Chapters 16-17-18 - The Bhagavad-Gita fro Children

[Guest guest]

Om Sai Ram !

Personally, I am really impressed by this particular version of Shri Bhagwat

Gita which is for beginners and children and so I request all the devotees to

not only read it themselves and pass it on to your friends but also save it in

your inboxes and read it to your children or grandchildren. It has 25 stories ,

133 gita verses and other teachings. In this way you will not only spend some

quality time with them but also teach them the good moral values which will

help them become better individuals and give them the right knowledge to lead a

happy, peaceful and blissful life..

May Sai baba's blessings and grace always be with us and our families...

Sai bhakt,

Deepa H

PS:::::: If any one has missed any of the chapters, You can send me an email at

debu7366 and I will be glad to forward to you the chapter that you did not receive..

Om Shree Gneshaya Namah!!!

CHAPTER 16 DIVINE AND DEMONIC QUALITIES

blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Jai: I

meet different types of students in the class. How many types of people are

there, Grandma? Grandma: Generally, there are only two types of

people

in this world, the good and the bad. (Gita 16.06) Most people have both good and

bad qualities. If you have more good qualities, you are called a good person,

and if you have more bad qualities, you are called a bad person. Jai:

If I want to be a good person, what qualities must I have?

3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Grandma: You must be honest,

nonviolent, truthful, without anger, calm, without harmful talk, kind, not

greedy, gentle, forgiving, and humble. These are also called divine qualities

because they lead us to God.

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Jai: What bad habits

should I avoid? Grandma:

11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">

Hypocrisy, telling lies, arrogance, pride, jealousy, selfishness, anger, greed,

harshness, ungratefulness and violence --- these are bad qualities because they

lead us away from God. Bad qualities also lead us to do bad things and get us

into trouble. Do not be friends with people who have bad qualities because they

do not know what to do and what not to do. Always be grateful to those who have

helped you. Ingratitude is a great sin for which there is no remedy.

Desire, anger and greed are very destructive. Lord Krishna calls these the

three gates to hell. (Gita 16.21) Here is a story of how greed leads to sorrow.

20. The Dog and the Bone

10.0pt">One day a dog found a bone. He picked it up in his mouth and went to a

lonely corner to chew it. He sat there and chewed the bone for some time. Then

the dog felt thirsty and picked up the bone in his mouth and walked over a

small wooden bridge to get drinking water at the creek When he saw

his own reflection in the water, he thought there was another dog with a bone in

the river. Becoming greedy, he wanted to have the other bone, also. So he opened

his mouth to bark and take the bone from the other dog. As soon as he opened his

mouth to grab the other bone, the bone dropped out of his mouth and fell into

the creek. The dog realized his mistake, but it was too late. Greed can be

overcome by being satisfied with what one has. A satisfied person is a very

happy person. A greedy person cannot find true peace and happiness in life.

tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in

6.0in"> Jai: How can I know what to do and what not to do? Grandma:

Follow our holy books, Jai. Saints and sages tell us what to do and what

not to do in our holy books. (Gita 16.24) Have faith in God and listen to your

parents and elders. We should develop as many good habits as possible. But no

one has only good habits and no bad habits. Good Lord usually puts good and bad

habits in the same package.

tab-stops: 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in

6.0in">Here is a story how Draupadi found this truth out from her own

experience. 21. The Story of Queen Draupadi

1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Draupadi was the

common wife of five Pandavas. She was the daughter of a Rishi in her past life.

She was very beautiful and virtuous, but in her past life, due to her past

Karma, she had been unable to get married. This made her unhappy. So she

started austerity to please Lord Shiva. After a long and difficult austerity,

she pleased Lord Shiva, who asked her to

10.0pt">choose a wish of her choice. She asked for a husband who would be very

religious, strong, a very good soldier, good looking, and gentle. Lord Shiva

granted her wish. In the next life, she was married to five brothers, but she

was not very happy with this strange situation. Draupadi was a great devotee of

Lord

New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Krishna, who knows the past, present and

future of all beings. He knew of her sorrow and told what she had asked for in

her past life. Lord Krishna said since it was impossible for one man to have

all the qualities she wanted in her husband, she was married to five husbands

in this life, who had all these qualities among them. After hearing this

explanation from the Lord Krishna Himself; she, her parents, and her five

husbands cheerfully accepted what fate had given and lived happily. The moral

of the story is that one cannot find a husband or wife with all good or bad

qualities, so one must learn to live with whatever fate has given. There is no

perfect spouse because no one has only good habits and no bad habits.

6.0in"> Chapter 16 summary: Generally, there are only two types of human

beings: the good or divine and the bad or demonic. Most people have both good

and bad qualities. Getting rid of bad habits and cultivating good habits are

necessary for spiritual progress.

