The Form Of God As A Gift🔗

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THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Bhagavān says: Dear Arjuna, I have favoured you with this transcendental form within the material world of My internal power. No one before you has seen this unlimited, brilliant form

He who decides how He reveals Himself to His devotees and disciples. It is a gift from the master, from the Divine

Effort prepares one for the receipt of this great gift, but it is not the only necessary condition for the gift to be showered.

Do not be disturbed any longer by seeing this terrible form of Mine. Dear devotee, be free from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind, you can now see the form you wish to see

It is ultimately the surrender of the devotee to the master, like the surrender of the infant to the mother, that evokes this unconditional love.

सञ्जय उवाच ।

When the mind is wiped clean of its templates of comparison, it makes no difference if the Divine appears to be loving or terrifying. In both aspects one accepts Divinity.

Krsna consoles Arjuna in these verses. He is again His compassionate Self to his disturbed disciple. He tells Arjuna that no one, but no one, has had this great privilege of seeing His cosmic form that He had just displayed to Arjuna. No penances, no rituals, no amount of scriptural reading, and no other charities would gain this Vision for anyone. 'However, you are terrified. That is OK. See Me now in My normal form that you are used to worshipping.' Krsna is clear on this point. It is He who decides how He reveals Himself to His devotees and disciples. It is a gift from the master, from the Divine. It is not earned through effort. Of course, effort prepares one for the receipt of this great gift, but it is not the only necessary condition for the gift to be showered.

Of course, in this chapter Arjuna seeks Krsna's vision and it happens. It could have also happened without his seeking. The favor is for the Divine to give, not because we ask. It does not matter to Krsna that Arjuna seemingly spurns this gift and would like to see Him as He normally does. A mother's love for her child does not happen as a result of any effort on the child's part. The presence of the child spontaneously evokes the deep unconditional love of the mother for the child. It is ultimately the surrender of the devotee to the master, like the surrender of the infant to the mother that evokes this unconditional love.

To understand that there is no qualification to gain darshan of the divine, it is simply gifted to those chosen.

Each person should get a chart paper cut into a heart shaped card. There should be enough colouring materials for everyone to share. encourage the children to Make a card, and give it away to a complete stranger! Talk about the term "Causeless Love" – Love without a purpose. What it means and how to try it out with the people you meet. You can give an example of a new student coming to join their class, and with no ulterior motives or purpose, what is something you could to make him/her feel comfortable and welcome?

Ask each child for examples. The beautiful thing about causeless love is that although you are helping someone or giving someone love, for no personal gain: you are giving yourself love as well! Through loving others, you receive love too And it heals you from feeling restless. How can you feel uncomfortable when you are busy helping someone else? Feeling uncomfortable or shy is just thinking about yourself, worrying about what other people are thinking about you! But if you love someone else, you open your heart to give love, and you receive love through being open! “Love is meant to be shared!” "Love was not meant to stay in your heart, love is not love until you give it away!"

Explain that as an activity for causeless love, we are going to make a card, and give it away to a complete stranger! Why? Because that is a form of causeless love; giving something from your heart. With no purpose other than you love them as another being in this universe and want to make the whole world happy! Love is contagious, love is like a smile. Smile at someone, not just with your face, but with your heart, and they will feel the love and in turn smile at others. I believe we could make the whole world a happier place if we sent smiles all over the world creating positive energy! Allow each one to colour and decorate their card, and give their gift away to a complete stranger and come back with their story of whom they gave it to, and how it made them feel

Krsna consoles Arjuna in these verses. He is again His compassionate Self

LIST OF LOVE - POSITIVE THINKING

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE:

Have enough paper and pencils for everyone. Each person will write the name of their classmates on separate sheets of paper. For each of the classmates, they will need to write three positive points. Gather the class together and talk about positive thinking. How important it is to be a friend and look at each other through eyes of love, remembering their good points and not their bad ones. Give each child a paper with all their friends' names on it and ask them to go to different corners to write 3 points about each person. When they are all finished, for each child, compile all the nice things that were written about them by other children on a new sheet of papers.

❖ is fun to be around! ❖ is great at art and draws and colours really well. ❖ Is sweet and kind to those around him!

Give that to the respective children and ask them to decorate their paper with colour pencils. Ask them to read it aloud. Ask them how they felt. Instruct them to keep these lists about themselves to remember what a special individual they really are! Extension: Make a book mark with the list of positive notes and give to each child.

❖ 1 large Poster paper ❖ Water colors, ❖ Brushes ❖ Any other preferred art/craft materials can be used: paints, crayons paper of different colors, ❖ magazines, ❖ newspaper ❖ glue ❖ Scissors

Have an experience creating as a group, not as an individual. let's make a collage for the topic love and compassion. Each child will add their own unique part but with the consideration that this is only a part of the whole picture/collage. ask the children to talk about how they plan to express their love and compassion using different colors or shapes etc. Which color or shape do they associating love with? Ask them for different words describing their emotions, understanding or experiences.

Have an experience creating as a group, not as an individual. let's make a collage for the topic love and compassion. Each child will add their own unique part but with the consideration that this is only a part of the whole picture/collage. ask the children to talk about how they plan to express their love and compassion using different colors or shapes etc. Which color or shape do they associating love with? Ask them for different words describing their emotions, understanding or experiences.

• Children are to sit in a circle on the ground or around the table. • Explain the process of creating a collage together. • ask then to them visualize then describe the colors or shapes they see, how would they paint the emotions they feel in their heart? • Name the art project together, discuss the name as a group.

It is ultimately the surrender of the devotee to the master, like the surrender of the infant to the mother, that evokes unconditional love.

Love must flow from our being. Love happens when we experience cosmic consciousness, when we have a spiritual experience, when our ego disappears. Krsna lays out the whole technique for us, step-by-step. After a spiritual experience, so much gratitude flows from our being, so much love overflows from our being, that we start radiating it. We need not make an effort, it just flows. We cannot stop it. No one can show or experience love unless they have had a spiritual experience.

BOOK XI, VOLUME XIV