sri sathya sai bala vikas class

Om sri sai ram
We start the class chanting "Omkaaram" for three times. Then guruvandanam "om sri sai ram" for 21 times. We ask the children to sit straight closing the eyes and keeping the hands in the posture of chinmudra [joing the thumb and the index finger while the remaining fingers straight].

We generally divide the teaching time in 3 or 4 parts as per the time available.

The 1st part will be the time for slokam. We teach the slokams with clear pronunciation. We make the children to repeat or chant the slokam as clearly as possible since they are very young. We explain the meaning about which god we are chanting the particular slokam. We further teach as to the special significance of any festival any related special day. If any special occasion coincides, like national holidays etc, we inform them the importance of such occasion with relevant slokam,
e.g Sri Ramanavami, we make them recite “Sri rama rama ramethi”.

The 2nd part will be story telling related to the slokam. For the 1st time the students may not be learning the slokams so we repeat the slokam till they learn. Sometimes it may take 3 to 4 classes for this. At that time we will teach other moral stories. We try to tell the stories with acting so that they appreciate the significance.then we ask some simple questions about the stories.

The 3rd part will be teaching bhajans which can be easily understood and recited easily and quickly. As some children are interested in music it is advantageous for us to make them lead the bhajans. In this way all of them will try to follow the bhajans. This also helps them to relax.

The 4th part will be on spiritual aspect. Here we try to make them concentrate on giving importance and usefulness of the five elements and the five sense organs. Children evince much interest in the games. In fact all of them enquired as to; "which is the game for today aunty?", as soon as they entered the classroom. I feel that through the games only we can make them learn a lot, e.g I draw a bird or any animal without the eye in that picture. I show them the picture asking what is missing in the picture. Then I tie the eyes of each child and ask them to draw an eye of that picture, whoever draws the eye at least nearer to that place of the actual eye we clap or appreciate the child. After that we explain to them how important is an eye for any living being. We further tell them how to protect and clean the eyes. Now a days children are very much interested in watching T.V, we can tell them watching T.V for hours together is not good for the eyes. Tell them you can watch T.V but not for long time.

The 5th part will be “meditation”. At times when there is time after chanting slokas, already taught to them, I will take up the subject of meditation. I impress on them that this is also like a playful game and so not difficult.

To start, I shall ask them to close their eyes and listen what I would be saying for 5 to 6 minutes and try to imagine as though it is happening. I shall slowly narrate the following:

"Children, we are going to a temple nearby in a vehicle, the vehicle is TATA_SUMO. The regd no. is TN-2009, blue in colour and driver’s name is Rama. In the front seat Ashok, Sathya, Mani are sitting, in the back seat myself, Rani, Sita, Padma and Uma are sitting. I can, on the way to the temple tell them the names of couple of road junctions with signals and so on. At one pedestrian crossing how an old lady was helped by a high school student to cross the road. When we reached the temple first we washed our feet and hands and had darshan of lord Ganesha and we recited slokas relating to Ganesha. Then we had darshan of Hanuman statue which is 32 feet high. We were very much thrilled at the sight and height of hanuman, even without trying the slokam “manojavam marutha thulya vegam” came out of our mouth. In the meanwhile we realized that the boy Sathya is not there amongst us. After a search, he was found enjoying the beauty of the sculptures on the pillars and the flowering plants in the garden. The archaka after aarathi to the main deities “Rama and Sita” , blessed us while giving the prasadm. We returned to the place safely at 11:30 am".

After finishing this narration I ask them to open their eyes slowly. In this way I make them to cultivate the habit of meditation. After meditation I ask some questions related to it, so that they will concentrate on the narration. Then we give them some prasadam. After chanting “Brahmarpanam”they eat prasadam. Some senior students are advised to write their faviourite god’s or goddess’s name for nine times. This will be a practice of "likhita nama japam”.

In this way I conduct Sri Sathya Sai Bal Vikas class. sai ram.