Interpretation 1

Explain to the children that guilt is the shadow of the desires. Borrowed desires invariably lead to guilt. When we live our desires completely we will not have guilt. When we are not fully in the moment it leads to the guilt.

Here is a group game that can be played together for the representation of guilt.

A non-transparent bag and one small object (e.g.small piece of paper, button or coin.)

1. Gather the class in a circle and sit. Explain the topic and the game.
2. Take the bag and show the object that will be hidden inside.
3. One person will get to put their hand in the bag. They can either take the object or pretend to take it. They remove their hand with their fist closed and place it behind their back. They have to do this such that no one can see if they have taken the object or not. Everyone takes turns to do the same.
4. Now each person takes turn to guess who has the object in their hand.
5. Watch the facial expression of the people

All others will find it easy to point fingers randomly at someone they think has the object. The person who has the object would find it difficult to point fingers at someone else because they know they have the object. That is guilt!

Guilt is actually the shadow of the ego. When somebody says something and you become angry, it is the ego, your idea about yourself, that causes the anger. But right after, you start feeling guilty about losing your temper. Now, too, it is the same ego that causes the guilt. It gives you the feeling that you could have done differently to change the situation, but you did not do it. This is the dilemma.

The ego creates the problem and the same ego goes on harboring guilt. If you understand this game of the ego, you can simply drop the guilt. Without allowing ego, if you allow only awareness, you will neither get unduly angry nor will you suffer for it. Because of the awareness, you will not be blinded with anger. You will get angry only to the extent required and automatically there will not be any guilt either!

If you have made a mistake there are two ways to treat it. One is to feel guilty. If you feel guilty, you will commit the same mistake again. Guilt is the way to commit the same mistake again because you forget the mistake and start focusing on the guilt. If you focus on the mistake, you will know how and where you went wrong and so you will not repeat it. If you focus on the guilt, you will not even analyze how and where you went wrong, so you are still very much capable of making the same mistake again!

To make them aware of how ego manifests as guilt, how being happy is itself associated with feelings of guilt.

• v Have you felt guilty about something?
• v How will you feel when you do something wrong and others find out?
• v How does the ego get bigger with guilt?
• v How is ego related to guilt?
• v What happens when we make a big mistake for the first time?
• v Why do we cover up our mistake?
• v Can you feel happy when you feel guilty?
• v Can you feel guilt without thinking about the past?
• v Have you ever felt guilty of being happy?

Conclude the topic by reviewing the important details. Drop ego and feel the happiness without the guilt.