Next Generation

What We Teach Our Children

By: Swami Kriyananda

Swami Kriyananda

One of the greatest predicaments we face in our modern society is the education that we give our young. Should we cram our children’s heads with facts, or educate them for success as human beings?
We teach children how to solve problems in mathematics, but give them nothing to help them solve the problems they face in their personal lives. We flood them with a tide of facts, then tell them, as we send them out the door with their diplomas, “It’s up to you to figure out what it all means.”
The modern age is addicted to factual information. By “addiction” I mean that the fascination has reached abnormal proportions. It is necessary for us, now, to emphasise that facts by themselves cannot bestow wisdom. A blizzard of unsifted information offers no sense of direction, nor any knowledge of where one might go to find inner peace, poise, and a sense of life’s deeper meaning and joyous possibilities.
We forget that the discovery of some new fact concerning a galaxy millions of light years away has very little actual bearing on our lives here on earth. Knowledge, on the other hand, of how to get along with others, and how to be happy, has a great deal of relevance.
Spiritual and moral laws, like the laws of physics, never change. The excitement of scientific discovery has captured our imagination, but the laws that rule human conduct remain unalterable. It is the particular genius of ancient philosopher-scientists that they expressed these laws in their clearest, most practical form.
It is time to approach science from a fresh point of view. Paramhansa Yogananda offered an amazingly simple answer to modern scientists who claim that all life exists only as an outgrowth of inanimate matter. Yogananda replied, “Matter, too, is conscious, however dimly so.”
Yogananda also suggested that the effect of moral values on human nature needs to be tested, as if in the laboratory, by observing their actual effects on people. He suggested that spiritual communities are ideal places for conducting such observation. We have discovered that “children who learn to love, love to learn.”
Teachers and parents may complain that if we spend too much time teaching children these personal skills, they will be left behind in the race to acquire the information that will fit them to compete in the job market after they leave school. But this is false reasoning.
Children who learn to concentrate, to increase their awareness, and to channel negative emotions into constructive outlets are able to handle all the factual information they’re taught in school far more effectively.
There is another important dimension that needs to be introduced into schools. Children are made to study the composition of the atom. The most important question of all, however, is: “How can one find happiness?” Schools, Yogananda said, should above all be treated as laboratories for solving this most basic of human questions.
Primarily, what is needed is a system of education that will prepare children for meeting life’s challenges, and not only fit them for employment or for intellectual pursuits. And we need to see the whole of life, beyond the years spent in school, as education.
For if indeed, as most people deeply believe, life does have an ultimate purpose and meaning, then its goal must be to educate us ever more fully to that meaning. And the true goal of school must be to help prepare us for that lifelong learning process.
www.anandaindia.org
Discourse by Swamiji, “Opening to God’s Grace” on Nov 17 November, Bhaidas Hall, Vile Parle, 4:30 pm. All are welcome. 9820322313 / 9819015539, mumbai@anandaindia.org

Finding God, even now, in our family…

My heart breaks as I update this blog to say that Tim Kretzmann, my dear husband for 34 years, and beloved father of our 3 grown children, died of cancer on August 6th of this year.

So much that I have written here about spiritualizing family life…and it all remains true…But what was largely left unsaid was the beauty of having such a loving, calm, deeply devoted presence in our home. Every family has their own journey…I was blessed to have Tim in my life to help me in this journey. Indeed, I believe it was an important sacred task in his lifetime to raise the 3 children in God.

Sometimes I do feel his loving, saintly blessings guiding me… Will this continue to be so? I do deeply hope so…

Our married daughter is due to give birth in a few weeks…so the cycle continues.  Our hearts will embrace this little one and healing will come. Yet there will always be the bittersweet feeling wishing that Tim could be here to share in it all. And yet some things just were not destined to be…and so we must find peace in God’s bigger picture even if we don’t fully understand it now.  Sometimes I think I understand parts of it…but then my heart breaks anyway, so my journey now is to find peace, anyway, joy, anyway, and love, anyway…

If any part of our journey written in the pages can help you in your own, then I am grateful to have served you in this way. Love one another… Love inspires, and uplifts, and Love lives on…

Blessings,

Mary Kretzmann

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Tribute to Tim Kretzmann, made by our youngest son, David Timothy, age 19:

Interview with Tim in 2010

The Christ Child’s Asleep

Have a blessed Christmas –

From our family to yours…

Love in Him,

Mary & Tim

PS. Peter, in the maroon shirt, is our son…

The Christ Child’s Asleep – song by Swami Kriyananda

A Nun Grading Papers-you will definitely laugh!

