Class VI

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Words in GREEN= Grammar, syntax or spelling error

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Chapter I - Nature
The Splendour of Nature 1

Chapter-II - Who am I ?
The Chocolate of Our Life 3

Chapter III - Body
Perceptions and Actions 5

Chapter IV – Mind
a. Thou art the Thoughts 7

Chapter V - Mind
b. Feelings and Emotions 9

Chapter VI - Intellect
Intellect and Intuition 12

Chapter VII - Life
Creation and the Creator 13

Chapter VIII - Prayer
An Appeal to God 15

Chapter IX - Guru
The Guide 16

Chapter X - The Creator
God is Love 18
CHAPTER I - NATURE

THE SPLENDOUR OF NATURE

Objectives
 To make the students aware of the composition of Nature
 Getting to know Nature by its attributes
 Wonder at the purpose of Lord's creations
 Wonder at the inter-dependence of Nature amongst themselves
 Remembering God for having created Nature

Thoughts for Life
 Good nature, like a bee, collects honey from every herb.
 Nature contributes for the knowledge of a person.
 Nature is my best friend, as it brings out the best in me.

Lesson Illustrated
Five Elements : Nature consisting of minerals, plants, animals and man is composed of five elements. In man the five elements are present as follows:

Elements Man
Ether space-soul or the life force inside
Air breathing in and out
Fire body temperature and digestion
Water fluids in the body
Earth skeletal and outer covering of the body

In man, physical and mental changes are continuous from birth to death. But the Soul is constant and unchanging forever.

Attributes : All the attributes of Nature are the reflections of God’s love. Some of them are listed below.

1. Free for all 5. Expects nothing
2. Equal to all 6. Regular
3. Loving – like a mother 7. Disciplined
4. Gives everything 8. Balanced

Wonder : Nature, the creation of God is itself a wonder. Its inter-dependence makes us look at it with awe and reverence. The perfect cooperation and coordination between all the parts of the body of the man, which help him to carry on his daily routine is a source of wonder. More than these, the life force or Soul, is present everywhere and in everything. This life-force is immortal.

Existence :
a) Men and animals exist with body, mind and Soul [life force]. But man is different from animals because of his sixth sense and reasoning power. Minerals and plants exist with a form and life force.
b) In spite of the natural differences, inter-dependency exists between minerals, plants, animals and men. For effective existence of inter-dependence, we must be in tune with Nature outside and with our inner divine Nature as well.

How do we learn to be in tune with Nature?
 By knowing more about Nature
 By living a simple life. By loving Nature with all its variations
 By not disturbing the balance in Nature with our activities

Activities
a) Discuss : No man is different – all are same in human existence – what is it that differs and why?
b) List out natural things around you and their inter-dependence.

Natural things Appearance Inter-dependence Their contribution Their timely need –help to each other







CHAPTER-II - WHO AM I ?

THE CHOCOLATE OF OUR LIFE

Objectives
 To learn that man is made of body, mind and Soul
 To know the attributes of each one of these
 To understand that divinity exists in all, in spite of differences among people

Thoughts for life
 One who realizes is humble. One who thinks he has attained, is arrogant.
 World can be known well when the source is known.
 Contentment will produce harmony.
 We are all children of God.

Lesson Illustrated
Man is composed of three layers, namely
(a) Gross body – Physical body [Sthoola Sharir]
(b) Subtle body – Mind and Intellect [Sookshma Sharir]
(c) Causal body – Soul [Karana Sharir]

The above can be illustrated with the following example:
Example: The Three Layers (Shariras) of Man

Item Outer layer Middle layer Inner layer
Car Body Engine Petrol
Chocolate Bar Outer cover Gold / Silver foil Chocolate
Human Beings Body Mind and Intellect Soul and Spirit

Body  It is visible.
 It has size, shape, colour, name, made-up of 5 elements, birth and death.
 It lives by the soul, and it is the vehicle for the soul.
Mind  It is invisible. Thoughts flow in it.
 It is the connecting link between the body and the soul.
 It is the engine of our life.
Intellect  It is invisible.
Thinks, discriminates, judges, reasons, makes decisions.
Soul  It is Divine, essence of our life.
 It is invisible and immortal.
Eg 1 : From a pool of water, a drop of water spills out. This has all the qualities of water, but it has separated itself from the pool (away from the main source). The analogy is as follows:
The water in the pool represents God (Paramatma).
The water droplet represents the soul (Jeevathma).
Eg 2 : Though the children of the same family may be different in their appearance/behaviour, internally they are the same. Likewise people all over the world may be different in race/colour/religion/nationalities etc., but they are basically divine.

