Maya3
Well-Known Member
No it is not racism. You notice and it is a description of how someone looks.
That said though, there is only one race. It is the human race.
Maya
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Children at temples
- Thread starter Vinayaka
- Start date
No it is not racism. You notice and it is a description of how someone looks.
That said though, there is only one race. It is the human race.
Maya
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
I was at temple today and witnessed a few very charming things.
A father and his son (maybe 3?) walk up to Maha Lakshmi and while the father is fully prostrating on the floor his son plops right down and sits on his back!
He toddles over as his father gets to his knees and warmly smiled at him. Adorable.
There was a young girl - perhaps 5-6 who went up to a bowl of dried figs near Maha Lakshmi and began stuffing as many as possible into each hand after putting one in her mouth for good measure. Once she was done a few minutes later she returned to the bowl at the same time as a family with another young girl approached. The fig girl began to take more figs, but stopped when she saw the other girl and offered her one before returning to her very important duty of eating as many figs as possible.
:camp:
A father and his son (maybe 3?) walk up to Maha Lakshmi and while the father is fully prostrating on the floor his son plops right down and sits on his back!
He toddles over as his father gets to his knees and warmly smiled at him. Adorable.There was a young girl - perhaps 5-6 who went up to a bowl of dried figs near Maha Lakshmi and began stuffing as many as possible into each hand after putting one in her mouth for good measure. Once she was done a few minutes later she returned to the bowl at the same time as a family with another young girl approached. The fig girl began to take more figs, but stopped when she saw the other girl and offered her one before returning to her very important duty of eating as many figs as possible.
:camp:
I was at temple today and witnessed a few very charming things.
A father and his son (maybe 3?) walk up to Maha Lakshmi and while the father is fully prostrating on the floor his son plops right down and sits on his back!
There was a young girl - perhaps 5-6 who went up to a bowl of dried figs near Maha Lakshmi and began stuffing as many as possible into each hand after putting one in her mouth for good measure. Once she was done a few minutes later she returned to the bowl at the same time as a family with another young girl approached. The fig girl began to take more figs, but stopped when she saw the other girl and offered her one before returning to her very important duty of eating as many figs as possible.
:camp:
Nice. Last night there were two young girls I had never seen, but one was the smiling type. I was ringing the hanging bells during abhishekham when she came in, and she smiles. This happens 3 or 4 times. So then after, downstairs, she's having prasadam, and I go over and in a serious voice, say, "I have a question for you."
She takes me seriously, and the smile momentarily dissipates. But then I say, "Why are you always smiling?" and she gets into it again.
"You like this temple?" ... uh huh (smiling)
"You like Ganesha?" ... uh huh. (smiling some more)
Kids are so sweet. Hinduism will be in good hands.
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Today it's a 10 year old that impresses. Without coaching from parents, on her own, she stands like an adult and prays before Lord Siva. I can see her lips moving, but am too shy to ask her what she's singing silently. Later, downstairs, all I discover is that it was most likely Malayalam. Her eyes light when I mention the greenness of Kerala compared to the white of Canada. She tells me how all her old friends have never seen snow. Lucky them.
The other morning there were 5 young boys. One mom had 3, one had 1, and the priest son was there too. About age 10 down to 2. So the entire crowd was 2 women, 5 boys and me. I was reminded of some Hindu brothers of lore. And these guys know how to copy. When one would prostrate, three others would follow his lead. The Mom with three said to me 'They always fight." She had no idea what fighting was. If what they were doing was fighting, I can't imagine what you'd call what my kids did.
At the end the priest gave each of the 4 a banana. He really wams up to children, and it makes him happier.
At the end the priest gave each of the 4 a banana. He really wams up to children, and it makes him happier.
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
The last few times at temple, there have been a few very young children (2-4) who wonder about while their parents finish their sadhana and meditation. While I sit there they inevitable wander up to me and stare for a bit - not too close though I think they are as confused as their parents about me sometimes, but they don't bother hiding it. I kind of like it because it gives me the opportunity to smile, namaskar and let them know this strange white visitor is just another soul. I like the honesty of kids - not just in what they say, but how they interact with people.
:camp:
I think they are as confused as their parents about me sometimes, but they don't bother hiding it. I kind of like it because it gives me the opportunity to smile, namaskar and let them know this strange white visitor is just another soul. I like the honesty of kids - not just in what they say, but how they interact with people.:camp:
I made one cry last night. He was maybe 6 months, and on Dad's shoulder. Dad was keen on showing him to me. He looked at me for a bit, but then when I smiled, all the scariness broke loose, and he just started bawling. Honesty is right. But you never know which way it'll go.. giggles or tears, or that stare of awe.
Sb1995
Om Sai Ram
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
There were children in abundance today at temple! But one little girl in particular caught my attention.
She was about 5 or 6 and she wore a sparkly red shirt with red and white polka dot pants and she was with two people I assumed were her grandparents. I heard her before I saw her:
"Come on! We have to do Ganesha first! come come!" She said this with excitement, not rudeness.
I over heard her and her grandparents begin reciting a Ganesh mantra or sloka and then before her grandparents were finished, she was anxious to get to the next shrine:
"Come on guys! Lets go over there next. Let's go there!"