My Mom sent these to me – I just had to pass them along

A Nun Grading Papers- you will definitely laugh! A Nun Grading Papers CAN YOU IMAGINE THE NUN SITTING AT HER DESK GRADING THESE PAPERS, ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE AND MAINTAIN HER COMPOSURE! PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE WORDING AND SPELLING. IF YOU KNOW THE BIBLE EVEN A LITTLE, YOU’LL FIND THIS HILARIOUS! IT COMES FROM A CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEST. KIDS WERE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE BIBLE WERE WRITTEN BY CHILDREN. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RETOUCHED OR CORRECTED. INCORRECT SPELLING HAS BEEN LEFT IN. 1. IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GUINESSIS. GOD GOT TIRED OF CREATING THE WORLD SO HE TOOK THE SABBATH OFF. 2. ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE. NOAH’S WIFE WAS JOAN OF ARK. NOAH BUILT AND ARK AND THE ANIMALS CAME ON IN PEARS. 3. LOTS WIFE WAS A PILLAR OF SALT DURING THE DAY, BUT A BALL OF FIRE DURING THE NIGHT. 4. THE JEWS WERE A PROUD PEOPLE AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH UNSYMPATHETIC GENITALS. 5. SAMPSON WAS A STRONGMAN WHO LET HIMSELF BE LED ASTRAY BY A JEZEBEL LIKE DELILAH. 7. MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD, WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS. 8. THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNT CYANIDE TO GET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 9. THE FIRST COMMANDMENTS WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE. 10. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT IS THOU SHALT NOT ADMIT ADULTERY. 11. MOSES DIED BEFORE HE EVER REACHED CANADA THEN JOSHUA LED THE HEBREWS IN THE BATTLE OF GERITOL. 12. THE GREATEST MIRICLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM. 13. DAVID WAS A HEBREW KING WHO WAS SKILLED AT PLAYING THE LIAR. HE FOUGHT THE FINKELSTEINS, A RACE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.. 14. SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVIDS SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND 700 PORCUPINES. 15. WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA. 16. WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE ARRIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER. 17. JESUS WAS BORN BECAUSE MARY HAD AN IMMACULATE CONTRAPTION. 18. ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD. 19. JESUS ENUNCIATED THE GOLDEN RULE, WHICH SAYS TO DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO ONE TO YOU. HE ALSO EXPLAINED A MAN DOTH NOT LIVE BY SWEAT ALONE. 20. IT WAS A MIRICLE WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE TOMBSTONE OFF THE ENTRANCE. 21. THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS. 22. THE EPISTELS WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES. 23. ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN. 24. ST. PAUL CAVORTED TO CHRISTIANITY, HE PREACHED HOLY ACRIMONY, WHICH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR MARRAIGE. 25. CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY.

Lovely Message

I’d love to hear your comments!

Mary

When Does the Soul Enter the Body?

A lot of people look for this article that I wrote some time ago – so I thought I would post it again here in this scribd format

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Beautiful Start to the New Year

Paramhansa Yogananda sends his blessings on World Brotherhood Colonies out into the world. Beverly Hills, California, July 31, 1949

Please be sure to see:  Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – at ananda.org – for many beautiful and helpful resources for families.

I am offering this  “Advent for Master’s Birthday” a few days ahead of time to give you a head start.  Read through it – keep it simple…I hope to write out the stories for the future because I realize most people won’t comb through the Autobiography of a Yogi looking for stories. Just jump in and wing it this year…Use the stories that come to mind..

Blessing in the New Year to you and your family,

Mary Kretzmann

PS -You can also read more on Yogananda’s birthday by clickinghere:

Birthday Of Paramhansa Yogananda – Jan. 5

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Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer

Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer – by Paramhansa Yogananda

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15906252/Meaning-of-the-Lords-Prayer-by-Paramhansa-Yogananda?in_collection=2323522

Have a blessed Christmas!

I Come in Peace – Bears Large and Small

NOTE – Click on any photo to see it larger Polar Bear: I come in peace….Unbelievable

Polar Bear: I come in Peace  Norbert Rosing ‘ s striking images of a wild polar bear coming upon tethered sled dogs in the wilds of Canada’s Hudson Bay.

The Photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his dogs when the Polar bear wandered in.

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It’s hard tobelieve that this polar bear only needed to hug someone!

The Polar Bear Returned every night that week to play with the dogs. May you Always have love to share,  Health to spare, And friends that care I just loved this…….. ……… … AT 120 DEGREES IN AUSTRALIA , IT WAS SO HOT FOR A WEEK THAT KOALAS WERE ASKING PEOPLE FOR WATER. IT’S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE.

ONE WENT TO A HOUSE TO TRY TO HIDE FROM THE HEAT AND TO GET A BIT OF SHADE AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE OWNER GAVE HIM SOMETHING TO DRINK. IT’S REALLY CUTE.

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“Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened.”