We say ‘My’ hands, My eyes, My legs. Do they refer to the Soul? NO!
Explain thus
House It is my house. But I am not the house.
Body It is my body. But I am not the body.
Watch It is my watch. But I am not the watch.
Mind It is my mind. But I am not the mind.
Intellect It is my intellect. But I am not the intellect.
Then Who am I? I am the Soul!




CHAPTER III - BODY

PERCEPTIONS AND ACTIONS

Objectives
 To understand the balance between the sense organs and their actions as tug of war
 To recognize the functions of various sense organs in our body
 To know that the mind is the connecting link between sense perception and action

Thoughts for Life
 The less you speak the more you are listened to.
 No matter how great your words may be, you are judged by your actions.
 Empty vessels make much noise.
 Eyes are the windows of the soul.
 We eat to live and not live to eat.
 Add life to your years – not years to your life.
 One who knows to obey knows how to command.

Lessons Illustrated
Types of organs of the body: Body which is the outer protective layer, needs to be healthy and active, because of the various functions it has to perform. These functions are based on the types of organs in it.

Type 1. Gnanaendriyas:
Organs of perception. There are five sense organs –
a. Eyes – We have eyes to see the world around.
b. Ears – We have ears to listen to what others say.
c. Nose – We have a nose to smell.
d. Tongue – We have a tongue to taste.
e. Skin – We have the skin to feel the sense of touch.
By themselves they are neither good nor bad. They only perceive or act. These organs are called Gnanaendriyas as they help us to derive knowledge about the world around us. Hence it is essential for us to keep them fit and use them properly.



Type II. Karmendriyas:
These are organs of action. They are five.
a. Hands: We use our hands, for writing, eating lifting, holding, catching and doing general work. The fingers of the hands are used for showing signs and gestures. Keep them neat and tidy.
b. Feet: They are used for walking, running and playing. Keep them clean.
c. Organs of speech: The vocal chords, tongue, teeth, lips, palatal region and uvula help us to produce various sounds of the language. If any one part of the speech organ malfunctions, our speech is affected. These organs are essential for effective communication. Therefore keep them fit.
d. Reproductory organs: They are responsible for the birth of living beings and to keep God’s creation on and on. They are for procreation and not to be misused.
e. Excretory organs: They are responsible for eliminating the unwanted products from the system as sweat, urine and faecal matter. To be healthy we have to protect them and ensure that waste matter is sent out from our body.
The harmony between Gnanendriyas and Karmendriyas gives us an impetus to understand and recognise the greatness of God’s creation. Let us learn to function like them with perfect co-operation and co-ordination.

Organs for betterment
 Eyes: To see what is good and necessary.
 Ears: To hear what is good and appropriate.
 Nose: To deeply inhale fresh air.
 Tongue: To eat healthy food, not for taste, but for healthy living.
 Skin: To be sensitive to its environment
 Hands: To give wholeheartedly whatever is possible and to receive things that are needed.
 Feet: To walk on the righteous path.
 Organs of Speech: To speak the truth. To speak less and listen more.
(incidentally we were given two ears and one mouth to emphasise the need for listening)
Instrument responsible for perception and action: The organs of perception only perceive, but it is the mind which tells us what is perceived. Only after this, an act is performed. Therefore, mind is the connecting link between perception and action.

Activities
 Experiment – Velocity of air helps the balloons to soar high. Likewise the body acts or perceives with the help of the subtler mind and subtler soul.
 Discuss – If one of the organs does not function properly, what would be your problem?
 List out the physical exercises which keep your body fit.

Story of “The Soul and the sense organs”. The five sense organs thought too high of themselves and told everybody that without the presence of each one of them , man cannot survive. The subtle soul within, listening patiently to their egoistic talk, got fed up and said quietly “Let me move out” and silently slipped out of the body. What do you learn from this story?


