THE CONCEPT OF INNOCENCE — Innocence: the Most Beautiful Feeling

INTRODUCTION

Constantly, we are asked to be good, to be pure, and to be innocent the idea of innocence is forced upon us, constantly we are taught society, by moralists, that something is right, something is wrong constantly we are taught the idea of good & bad, something innocent & something is corrupted, we are forced to practice something that is good or what society thinks is good.

Life is totally different, what society
believes is different from what is
Innocence means purity of the
inner space not being affected
thoughts or engraved memories
then if you are not expressing
emotions like anger greed & lust, if
they are present in your inner
space you are not as yet a total &
innocent person. On the other
hand if you express your anger lust
& greed but nothing touches your
inner space & you live like an
innocent child then be very clear,
you are pure being. Innocence is
directly related to the inner space it
way related to the outer world.
Unless you are without logic or
tired logic you cannot be ready for
transformation. Logic cannot help
understand even your own life.
Logic does not allow you to be
simple innocent .only when there
is no logic there can be innocence.

Innocence is the space for
transformation to happen.
There is so much freshness
behind innocence. Life
becomes an unfolding mystery
every moment with it. That is
the truth. Life is an ever
unfolding mystery. It is the
mind that typecasts it. The
mind always wants life on its
own specific terms. Innocence
embraces life with life's own
terms. With the mind, life does
not find a gate to enter with its
mysteries. With innocence, life
is welcomed to share its
mysteries. Innocence trusts.

Innocence does not worry about
being exploited. There are three
ways to ask a question. You can
ask out of innocence, or you can
ask out of knowledge to show that
you too know, and third, you can
ask to confirm that what you
know is correct. When you ask
out of innocence, you are
completely ready to receive the
answer. When you ask out of
knowledge, you can completely
miss the answer. When you ask
for confirmation, you simply resist
the answer.

A depiction of a young figure with a leopard print headband, rudraksha beads, and holy ash markings on his forehead, arms, and chest, with his hands held out as if in prayer or receiving something.

GOALS

To make the
children
understand about
the concept of
innocence

ASSESSMENT

How does our society condition us?

Does our life is the same way as the society tell us?

What is innocence?

Innocence is related to outer space or inner space?

When there will be innocence?

Can innocence so with logic?

Can a logical person be innocent?

ART OF THE DAY

ART OF THE DAY:

DRAW PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

MATERIALS NEEDED

Plain Sheet
Pencil
Sketch Pen

EXPLANATION

Encourage the children to draw their ideas of past, present and future in pictorial format. Ask children to explain to their friends what they have drawn.

INFERENCE

Innocence is keeping the consciousness at the level of the heart, not allowing it to settle in the head.

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY

ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY:

NEWSPAPER GAME

EXPLANATION:

Make the children into groups of four or five. Give each group a name or they can wear same color dress. Place few newspapers on the ground. Now play the music or do clapping when clapping sound or music is stopped. They have to stand with their group in the corresponding newspaper. Whoever not standing in the group or standing with other group or not standing on the newspaper will be out of the game.

ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY:

NEWSPAPER GAME

INFERENCE: This activity needs lots of co-ordination and focus and ability to respond immediately. When we drop our cunningness we can become more spontaneous.

A person in orange robes with rudraksha necklaces and a tilak on their forehead, smiling

ALWAYS BE OPENMINDED

INTRODUCTION

Openness is emptiness. Let not knowledge fill you. Knowledge is but a mere tool, not your substance. Reject all knowledge as not this, reject means don't settle for any intermediate knowledge except the ultimate truth. We may know many things, but the knowing should not dull us in any way. We should remain empty in spirit always. If you just look at life without any opinions, without any words or description, without any fixed ideas, then you can receive everything because you hold nothing, because you are empty. Present is an unfolding miracle and mystery of Existence. We try to grasp it, with the net of knowledge.

That is the motivation for
knowledge. But it can never
happen! The unknown can never
be trapped with the known. The
unknown can be known only by
surrendering to it. That surrender
is what is called intelligence!
Intelligence recognizes the mystery
of the present moment and
surrenders to it joyfully. That joy is
the joy of innocence. Knowledge
on the other hand denies the
mystery of the present moment. It
tries to ascertain it every minute
and the present can never be
ascertained. So you continuously
remain with what is called 'fear of
the unknown'. Through knowledge,
you somehow try to escape from
the 'not knowing' of the moment.
To the ego, not- knowing means
being nothing.

It cannot handle being nothing.
But innocence is being nothing
and enjoying the present! The
present is an unopened gift. But
knowledge robs it of its suspense.
Belief is nothing but an
individual and independent
interpretation of something.
There is no need to instill any
belief into a child.

A child can remain free to have its
own interpretation. The
unconscious response becomes
your 'instinct'. The very experience
of anything around you happens
only through instinct, not as it is.
And because of this, you cannot
know anything as it is. You can
know it only through your
knowledge. That is why we say,
knowledge is a hindrance to
knowing. Once knowledge
solidifies in the being there is no
space left for experiencing. There
is scope only for replay of
knowledge. Everything becomes
reflection of some past knowledge
or some past conclusion. The
future becomes a continuation of
the past patterns and experiences.
Existence is not a continuation of
anything.

A stylized illustration of a deity or spiritual figure wearing an ornate golden crown, seated on a silver throne with a blurry temple background.

It is fresh every minute. So it is not possible to know anything. The mind is constantly looking for activity you go behind belief. We base our whole life on beliefs. Because of this we are immersed in activity, but not action. Activity needs constant fuelling through beliefs. Activity cannot afford to stop. It if stops, the mind fall into depression. Action happens as and when required and stops. Activity happens out of belief. Action happens out of understanding. Activity causes fatigue while action creates energy and inspiration.

What you need is action, not
activity. Just understand that
belief is nothing but your own
understanding of something and
not the truth. In any given
situation, four different people
can conclude differently with
four different beliefs. There is no
absolute reality in belief. It is
merely an individual perception.
But innocence keeps the
perception open. That is the
beauty of it. It doesn't conclude
and close the doors on anything.
There are innumerable
interpretations to anything. Not
holding onto any one
interpretation is the essence of
innocence. Then the spirit is
kept alive.

GOALS

To make the
children
understand about
remaining
empty

Portrait of a young smiling person in a turban within a mandala

ASSESSMENT

What is openness?

What is meant by rejecting knowledge?

How we behave as a child?

Knowledge makes us dull or fresh?

What happens when we are devotee?

When you will note cross your enthusiasm?

When you will follow your heart?

What is life?

Relate interpretation to innocence?

CONCLUSION:

Portrait of a young man with a tilak on his forehead

When you ask out of
innocence, you are complete
up ready to receive the
answer.

ART OF THE DAY

ART OF THE DAY:

HAND PRINTING AND CREATING PICTURES

MATERIALS NEEDED

Plain sheet
Poster colors
Plate for mixing paint

EXPLANATION

Ask the children to paint their palm with different colors and print the impression on the paper. Now they can use their creativity to create various pictures out of the hand printing. For example, they can create like peacock, swan, giraffe etc.

INFERENCE

We can make anything out of anything when we are open. Life has no boundary, no limit. We may know many things but the knowing should not restrict us in any way. We must always be open to receive be so creative.

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY

ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY: HULA HOOP GAME

MATERIALS NEEDED: Strong hula hoop

EXPLANATION: Encourage children to form groups. Give each child in the group to hold the hula hoop and all the children must sit holding the hoop at the same time and stand up similarly holding the hoop, they can also hold the loop with one hands and do this activity.

ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY: HULA HOOP GAME

INFERENCE: This activity needs co-ordination and co-operation among the team.

SILENCE IS THE
SPACE OF
UNLEARNING &
LEARNING.

INTRODUCTION

In silence there is innocence. In words there is intellect. Intellect can never receive the truth, only innocence can just be with innocence that is enough. Silence bridges the gap that words create. Silence is the space of transformation into fresh learning. In silence you are open and in those moments you are innocent. The inner silence is the treasure zone. In silence there is no geed or fear. Innocence is a delicate fragrance while knowledge is a strong filter. That is the difference. The fragrance of innocence draws the whole world to you, prevents many things from coming to you. The filter of knowledge prevents many things from coming to you.

THE FILTER OF

KNOWLEDGE

We are in a great hurry all the time,
because there is too much knowledge
to gather When you are with
innocence you simply enjoy the
moment.

Innocence grasps the moment while knowledge misses it. Knowledge knows only purpose while innocence knows the beauty of purposelessness. Children lose their innocence to the conditioning that they receive in the name of “how to be clever”. Knowledge is a tool. It doesn't directly lead to intelligence. It is just a tool. As long as we use it as a powerful tool where needed, it is good. On the other hand, innocence leads directly to pure intelligence. Innocence grasps dimensions that cleverness misses.

Innocence may miss the facts but it
catches the truths, when cleverness
combines with innocence, it
becomes a rare combination of
intelligence. Knowledge that is not
yet experience is not your own. It
is borrowed. Knowing is different
from knowledge. Knowing is
innocence. It is an understanding
that has become your own
experience. Work so that
everything becomes a deep
experience in you. You will then be
a simple person. Simplicity is
weightless. It will never weigh you
down and hinder further learning.
It is just aid in the flowering of
innocence, that's all. What
innocence grasps one may not ever
be able to express, because it is an
understanding beyond words.

A depiction of a deity dressed in traditional attire, holding a spear and a staff

GOALS

To make the
children
understand about
silence is the
space of
unlearning &
learning.

ASSESSMENT

What is intellect?

What is innocence?

What is there is silence -innocence or intellect?

What bridges the gap that words create?

What is the difference between innocence & intelligence?

What happens when you are in innocence?

Which knows the purpose and which knows the beauty of purposelessness?

Whether knowing is different from knowledge?

ART OF THE DAY

Illustration of a person in traditional attire

ART OF THE DAY:

WAX PAINTING

MATERIALS NEEDED

Uncolored art sheet
Various color crayons
Poster colors (different), brush

EXPLANATION

Ask the children to first color the picture with crayon and then paint on it with poster colors, ask them to observe how the painting looks like. Ask them whether the paint is mixing with poster color or standing alone.

INFERENCE

Innocence grasps dimensions that cleverness misses. Innocence may miss facts but it catches the truth.

ACTIVITY
OF
THE DAY

ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY:

HIDE AND SEEK GAME.

EXPLANATION:

In this game of hide and seek, one child counts to a certain numbers while all the other children hide. As the end of the count, the child who counts says, “Ready or not”, here I come and seeks out the hiders.

INFERENCE:

Cunningness is a pure hide and seeks game, you play with yourself. Societal conditioning causes the innocence in the intelligence to take the turn in to cunningness.

A person dressed as Lord Krishna sitting on a decorated throne