LESSON: 2🔗

Introduction: Review the day before topic and introduce to the children to remain empty

Goals: To make the children understand about remaining empty

About the Topic: 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

© 2011 Copyright Nithya Gnanadhan Trust

# INNOCENCE

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 a 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.

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 falls 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

© 2011 Copyright Nithya Gnanadhan Trust

# INNOCENCE

anything. Not holding onto any one interpretation is the essence of innocence. Then the spirit is kept alive. • • • •

Evaluation: Evaluate their knowledge on the topic by asking multiple questions

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

INNOCENCE

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.

© 2011 Copyright Nithya Gnanadhan Trust

INNOCENCE

Activity of 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.

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

© 2011 Copyright Nithya Gnanadhan Trust

INNOCENCE

Workshop 1: I Am A Possibility In Myself

Explanation: Ask the children to tell how many times they receive the virus of conditioning what all things they have been conditioned. How they feel when they are conditioned for something. For example, if you get wet you will catch cold, eating orange makes sore throat etc.

Inference: We are a possibility in ourselves when conditioning wires attacks as we have to overcome it with might understanding. Everybody must understand we are a possibility in ourselves. It is our mind set up which leads to problems. If we think everything positive only positive things will happen. Conditioning cannot affect us in on way.

© 2011 Copyright Nithya Gnanadhan Trust