CHAPTER IV – MIND

A. THOU ART THE THOUGHTS

Objectives
 To understand the cause for the flow of thoughts
 To realise the function of mind in material and spiritual matters

Thoughts for Life
 If you are alone, you cannot exhibit any values. But if you are loving, sweet and co-operative in company, then you are valuable.
 One who has honest thoughts and a true heart will always feel light and tension free.
 Thoughts virtually travel in no time. Mind works like a wireless machine.
 Mind is the vehicle for thoughts. Thoughts have great power and can be transmitted from one person to another.

Lesson Illustrated
Thou art the thoughts
 First Thought: There was a slight stir or vibration (kshob) round the central point considered to be the Divine region. This vibration or first thought gave rise to creation. This first thought was subtler, purer and divine.
 What is a thought ? An idea or opinion produced in the mind. This gets expressed in the form of gestures, actions, sound, work, etc.
 What is mind ? Mind is nothing but a flow of thoughts. It is a subtle body (Shookshma sharir). On an average nearly 90,000 thoughts flow in our mind in a day. The first thought or kshob is said to be the first or Divine mind.
 Thoughts lead to words, actions, habits and values.

Mind your Mind (Positive and negative values)
 Show two identical empty beakers representing mind. Ask the students to choose any one of them. As both of them are similar, anyone is acceptable to them. Next, fill one beaker with waste paper and another with chocolates. Now ask them which one they prefer. The answer will be the beaker containing chocolates. Why ? It is evident. The beaker filled with chocolates represents mind with positive values. eg:- love, kindness, generosity etc. The second beaker with waste paper is taken as the mind with negative values. eg:- hatred, jealousy, selfishness etc.

Mind is the connecting link
 Mind is the connecting link between body and soul. It is also the connecting link between the outer world and the inner spirit.

Emotions and thoughts
 They are generated in the Mind. Heart is the seat of Soul or Atman. The feelings are generated from the heart. They are like fire, while the emotions which come out of it are like smoke, which is irritating. When you are hurt by somebody, show your feelings (pain) and not your emotions (anger).
eg:- Feelings – Pain – Fire.
Emotion – Anger – Smoke.

Qualities, Values and Attitudes
 Qualities refer to the normal nature of a person. They are usually inborn and innate in an individual. Eg:- love, kindness, honesty and punctuality.
 Values: The qualities when expressed and practised become values. Eg:- to be kind, to be punctual.
 Attitudes are the way of thinking or behaving. Eg:- adaptability, generosity.

For your Learning
 Light travels at the rate of 1,86,000 miles per second. Thoughts virtually travel in no time.
 Thought is finer than ether (space), the medium of electricity.
 Do you know how fast messages reach through letters, by telephone, by telegram and by E-mail. Which one is the fastest? Remember thoughts travel faster than any of these in the mental atmosphere.

Activities
 Discuss inner values and practised values.
 Show an object. Ask each student to say a word about it. Then connect it to different kinds of thoughts that flow by looking at just one object. Explain that this is the way the mind gets filled in with thoughts and makes it heavy.
 What do these phrases mean ? Voice mail, Snail mail, E-mail.


CHAPTER V - MIND

B. FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

Objectives
 To identify the causes of our emotions
 To distinguish between emotions and feelings and to find out their symptoms in a person
 To find out ways and means of working with a person influenced by negative emotions and feelings
 To decide the ways of regulating strong emotions and feelings in a person through spiritual practices

Thoughts for Life
 Be the master of your emotions and don’t let your emotions master you.
 What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. (feelings)
 Don’t be afraid of pressure; remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond.
 Calmness and tolerance act like air-conditioning in a room. They increase man’s efficiency.
 Anger is a corrective force while love is a creative force.



