Jewels of Wisdom: an awakened spirituality for our children
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, spiritualityby Shelley Anne Lewis
One way of living in sync with the natural ebb and flow of life is to consciously work towards improving the nature of our minds. The stories we repeat to ourselves create the framework we live in and gel our experiences together in a way that gives us a sense of who we are in the world. Making efforts through mind training to focus on altruistic behaviors can have resoundingly positive results. In the 12th century the Buddhist master Geshe Langri Thangpa recited eight teachings that became known as the eight verse mind training, these verses have been a beloved guide for students and practitioners ever since seeking to lead a more compassionate and heart centered existence, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama who recites the teachings daily and claims they form an integral part of his practice.
The verses focus on transforming the mind and generating it for enlightenment. Whether it be: recognizing that we are all inextricably linked and each person’s actions make up part of the whole that we are, managing negative emotions by recognizing them each time they rise up and learning to be non reactive, or harnessing the power of the moment so as not to get lost in hopes and fears that lead to disappointment and disillusionment. All, are jewels of wisdom that if carefully cultivated can help us harness the power of our mind to form patterns and habits that serve us, so we may be of most benefit to self and others. If we are able to capture the essence of this wisdom early on, as children, and embody it by the time we reach adulthood the quality of our experience will be much enriched.
The Now I Know eight book collection of retro cool wisdom for children has taken five years to create and although based on the eight verse mind training, it is inspired by the schooling of Yangsi Khyentse Rinpoche whose teacher - the author - felt the importance of conveying the topics they were discussing and learning on a daily basis to a wider audience.  Done so with humor and fun loving character illustration the books are designed to help cultivate wholesome states of mind in the reader.
If we can instill jewels of wisdom in the hearts of children at a young age we will bear a generation of open hearted, flexible thinkers capable of forging new solutions to old problems. It’s essential we integrate this approach into the education of our children today, so that they can develop the skills necessary to flourish in the 21st century, where compassion empathy and mindfulness need to be an integral part of the curriculum.
There are many definitions of spirituality, but in its most practical sense I believe it can be labeled as the process of learning to understand oneself to the extent that one can be of greatest benefit to self and least harm to others. Living with this awareness will lead to a greater sense of responsibility towards each other and our planet.
Re-framing spirituality, modernizing its value, especially for our children, given our current culture of distraction, will instill wisdom in them way beyond the scope of most current curriculum.
An education that incorporates spiritual awareness, will lead to practices of balance, inner peace and power. Surely these are the qualities are of enduring worth.
If you wish to join us in our mission to bring new-age spirituality to our children please contact us:Â http://www.chocolatesaucebooks.com/contact.php
To order books for your kids please visit www.chocolatesaucebooks.com
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Filed in: externally authored, spirituality
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