We met around the big, old, wooden dining table at SRV San Francisco. On it were spread pieces of blank newsprint on which our four little students drew pictures of what makes them feel peaceful. There were pictures of trees, ponds, the sun shining, Easter bunnies and more. Each child had the opportunity to explain their drawing. Afterwards, we met in the shrine room with flowers for a simple worship and meditation.
A group of five boys and girls ranging in age from 5yrs to 8yrs attended this class taught by Annapurna, which included an introduction to ceremonial worship that they could participate in, meditation with Babaji, and special "hands-on" teachings designed to acquaint young minds with foundational teachings such as "I am not the body"; the real Self (Soul) doesn't change when the body or mind changes; and all Souls are one with God and all other Souls.
When our older SRV children were very young we taught them through rituals, stories, drama, and art. Core philosophical and dharma teachings were expressed in that manner. Now, as they are entering the later grades of elementary and middle school, they are naturally interacting in a more intellectual way with the external world (the bhutakasha) and having more involved social interactions as well. In our secularized society it is essential for the children of dharmic families to have friendships with other children whose home life is also based in dharma, otherwise they feel out of step with their peers. For the children of parents who follow Vedanta, this can be a real challenge, since we are not a large group in any city. Therefore, at SRV's Portland ashram, we work hard at finding times our children can come together for formal spiritual instruction in the ashram, and have fun in the process.
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