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GURU 12 - Innocent ChildGURU 12 - Innocent Child

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THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA

In this world two types of people are free from all anxiety and merged in great happiness: one who is a retarded and childish fool and one who has approached the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the three modes of material nature.

PURPORTThose who fervently seek material sense gratification are gradually pushed down into a miserable condition of life because as soon as one even slightly violates the laws of nature, one must suffer sinful reactions. Thus even materially alert and ambitious persons are constantly in anxiety, and from time to time they are plunged into great misery. Those who are nonsensical and retarded, however, live in a fool’s paradise, and those who have surrendered to Lord Kåñëa are filled with transcendental bliss. Therefore both the fool and the devotee may be said to be peaceful, in the sense that they are free from the ordinary anxiety of the materially ambitious person. However, this does not mean that the devotee and the retarded fool are on the same platform. A fool’s peace is like that of a dead stone, whereas a devotee’s satisfaction is based on perfect knowledge.SB 11.9.5

THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA

The avadhüta brähmaëa learned from the foolish, lazy child that by becoming free from anxiety a person becomes capable of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead and experiencing supreme ecstasy.

The Theme - Experience happiness when innocent – be child like – be free of anxiety

SLOKA RECITATION

Let us learn a sloka from the Niti Sastra which teaches us something about the above theme. Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together. Chant the twelfth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn the eleventh verse and also understand it. Learn the twelfth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes the children repeat and memorize the sloka)

1/2 60 mins 120 mins

Let us learn a sloka from the Niti Sastra which teaches us something about the above theme. Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by

Chant the twelfth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn

Learn the twelfth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes

GURU 12 - Innocent Child

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Na vetti yo yasya guna prakarsaSa tu sada nindati natra citram

Yatha kirati karikumbha labdhamMuktam parityajya vibharti gunjam

It is no wonder that if someone is not aware of certain values; he derides or ignores them. The kirati(Bhil woman) would happily discard the pearls found in an elephant’s head for the gunjas (common cheap beads) & wear them in necklaces.

LESSONS FROM GURU – PAVILION

The teacher can explain to the children, the lessons which the moth teaches us. The abbreviation “PAVILION” makes it convenient for us to remember what the guru wants to teach us. The teacher can write down on the board the below abbreviation and ask the children to note it down and learn it.

In this session, after explaining the meaning of PAVILION, the teacher will be able to narrate a maximum of four stories. The remaining stories can be continued in the next class.

1. Innocence is being Neutral in accepting the truth.

2. Innocence is different from Idiocy3. Innocent does not mean ignorant – Innocence has to be practiced with

Intelligence

4. Innocence is kept through Purity- Pure education and pure engagement.

5. Repeated exposure to Vices like fraud and bribery, cheating, indulgence – all destroy our innocence.

6. Innocence is no excuse for not practicing Laws

7. Innocence is not Awkwardness or Clumsiness– One can serve the Lord most effectively when one innocently serves free from anxiety of personal motives

8. Innocence means Originality and purity, as freedom from nastiness,



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There was a pig farmer who was always looking for a way to maintain

his pigs cheaply so that he could make more money of his pigs, selling them at the market. One day he happened to be walking by a stool field next to a village, a sandy field where the villagers went to pass stool. He saw all these lumps of dry stool around and he thought, “This is a great opportunity. I can collect this stool, bring it to my hogs and for many days they will have sufficient food. I won’t have to pay anything to feed them,

and in this way my profit will go up.”So thinking in this way, he found a big basket, and he filled it up with these dry lumps of stool. And then very happily he started down the road to his pig farm. But on the way the clouds above grew dark, there was a sound of thunder, and rain started to fall. The falling rain made the stool in the basket wet, and it began to ooze through the basket all over the head of this farmer, all over his shoulders and all over his clothes until he was completely brown

STORY 2 - THE FOOLISH HOG FARMER

1. Innocence is being Neutral in accepting the truth.

King hears about benefit of association if pure devotee is present in the kingdom. He informs the minister, “Get me a pure devotee, if you do, you get 1000 gold coins, if not you lose your job”. He searches all day,

but could not find a pure devotee in the kingdom. The minister wondered about what to do? He sees a cobbler with a big beard under a tree, makes a deal for 1000 gold coins to pretend as a pure devotee. He takes him to the palace and the king welcomes him, makes him sit on the throne. He offers gifts but the pure devotee refuses, next he offers half the kingdom, still he refuses.

The king now falls at his feet, begs for transcendental knowledge. He instructs the king and leaves. The minister goes in the evening to pay him his due, but could not find him. He asks everyone. At last he finds him under a tree meditating.” He says “Okay, dear friend, drama is over now. Take this money.” “ The cobbler replies “No. Just because I pretended to be a sadhu I got to sit on the throne, half the kingdom was offered to me, many gifts too and now you offer me 1000 gold coins. If this is for just pretending then what I will get if I actually become a pure devotee. So I have decided to make that my only goal.”

STORY 1 - COBBLER PRETENDING AS A PURE DEVOTEE

to be a sadhu I got to sit

2. Innocence is different from Idiocy

it up with these dry lumps of

above grew dark, there was a sound of


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MORAL - This is an example of impure association. Because of strong attachment, possessiveness, this man could accept being smeared from head to foot with pig stool, very happily. He wasn’t even considering that his position was abominable. He was thinking, “No, it’s very nice.” Similarly the eternal spirit soul, who is meant only to serve Krishna, because of harbouring lust, anger, greed, madness, illusion and envy within the heart, the soul has also been smeared from head to foot with stool in the form of this material body. And yet we see in this world so many are very happy about that. If it is pointed out to them, “My dear sir, why are you covered from head to foot with stool?” They will become indignant. “What do you mean I’m covered with stool? This is not stool, this is me. This is very nice.” And the mind is making plans to enjoy this stool. It never crosses their mind that there is anything obnoxious about this condition.

Hasta hasti sahastrena Saha hastena vajinahSringini dasa hastena

Desa tyagena durjanah a. Keep a distance of a 1000 hands between an elephant and yourself. b. 100 hands between a horse and yourself. c. 10 hands between the animals with horns and yourself andd. a distance of a full country between yourself and the wicked.

and smelling very malodorous. But he was simply absorbed in thinking, “Oh, I’m very clever. For no cost at all I’ve gotten this big basket of pig food on my head. Very nice.” So he was very happily running down the road. Some people had gathered underneath a tree to get free from the rain, and they saw this apparition, this brown fellow running down the road with a big smile on his face. They were very astonished, very shocked. They called out to him, “Sir, what’s

wrong with you? Are you mad? Can’t you see that you’re covered from head to foot with stool? Why are you running like this?” They were shocked, so they were demanding, “Please explain why you are running down the road like this covered with stool?” And he was very offended to hear their words. In great indignation he said back

to them, “What do you mean, saying this is stool? This is not stool. This is pig food.” And he went on his way.



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3. Innocence is kept through Purity- Pure education and pure engagement.

Sant Tukaram was a saint from Maharastra. He would remain absorbed in meditating and singing about the Lord all the time. Daily necessities would never impede his worship of the Lord. He would go to some

secluded area on a mountain top and would continuously think about the Lord and sing his glories in the form of abhangas. Since he was completely detached from the body, he could comfortably worship the Lord.

EXAMPLE 1 - SANT TUKARAM

never impede his worship of

When Rukmini sent the brahmana to Krishna with her proposal to marry her, Krishna received the brahmana well and

asked him some questions. Krishna asked the brahmana two questions to the brahmana. They are as follows -

a. Are your religious practices, sanctioned by senior authorities, proceeding without great difficulty?

b. Is your mind always fully satisfied?

Krishna told the brahmana that a true brahmana is satisfied from whatever comes his way such a brahmana does not fall away. These very religious principles become his desire cow, fulfilling all his wishes.Thus even the Lord tells the brahmana that until a brahmana is satisfied, he cannot worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead happily.

EXAMPLE 2 - KRSNA AND BRAHMANA

When Rukmini sent the

4. Innocent does not mean ignorant – Innocence has to be practiced with Intelligence

EXAMPLE 3 - DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HUMANS AND ANIMALS

An animal is also innocent, but it is ignorant of its predicament even in front of a slaughterhouse. E.g. We see goats lined up and are fed nicely just to be slaughtered and even when the goat which is grazing nearby sees one by one its mates missing or being slaughtered, it does not realize that it will also

soon face the same fate. So when one is innocent and not ignorant, he leaves the place, which is forbidden or at least makes his best effort to free himself from such a situation unlike

animals. Innocence means to be like a child. But ignorant means to have no knowledge, no better than an animal.


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GURU 12 - Innocent ChildSTORY 3 - THE FOUR KUMARAS

Why the 4 kumaras chose to be like children? It is better child-like innocence due to which no contamination will take place. And therefore would remember the goal of life and not be deviated from it.


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SLOKA RECITATION The teacher should begin the second session of this Moth Guru with the recitation of slokas first. The teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together Chant the twelfth verse of the 24 Gurus again.

