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THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA

Though the seed is small in size, when nourished and watered regularly, it leads to big results in the form of a huge tree. If it is possible the teacher can bring a variety of seeds to the classroom. Like seeds of a pumpkin, seeds of mango, seeds of rice, wheat, etc. These different seeds should be shown to the children and then the teacher can mention how each of these seeds potentially can become big trees in future.

The Theme – Small size – big results

SLOKA RECITATION Let us learn a sloka from Neeti Sastras 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 twenty-fourth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn the twenty-fourth verse and also understand it. Learn the twenty-fourth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes the children repeat and memorize the sloka)

Jalabindu nipatenaKramasah puryate ghatahSa hetu sarva vidyanam

Dharmasya ca dhanasya ca

i. A mere tickle of the tiny drops of water can fill the pitcher.

ii. Similarly we should not neglect the tiniest fraction of useful knowledge whose treasure becomes great when collected even in bits. The same way we must go on collecting devotional merits by upholding spiritual principles, moral tenets & by being fair to all.

iii. This is how we must collect wealth & riches. It is these tiny trickles that eventually become the massive reservoirs.

1/2 60 mins 120 mins

Let us learn a sloka from Neeti Sastras 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.chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together. Chant the twenty-fourth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn the twenty-fourth verse and also understand it. Learn the twenty-fourth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and Learn the twenty-fourth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and

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If it is possible the teacher can bring a variety of

and then the teacher can mention how each of

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A sparrow was carrying a seed which falls from its mouth

and sprouts. A squirrel comes to eat the seed, and God tells the squirrel, “Let it grow…” The seed sprouts and becomes a small plant. A goat comes to eat the plant. God tells the goat, “Let it grow…” The plant grows into a small tree. A lady comes to cut

the tree for firewood. God tells her, “Let it grow…” The small tree becomes a big tree eventually

touching the sky. It becomes the shelter to so many squirrels, provides grass to many goats, many women take shelter under it. Just because he was allowed to grow.

STORY 1 - LET IT GROW

and sprouts. A squirrel comes to eat the

a small plant. A goat comes to eat the

LESSONS FROM GURU - SSR

1. Small size – big results - Physical size does not matter.

2. As you Sow, so shall you reap – choices matter.

3. Realize that little by little great things can be achieved.

The teacher can explain to the children, the lessons which this seed teaches us. The abbreviation “SSR” 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.

1. Small size - big results - Physical size does not matter

Neeti Verse 1 Hasti sthula tanuh sa cankusavasam kim hasti matran kuisah

Dipe prajwalite pranasyati tamah kim dipa matram tamahVajrenabhihatah patanti girayah kim vajra matram nagah

Tejo yasya virajyate sa balavan sthulesu kah pratyayah i. Despite of being of a massive body, an elephant is controlled by a goad – does that make the goad as big & powerful as the elephant?ii. A small lamp when kindled removes the entire darkness of the room – does the lamp need to be as big as the darknessiii. The blows of a thunderbolt breaks a mountain into pieces –does that thunderbolt need to be as big as the mountainiv. No! that which has brilliance & intelligence(empowered) is really strong & powerful for the physical size does not matter.


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STORY 2 - THE ELEPHANT AND THE SPARROW

Two sparrows, husband and wife, built a nest on a banyan tree where the female sparrow laid eggs. One afternoon a wild elephant came to the tree seeking shelter from the sun. Unable to bear the heat, the tusker suddenly went berserk and snapped a big branch of the tree, crushing the sparrow’s eggs in the nest. The sparrow pair somehow escaped the fury of the elephant but the wife began crying for her eggs. A woodpecker, a close friend of the sparrow, heard her crying and moved by her grief asked her, “Why are you crying, my friend? Wise men do not grieve what is lost or what is dead or what is past. That is the difference between a learned person and an unlettered man.” The female sparrow said, “The

wicked elephant has destroyed my offspring. If you are a true friend of mine suggest a way to kill

him. In my view, he who harms a person in trouble or he who ridicules a person in sorrow deserves to be punished and he who punishes such a person has no rebirth.”

