There once lived a great hermit, who was famous for telling the truth. He had taken a vow not to lie and was popularly known as “Mr. Truthful.” No matter what he said, everyone believed him because he had earned a great reputation in the community where he lived and did his spiritual practices.
The robber came to the hermit’s cottage and paid his respects. The robber knew that the hermit would tell only the truth and could be trusted, so he asked him whether he had seen somebody running away. The hermit knew that the robber must be looking for somebody to rob and kill, so he faced a big problem. If he told the truth, the merchant would certainly be killed. If he lied, he would incur the sin of lying and lose his reputation. Any immoral act that may harm others is called sin. Ahimsā (non violence) and truthfulness are two most important teachings of all religions that we must follow. If we have to choose between these two, which one should we choose? This is a very difficult choice.
The merchant felt very safe because there was no way the robber could find out where he was hiding in the jungle. But the hermit had seen the direction in which the merchant went.
Because of his habit of telling the truth, the hermit said: “Yes, I saw someone going that way.” So the robber was able to find the merchant and kill him. The hermit could have saved a life by hiding the truth, but he did not think very carefully and made a wrong decision.
Here is another example of a robber coming to a village to rob and kill the villagers. In this situation, killing the robber would be an act of nonviolence because killing one person may save many lives. Lord Krishna Himself, on several occasions, had to make such decisions to win the war of Mahābhārata and put an end to all the evil-doers.
Remember, do not tell a lie, and do not kill any living being or hurt anybody, but saving a life comes first.
Spiritual practices aren’t just for adults. Children come naturally to many of the time-honored ways that people use to get closer to the sacred; to family, friends, and community; and to the world around them. They can teach adults about being present, enthusiasm, imagination, play, and wonder—to name just a few. Here are some ideas for how parents and other adults can encourage children’s spirituality.
• Give thanks before you eat, not just for the food, but also for everything that contributed to your having this meal--the earth, the rain, the sun, the farmer, the store, the cook, even the cooking equipment. Gratitude is an essential spiritual practice.
• When watching television or a video, choose a favorite or interesting character and “step into the story” to see how you would act in his or her place. This exercise uses imagination and supports compassion for others and hospitality toward the media.
• When doing chores, such as picking up toys or putting away the dishes, imagine that you are returning these things to their homes where they will be more comfortable. Reframing chores in this way teaches reverence for your surroundings, kindness, and nurturing.
• Experiment with silence by lying on the ground for 15 minutes without saying anything. Pay attention to what you are thinking about. Then notice the reports of your senses of sight and smell. This is the practice of wonder.
• Practice meaning by choosing symbolic names for your home and your room.
• Create a party for your pet. Indulge the animal with a favorite treat or activity. Name some of the lessons you have learned from living with this teacher.
• At bedtime, identify one good thing and one bad thing that has happened during the day. For children, these are times to practice enthusiasm and forgiveness. For parents, these are opportunities to practice openness and listening.
• Have a moon-viewing party, complete with special food and costumes appropriate to the season of the year. Talk about the beauty of the natural world. Then imagine how the moon sees the world, an exercise that teaches connections and the unity of all Creation.
The words in bold type are part of the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy, 37 essential spiritual practices listed below.
Practice Enhances Balances , CountersThe Daisy Petals & the parts of the Girl Scout Law they represent are as follows;
The snakes & laddersWe have all played this game as kids and even as adults.Its a lot like life we go a step at a time, sometimes we have a stop after few steps & sometimes a longer one.Some times we have the good fortune of a ladder climb - that luck element represents the fruits of old/previous good actions.
Each good deed we do gives us the chance to uplift ourselves - a ladder & each snake bite is giving in to our negative intentions and a downward fall in the journey of life.
The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek their fortune" & " live their own lives". The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and the pig runs to his brother's house. The second pig builds a house of wooden sticks and when he sees his brother he lets him in, with the same ultimate result. Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
The third pig builds a house of hard bricks and when he sees his brothers he lets them in. The wolf fails to blow down the house. He then attempts to trick the pigs out of the house, but the pigs outsmart him at every turn. Finally, the wolf resolves to come down the chimney, whereupon the pigs boil a pot of water in which the wolf then lands and is cooked.
The story utilizes the literary rule of 3, expressed in this case as a "contrasting three", as the three pigs' brick house turns out to be the only one which is adequate to withstand the wolf.
Now lets look at the Pigs with respect to the 3 Guna's
1st is probably Tamo Gun - lazy & built with Straw! Did not think long term and did a quick job.
2nd will fit into Rajo Gun as he did some effort to build a house with wood, but did not think enough.
3rd will probably fit into Sato Gun as he did the effort with a long term view and was able to live safely as well as give shelter to his brothers.
Karma & Rebirth means we are ACCOUNTABLE for our actions. We take Responsibility.
Karma & Rebirth means that we enjoy the Gift of Life, over & over again!
Karma & Rebirth means there is no place for a Hell, no sadistic God running a torture chamber
Karma & Rebirth means that We EARN everything. A person must never beg nor take anything that is unearned
Karma & Rebirth means we earn Praise FROM God!
All can praise God, but Blessed are the people that aim to earn Praise FROM God and have a another life to serve & love God!