Today is May 7th and we are blessed with the presence of four beautiful children, ages 6 to 10 years, in the SRV San Francisco ashram.  The children’s class on spirituality will be centered on the aspect of God as Mother. Respect of Mother, Love of Mother — the Mother of the Universe! It is an auspicious teaching all in its own, for after all tomorrow is Mother’s Day.

Over the last few years in our SRV Sangha there have been discussions on the need for a “rite of passage” for our youth.  What this means to us, Vedantically, and in America at this time, continues to develop.  Now, as the second wave of SRV children enter adolescence, and a younger set is on the way, we are striving to bring this into manifestation.  Here are a few details that are starting to emerge:

We are gathered around in the upstairs classroom in the SRV San Francisco Ashram with three children. Today is February 14^th and we are blessed with Babaji’s presence on this visit.  Let me share with you the exciting breakthroughs and highlights of the divine lesson of today’s Children’s Spiritual class.

Asana/Meditation Pose – Meditation with Guruji

We have taken into practice a meditation asana at the beginning of each class. Through this practice the children begin to become more familiar with the pose and become more comfortable within the pose.  Three eager faces are looking toward me as I begin to explain and demonstrate: “Please sit with legs crossed one over each other, back straight, eyes gently closed, tail bone curled in, neck pushed slightly back, chin slanted towards chest, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth, hands resting in lap one over the other with palms facing upward as if cupping a pool of water.” Sebastian wants his hands resting on his knees with thumb touching and meeting middle finger.

The highlight of last winter’s pilgrimage to India for me, without a doubt, was being in the company of three of our SRV teens, Marleigh, Logan, and Adam.  What wonderful conversations and classes we had on Vivekananda, the yamas and niyamas of Yoga, the nature of the Self, embodiment and the world. How fascinating to see India through their sense of adventure and openness. 

Oregon Kids Class

Last summer, Babaji set out a guideline for what our young teens should be learning.  His list included the following charts, leaving it up to the kids’ acharya to draw teachings from them in a suitable manner.

Here is a brief description of the charts and some explanation behind these choices, which will probably be useful for adults too:

It is a bright, sunny, fun-filled day of spiritual learning at the SRV San Francisco Ashram. In attendance today are children of varied ages.  Today is September 27th, and once again Annapurna Sarada has given her time and dedication in conducting this class. We are so fortunate to have her offer  these essential teachings to the children during her trips from Oregon and sometimes Hawaii. This shows her true dedication to the Holy Mother.

SF Children learn the difference between the changing and the unchanging

Water and oil do not mix,
but they seem to when shaken together.

Like this, the Atman appears one with Maya
when seen through the restless mind.

By meditation, the wise control the mind
and behold the ever-pure & blissful Atman,
distinct from everything else – matter, energy & thought.

At the SRV Summer retreat on the American River this year, we were once again blessed with a group of intelligent, perceptive kids, mostly 12 years of age.  All of the classes with the children were drawn from the stories of Sri Ramakrishna, which are an endless source of inspiration, with so many ways to unwrap them for the benefit of giving our youth a sound foundation in dharma — in cosmology, philosophy, and spirituality.

Besides some very fun projects involving clay, and making a mosaic pedestal for a sundial, the kids had an opportunity to learn more about Holy Mother, Sri Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekananda.  As the children enter their young adult years, these great beings — the example of their lives and experiences — hold increasing interest and relevance for them.

SRV Oregon: Older Girls’ Weekend Retreat, April 2009

Our second weekend retreat with the older kids was a most precious event and a rare opportunity to participate in a full day’s ashram activities. They all arrived on Saturday night in time to help prepare for and attend SRV Oregon’s weekly worship.  Following dinner, and before bedtime, the girls returned to the shrine for a short meditation and blessing.  Annapurna then held out a jar with “Vedantic fortune cookies” [minus the cookie] consisting of ideas to ponder.  Each girl pulled out two and were told to think about them as they went to sleep.  We would discuss them the next day. Here are a few of those ideas:

SRV Children at the Portland Ashram, April 2009

On this Easter Saturday, and following a simple worship in the shrine room in honor of Lord Jesus, our young children in Oregon got a new teaching to add to the Easter Egg theme.  Like above, the focus was on the Divine Mother who is the Mother of the Universe, by whose power everything is projected, sustained, and dissolved, just like waves in the ocean.  She alone, like the water of the ocean, is the real part of each of us, just as the water is the essential part of a wave.  The scriptures refer to this Source and Substance of the universe as the Golden Egg, Hiranyagarbha.  It has its corollary in Om, the primal vibration.  Additionally, the children were told the analogy Sri Ramakrishna used describing the old woman who saved various things, like seeds, and “sea foam” and other items in a hotch potch jar for later usage.  Like that, the Divine Mother saves things for the next creation (projection).  What might those be?  Well, there are lots of possibilities and you can see Babaji’s commentary in his book, Sri Ramakrishna’s Stories, page 39.