Shravanam or listening to divine subjects is the very first step in the path of spirituality and devotion. ‘Listening’ is also the foremost skill required for positivity and happiness in relationships and in life. Yet it is a wonder that, while the essential skills of Speaking, Debating, Reading, Writing, etc. are commonly taught and practiced in schools, this other vital, fundamental skill of Listening is rarely taught or practiced as a specific subject or club, in educational institutions. Add to this the fact that in the current age, with the prolific use of digital devices, videos and multimedia presentations, not only are attention spans of children dwindling but they also have fewer opportunities to grow their own pure imagination. This is even more true when it comes to stories from ancient Indian historical texts because nowadays, children learn these more often through books, videos and images than by pure listening. On top of all this, only rarely do most young children these days have an opportunity to listen to spiritual talks that can provide unique perspectives on life and help raise their minds above the daily grind and instant gratifications.
Inspired by Sri Swamiji, Global Organization for Divinity has been offering two unique, online summer programs since last summer in North America, focusing specifically on the all-important skill of Listening and the benefits that come with it. The second successful summer with these programs was recently completed. Several children and youth from USA and Canada benefited from these.
1. “JUST LISTEN” – Summer Listening Club
This Summer Listening Club had children and youth of all ages listening to a video of a brief 5-10 minute talk by Sri Swamiji or one of his disciples, on either a story based on our Puranas and Itihasas, or a positive psychology concept, a spiritual/devotional concept, a divine experience, etc.
Each session began with coordinators sharing the title of the topic for the day, and asking children what they understood by it. This would get them intrigued and engaged in the video. After listening to the video, participants played a quiz game based on the talk, and discussed their learnings. Each session lasted only 20-30 minutes and was offered 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Children who were registered for the program could attend as many sessions as they were able to. To keep children engaged and reflecting on the topics, there were offline quizzes in the form of word jumbles, crossword puzzles and the participants in these were recognized.
Participants were introduced to subjects such as “Small Steps, Big Results”, “Why Fasting is a Practice in All Religious Traditions”, “Hathiram Baba”, “Can God hear me chant?”, “Sakhya Bhava: Story of Govindadas”, “Necessities vs Purpose of Life”, “Dealing with Changing Relationships”, and more.
2. SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM STORIES
The purpose of this second summer program was to enable children to experience pure storytelling, enhancing their ability to listen for extended periods of time as well as allowing them to develop their imagination without being dependent on visual aids. What better way to do this than through Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the Purana for pure shravanam!
In this program, children gathered online on Zoom once a week (for 7 weeks) to listen to a story from Srimad Bhagavatam from a G.O.D. storyteller. Before launching into the story, participants were introduced in bits to the greatness and value of Srimad Bhagavatam. They learned what Srimad Bhagavatam was, what it contained, and more. They were also sometimes quizzed on the stories they had listened to in earlier weeks.
Next a story from Srimad Bhagavatam was told. This year it included the stories of Atmadeva, Jadabharata, Daksha Yagna, Rantideva, Vamana Avatara, Krishna’s Makhanchori & Mrid-Bhakshana Leelas, and Rukmini Kalyanam. The storytellers made it interesting for the children to listen, with vivid descriptions, characterizations and dialogues. Children’s ears were glued to the stories being told as their imagination soared, running the story like a movie in their minds. Of course, since the subject was Srimad Bhagavatam, there is no doubt that these stories also planted little seeds of faith and devotion in these young hearts.
After the story was told, a brief discussion was encouraged where participants were quizzed on the story and were also encouraged to ask any questions they might have.
Both the Just Listen and Srimad Bhagavatam programs were immensely appreciated by the participating children/youth as well as parents. Many parents also enjoyed listening to the stories and the video talks. Several parents gave superlative feedback. A couple of detailed ones are shared below:
I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all GOD volunteers for conducting the highly engaging and transformative “Just Listen” program with such dedication and care. We are truly fortunate that our children have had the opportunity to be exposed to these invaluable teachings, presented in a way that is accessible and meaningful to them. The impact this program has had on their understanding and growth is deeply appreciated.
We eagerly look forward to the continuation of these sessions in the coming year. Your efforts have made a lasting impression, and we are excited to see the positive influence this program will continue to have on our children.
Humble pranams and Thank you once again for your outstanding work.
Grateful to all the organisers and the volunteers for taking an hour off your schedule to inspire kids with all the lovely stories from Srimad Bhagavatam. What was so exciting was that you all had the kids’ attention with lovely narration without any visuals. My daughter doesn’t show much interest without visuals but she sat all through the 1 hour sessions with much interest and was able to recollect most of the stories after the sessions and answer few questions. Kudos and humble pranams to all of you for making this summer a memorable one for these kids. Looking forward to more of it next summer!
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Click here to see all articles in Sep 2024 issue:
https://godivinity.org/newsletters/nama-dwaar-newsletter-september-2024/