“What you say is right,” said the woodpecker. “He is a friend who comes to your aid when you are in need. Everyone tries to be friendly when you are prospering. You will see how resourceful I am. I have a friend who is a fly. With his help we can kill the elephant.” Taking the female sparrow with him, the woodpecker called on the fly and told him, “This is my dearest friend. A wild elephant has squashed her eggs. You must somehow find a way to kill that elephant. We need your help.” The fly said, “I have a friend who is a frog. Let us go to him and seek his help also.” The female sparrow, the woodpecker and the fly went to the frog and narrated the entire story of the sparrow’s grief. The frog said, “What is an elephant before a united crowd like us? Do as I tell you. O’ fly, go to the elephant when the sun is high in the sky and hum a sweet tune into his ears. When he closes his eyes in ecstasy, the woodpecker will scoop his eyes out. He becomes blind and thirsty and will look for water. I will go to a quicksand and begin croaking there. Thinking that there is water, the elephant will come there and sink into

PURPORT: When Srila Prabhupada was a small child a doctor said “give him chicken soup” But his father Gaur mohan de said “no let him grow”. Later when he grew many relatives said “send him to London to be barrister” he again said “no let him grow” At a much later stage in life when he took to the process of Krishna consciousness, when he was asked by godbrothers to join the math His spiritual father Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said “no he will do later, let him grow” eventually he grew and today we see as a result of that so many millions and millions of lost souls are taking shelter under his lotus feet.

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and slithered back into his hole. This killing became the feature of their life. Every time the crows laid their eggs, the snake crawled up the tree and ate all the young ones. Due to this, the crows were never able to raise their young ones. The crows were sad, but they didn’t know how to get free from this killer snake. One day, the female crow asked the male crow that she wanted to leave this tree at once. The male crow consoled her by saying that the tree had been their home from the past many years and they should reside here. He considered of asking a wise fox for help in order to get rid of the snake. With this thought, both of them went to the place of the wise fox. The fox welcomed her friends and said, “Both of you seem to be very sad. What happened? “ The crows replied, “We are in a big problem. A snake is after us and he eats up our eggs and the young ones. We seek your help in this matter.” They narrated the whole story to the fox. The fox was intelligent; she thought for a few minutes and then laid out a brilliant plan before them. She said,

“Listen carefully and do it as per the plan. In the morning, go to the river bank where the ladies

of the royal family would be bathing. They keep their ornaments in a tray on the river bank. The guards keep a watch on them from a distance”.

Here is another interesting tale from the collection of Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there stood a huge banyan

tree on the outskirts of a small village. In this, tree there lived a pair of crows with their young ones. One day, a snake

came to live in the hole at the bottom of the tree. The crows were not happy at the arrival of the snake, but they could do nothing. After a few days, the female crow hatched a few more eggs and some more baby crows were born. When the crows went out in search of food, the snake crawled up the tree and ate up the babies. When the crows came back, they could not locate their babies. They chased high and low, but to no avail. The crows were full of grief on the sad loss of their young ones. After a few months, the female crow hatched some more eggs. This time female crow stayed in the nest while the male crow went out in search of food. The snake was greedy and ignoring the presence of the female crow, he crept up the tree and attacked the babies. The female crow who was keeping a watchful eye on her babies, tried to fight with the snake, but she was weak. Hearing the shriek of the female crow, other crows came to help her, but the snake had already eaten the young ones

STORY 3 - THE CROWS AND THE SERPENT

some more baby crows were born. When the crows went out

the quicksand and die.” All the four played out their roles according to the frog’s

plan and caused the death of the elephant.”


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The guards ran after the crows brandishing their sticks and swords. Soon, they reached the banyan tree where they saw the crows dropping the necklace into the snake hole. As the guards were trying to take the necklace out with the help of a stick, the snake came

out of the hole. The snake hissed at them and afraid of him, they killed the snake by sticks and swords. They took the necklace and returned to their place. The crows were happy to see the sight from a distance. They thanked the fox for her help. Thereafter, the crow couple lived happily with their young ones in the banyan tree.

The fox suggested the crows to pick up a necklace from the tray and fly away making a loud noise. This would

make the guards to chase them to the tree where the crows would drop the necklace into the hole of

the snake. In order to get the necklace, the guards would kill the snake to save themselves and take the necklace. The crows liked the plan and swore to execute it the next morning. So, the next morning, the crows were ready with their plan. The crow couple flew to the river bank; the female crow picked up the necklace and flew off. While, the male crow shrieked loudly to attract the guards’ attention.

MORAL - Intelligence is greater than strength.