Na vetti yo yasya guna prakarsaSa tu sada nindati natra citram

Yatha kirati karikumbha labdhamMuktam parityajya vibharti gunjam

It is no wonder that if someone is not aware of certain values; he derides or ignores them. The kirati(Bhil woman) would happily discard the pearls found in an elephants head for the gunjas (common cheap beads) & wear them in necklaces.

LESSONS FROM GURU – PAVILION

5. Repeated exposure to Vices like fraud and bribery, cheating, indulgence – all destroy our

innocence.

STORY 4 - THE GOLDEN SWAN

This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there

was a swan /goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters. The swan thought, “If I give them one after another my golden feathers,

the mother can sell them. She and her daughters can live in comfort with the money raised from it”. After thinking this, the swan flew away to the poor woman’s house. On seeing the swan inside the house, the woman said,” Why have you come here? We have nothing to offer you”. The swan replied, “I have not come to take anything, but I have something to give you. I know your condition. I will give my golden feathers one by one

2/2 60 mins 120 mins

The teacher should begin the second session of this Moth Guru with the

The teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together Chant the twelfth verse of the 24 Gurus again.

Jataka Kathaye (Tales).


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and you can sell them. With the money raised through it, you all can easily live in comfort”. After saying this, the swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a regular feature and from time to time, the swan came back and every time left another feather. Like this, the mother and her daughters were happily leading their life by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Each golden feather got them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the mother became greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said to her daughters, “Now, we will not trust this swan, possibly she may fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next time”. The innocent daughters replied,

“Mother, this will hurt the swan. We will not cause any pain to her”. But the mother was determined to catch hold the swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when the swan came, the mother caught her and pulled out all of her feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the swan changed into some strange feathers. The mother was shocked to see such feathers. The Golden Swan said, “Poor Mother, I wanted to help you, but you

wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to

help you. Now, my feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going from this place and will never come back”. The mother felt sorry and apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said, “Never be greedy” and flew away.

by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Each golden feather Mother, I wanted to help you, but you

MORAL: Excess greed brings nothing, but destroys our innocence.

6. Innocence is no excuse for not practicing Laws

EXAMPLE 4 AND 5• If we put our hands in fire, it does not see whether we have knowledge about the properties of fire or not. It will burn.

• Even if one does not know that one has to drive on the left in India, and if he does not follow the rules he is liable to be punished.



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7. Innocence is not Awkwardness or clumsiness – One can serve the Lord most

effectively when one innocently serves free from anxiety of personal motives

A South Indian king asked 4 of his workers who were building a temple, “What are you doing?”

1st worker replied in a frustrated state of mind, “Can’t you see I’m forced to do this job.

2nd worker had a personal need he replied, “ I’m doing this work to feed my family”.

Abreast he had a purpose.

3rd with pride replied “I’m building a temple for the Lord.”

4th was crying in ecstasy “It seems that I’m doing this wonderful carving but actually the Lord is simply manifesting Himself in the deity.”

STORY 4 AND 5 - WORKERS BUILDING A TEMPLE

MORAL: When free of anxiety, one is capable of worshiping Supreme Personality of Godhead.

STORY 6 - PRAHALAD COULD TEACH HIS FRIENDS IN SCHOOL ABOUT KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS

It is easy to teach spiritual knowledge to one who is innocent. Prahlad Maharaj could teach spiritual knowledge to his school friends, but not to the elderly demons, Shanda and Amarka. Children are open-minded. Adults are quite superficial and close minded. They are careful about the way they behave, the way they laugh, or talk. Basically, it boils down to a tug of war between mechanical versus spontaneous.

TRANSLATIONMy dear King Yudhiñöhira, all the children were very much affectionate and

respectful to Prahläda Mahäräja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to

condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahläda Mahäräja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and


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GURU 12 - Innocent Childeyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahläda Mahäräja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.PURPORTThe words bälä adüñita-dhiyaù indicate that the children, being of a tender age, were not as polluted by materialistic life as their fathers. Prahläda Mahäräja, therefore, taking advantage of the innocence of his class friends, began teaching them about the importance of spiritual life and the insignificance of materialistic life. Although the teachers

Ñaëòa and Amarka were instructing all the boys in the materialistic life of religion, economic development and sense gratification, the boys were not much polluted. Therefore, with great attention they wanted to hear from Prahläda Mahäräja about Kåñëa consciousness. In our Kåñëa consciousness movement, the guru-kula plays an extremely important part in our activities because right from childhood the boys at the guru-kula are instructed about Kåñëa consciousness. Thus they become steady within the cores of their hearts, and there is very little possibility that they will be conquered by the modes of material nature when they are older.

