VALUE: RIGHT ACTION
SUB VALUE: DUTY
3 OMS
OBJECTIVE: Any work done sincerely as service to God is bound to reflect His love and glory.
Prayer:
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
Quote:
WORK IS WORSHIP AND DUTY IS GOD
SILENT SITTING:
As you sit silently, let a feeling of love and caring grow in your heart …
Feel how good it would be to share this love with those around you …
With your family …
With your friends …
With all the plants, flowers and trees …
With all the animals …
Imagine you are covered with a beautiful pink light of love …
GROUP SINGING: We are gonna sing, gonna sing, gonna sing, sai ram each day
STORYTELLING:
DUTY IS GOD( Story adapted from Chinna Katha)
Those were the days when the supply of electric power for lighting streets was available only to a few big cities in India. In one of the big towns every street had three or four oil lamps each with a glass chimney set on a pole. The municipal authorities employed some laborers to light the lamps at about 6:00 p.m. in the evening. The expenses incurred towards oil, wick and chimney were met bythemunicipalities.
There was one lamplighter who did his job cheerfully and scrupulously. He had great faith in God and always recited the name of his dear God, Rama. He was very punctual and systematic in his work. He used to come to his ward exactly at 5:00 p.m., clean the chimneys, pour oil into the container, set the wick right and light the lamp. While doing all these he would be singing, “Janaki Jeevana Ram, Karoonga Tumhara Kam,” meaning thereby, “Oh Lord of Janaki, I am doing only yourwork.Iamonlyservingyou.”
Reports reached the municipal authorities that the lamps lit by this devotee shone brighter all through the night while the lamps lit by others in the town were dim and many of them burnt only for a part of the night. The matter was taken for investigation. The reporting officer submitted to the authorities the fact that all the lamplighters in the town were given the same oil and other material and were also paid the same remuneration. As for the street where the lamps shone brightly all through the night unlike those in other streets, it was a unique case where the lamplighter was known to be a very pious man doing his duty as service to God.
Any work done sincerely as service to God is bound to reflect His love and glory.
-Baba
Questions:
- What do you think about this story after listening to it?
- How can we say that duty is god?
- Why do you think the lamplighters lamp shone brighter than the others?
Life Application: Everyday before you retire to bed say a prayer thanking god for a wonderful day at school and home. Make it a practice/duty to thank god everyday.