Lesson Illustrated
 What is a feeling? The subtle, finer sensation that comes from the heart can be termed as a feeling. Whenever our heart feels it is expressed through the mind, our intellect reasons and body acts. This is purely based on the circumstance, situation or the influence on the part of a person or any creation of God. This is a natural outcome in any human being.
 Types of feelings: They are largely classified as positive and negative, depending on the situation.
Positive Negative
Peace
Love
Happiness
Sympathy
Empathy
Compassion
Concern
Consideration
Calmness Sadness
Hatred
Jealousy
Selfishness
Prejudice
Fear

There is a possibility of interchange of positive and negative feelings according to the states of mind. Eg. When you get 1st rank, you are happy. This is a positive feeling. When somebody else is punished, you feel happy about it. In this situation your happiness is a negative feeling.
 What is an emotion? It is nothing but ‘E’ motion, that is ‘Energy in Motion.’ It is an external manifestation of our inner feelings, usually expressed in an excited state of mind. In short emotion is the expression of strong feelings of any kind.
The following table illustrates the classification of emotions.
Emotions







Positive and negative emotions are illustrated - (a) when somebody falls down we laugh at him or her. In this situation our joy is a negative emotion. (b) In order to correct a child from making mistake, we show our anger. Here anger becomes positive as it is used as a corrective measure. Whether in feelings or emotions, we should not form a biased opinion about the person involved. Repentance is the only solution under these circumstances.

Activities
 Word thermometer: Eg. desire causes – dissatisfaction – irritability – annoyance – anger – rage – violence. Write more such word thermometers to express emotions and feelings: 1. Excitement 2. Love 3. Fear.
 Discuss: How to work with people having negative emotions and feelings. What is our role?

Self-Introspection Session
In a totally relaxed, calm, composed state, any resolutions made will be absorbed by the sub-conscious mind. (auto-suggestions)

Resolutions or Positive Affirmations
1. I am potentially divine.
2. I am an excellent student.
3. I am capable of doing great things.
4. I can prove my worth.
5. All are my friends.
6. I will remain peaceful.
7. I will not lose my temper.
8. I will not waste my time to day.
9. I will do my duty and leave the rest to ‘God’.

State this everyday after your silent prayer. Add some more such affirmations.



CHAPTER VI - INTELLECT

INTELLECT AND INTUITION

Objectives
 To understand the nature of man
 To realize the difference between today and tomorrow
 To justify that the decisions made are need based

Thoughts for Life
 We all consider ourselves to be part of “MANKIND”. Yes, we are part of “MAN” but how “KIND” are we?
 The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.

Lesson Illustrated
Intellect is another faculty of the mind. Intellect means reasoning, judging, discriminating, analyzing and thinking logically. It is the second layer and is a subtle body (sookshma sharir). It thinks.
 Logical thinking – Most often things can be logically analyzed and we can come to conclusions. Eg: Nature is Divine. Man is a part of nature. Hence man is Divine.
 Reasoning – The most important function of our intellect is to reason out. It gives directions to the mind just like the banks of a river, which guide the water flow. Eg: The mind craves for, let us say an ice cream. The intellect reasons out and sends a signal either to eat it or not, based on your health factor, amount of money in hand etc. The mind can either accept the signal of the intellect or go about in its own way.
 Discrimination and decision making – This is taking place continuously in our life, as we have choices to make. Based on our ability to discriminate and decide, actions are performed. The decisions should be need based as our life is full of dualities. Eg. Should I watch T.V. or study for my examination? The best decision can be made by listening to your heart with eyes closed in silence.
The inner self or intuition is superior to intellect and the best thing to do would be to listen to it. This comes only by practice and we must understand that it is the Divinity within, which is guiding us.
 Managing Time: ‘Time and tide wait for none’ is a common maxim. 24 hours in a day is the only available time for each and every one. Both the mind and the intellect are responsible for helping us to make the best use of it. Daily scheduling of activities with a properly planned time-table will enable us to complete the maximum in the limited time available.
We use most of the time for our own benefit. It is imperative that we spend at least sometime in a day for the benefit of others. Eg:- helping your family members, school mates, neighbours and society.

The difference between a Thinker and a Contemplator
 A thinker is an intellectual personality, whose thinking is based on reasoning, books and other sources.
 A contemplator is a spiritual personality, whose thinking and actions are based on his personal experience of The Reality.

Activities
 Give a lot of time to improve yourself and no time to criticize others – discuss.
 Recollect instances where you have repented for doing a wrong thing. How will you prevent it from happening again in future?
 Sometimes looking at a person even without his telling us, we feel that something has affected or has hurt him. This is intuition. Have you had any such experience? Narrate.