This is one of the most famous stories of the Panchatantra. Once upon a

time, there lived a cruel lion by the name of Bhasuraka, in a dense forest.

He was very powerful, ferocious and arrogant. He used to kill the animals of the forest to gratify his hunger. This action of the lion became the cause of worry for the animals of the forest. They were worried that after sometime none of them would be left alive. They discussed this problem among themselves and came upon the decision to hold a meeting with the lion. They wanted to arrive on a friendly settlement with the lion and put an end to the problem. One day, as per the plan, all

the animals of the forest gathered under a big tree. They invited the King Lion to attend the meeting. In the meeting, the representative of the animals said,” Your Majesty, it is our happiness that we got you as our king. We are all the more happy that you are attending this meeting”. The King lion thanked them and replied, “What is the matter? Why we have gathered here?” All the animals started looking at each other. They were recollecting enough courage to start the topic. One of the animals stood up and said,” Sir, its natural that you have to kill us for your food. But, killing more than what is required is not a good approach. If you go on killing the animals without any purpose, very soon a day will

STORY 4 - THE FOOLISH LION AND THE CLEVER RABBIT

sometime none of them would be left

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GURU 21 - Seedcome, when there will be no animal left in the forest.” The king lion roared, “So what do you want?” One of the animals replied, “Your Majesty, we have already discussed the problem among ourselves and have come upon a solution. We have decided to send one animal daily to your den. You can kill and eat it, the way you like. This will also save you from the trouble of hunting.” The lion replied, “Fine. I agree to this proposal, but make sure that the animal must reach to me in time, otherwise, I’ll kill all the animals

of the jungle.” The animals agreed to this proposal. From that day onwards, daily an animal was sent to the lion to

become his food. The lion was very happy to have his food right before him without taking any pains of hunting. So, everyday it was the turn of one of the animals. Once, it was the turn of a rabbit to go to the lion’s den. The rabbit was old and wise. He was unwilling to go, but the other animals forced him to go. The rabbit thought of a plan which would save his life and the lives of other animals of the forest. He took his own sweet time to go to the Lion and reached the lion’s den a little late than the usual time. The Lion was getting impatient on not seeing any animal by the time. The Lion got extremely furious when he saw a small rabbit for his

meal. He swore to kill all the animals. The rabbit with folded hands hesitatingly explained, “Your Majesty. I am not to be blamed for that. Actually, six rabbits were sent to make your meal, but five of them were killed and devoured by another lion. He also claimed to be the king of the forest. I have somehow escaped to reach here safely.” The king lion howled in great anger and said, “Impossible, there cannot be another king of this forest. Tell me. Who is he? I’ll kill him. Take me to the place, where you saw him.” The intelligent rabbit agreed and took the Lion towards a deep well, filled with water. When they reached near the well, the rabbit said,” This is the place where he lives. He might be hiding inside.” The Lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought it was the other Lion. The Lion was furious

and started growling. Naturally the image in the water, the other Lion, was also equally angry. In

order to kill the other Lion, he jumped into the well. The Lion darted his head against the rocks and drowned in the deep well. The wise rabbit, with a sigh of relief went back to other animals and narrated the whole story. All the animals got happy and praised the rabbit for his wit. Thus, the jubilant rabbit saved all the animals from the proud Lion and they all lived cheerfully thereafter.

MORAL - Intelligence is superior to physical strength.


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It is one of the interesting stories from the Panchatantra collection, giving the idea that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Once upon a time, a village was ruined by a strong earthquake. The houses and roads got totally damaged. The village

was shattered on the whole. Due to this, the villagers were forced to leave their houses and settle somewhere

else. Finding the place vacant, the mice began to live in the ruined houses. Soon their number grew into hundreds and thousands. There was a big lake located near the ruined village. A herd of elephants used to visit the lake for drinking water. This was the only way available to them, to reach the lake. On their way to the

lake, the elephants crushed hundreds of mice daily under their heavy feet. By this action of the elephants, the population of the mice was affected. The problem

was getting bigger and bigger day by day. In order to find a solution to this problem, the mice held a meeting. It was decided that a request should be made to the king of the elephants regarding the problem. The King Mice met the King Elephant and asked, “Sir, we live in the ruins of the village, but every time when your herd crosses the village, thousands

