her daughter a big hug, and as she held the child in her arms, she said to her, "I love you." The other little girl also got a hug but she was too stunned to feel anything. She became overwhelmed with sadness, wondering what was wrong with her.

Why hadn't she received hugs and heard these words from her parents? She tossed and turned all night. She decided that she didn't want to live with people that didn't love her. The next day, she decided to run away and come and live with her friend's family. She left the house early in the morning, but when she reached her friend's door she felt too embarrassed to ring the bell. So she went for a walk and sat down on a bench. All day long, she sat and thought and thought.

Meanwhile her parents were very worried about her because they really did love her very much. They hadn't received any affection or tender words from their parents, so they simply didn't know how to give it to their own child.

The little girl felt it was time to go home. As she walked through the kitchen door, she walked right up to her parents who were sitting at the kitchen table, and gave them each a big hug and kissed them on their cheeks and told them both that she loved them. Her parents were speechless with wonder and just stared at her.

Every morning and every evening she continued to do this, hugging and kissing her parents, and telling them that she loved them. For a while they were stiff and awkward, but the little girl persevered. Days turned into months and her parents started reciprocating her affection and even telling her that they loved her too. One night she forgot her ritual and went to read in her bed. There was a knock on the door. Her mom peeked her head in, and in a fake, angry voice said, "Hey, where's my kiss?" The little girl just laughed, and for the first time her mom came over and gave her a big hug and a kiss, and told her that she loved her.

Mother says that we should develop childlike innocence. Maybe it's because of their innocence that children are able to be so brave. In his prayer, St. Francis says, "It is in giving that we receive." There's another story about a child that beautifully expresses this statement.

In America we have a holiday called Valentine's Day. School children will often make or buy small cards called Valentines for their friends and school chums. There was a little boy who didn't have many friends. He was shy and a bit of an outcaste. His mom knew this. Every day she watched through the window as the schoolchildren walked home. Her son never walked with anyone. He always walked by himself, a few steps behind the others.

When Valentine's Day approached, his mom was filled with dread thinking about what would happen at school. Her son would probably be the only one who didn't receive any Valentines and he would feel completely unloved. He would surely be devastated. She planned to bake his favourite cookies and have them waiting to cheer him up when he came home.

The day before Valentine's Day the boy came home and announced that he was going to make all the children in his class a Valentine. With great eagerness he sat at the kitchen table all day and well into the night painstakingly working on his cards, despite his mother's request that he should stop.

On Valentine's Day his mom made the cookies and nervously sat by the window. Sure enough, same as usual, she saw a group of schoolchildren coming down the road, with her son walking a few paces behind. She braced herself for what she thought would be one of the hardest experiences of her life. The door swung wide open; in walked her son, beaming from ear to ear and announcing, "Not a single one!"

"What do you mean?" asked his mother.

"I didn't forget a single one," replied the boy excitedly.

Both of these children are extraordinary examples of Love. They have the kind of attitude that Mother is always trying to teach us. Put others first. Give the love that you wish to receive and you will find happiness. May we all learn this and be blessed with loving hearts.

The Greatest Thing of All

varsha — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:22:19 EST

One day Sri Krishna and His devotee, Narada Muni, were together in a beautiful forest. They were sitting among the trees next to a little river, which glittered in the sunlight. All the animals in creation gathered around Krishna and Narada Muni, delighted to be in the presence of the Lord. There were songbirds, peacocks, swans, squirrels, deer, foxes, tigers and many other creatures. And being in the presence of the Lord, they were so full of love that a deer laid down next to a tiger, and a fox affectionately licked a squirrel's ear. The devas were there as well. It was a special moment for everybody. Krishna was smiling blissfully, and everyone was happy.

Narada Muni's heart was overflowing with devotion towards the Lord. His hands were caressing the holy feet of his Beloved. All of a sudden, Krishna looked deeply at Narada Muni. To test his spiritual understanding, He asked him, "Narada, what do you think? What is the greatest thing there is?"

Narada became a little nervous because he desperately wanted to give the correct answer. He thought and thought and thought, and then he said, "My Lord, I've got it! Without any doubt, the ocean is the greatest of all."

All the fish that were swimming in the river jumped playfully in the water when they heard this because they were on their way to the ocean.

But Krishna replied, "Narada, how can it be? Don't you know that the ocean is surrounded by land?"

Narada Muni said, "Sorry, my Lord. You're right. It cannot be. In that case, the mountains must be the greatest."

The squirrels were satisfied by this answer because they loved to run and play in the mountains. They giggled and said to each other, "Squeak, squeak, squeak," which in their language means, "Yes, yes! Very good!"

But again the Lord replied, "No, Narada. How can that be? Don't you see that the mountains are limited and the sky around their peaks are much greater?"

"I'm sorry," said Narada, becoming red in the face. He was astonished at his own ignorance.

But still, he wanted to please the Lord. So he said, "My Lord, now I understand that the sky is the greatest thing there is." All the birds chirped in delight when they heard this.

But Krishna was not happy with this answer. He said, "No, Narada, you failed again. Don't you know that Heaven is beyond the sky?"

Narada said, "That's it! Heaven is the greatest thing!" The devas who live in Heaven were so happy to hear this that they flew about making somersaults.

But Sri Krishna just shook His head. "No," He said. The squirrels felt so sad for Narada. One of them started to cry. But Krishna smiled at the squirrel and gave him a nut to make him happy.

Narada felt defeated. He said, "Sorry, my Lord. You are right. It cannot be." Narada said to himself, "Now, let me think deeply because I don't want to fail again. Is there anything that can be greater than Heaven? Hmmm…" So he thought and thought. The peacocks spread their wings displaying all the beautiful colours of the rainbow, hoping to inspire Narada. But he couldn't come up with an answer.

The Lord came to his rescue and said, "You see, devotion is the greatest of all things because it makes you little and humble and loving -- and there is nothing greater than being little and humble and loving."

Narada, who loved the Lord more than anything in the world, was deeply moved. He took the Lord's hand and held it to his cheek. "Oh, my Lord, thank you so much," he said. "I didn't know that." The squirrels, who like all the other creatures were greatly devoted to Krishna, reverently folded their paws and said, "Squeak, squeak, squeak," which means, "Thank you very much, Krishna! We also didn't know that."

The animals were very happy, and they all bowed to the Lord. The birds chirped, the peacocks danced with their beautiful tails spread out, the deer skipped about, the foxes smiled and wagged their tales, and the tigers purred very loudly. And because they loved Lord Krishna so much, they all lived happily ever after.