CHAPTER VII - LIFE

CREATION AND THE CREATOR

Objectives
 To understand how this universe came into being
 To understand the difference between living and non - living beings
 To understand the purpose of our life

Thoughts for Life
 God cannot be seen, because He absorbs everything and reflects nothing.
 In Nature there is no creation, nothing is created. That which is lying dormant is made active.
 Love created the universe.
 God has hidden himself inside your hearts and exposed you. Hide yourselves and expose God!

Lesson Illustrated
 Home of creation: God, the creator (Purusha), created the universe (Creation – Prakruti) out of nothing, which we call Nothingness. Eg.1. Show an apple. When the skin is removed there is pulp, when pulp is removed, there is a seed and when the seed is cut, there is nothing inside. E.g-2 Peel an onion, layer by layer. Finally you find nothing. This proves that the whole universe has been created from Nothingness.
 Nothingness is invisible Divine energy, which can neither be created nor destroyed. This we name as Creator or God. A subtle vibration or Kshob resulted in creation of life – both living and non-living.
 Types of life – living and non living – differences between them in evolution is as follows:
a. Living: Soul or life force is subtle. At the initial stage thought was pure. Desires corrupted thoughts. Thoughts became impure and lost touch with the divinity inside. This resulted in separation. We must go within to become what we were - pure, subtle and divine.
b. Non-living: Life force is present and evolution is natural & slow. Eg. 1. The external changes are as follows - From Earth we get sand, stones, rocks and then mountains. Eg. 2. Trees compressed in the earth form into coal and later into diamond under enormous pressure through ages.
 For living things, life is a cycle of birth and death. The purpose of human life is to enable us to merge with the creator, through the process of self-realization (self-realization through meditation).

Activities
 Discuss the various aspects that corrupt the thoughts of the living beings.
 Differentiate between a scientist and the Creator.
 Stories (use suitable ones).




CHAPTER VIII - PRAYER

AN APPEAL TO GOD

Objectives
 To realize that we pray to God only for our needs and not for our wants
 To understand that prayer is done regularly as an appeal to Him
 To learn that God fulfils our needs to the extent we deserve

Thoughts for Life
 Prayer must be done in such a subtle fashion that you do not know you are praying.
 Prayer should be done only when something exceeds our capacity to do it.
 We have a right to the needs of existence. The wants are created by us.
 Prayer is the sign of Devotion. It shows that we have established our relationship with the Holy Divine.
 Prayer is the way of attracting the Divine.

Lesson Illustrated
 An Appeal to God : Normally we pray to God to make an appeal for material gains (wishes). This appeal differs from person to person, according to his needs and wants, based on the situation. Eg. A poor man prays for riches, and the rich man prays for more riches, and the richest man prays for protection of his wealth. On your part, what do you pray for? What ever you may pray for, just state your needs or wants and appeal to Him to give or not to give as He deems fit.
 An Inner Cry : Prayer is basically an inner cry. It means that the God in you knows what you need and He gives what you deserve.
Your want may be a need for you, but God knows what you are really in need of.

How to Pray?
Sit relaxed and close your eyes. Feel the Divine in your heart. Sit silently for five to ten minutes and be aware of what’s happening within you. Do it twice a day– in the morning and at bed time.This is the best and effective way to pray and to be in contact with the Divine.
Story: The Ultimate’s Answer - A child prays to God for chocolates. But she does not get them. Her friends ridicule her saying that God did not answer her call. She immediately responds, “Of course! He did answer me. He told me “No chocolates for you today.”
What do you understand from this story?

Activities
 How many times, and what for do you appeal to God?
 Sit relaxed with eyes closed for five minutes. Speak your experiences.
 There is a difference between praying aloud and praying silent. Which is more potent? Discuss.
 What is the advantage of praying in the morning and at bedtime?


CHAPTER IX - GURU
THE GUIDE

Objectives
 To know about the three gurus (teachers) in our life and the way they help us to attain knowledge
 To understand the necessity to express gratitude to our gurus for the guidance given by them to us

Thoughts for Life
 The teacher is the embodiment of God who teaches us how to live in the world.
 Guru transmits his knowledge to the disciples and makes them grow.
 To become a real man you are to be led by a teacher.
 Guru is one who brings out the potentials in you and actualizes it.

Lessons Illustrated
The three gurus in our life are: (1) Mother, (2) Father, (3) Teacher.
 Mother: She is the first guide introducing the child to the father, family and environment. She also guides the child to recognize his abilities, and know about himself and the world around.
 Father: He is responsible for making the child understand the etiquette and follow discipline. He serves as a role model, being the head of the family.
 Teacher: He / She is responsible for blossoming of knowledge, leads the children to understand the ways of life and is responsible for the development of a wholesome personality in children. Teacher is the transmitter of knowledge and experience.

Experiments
a) “Electricity = Knowledge”. Knowledge like electricity, is unseen, but is in existence, everywhere.
b) “Switch = Teacher”. Teacher, similar to switch, is the connecting link between knowledge and the student.
c) “Bulb = Student”. The student similar to bulb, shines in life, like the glowing light.
d) Balloons filled with air may go away when not properly guided by the person who holds the string. Likewise the student filled with knowledge may go astray when not guided by the teacher.
Balloon –> Student; Air –> knowledge; String –> guidance by the teacher
Therefore, this growing is possible, only when the parent introduces the child to the teacher and the student respects, loves and listens to the teacher.

Activities
 List out the contributions made by members of your family in your progress in life.
 How will you express your gratitude to your parents, teachers and others?
 List out the values and attitudes, you would like to imbibe from your parents and teachers.

Story
 The best teacher I ever had (use your own anecdotes).
 Anecdote (suitable) from the life of Shri Ramakrishna or Vivekananda.


CHAPTER X - THE CREATOR

GOD IS LOVE

Objectives
 To learn what God is; where God is; and how God is
 To understand God is love and we are love too
 To realize the reasons why some of the human beings do not exhibit love, solution for the same

Thoughts for life
 Love Him who loves all – Love all whom He loves.
 Love is the right weapon to conquer the whole world.
 If a task is performed with the feeling of love, then there is instant success.
 Love and you will be loved.
 Love is the hunger of human soul for Divine beauty.

Lesson Illustrated
 God is Love : The ocean is nothing but water. Similarly God is nothing but love. When water droplet separates out from the ocean, it retains all the qualities of the ocean, though it can’t be called the ocean. Likewise the soul is part of God or Paramatma, and is love. The soul or life force is present in nature in the form of minerals, plants, animals and human beings. Nature is reflection of God and thereby it is the reflection of love itself. Remember ‘God is love and love is God’.
 What is love? Love is sacrifice, love is service, love is discipline, love is devotion, love is giving, love is caring and sharing, love is surrender. Love is Divine.
 What are the attributes of love? Love is everywhere. Love cannot be seen but can be felt. Eg.: Air can be felt but cannot be seen. Sweetness of sweet can be experienced, appreciated and understood, but cannot be explained. Such is the nature of love.
 Love is universal but why is it not exhibited? Love is innate in nature, but human beings alone do not exhibit love alike, because of the feeling – “I, my and mine”. Like the onion, he has covered himself with layers and layers of selfishness. This results in the feeling of disparity in the human beings. Therefore human beings are far away from Godliness, which means less love and more hatred. So the absence of hatred is love.
 Now, what can be the solution to become God like : 1. Just like we peel the onions layer by layer, we should peel off our different personalities [of prejudice, hatred, selfishness etc.,] to reach the state of nothingness (pure love). We must remove ego, hatred, selfishness, prejudice, arrogance etc., to realize love. We become love. You are love itself. Eg – In the word ONION, when you remove the middle letter ‘I’, you proceed ON and ON towards the Ultimate. Realize that we are part of God and God is love. So we are love itself.

Activities
 We must express our love towards all His creations – Discuss.
 Relate a story highlighting the results of true Love.
 List out the types of services that can be rendered in your class / school.
 Love is universal. Explain.


GURU

A Guru is like a burning fire –
Every log of wood that is thrown in its precincts,
Whether dry or wet- gets warm
And ready to catch flame.
Similarly when you are in contact with such a person,
You automatically imbibe his vibrations.
Known or unknown to you,
He has a powerful effect on you.
A ripening goes on behind the surface.
He acts as a catalyst.