of my subjects get crushed under the colossal feet of your herd. Kindly change your route. We promise to help you in the hour of your need, if you keep my term.” The king elephant laughed on hearing this and replied,” You mice are very small to be of any help to giants like us. But doesn’t matter, we would favor you by changing our route to reach the lake and making you safer”. The King mice thanked the king elephant and returned home. One day a group of elephant-hunters came and trapped the group of elephants in huge strong nets. The elephants struggled hard to free themselves, but all in vain. Suddenly, the king of elephants remembered the promise of the king of mice, who had talked earlier about helping the elephants when needed. He summoned one of the elephants of his herd which had not been trapped, to go and contact the king of rats. On listening to the elephant, the rat king immediately took his entire group of mice to rescue the herd. He found the elephants trapped in a thick net. The mice set themselves on the task. They nibbled the thick net at thousands of spots making it loose. The elephants broke the loose net and got free. They were grateful to the mice for their great help and became friends for ever.

STORY 5 - THE LITTLE MICE AND THE BIG ELEPHANTS

MORAL - Sometimes a weak looking person may prove stronger than others.

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GURU 21 - Seed2. As you sow, so shall you reap -

Choices matter

STORY 6 - THE UNLUCKY WEAVER Somilaka was a weaver living on the edge of the city. He was an expert at making fine

garments worthy of kings and princes. He enjoyed the patronage of the nobility. Despite all this, he was poorer than those weavers who were making coarse cloth for the common people. Worried at his condition, he told his wife, “Look dear, how rich these weavers of coarse cloth have become. There is something wrong with this place. I am not a success here. I will go elsewhere.” “No dear. It is not true that you can be successful elsewhere. Our luck is linked to what we have done in a previous birth. If you have done a good deed in your previous birth, you will reap the harvest in this birth without your effort. If you don’t have it in your destiny, you will not get it even with effort. Just as sun and shade are inseparable, cause and effect are also linked to each other.” Somilaka did not agree with her. He said, “Without effort, you can achieve nothing. Without cause there is no effect. Even if you get a good meal as a result of a good deed in the past, you have to use your hand to eat it. Wealth comes to a person who toils. There is no point in chanting the name of God. You must do your bit first. If you are not successful despite your effort, you are not to blame. Therefore, I have decided

to go abroad.” Ignoring his wife’s pleas, Somilaka left his place and reached Vardhamanapuram. Working day and night, he earned three hundred gold sovereigns within three years. He thought he should go home now and started the homeward trek. At dusk he found himself in the middle of a forest. Wild animals began their hunt for prey. The weaver climbed a tall tree and went to sleep on a big branch. He saw a dream: The God of Action and the God of

Destiny were talking to each other. Destiny asked Action, “The weaver is not destined to live in luxury. Why did

you give him three hundred sovereigns?” Action replied, “I have to give to those who try and toil. Whether the

weaver can keep it or not is in your hands.” The dream jolted the weaver. He looked into his bag and found the

sovereigns missing. Heart-broken, Somilaka began crying, “Oh I have lost what I have earned in three years with great effort. I have become a poor man again. I cannot go home in this condition and show my face to my wife.” He saw no point in brooding over what has happened and decided to go to Vardhamanapuram and try again. This time, he could collect five hundred


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sovereigns in one year. He stored all this money in a small bag and began his homeward journey. When it was sundown, he had already entered a forest. This time, he did not sleep, afraid that he would lose his money. He continued to walk through the forest. This time also he saw those two persons he saw earlier in his dream coming in his direction. They repeated the same conversation about God rewarding a hardworking person and destiny denying it. He immediately looked into his bag and found there was no gold in it. This

time Somilaka lost his courage and thought he should commit suicide. He made a strong rope with the fibres he found in the forest. He tied one end of the rope to a high branch of the tree and made a noose of the other end. Everything was ready for his suicide when he heard a voice in the skies:

“O Somilaka, don’t be rash. I am destiny who took away your wealth. I cannot give you more than what is necessary for your bare

needs. Not a single cent more. But I am pleased with your adventurous spirit. Ask for a boon. I shall give it.” “Please give me lots of wealth,” said the weaver. “What do you do with so much money,” asked the voice. The weaver replied, “People serve him who is rich even if he is a miser.” “In that case, go back to Vardhamanapuram where two wealthy merchants, Guptadhana and