8. Innocence means Originality and purity, as freedom from nastiness

STORY 7 - SRILA PRABHUPADA’S INNOCENCE

• When Srila Prabhupada told a group of devotees how he first saw snow in New York City and thought the buildings had been whitewashed, some of the disciples could hardly believe that Prabhupada was actually so innocent. But by his mercy we came to see this innocence as his

non-deceptive, Kåñëa conscious beauty. Prabhupada’s innocence was not only what he said, it was his freshness of expression, his outlook, such as when he wrote of his Guru Mahäräja, “The

line of service as drawn by you is pleasing and healthy like morning dew.”

• One time on a morning walk through the pleasant English countryside, a devotee asked Prabhupäda if this countryside was something like the kingdom of God.

Prabhupäda said, “This is the kingdom of God.” Thus Prabhupäda’s devotees were able to see through his eyes how even this world is Vaikuntha for one who sees Kåñëa everywhere.


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• Under Kåñëa’s protection, Srila Prabhupada lived in the material world in a simple way and was never corrupted or tainted by it. He often appeared to be like an innocent young boy. He once asked his disciples Nandaräëé and Dayänanda if they could adopt him

as their son as a strategy to get permanent residency in the U.S.A. If we consider innocent to mean “not guilty,” then Srila Prabhupada was certainly innocent of any material entanglement. Unlike most people, he lived in the world

without implication by karmic reaction.

• Under Kåñëa’s protection, Srila Prabhupada lived in the material world in a simple way and was never corrupted or tainted by it. He often appeared to be like an innocent young boy. He once asked his disciples Nandaräëé

• Since we were on the ground floor, His Divine Grace opened the sliding glass door to walk onto the verandah, which led to the great outdoors. Suddenly a whistling blast of ice-cold air filled the entire condominium. It was blizzard-like.“Ooohhh, this is much too cold!” Srila Prabhupada exclaimed with his eyes

opened wide. Whenever I witnessed these childlike expressions, my heart melted with joy. Srila Prabhupada exuded the innocence of a child. While most disciples experienced his powerful, determined

preaching, I felt fortunate to see Srila Prabhupada’s face light up with endearing, intimate expressions.

Suddenly a whistling blast of

condominium. It was blizzard-like. preaching, I felt fortunate to see

Show the video of Sant Tukaram and ask children to list the instances where his innocence was quite evident and what was the result of it?

HOW IS IT RELEVANT IN MY LIFE?

What to speak of worshipping the Lord, we cannot even do our studies when we are in anxiety. Why do even people who study very hard throughout the year end up failing or performing poorly in their exams? This is because they are in anxiety and are just worrying all the time about future. This worry itself kills them from within and disturbs them so much that they are not able to remember things that they know very well. And they end up failing. We have to therefore learn to live a life without anxiety. Anxiety in life comes especially when we do things that are not authorised by God and the saints. When we do such activities naturally our conscience does not permit us to be happy and we remain disturbed.


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Home PlayTry following the below tips when answering an examination:

1. When you study, keep a fixed goal of a certain percentage or grade. Without a goal, you can never put your full effort into any task. At the same time, never ever let the goal create tension, fear or panic. Doing your best matters more. A target is fixed only to push yourself to do your best. Also never attempt to reach your goal by ‘mindless mugging’ or through dishonest means. The basic goal should be to understand the subject well and on this foundation build up other goals such as excellence in scoring, making it to the top etc. This point is specifically mentioned here because later on in a career it is not your marks in a particular exam that will count but your subject knowledge and job skills.

2. A tensed or worked up student cannot study at even half his or her potential efficiency.

3. So practice being calm. Regular relaxation exercises like deep breathing, mental chanting and meditation (covered in earlier classes) help to increase concentration and also help you to keep calm.

4. Above all, having faith in yourself is a key to effective studying. Study with the confidence that you can make it to your goal.

5. If you follow these simple tips with sincerity and seriousness of purpose, studies are bound to be an enjoyable part of life.

1. When you study, keep a fixed goal of a certain percentage or grade. Without a goal, you can never put your full effort into any task. At the same time, never ever let the goal create tension, fear or panic. Doing your best matters more. A target is fixed only to push yourself to do your best. Also never attempt to reach your goal by ‘mindless mugging’ or through dishonest means. The basic goal should be to understand the subject well and on this foundation build up other goals such as excellence in scoring, making it to the top etc. This point is specifically mentioned here because later on in a career it is not your marks in a particular exam that will count

guru12 13 15

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