Death Is a Celebration

DEMYSTIFYING DEATH

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A portrait of a deity holding a staff with a large figure behind it

The very word 'death' creates agony
and fear. Even talking about it is
considered of inauspicious as we may
invite it by even mentioning it. Death
is seen as an enemy. We paint death
as a villain, never as a hero. The idea
of death is always approached with
negativity. We feel death takes away
everything from us. What ever we
want, whatever we enjoy, whatever
we have, everything is just taken by
force from us

So most of us live either in denial of death or in fear of it. We think, 'why should we think about it now? We will handle it when it arrives.' Some how we always want to escape from death, Our concern for unfulfillment is rooted in our fear of death.

It is a primal fear, that of the unknown our actions in this life are for the most part driven by the desire to be in a better place after death or the fear not to be in a worst place after death. This fear of leaving the body and mind has existed through the ages.

GOALS

Make the children
understand about the
common perception of
death

ASSESSMENTS

What does the word death create?

Why death is painted in black?

We approach the idea of death with what?

What we feel about death?

Which is rooted in our fear of death?

Which is a primal fear?

Which desire drives our actions in life?

Which fear drives our actions in life?

EVALUATION

Evaluate how well they
understood the topic by
asking multiple questions.

CONCLUSION

When we really live
intensely, automatically we
will be liberated.

ART OF THE DAY

A painting of a person with sacred ash on forehead and a watercolor set

ART OF THE DAY:

DO DRAWING WITH PERMANENT MARKER AND IMPERMANENT MARKER

MATERIALS NEEDED

Paper

Permanent marker

Impermanent marker (washable marker).

PROCEDURE

Encourage the children to draw any picture with permanent marker on the plain sheet and now ask them to draw the same picture with impermanent marker and ask them to use ink eraser and erase the pictures and see the difference.

INFERENCE

The picture drawn with permanent marker cannot be erased with ink eraser but the picture drawn with impermanent marker can be easily erased with ink eraser. Connect them to the fact that soul is eternal and that it cannot be erased or destroyed while the body is perishable

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY

CHANGE PAINTING

MATERIALS NEEDED

Poster colors

Plain sheet

Pencil

Crayon

PROCEDURE

Encourage the children to do the drawing in the paper and paint it with poster colors. Ask them to dry the painting and tear each of their painting. Now ask each child to share and interchange part of their painting with the other child and form a new collage. Encourage each child to explain what they interpret from the new collage. Ask them to discuss how was this change in the painting was perceived by them.

INFERENCE

We are afraid of
death because
instinctively we
resist change and
death is an abrupt
change in life.

Portrait of Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam