Presentation:
Ask the children to stand in pairs, each one facing each other. Ask one child to do some actions, perhaps move some body parts; ask the other child in that pair to follow the same - mirror the other person's activity. We can ask each child to take turns to do the action first and to copty the action.
When we arrive on planet Earth, we are complete, integrated beings. Over time, we build walls believing that these walls will keep us safe. The islands need to be bridged. We need to complete with everyone, with everything instead of isolating them
Procedure:
Sit in groups and discuss your Realationships and Incompletions.
Life is continuously happening in front of us. Arjuna is frightened in front of the eyes of life; from his disowned self, his relationships which are his forgotten extensions. This anxiety, fear, shivering is nothing but the expression of the incompletions Arjuna was carrying. See, relationships are nothing but our own extensions. Relationships are not outside; they are just our own extensions. The 'you' extended outside you is our relationships. Completing with all our extensions, we will learn to complete the incomplete 'you,' if present in other.
kulakṣaye praṇaśyanti kuladharmāḥ sanātanāḥ dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnam adharmo 'bhibhavatyuta
With the destruction of the dynasty, the age-old family traditions die and virtue having been lost, vice overtakes the entire race
Each verse of the Gītā is a sūtra, a technique that can work on your being and transform you.
adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula striyaḥ strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇasaṃkaraḥ
When non-righteous practices become common, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family become corrupt, and with the degradation of womanhood, O Descendant of Vṛṣṇi, ensues intermixture of castes
Rites and rituals, as prescribed in the scriptures, are an expression of one's inner completion.
saṃkaro narakāyaiva kulaghnānāṃ kulasya ca patanti pitaro hyeṣāṃ lupta piṇḍodaka kriyāḥ
A mixture of blood damns the destroyers of race and the race itself. Deprived of offering of oblations of rice and water the departed souls of the race also fall
If the spirit is enlightened it merges with the infinite energy.
doṣair etaiḥ kulaghnānāṃ varṇa saṃkarakārakaiḥ utsādyante jātidharmāḥ kuladharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ
Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, All kinds of rituals and practices of caste and family are devastated.
We are in heaven when we are in completion and feel and express love, joy and gratitude.
By now, Arjuna had become desperate. His arguments seemed weak, even to him. Arjuna starts quoting the scriptures of social laws.
To understand what Arjuna said, it is important to understand the origin of the caste tradition in Hindu religion.
At the age of five, a child was given to the care of a spiritual Master by the parents in the ancient Hindu education system called gurukul. In the gurukul itself, the science of completion was taught to the child. The child grows up as a complete being. The child's natural aptitudes formed the basis for the caste classification, varṇāśrama. Brāhmaṇas (priests/teachers), kṣatriyas (kings/warriors), vaiśyas (tradesmen) and śūdras (service) are these four classes.
Irrespective of parentage, children were taught the Gāyatri mantra at age seven, which allowed their natural intelligence to blossom. If the Guru found that the child had the natural aptitude to learn the scriptures, he would be trained as a brāhmaṇa. Others were trained to enrich through materially relevant arts and sciences to re-enter the world with a mature and complete personality.
Over time, this caste system was corrupted through human greed. Those who believed that they were doing more responsible work, and therefore were more respected decided to pass on their caste qualification to their children as if it was their birthright. Such a practice had no scriptural sanction
Arjuna's doubts about caste pollution had no scriptural base or merit. What he referred to became the societal norm because of human greed, the collective root patterns of society.
Rites and rituals, as prescribed in the scriptures, are an expression of one's inner completion. Completion is not created by blind practice of rites and rituals. Arjuna voiced the sentiments of organized religion and priesthood, which derive their power and monetary base from such rites and rituals. This is how, in each culture and religion, the power of the priestly class was established, as if they were the sole mediators to God.
The truths expounded in the Gītā are about personal transformation. Each verse of the Gītā is a sūtra, a technique that can work on your being and transform you. That is how Kṛṣṇa brings Arjuna into the space of completion.
The essence of the Gītā is living in the space of completion in the present moment. Gītā is about surrendering the past and the future incompletions to the present and experiencing completion.
Help children to understand the spiritual sanction for the caste classification, varṇāśrama. Introduce children to completion, to transformation and living in the present.
- 1. Explain how the Gurukuls work.
- 2. What are the classes of the caste classification, varṇāśrama?
- 3. What is the difference between scriptural base
- and societal norm?
- 4. Why is it best to avoid blind practice of rites and rituals?