Upabhuktadhana are doing business. After studying them well, decide who you want to become, Guptadhana, the man who earns a lot of money but does not spend a cent of it or Upabhuktadhana, the man who earns but also enjoys the wealth he has amassed.” Somilaka followed their advice and went back to Vardhamanapuram reaching the place in the evening after a tiring journey. With great difficulty he traced Guptadhana’s house and entered it despite resistance from the merchant’s family. When the time for dinner came,

the merchant grudgingly gave food to Somilaka, suggesting that he was an unwanted guest. The weaver found a corner in the house where he could sleep. Somilaka again had the same

dream in which Action and Destiny were debating Guptadhana giving food to him. Destiny told Action, “You have made Guptadhana give food to Somilaka.” Action said, “You cannot blame me. I had to ensure that Somalika was fed. It is for you to decide who deserved what.” Next day, Destiny saw to it that Guptadhana had an attack of cholera and had to miss his meal. In this manner what was given away was saved. Later, Somilaka visited Upabhuktadhana’s house where the host welcomed him with great love and respect. The weaver had a good meal and slept. He had a dream as usual, the same two figures appearing in the dream. Destiny told Action, “O Action, the host has spent a lot of money to entertain Somilaka. He even borrowed to make the

continued to walk through the forest.

time Somilaka lost his courage and thought he should commit suicide. He made a strong rope with the fibres he found in the forest. He tied one end of the rope to a high branch of the tree and made a noose of the other end. Everything was ready for his suicide when he heard a voice in the skies:

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GURU 21 - Seedguest happy. It is not in his destiny to have surplus. How will he repay what he has borrowed?” Action replied, “My job is to see Somilaka got what he deserved. If Upabhuktadhana crossed the limits in entertaining his guest, that is not my fault. It is for you to decide what should be done.” Next day, a messenger from the royal

household came to Upabhuktadhana and gave him a big sum of money on behalf of the king. Somilaka thought, “It is better to be like Upabhuktadhana. He enjoys life with whatever he has. What’s the use of being rich but miserly? I will better be Upabhuktadhana.” Pleased, the Gods showered on him the wealth that he needed to enjoy life.

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you.” The kids were shocked! But the emperor

continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant

the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!” One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were

beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn’t have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try.” When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people.

STORY 7 - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PLANT


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Ling just tried to hide in the back. “What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!” All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!” When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your

new emperor! His name is Ling!” Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How

could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.

If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

ButIf you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.

If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.

If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.

If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.

If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.

If you plant greed, you will reap loss.

If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.

If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.

If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

and making fun of

MORAL - So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

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GURU 21 - SeedSTORY 8 - MAN HAS CHOICE TO FALL OR RISE.

E.G. SON OF FEROLAL BANNERJISrila Prabhupada gave an example, that

of a famous lawyer’s son in Allahabad. “Ferolal Bannerji. He had two sons. One son became a good barrister like

him, and another son became a car-wala, driving a car. The reason was that this son, a car-wala, he fell in love with a low-class woman, and he preferred to remain a car-wala. So she was living in a hut. So out of love he also preferred that ‘I shall live with her, and I shall drive a car.’ So that is independence. He preferred. So that discrimination preference is there always. You can prefer a low-grade life out of your discretion. Nobody can check you. And by cultivation of knowledge, you can become a big man. The two tendencies are there. There is no stereotyped idea. Otherwise, he has

no independence. Who was speaking of that owl? There is an animal, owl. He doesn’t like to remain in the sunlight. So that is also an animal. He is also eating, sleeping, mating, but he doesn’t like the sunlight. What can you do? So God has given him all facility to remain as an owl, in darkness. That is God’s kindness.”“Fall or rise also. Why do you say fall? You can rise to the highest platform from the fallen condition. That is Kåñëa consciousness movement. That you are in a fallen condition, come to the highest platform and talk with God, play with God, dance with God. That is our opportunity. Now it is up to you to take it or not to take it. But our propaganda is this, you simply try to understand Kåñëa. Then his life is successful. But if you don’t try to understand, that is your business.

STORY 9 - THE CARPENTER’S HOUSE

inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the

builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used


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STORY 10The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was

that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.“Leave me alone,” he growled... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.“Are you hungry?” she asked.“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president.. Now go away.”The woman’s smile became even broader.Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. “What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked.

“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years.. What do you want with him?”“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.“Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything..”“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.” Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast

Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and

the choices you make today

Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and

the choices you make today

The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

Although the other man couldn’t hear the band - he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

sarcastically. “I’ve just

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GURU 21 - Seedcrowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. “What’s going on here, officer?” he asked.”What is all this, is this man in trouble?”“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place”The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. . “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”“What business is that of yours?”I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.” “Oh..”The woman smiled again.. “I thought that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh.. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”The officer watched him walk away.

“You certainly put him in his place,” he said, “That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”She sat down at the table across from her amazed lunch guest. She stared at him intently.“Jack, do you remember me?”Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes.. “I think so -- I mean you do look familiar.”“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said.. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”

“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out

woman could ever have been hungry.“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment.. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.”“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the

the lunch bunch had not yet

cold and hungry.”


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price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.”“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered..” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr.. Lyons. He’s the personnel director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office..” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can

buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you.”There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he asked. “Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “To God goes the glory ... He led me to you.”Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said.“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And ... and thank you for the coffee.”

business that, with the help of God,

STORY 11Once upon a time a flea saw an ox grazing in a pasture. He knew that oxen work for men in their farms. But he didn’t like it. He was proud that he fed on men’s blood and yet didn’t do anything for them.Approaching the ox, the flea asked? How is it so that you work for men though you are quite big and strong? Look at me, I never do anything for them and yet feed on their blood

though I am so small.The ox was surprised to hear what the flea had said and replied, “If I work for

men, they are very kind to me. They take care of mine in every way, feed me, shelter me and moreover, pat me on

my back, head and neck out of love and affection. On the other hand, you feed on their blood and they are always up to destroying you?Behaviour always counts.

flea had said and replied, “If I work for

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GURU 21 - Seed3. Realize that little by little great things can

be achieved

STORY 12 - THE THIRSTY CROW

A thirsty crow looking for water saw a pitcher in the distance, and flew joyfully towards it. The pitcher certainly had water in it, but it was so near the bottom that no matter how he strained and struggled he could not reach it. Then he tried to overturn the pitcher so that he could at least have a little of the water when it

spilt to the ground: but he was not strong enough to do this. Just then he saw some pebbles lying near, so he picked them up one at a time, and dropped them into the pitcher. As the pebbles filled the pitcher, the water gradually rose until it was

level with the top, and the crow was able to drink at last.

MORAL - A little intelligence can save a lot of time.

STORY 13 - TICKET COUNTER MARKING Have you noticed in a ticket counter in the railway stations? In, practically, every window, at the place where one slides his hand in to give the money and collect the ticket there is usually a depression. Have you ever wondered why the depression is there? Or moreover who created that depression? The answer is very interesting. The depression is created by the friction caused due to the rubbing of our hands to the stone slab, when we put forward our hands to collect the ticket.

Does this surprise you? It may seem impossible that our hands which are so delicate can cause a depression in a stone slab like granite. But it is a surprising

fact. What really happens is that every time you rub your hand over the stone slab, there is a frictional movement and a wear and tear which occurs between your hand and

the stone. Everyday millions of people rub their hands over the same stone slab repetitively. As a result a depression gets created.


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STORY 14 - BREAKING A STONE

Then the sculptor explained that every bang which was given by this man was having its effect on the stone. But the effect was not visible externally but internally. Every time the man was banging the chisel, the force was creating a crack at the center of the stone. And slowly the crack was appearing from inside out. And finally when the sculptor banged the chisel the crack appeared externally and the stone actually cracked. Thus we see that little little things that we do in life may not externally create changes or revolutions, but it has a potential of slowly but steadily changing our lives as well as the lives of others.

A man came for training under a sculptor to learn to carve deities from stone. The sculptor asked to him to first break a huge boulder with the help of a small chisel and

a hammer. The man did not know how he will be able to do it, still he decided to try. As per the instruction of the sculptor he continued to chisel the stone for many hours. He found absolutely no change happening externally. He went to the sculptor and asked him what he should conclude. Nothing seems to be happening. The sculptor took the hammer and chisel and gave the stone a few bangs and it broke into two pieces.

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GURU 21 - Seed

SLOKA RECITATION The teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together. Chant the twenty-fourth verse of the 24 Gurus again.

