::The Children Project:: Daily Life

The school is awakened by the blowing of a conch shell and the ringing of a bell. The conch sound is holy in India and it marks the sacred nature of the day we are beginning. The bell is a temple bell, indicating the awakening not only of the mind and body but also the spirit. The divine spirit is called to awaken within our hearts and minds, finding expression in all our thoughts, feelings and actions throughout the day.

The children have been born into the culture of India and they are encouraged to honor the spiritual traditions of their ancestors. At the same time, many of the visiting teachers and staff come from all over the world, which allows the children to experience, as Sathya Sai Baba teaches, that "all religions are part of the same truth."

Many of our prayers are taken from the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of man.

VEDAS
About these Sanskrit texts, Sathya Sai Baba says: "The study of the Vedas is the highest type of learning since it leads to the conquest of death. All other studies deal with the means of living or the surroundings which you have to live; they deal with earning and spending, deriving a little pleasure by this trick, escapinga little grief by that trick. The Vedas show the path to the Realm of Eternal Bliss, where there is no birth or death."

The origin of these Vedas has been lost in the mists of time. It has been said that the ancient sages of India performed penance to understand the nature of God. While deep in meditation they perceived the Vedas through a range of sounds that reached them from within their own being. The Vedas, then, are the products only of the hearing of various Divine sounds by the sages. They are not the result of either study or reading, but the act of hearing sounds, which is why Vedas are also called 'Shruti' (that which is heard). Because there is no reference book, they are considered to be God's pure truth and their own authority. You cannot quote something else to prove the authenticity of something that has been received through sound and experience. Sathya Sai Baba has said, "Vedas are like breath, the taking in and the giving out of the breath of God Himself."

At CPT we have seen that study of the Vedas, helps the children to better understand the significance of the world, of human interactions and of the Divine thread that connects all forms. As this awareness expands within them, they grow in selfconfidence and become more present, caring and effective in all their daily activities.

Aumkara: The chanting of the sacred AUM (or Om) 21 times. Aum has been translated in various ways, one of which is "Welcome To God."

Gayatri Mantra

Aum
Bhoor Bhuvah Su-va-ha

Tat Savitur Vare-unyum
Bhargo-O Devasya Dhee-ma-hee
Dhiyo-Yo Nah Pracho-da-yaat

May the Supreme Light
That illuminates the three worlds,
Illumine our mind also, fully,
And direct the rays of our intelligence
To the path of virtue.

The Asato Maa

Prayer For All Beings

Learning to balance duty and play is an important skill for everyone to cultivate. Like all children, ours are taught personal responsibility - for him or herself as an individual and for our family. This includes cleaning up after an activity in the common area and making sure their personal sleeping area and shelf is tidy. Along with street clothes, each child has two uniforms and even the smallest is taught how to wash them regularly.

Older girls guide the younger and also take responsibility for feeding our many animals, walking the dogs or watering the garden on a rotating schedule. The smaller children often join them and, since they've never been taught that these efforts are a burden, work often turns into a game rather than a chore!

Since many of the jobs are done on a rotating schedule, there is usually ample time for play, reading or study before breakfast.

We keep a vegetarian diet and our simple breakfast menu is prepared by the older and middle girls on a rotating basis. Many of them enjoy cooking so this gives them a chance to practice their skills in the kitchen. We usually offer a seasonal fruit along traditional South Indian fare - either dosa, upma, ragi porridge or a rice dish.

Each child is responsible for washing up their own plates, but our kitchen staff, who arrives mid-morning to prepare lunch, clean the larger pots.

Satsang literally means 'truthful company' or 'virtuous company'. This means association with people or activities that bring out the best and help focus the mind on eternal truths, God, our own divine nature. The Buddha considered it to be the first principle of spiritual practice. Sathya Sai Baba says: "Show me the company you keep and I will tell you who you are."

While in Puttaparthi, our children are keeping company each morning with a wonderful Veda teacher, Anna Saraswathi. Currently, she is training them to chant "Sri Rudhram", the great chants to Lord Shiva and they have learned 10 out of the 12 verses.

Although we make special time in the evenings for group play, storytelling or bhajan, all experience that each day is filled with the blessing of satsang. It is, according to Sathya Sai Baba, "The easiest and most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust. The company of the good and the Godly will slowly and surely chasten and cleanse the persons prone to straying away from the straight path towards Self-realization."