CHAPTER 17

THREEFOLD FAITH

 

Jai: Grandma, how do I know what foods to eat?

 

Grandma: There are three types of

foods, Jai. (Gita 17.07-10) The foods that bring long life, virtue, strength,

health, happiness, and joy are juicy, smooth, substantial, and nutritious. Such

health foods are the best.

Foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, oily, and acidic are

called undesirable foods. Such junk foods are unhealthy, cause diseases and

should be avoided.

Foods that are not well cooked, spoiled, tasteless, rotten, burned,

left-over, and impure (such as meat and alcohol) are bad foods. One should not

eat such foods.

 

Jai: How should I speak to others?

 

Grandma: You should never tell a lie. Your words should not be harsh,

bitter, nasty, or insulting. They should be sweet, useful, and truthful. (Gita

17.15) One who speaks politely wins the heart of all and is liked by everybody.

A wise person should speak the truth if it is helpful and keep quiet if it is

harsh. To help those in need is the universal teaching.

 

Jai: How should I help others?

 

Grandma: It is our duty to help those who are less fortunate and can’t

help themselves. Give to anyone who needs help, but never expect anything in

return. Charity is not only the best, but also the only use of wealth. We all

should help a good cause. Give back what belongs to the world. But one must be

very careful. Money given in charity should be earned by lawful means. And we

must make sure that the receiver is not a person likely to

use the gift for evil purposes. (Gita 17.20-22)

 

Jai: Will God give us what we want if we sincerely pray for it?

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Grandma: Full faith in God makes things happen. There is nothing

impossible for faith. Faith works miracles. One must have faith before starting

any work. It is said in the Gita that we can become whatever we want to be if we

always think about it and pray to God with faith. (Gita 17.03) Always think

about what you want to be, and your dream can come true.

4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">

Here is a story about a crow that had faith.

 

22. The Thirsty Crow

 

It was a hot summer day. A crow was very thirsty. He flew from place to place

looking for water. He could not find water anywhere. Ponds, rivers, and lakes

were all dry. The water in the well was too deep. Crow was very thirsty for

water. He flew and flew. He was getting both tired and thirsty, but he did not

give up the search.

New Roman">At last he thought death was near and remembered God and started to

pray for water. He saw a pitcher of water near a house. This made him very

happy as he thought there must be water in the pitcher. He sat on the top of

the pitcher and looked into it. To his great frustration he found that the

water was at the bottom of the pitcher. He could see the water, but his beak

could not reach the water. He became very sad and started to think how he could

reach the water. Suddenly an idea came into his mind. There were stones near the

pitcher. He picked up stones from the ground, one by one, and started dropping

them into the pitcher. The water began coming up. Soon the crow could reach it

easily. He drank the water, thanked God, and happily flew away.

4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">

Thus it is said, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” The crow did what we

all should do. He did not give up. He had faith that his prayer would be

answered. Here is another good story:

 

23. The Hare and the Turtle

 

A turtle always moves very slowly. His friend, the hare, often laughed at the

slow turtle. One day, the turtle could not bear the insults and challenged the

hare to run a race with him. All the animals in the jungle laughed at the idea

because race is usually between equals. A deer volunteered to be the judge.

The race started. The hare ran fast and soon he was ahead of the turtle. As the

hare came closer and closer to the winning post, he felt sure of winning. He

looked back at the slow moving turtle, who was far behind.

The hare was so sure of winning that he thought, “I will sit under the tree and

wait for the turtle. When he comes here, I shall run fast and cross the finish

line before him. This will make turtle angry, and it will be fun to see the

turtle insulted.”

The hare then sat under a tree. The turtle was still far behind. A cool wind was

blowing gently. After some time passed, the hare fell asleep. When he woke up,

he saw the turtle crossing the finish line. The hare had lost the race! All the

animals in the jungle were laughing at the hare, and he learned a valuable

lesson:

 

“Slow and steady wins the race.”

 

You can succeed in any work if you work hard with strong faith. Be enthusiastic

about what you want, and you will get it. We are the creations of our own

thoughts and desires. Thoughts create our future. We become what we always

think of. So never think a negative thought or allow doubt to enter your mind.

Keep going toward your goal. You cannot get anything through laziness,

negligence, and delay. Keep your dream alive in your heart, and it will come

true. All difficulties can be removed by faith in God and a firm determination

to succeed. But the fruits of success must be shared with others! If you want

your dream to be fulfilled, help fulfill someone else’s dream.

Here is a story of a man who learned that god helps those who help themselves.

