Table of Contents
Understanding the Bhagavad Gita can be a source of inspiration for children, helping them develop important values. The Gita teaches timeless principles that guide moral and spiritual growth. These include putting others before oneself, fulfilling duties responsibly, and facing challenges with courage and determination. These principles encourage children to develop a strong sense of ethics and integrity in their actions and decisions.
The Bhagavad Gita, also known simply as the Gita, is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjun before a great war. Krishna’s teachings profoundly changed Arjun’s perspective and life path.
Despite its age, the wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita remains relevant and timeless. It offers valuable insights into life’s complexities and guides how to navigate everyday challenges. Reading the Gita can benefit us, helping us understand fundamental principles that shape our lives and decisions.
Students should understand the significance of the Bhagavad Gita, as it encourages self-reflection and practical thinking. Learning from it can foster a habit of questioning and lead them to approach life with a practical mindset.
Importance of the Bhagavad Gita in daily life
- The Bhagavad Gita introduces us to our deep cultural heritage and traditions.
- Turning to the verses of the Bhagavad Gita can provide solutions to the everyday challenges we face in life.
- Reading the Bhagavad Gita reveals life’s truths and guides us toward freedom from superstitions and misconceptions.
- Studying the Bhagavad Gita boosts our confidence by clearing doubts and enriching our knowledge.
- The teachings of the Gita advise us to carefully consider our actions before taking them.
Benefits of reading the Bhagavad Gita,
- Verses from the Bhagavad Gita guide us on our responsibilities as human beings.
- Reading the Bhagavad Gita teaches us the significance of self-control and guides us in cultivating it in our lives.
- The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to practice nishkam karma, which means performing actions without attachment to the outcomes.
- Reading the Bhagavad Gita helps us understand how to avoid materialism and negative behaviors.
- Reading the Bhagavad Gita provides us with a fresh outlook on life.
1. Develop the right perspective:
Just before the Kurukshetra war, Arjun felt lost and disheartened. He hesitated to fight because he couldn’t foresee the consequences of his actions. Seeing things is crucial for understanding our purpose and responsibilities and how they influence our perspective and actions.
- How to help children learn perspective-taking: Through our experiences, we often develop specific ways of thinking. Over time, we may start to believe that our beliefs are always correct and anyone who disagrees with us is mistaken. It’s important to teach children that while understanding others’ feelings is crucial, they don’t always have to agree with different opinions. Encourage them to consider situations from others’ perspectives as well.
2. Understand that change is the law of nature:
According to the Bhagavad Gita, everything is constantly changing. Our bodies, feelings, emotions, and the world are always in flux. Despite this, we often resist or refuse to accept the idea of change when it’s suggested to us. Success requires adapting to new situations, being creative in finding better solutions, and exploring new opportunities. While being in familiar environments is comforting, being open to taking small risks can lead to valuable new experiences and rewards.
- How to help your child accommodate changes: When your child asks about upcoming changes, assure her there will be time to adjust to the new situation. Changes don’t happen overnight. Emphasize the positives these changes can bring into her life, highlighting the benefits and opportunities that may come with them. This will help her feel more comfortable and optimistic about the transition.
3. Practise tolerance and forgiveness:
Tolerance teaches us to handle life’s challenges calmly and avoid responding with aggression, even when provoked. Forgiveness allows us to let go of resentment and move past feelings of anger or injustice. These qualities are essential for building and maintaining relationships, fostering empathy and love, and overcoming differences. These values strengthened the Pandava brothers’ bond, which helped them navigate their challenges together.
- How to teach your child to be tolerant and forgiving: Many stories and real-life examples show the importance of tolerance and forgiveness. Share these stories with your child to help them understand these values better. Encourage them to read about people who have shown tolerance and forgiveness, as these examples can inspire and teach important lessons about kindness and understanding.
4. Change the way you think:
Thinking positively is key to maintaining balance, boosting confidence, and overcoming negativity. It helps us prepare effectively for challenges and focus on achieving our goals. Don’t let negative thoughts dominate your mind and hinder your success. Practicing gratitude, meditation, helping others, and reading uplifting books can cultivate positive thinking and improve your mindset.
- How to make your child change his way of thinking: Encourage your child to be adaptable in her thinking. Instead of getting frustrated when things don’t go as planned, teach her to find new ways to approach the situation. Practicing this skill will help her develop flexibility in her thinking.
5. Stay calm:
Maintaining a calm mind is crucial for managing impulses, staying steady during favorable and challenging times, and managing stress effectively. It allows us to think, evaluate our choices, and focus on productive activities. Understanding that change is unavoidable helps us maintain this sense of calm.
- How to teach your child to stay calm: Children can get upset easily because they haven’t fully developed coping skills. Teach your child simple ways to stay calm when feeling upset. For instance, encourage deep breathing, counting to 50, or relaxing for a short break. These techniques can help them manage their emotions better.
6. Work for the welfare of the world:
We often focus on how our actions benefit ourselves without considering their impact on others. This self-centered mindset can lead to selfish behavior and distance us from those around us. However, being selfless teaches us to see the world as one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). Acting with selflessness means making choices that improve the world and strengthen our connections with others.
- How to teach your child to be charitable: To nurture a caring and compassionate child, encourage her to donate toys and clothes to those who need them, assist her friends when they need help, and participate in volunteering activities. These actions help develop empathy and kindness toward others.
7. Be fearless:
Fear is a natural emotion found in all living beings. In humans, fear often stems from not knowing or understanding something, making emotions hard to handle. To overcome fear and uncertainty, focus on gaining knowledge and wisdom. This will empower you to face the unknown and conquer any hesitations or anxieties confidently.