Jalabindu nipatenaKramasah puryate ghatahSa hetu sarva vidyanam

Dharmasya ca dhanasya ca

i. A mere tickle of the tiny drops of water can fill the pitcher. ii. Similarly we should not neglect the tiniest fraction of useful knowledge whose treasure becomes great when collected even in bits. The same way we must go on collecting devotional merits by upholding spiritual principles, moral tenets & by being fair to all.iii. This is how we must collect wealth & riches. It is these tiny trickles that eventually become the massive reservoirs.

2/2 60 mins 120 mins

The teacher should begin the class by chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus

HOW IS IT RELEVANT IN MY LIFE?

As we have seen from the above mentioned stories that it is not the size that is important, similarly it is not the amount of service you do it is the quality of service you do which is important. The attitude of a person in executing a particular service is very important, the choice made is crucial as we have already seen how: If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.If you plant humility, you will reap greatness etc.

with the children all together. Chant the twenty-fourth verse of the 24 Gurus again.

Preferably if this exercise could be given to the children in the previous session itself. Give each child different seeds and ask them to sow the seed in their house and ask them to grow their own seeds. The power of nature to pack so much variety into a small seed.

A good fruit comes from a good seed. But why do we find that sometimes even after the parents are such good examples but still the children sometimes fail to live up to the expectations? Give reasons and base your answers on the above lessons?


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Similarly some tasks or things may seemingly look daunting at the outset. But once we are firm in our resolve and have made our choice, even the greatest of tasks can be achieved by splitting then into reasonably small achievable targets. And we know what happens if small tasks are executed consistently, then one day they combine to achieve a humungous result.

E.g. If a person is told to read the Bhagavad - Gita, it seems an uphill task as there are 700 verses in it. But if you are told read 2 verses of the Bhagavad - Gita daily and the end result will be that 2 verses * 350 days = 700 verses. So it seems pretty decent and easy thing to perform. Similarly if we study our lessons or our school books on a daily basis then we would not have to slog at the end of the year during our examinations burning the midnight oil going through all the tensions.

NATURE LESSONS FROM SEED

LESSONS FROM SEQUOIA SEED 1. The largest tree in the world is the sequoia tree called the General Sherman tree. It is written under that tree, “If an ant looks up at a six foot human being, the six foot human being will have the same experience if he looks up at the general Sherman tree.”

2. An interesting fact is that the greatest tree in the world, sequoia tree need forest fires in every stage of their growth. Because their seed is within a cone which is hard like wood and the seed cannot get out unless there is intensive heat. So the forest fire releases the seed. Even if the seed does get out, because the ground in the forest is covered by so much foliage in form of weeds, grasses, leaves of trees, etc. so they cannot take root and they just die. But the forest fire completely burns away everything on the ground, so that the seed can take root in the soil.

3. Another thing in this redwood forest is that because of so much rain, there is no new trees in this soil. But the forest through the carbon and the ashes gives much nutrients to the soil for these trees to grow.

4. When these trees grow it needs abundant sunshine, so in a forest full of trees, this little trees cannot get sufficient sun. So the forest fires clears away all the trees except, the

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GURU 21 - Seedredwood trees, so that the sun can come and shine to help these trees to grow. So the forest fire is important for these trees to grow strong. And once it grows strong then no forest fire can harm it. Its bark is one foot thick all around.

5. Another interesting thing about these sequoia tree seeds is that the size of the seed is of the size of a pin-head. How can a seed of a size of the head of a pin, generate a tree which is 300 feet tall and over 2700 years old? Just see the organizational capability of God.

LESSONS FROM CHINESE BAMBOO The Chinese bamboo has an interesting thing to teach us. When you plant a Chinese bamboo seed and keep watering it, nothing happens for months together. For almost 3 years nothing happens. But after 3 years within a matter of few days, the bamboo grows to almost 30 feet. For the months and days which nothing happens, if one looses faith that the bamboo will ever grow, then one may stop watering it. But if one does keep steadily watering the bamboo then eventually the bamboo will grow in a matter of days.

ConclusionShow the pps of as you sow so shall you reap. The teacher may explain the pps too.

DemonstrationDifferent seeds of fruits and vegetables may be shown, also the fruits and vegetables ready for sale could also be shown to demonstrate the aspect of seed, however small it might be but it grows into massive shapes and proportions.Each child may get one friuit and one vegetable along with the seeds and share their information with the class. Prior notice may be given atleast one day in advance.

RevisionThe whole session of seed may be reviwed and the sloka if time permits

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Education