 

24. A Man Who Never Gave Up

 

Yava was the son of a sage who practiced hard penance to get the blessings of

Indra, the King of Devas. He tortured his body with austerities and thus

awakened the sympathy of Indra. Indra came before him and asked why he was

hurting his body.

Yava answered: “I wish to be a great scholar of the Vedas. It takes a long time

to learn the Vedas from a teacher. I am practicing austerities to get that

knowledge directly. Bless me.”

Indra smiled and said: “Son, you are on the wrong path. Return home, find a good

teacher, and learn the Vedas from him. Austerity is not the way to learn; the

path is study and study alone.” With these words, Indra went away.

But Yava would not give up. He did his course of spiritual practice

(austerities, penance) with even greater effort. Indra again came before Yava

and warned him again. Yava announced that if his prayer was not answered, he

would cut off his arms and legs one by one and offer them to the fire. No, he

would never give up. He continued his penance. One morning, during his

austerities, when he went to bathe in the holy Gang| River, he saw an old man

on the bank throwing handfuls of sand into the river.

“Old man, what are you doing?” asked Yava.

The old man replied: “I am going to build a dam across the river so people can

cross the river easily. See how difficult it is now to cross it. Useful work,

isn’t it? ”

Yava laughed and said: “What a fool you must be to think you can build a dam

across this mighty river with your handfuls of sand! Go home and do some other

useful work.”

The old man said: “Is my work more foolish than yours of learning the Vedas, not

by study, but by austerities?”

Yava now knew that the old man was Indra. Yava earnestly begged Indra to grant

him learning as a personal wish.

Indra blessed him, and comforted Yava with the following words: “I grant you the

wish you want. Go and read the Vedas; you will become learned.”

Yava studied the Vedas and became a great scholar of the Vedas.

The secret of success is to keep thinking about what you want all the time and

never give up until you get what you want. Do not let negative thoughts, such

as delaying to start work, laziness, and carelessness stand in your way.

Before starting or ending any work or study, repeat OM TAT SAT, the threefold names of Brahm.

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Jai: What does OM TAT SAT mean, Grandma?

 

Grandma: It means Almighty God is the only Reality. OM is used before

starting any work or study. OM TAT SAT or OM Shantih, Shantih, Shantih, is also

used at the end of any act.

 

Chapter 17 summary: There are three types of food --- health food, junk food and

bad food. Food affects our health, intellect, and wellbeing. We are what we eat.

Tell the truth in a pleasant way. Give charity to a deserving candidate and give

it wisely to avoid its misuse. You can become whatever you want to be if you

work hard towards your goal.

CHAPTER 18

LIBERATION THROUGH RENUNCIATION

 

Jai: Grandma, I am confused by different terms you used. Please explain to

me clearly what is the difference between renunciation (Samnyasa) and selfless

work (KarmaYoga)?

 

Grandma: You might think that renunciation means walking away from

family, home, possessions, and going to live in a cave or the forest or any

other place outside society. But Lord Krishna defined Samnyasa as giving up the

selfish desire behind all work. (Gita 6.01, 18.02) In KarmaYoga one gives up the

selfish desire of enjoying the results of one’s work. Thus a Samnyasi is an

advanced KarmaYogi.

 

Jai: Does that mean I can’t do anything for myself that gives me pleasure?

 

Grandma: That depends on what kind of pleasure you have in mind. Such

actions as smoking, drinking, gambling, and taking drugs etc. appear enjoyable

in the beginning, but definitely produce harmful results in the end. Poison may

taste very sweet when you drink it, but you know its deadly results when it is

too late. On the other hand, actions such as going to school, doing home work,

meditation, worship, and helping the needy seem difficult or boring in the

beginning, but gives very useful results in the end. (Gita 5.22, 18.38) A very

good rule to follow is to avoid any activity that seems pleasurable in the

beginning because it causes harmful effects in the end.

 

Jai: What kinds of activities in society are available, Grandma?

 

Grandma: In the ancient Vedic way of life, people were classified into

four Varnas or groups described by Lord Krishna. (Gita 4.13, 18.41-44) These

four divisions --- Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra --- were based on

the mental, intellectual, and physical abilities of persons. The ability of the

individual --- not the social level one was born into --- was the deciding

factor.

Those who were interested in learning, teaching, preaching, and guiding people

in spiritual matters were called Brahmanas or intellectuals. Those who could

defend the country, establish law and order, prevent crime, and administer

justice were called Kshatriyas, the warriors. Those who were good in farming,

cattle raising, business, trade, finance, commerce and industry were known as

Vaishyas or businessmen. Those who were very good in service and labor type

work were classed as Shudras or workers.