- How to help your child overcome fear: Children start to worry and feel scared when they don’t have enough information about things. Encourage your child to share his worries and concerns with you so you can help him understand and manage his fears better. This way, fears can become easier to handle.
8. Manage your anger:
Anger disrupts our ability to think clearly, causing confusion and disorder. It clouds our judgment and takes our focus away from achieving our goals. This negative emotion often leads to harmful thoughts and can drive us to behave destructively. In the Mahabharata, Duryodhana’s anger blinded him to reason, leading to a destructive war with his cousins.
- How to help your child manage anger: Explain to your child that sometimes feeling angry is normal, and teach her how to manage anger. Encourage techniques like deep belly breathing, taking breaks to calm down, trying relaxation activities such as yoga, and reminding herself that anger doesn’t solve problems. These methods can help her handle anger more effectively.
9. Dream big:
Many remarkable achievements we hear about start with someone daring to dream big and working hard to make it happen. Don’t be afraid or uncertain about pursuing big dreams with determination. Stay focused on your ultimate goal, and don’t let easier tasks divert your attention. This mindset will help you turn your dreams into reality.
- How to make your child dream big: Here are ways to help your child dream big: encourage imaginative play, suggest keeping a dream journal, share your dreams, set achievable goals together, teach innovative uses of technology, support learning from setbacks, and encourage reading success stories in books. These activities can inspire and empower your child to pursue their dreams boldly.
10. Accept that nothing is permanent:
The cycle of day turning to night and back to day shows that nothing in life lasts forever, including success and failure. Those who have faced failure should take hope from this cycle and continue working towards success. Similarly, those experiencing tough times should persevere, knowing things will eventually improve.
- How to explain impermanence to your child: Explaining impermanence to a young child can be challenging, but you can use simple examples to help them understand. Sit together and watch the clouds in the sky, showing how they change shape or drift away after a while. Show them a bud on a plant that is about to bloom, explaining that soon it will blossom into a flower. Use examples like these to illustrate how things in life are always changing and evolving. This can help your child understand that nothing stays the same forever.
Swami Mahamedhananda states, “Children should be trained and encouraged to work in the garden, plant trees, conserve water and other natural resources, not waste food, recycle whatever can be reused, and dispose of waste responsibly. Although these look like small acts, they will teach our children to understand and respect their relationship with nature. In whatever way, whatever work they do, they (children) should strive to give back more than what they receive. This is the spirit of sacrifice.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bhagavad Gita imparts invaluable life lessons that resonate deeply with children and parents. It teaches the importance of fulfilling duties with dedication and integrity, fostering resilience in the face of challenges, and practicing self-control to achieve inner peace. The Gita advocates for equality, compassion towards all beings, and the courage to uphold moral values. It emphasizes pursuing knowledge, mindfulness in daily life, and detachment from outcomes to maintain stability. Ultimately, the Gita encourages spiritual growth, urging individuals to reflect on their inner selves and seek a deeper connection with the universe. These teachings provide a timeless guide for children and parents, nurturing values promoting personal growth, harmonious relationships, and a meaningful life journey.
FAQs
Q1: What are the main teachings of the Bhagavad Gita for children?
Ans: The Bhagavad Gita teaches children the importance of fulfilling their duties (dharma) with sincerity and dedication, cultivating resilience in facing challenges, and practicing self-control in thoughts and actions.
Q2: How can children learn resilience from the Bhagavad Gita?
Ans: Children can learn resilience from the Bhagavad Gita by understanding that challenges are part of life’s journey. They are encouraged to stay determined and focused on their goals, learning from failures and setbacks like Arjun did on the battlefield.
Q3: What does the Bhagavad Gita teach about equality and compassion?
Ans: The Gita emphasizes treating everyone with equality and compassion and seeing beyond external differences. Children learn to respect and empathize with others’ feelings, fostering harmonious relationships based on mutual understanding.
Q4: How does the Bhagavad Gita promote spiritual growth for children and parents?
Ans: The Bhagavad Gita encourages spiritual growth by urging children and parents to reflect on their inner selves, seek spiritual awareness, and connect with higher ideals and values, thereby finding purpose and inner peace.
Q5: What role does mindfulness play in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita?
Ans: The Bhagavad Gita advocates mindfulness, which means staying present and aware in every moment. Children are taught to practice mindfulness through meditation and conscious living, which enhances focus, reduces stress, and appreciates life’s experiences.
Q6: How can parents help their children apply the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in daily life?
Ans: Parents can help by discussing Gita’s teachings with their children and encouraging them to practice honesty, kindness, and perseverance. They can also lead by example in demonstrating these values in everyday actions.
Q7: What does the Bhagavad Gita say about perseverance and effort?
Ans: The Gita teaches that success comes from persistent effort and determination. We can achieve greatness by working hard and staying committed to our goals.
Q8: How does the Bhagavad Gita teach us to live in harmony?
Ans: It encourages us to live harmoniously with ourselves, others, and the world. By cultivating inner peace and promoting unity, we contribute to a peaceful society.
Q9: What does the Bhagavad Gita teach about the importance of faith?
Ans: It emphasizes having faith in oneself, in higher principles, and in life’s journey. Faith gives us strength and helps us navigate challenges with optimism.
Q10: How does the Bhagavad Gita inspire us to be responsible?
Ans: It teaches that we are responsible for our actions and their consequences. We grow in maturity and integrity by taking responsibility for our choices and behavior.