She raced to the Shiva Lingam shrine and that's when I first saw her. At each shrine she would stop and perfectly recite a mantra unique to each deity. I was humbled by how much she knew at such a young age and I couldn't help but stop my own meditation and smile while listened to her excitement. At the end of each prayer she couldn't wait to get to the next shrine.
Her grandfather approached one of the priests and mentioned it was her birthday. So I got to see a short birthday blessing from the priest -which I had never seen before. He tied a small coin or pendant (I was too far away to see) to a peace of red thread and tied it around her neck. Then he sprinkled rice on her head, gave her tilaka and offered her a pear. She was quite pleased.
:camp:
But one little girl in particular caught my attention. She was about 5 or 6 and she wore a sparkly red shirt with red and white polka dot pants and she was with two people I assumed were her grandparents. I heard her before I saw her:
"Come on! We have to do Ganesha first! come come!" She said this with excitement, not rudeness.
I over heard her and her grandparents begin reciting a Ganesh mantra or sloka and then before her grandparents were finished, she was anxious to get to the next shrine:
"Come on guys! Lets go over there next. Let's go there!"
She raced to the Shiva Lingam shrine and that's when I first saw her. At each shrine she would stop and perfectly recite a mantra unique to each deity. I was humbled by how much she knew at such a young age and I couldn't help but stop my own meditation and smile while listened to her excitement. At the end of each prayer she couldn't wait to get to the next shrine.
Her grandfather approached one of the priests and mentioned it was her birthday. So I got to see a short birthday blessing from the priest -which I had never seen before. He tied a small coin or pendant (I was too far away to see) to a peace of red thread and tied it around her neck. Then he sprinkled rice on her head, gave her tilaka and offered her a pear. She was quite pleased.
:camp:
There were children in abundance today at temple!
She was about 5 or 6 and she wore a sparkly red shirt with red and white polka dot pants and she was with two people I assumed were her grandparents. I heard her before I saw her:
"Come on! We have to do Ganesha first! come come!" She said this with excitement, not rudeness.
I over heard her and her grandparents begin reciting a Ganesh mantra or sloka and then before her grandparents were finished, she was anxious to get to the next shrine:
"Come on guys! Lets go over there next. Let's go there!"
She raced to the Shiva Lingam shrine and that's when I first saw her. At each shrine she would stop and perfectly recite a mantra unique to each deity. I was humbled by how much she knew at such a young age and I couldn't help but stop my own meditation and smile while listened to her excitement. At the end of each prayer she couldn't wait to get to the next shrine.
Her grandfather approached one of the priests and mentioned it was her birthday. So I got to see a short birthday blessing from the priest -which I had never seen before. He tied a small coin or pendant (I was too far away to see) to a peace of red thread and tied it around her neck. Then he sprinkled rice on her head, gave her tilaka and offered her a pear. She was quite pleased.
:camp:
This really reminds me of a small girl and her grandfather whom I met in the inner prakaram of Madurai Meenakshi temple. She was about 8, but boy did she know a lot about her religion. She was intrigued by the color of my skin and stared for a bit, but I broke the ice, and we had a very pleasant 15 minute chat while grandfather lovingly looked on. She knew why she came to temple, had no problems with us like some adults there did, and knew who Siva was, and how that temple is actually a Siva temple. Children haven't yet lost their intuitive nature to the intellect and are often sources of great wisdom, just as sages who have gone outside the intellect are. But we have to listen to get it.
Last night at Tamil New Year festival, the children were somehow given the task of pulling the rope on the inside ther (cart, chariot, but a smaller one meant for inside circumambulation) . So we had maybe 20-25 kids aged 3 to 10 pulling the two ropes. Some knew what they were doing, whilst others really had no clue other than thinking, "This is fun!" So it was a mixed bag of chaos. The men at the sides and back of the cart did the actual moving of it, as generally the ropes were totally slack, not taut at all.
The priest has to stay between the ropes, and leads the procession along and it all stops to do aarti at each shrine. Occasionally he has to step outside of the rope, and with kids having no clue, it was quite the scene. He nearly tripped, aarti lamp in hand, a couple of times. But he was incredibly patient as usual, and quite distracted by the cuteness of it all.
They managed to 'pull' it all away around though, successfully.
The priest has to stay between the ropes, and leads the procession along and it all stops to do aarti at each shrine. Occasionally he has to step outside of the rope, and with kids having no clue, it was quite the scene. He nearly tripped, aarti lamp in hand, a couple of times. But he was incredibly patient as usual, and quite distracted by the cuteness of it all.
They managed to 'pull' it all away around though, successfully.
Lots are quite shy. I tried to get one guy to hand out stuff the other day, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
This morning a girl had nothing but money on her mind. The family was preparing an archana tray, and she kept saying, "Don't forget the money, don't forget the money!" I had the sense that if Dad gave her his wallet, she'de just take the entire contents and put in on the tray, or in the hundi.
Which reminds me of an adventure in Hawaii ... we had rented a 2 story condo, and the 3 year old (now 29, and very expecting, soon) found my wallet, goes out on the lanai (veranda) and starts tossing every bit of paper one at a time over the side. Her elder brother looked out to the lanai on the main floor, and saw money falling from the sky! So that led to a money hunt in the shrubs below. Good thing her brother noticed.