People are born with certain abilities or could develop them through training

and effort. Birth into a family at a certain social level, whether high or low,

does not decide one’s worth.

The four Varna system was work assignment according to individual’s

skills and ability. Unfortunately, the four work classifications became

degraded into hundreds of rigid castes to the detriment of this great Dharma.

Swami Vivekananda considers modern day caste system in India as a big blot on

the face of our great way of life (Dharma). Even some of our educated

immigrants from India are forming caste-based associations here in the USA!

 

Jai: How can any body living and working in society attain liberation?

 

6.0in">

Grandma: Work becomes worship when done as a service to the Lord and

without selfish attachment to the results. If you do work honestly for which

you are suited for, you incur no Ka

Roman">rmic reaction and attain God.

If you take on work that was not meant for you, such work produces stress and

you will not be very successful. It is important to find work that best suits

your own nature. You should know yourself before you can choose a job that will

be suitable for you. (Gita 18.47) Then your work will not produce stress and

will lead to creativity and success.

There is no perfect job. Every job has some fault. (Gita 18.48) You should not

be concerned about such faults in your job. You can attain God by doing your

duty honestly with devotion to God and keeping your senses under control by

some spiritual practice.

The following story illustrates one can attain Self-realization by sincerely doing one’s duty.

 

25. I am no Crane

 

A holy man named Kaushika had acquired great spiritual powers. One day, he sat

under a tree meditating. A crane at the top of the tree soiled his head with

its droppings. Kaushika looked up at it angrily, and his angry look killed the

bird instantly. The holy man was pained when he saw the dead bird lying on the

ground.

Some time later, he went as usual to beg for food and stood before the door of a

house. The housewife was busy serving her husband with food and seemed to forget

the holy man waiting outside. After her husband had been fed, she came out with

food, saying, “I am sorry to have kept you waiting long. Forgive me.”

But Kaushika, burning with anger, said: “Lady, you have made me wait for a long

time. This is not fair.”

“Kindly forgive me,” said the woman. “I was serving my sick husband and hence the delay.”

“It is good to attend the husband,” replied Kaushika, “but you seem to be an arrogant woman.”

“I kept you waiting only because I was dutifully serving my sick husband,” she

replied. “Please do not be angry with me. I am no crane to be killed by your

angry thought. Your anger cannot harm a woman who devotes herself to service of

her husband and family.”

3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">

Kaushika was surprised. He wondered how she knew of the crane incident.

 

She continued: “O great one, you do not know the secret of duty, or that anger

is the greatest enemy that dwells in human beings. Go to the village Rampur in

Mithila and learn the secrets of doing one’s duty with devotion from Vyadha

Raj”

Kaushika went to the village and met the man named Vyadha Raj. He was surprised

to learn he was selling meat at a butcher’s shop. The butcher got up from his

seat and asked: “Honored sir, are you well? Did that pure lady send you to me?

I know why you have come. Let us go home.”

The butcher took Kaushika to his house where Kaushika saw a happy family and was

greatly amazed at the love and respect with which the butcher served his

parents. Kaushika took his lesson from the butcher on doing one’s duty. Vyadha

Raj did not kill the animals; he never ate meat. He just carried on his family

business after his father retired.

Afterwards, Kaushika returned to his house and began to serve his parents, a

duty which he had neglected before. The moral of this story is that you can

reach spiritual perfection by honestly doing whatever duty is yours in life.

This is a true worship of God. (Gita 18.46)

 

Lord Krishna lives within all of us and guides us to work out our

own Karma. (Gita 18.61) Put your best effort and gladly accept the results as

His will. This is called surrendering to God. (Gita 18.66) The gift of

spiritual knowledge is the best gift because the absence of spiritual knowledge

is the cause of all evil in the world. Spreading of this spiritual knowledge is

the highest devotional service to Lord Krishna.

(Gita 18.68-69)

Everlasting peace and wealth are possible only when you do your duty well and

also have the spiritual knowledge given in the Holy Gita by Lord Krishna

New Roman">. (Gita 18.78) One who reads Gita and practices it’s teachings, gets

what one wants and lives happily.

 

Chapter 18 summary: Lord Krishna told that there is no real difference between a

KarmaYogi and Samnyasi. A KarmaYogi gives up the selfish attachment to the

fruits of work whereas a Samnyasi does not work for personal gain. There are

two types of pleasures --- helpful and harmful. Society has different work to

suit different people. One should choose work wisely. You can get

God-realization while living in society by following the three D’s --- Duty,

Discipline and Devotion to God.

"Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh Maheshwar;Gurur Shakshat

ParambramhaTashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always

shower His grace on us and our families and remove our problems and anxieties

by

giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and happiness with peace of

mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa Hdebu7366