Guest guest Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones. They were not happy or fulfilled. My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departing without a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: either jobs or college. We are not providing the training which children need to gain knowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success and fulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is up to us to teach them. This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativity and despair which seems so rife today. We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa and Swami for this knowledge. Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with this information. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swami really desire we reach out to the young folks. Jai Maa Jai Swami vishweshwar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 I do agree that schools do not prepare the youth very well. In Florida it is so poor. The youth have the idea they are failures before they even finish school and their only reliance of hope is their friends. My older son graduated from high school and had a part time job. He has tried to do college but it has been difficult with his learning disabilities however society has thrust that unless he does something immediately he has failed which is why he has had problems. I raised both sons alone since 95 and we developed a very strong trusting bond so the boys do come to me for guidance but also know I won't prevent them from doing what they need to do; in other words suffocating them. Trust is such a big thing. My younger son dropped from high school at 16 number one due to his health and no understanding from the schools and two, due to the FCAT. It doesn't matter in Florida if you have your high school credits, the FCAT matters. He had most difficult time because he also has learning disabilities and the schools do not help. I've seen families who are wealthy, live in large homes and spoil their children and now they are on drugs. Both my sons have jobs and are respectful and trust me. I find there is a lot of counteracting society for the benefit of the children. Peace, Carie On 6/10/07, inspectionconnection108 <inspectionconnection108 wrote: NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. Atthe graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration aboutthe inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change.Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones.They were not happy or fulfilled.My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departingwithout a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: either jobs or college.We are not providing the training which children need to gainknowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success andfulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is up to us to teach them.This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativityand despair which seems so rife today.We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa andSwami for this knowledge. Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with thisinformation. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swamireally desire we reach out to the young folks.Jai Maa Jai Swami vishweshwarPlease visit us online at http://www.ShreeMaa.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 , " inspectionconnection108 " inspectionconnection108 wrote: NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. Last Thursday my daughter graduated from high school here in Stockton. She is the youngest of my five children. At the Commencement ceremony the Honor Students (she is a member of the Honor Society) gave a speech that they had all worked on, each one delivering a portion of it. The part my daughter worked on was on leadership. Here is an excerpt of what she wrote. " Leadership is not about getting people to do what you want them to do. It is not even about getting them to do what needs to be done. Leadership is about serving others. It is about giving of yourself so others can rise in their natural abilities and find happiness in working with others. A true leader does not " set the pace " and expect others to follow. A true leader removes obstacles from the path so that others can move forward unhindered. " We are not the leaders of the future, we are leaders today. All we do impacts everyone around us, either for good or not. And it all hinges on how we treat them. " Needless to say, my eyes were full of tears of joy. This girl gets it. I am honored to be related to her. Rick Veda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 peace to you, Vish. Congratulations on the achievement of your son! My question to you is, was it the obligation of the education system to have fulfilled the missing pieces of these children, or were their souls missing out from the beginning? Other than a sheet of paper that shows you've fulfilled some academic criteria (can you tell I read a lot of Krishnamurti?) is the raison d'etre of public education also to teach children how to behave as responsible, kind, empathetic souls having a human experience? That's a stretch for most people. Of course, you've taught your children the kinder gentler way, as I have. But I was not taught this way. One perpetuates the cycle or one chooses to breaks it. But it does not at all mean that our children internalize what we " teach " them. It's what they " learn " . Our children are rewarded for everything. Good behavior, bad behavior. Cause and effect. They learn they can get something they want by throwing a fit as a toddler. Thus begins the real " education. " It isn't what matters to us, it's what matters in the mind of the child. On the academic front, we teach our children war history, but nothing on how to get along and prevent war and foster true global peace in the first place. What have they learned? My daughter just came home from summer school Health class morning. This morning's lesson was on anger control and self esteem. One day in five weeks of relevant life skills. Five weeks. She's almost 18. I'm sort of thinking if she wasn't modeled, taught and doesn't marginally possess these skills by now, it's going to be a little tough to grasp internally in order to want to change. Although it's hard not to feel sorry for the misguided souls you saw last night, I know you understand that this is, in fact, their exclusive life path, as well as their parents, as well as our own, and one can only pray that our collective awareness achieves its ultimate highest good, whatever that may be for all. I work in education. I teach high-risk teens with cognitive learning disabilities. Most can barely read or write. Academics will never be their priority. I will do my best with God's help to model kindness, respect, empathy, compassion, service and responsibility. Does that mean they will learn it? You gotta wanna. Here's to love and light for the future! sal. , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At > the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave > speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about > the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. > Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted > about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones. > They were not happy or fulfilled. > My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departing > without a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: > either jobs or college. > We are not providing the training which children need to gain > knowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success and > fulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is > up to us to teach them. > This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativity > and despair which seems so rife today. > We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa and > Swami for this knowledge. > Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with this > information. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swami > really desire we reach out to the young folks. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > vishweshwar > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Hi Vish, I'm not a parent, but I have observed that children learn, and by learn I mean absorb into themselves, those things that most characterize the lives of their parents. They learn and emulate what their parents do and how they live, which, if you think about it, must flow out from what is really important to them, and what they truly believe about themselves and the world they live in. Put simply, it is not what we say, but what we do, day in and day out, that they grow into. It is a difficult time to be becoming adults. There is so much stress surrounding the need to succeed, so little importance given to virtue, and so little compassion and understanding for human frailty, it must be very confusing and frightening. The conflict we (the US) are now involved in only makes things worse, increasing negativity and confusion in the world's consciousness. It is an unfortunate truth that your children (our children) are going to pick-up all (or most) of your bad habits and negativities. The good news is that they also pick-up the good things. If you want your children to grow up well-adjusted, happy, and full of hope, well, you see where I'm going... Jai Maa! Chris , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At > the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave > speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about > the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. > Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted > about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones. > They were not happy or fulfilled. > My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departing > without a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: > either jobs or college. > We are not providing the training which children need to gain > knowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success and > fulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is > up to us to teach them. > This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativity > and despair which seems so rife today. > We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa and > Swami for this knowledge. > Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with this > information. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swami > really desire we reach out to the young folks. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > vishweshwar > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Carie, Vish, Sal, Gmorning all, and Namaste Mataji and Swmaiji, Hari OM,I am following your posts and I find them very interesting, and very powerful. What I have learn and understood in my growing up years, that the Educational system here in the United Staes, has lots of limitations. These llimitation are not suited to teach means to better ones lives for the future on a personal level that can be a lasting or powerful one. It is superficial at best. My personal life in my growing up years was very guarded at best; "educated" early by abusive nuns, reared by an abusive father, and an emotionally distanct mother. So, no luck there~What I'm saying is, that I had realized early on that my emotional self esteem was virtually distroyed by early experiences that would gradually boil over to the educational system. And I soon realized that it was not a base towards being a supportive system in any compacity.Schools are not set up to coach you to success on a personal or emotional level. Although there are some wonderful and talented teacher. And those with altruistic ideals, am sure get burnt out rather quickly. Now a days, I'm sure inner cities kids are learning skills for self protecion. I know I did.After becoming homeless at 15 years of age, school was the last priority on the "docket" for me. Hiding from gangs, and the police, and court systems, were~lol...On my way to the "big house", i meant, high school...and after being there for six months, I realized that I needed to leave. I was thinking realistically, given my situation, [i needed to survive]. But first I took several years away from high school days at trying to find and inner strenght. This proved to be very difficult, indeed~ It took a lot of strenght I thought I never had. And the last thing on my mind was education. I was on survivor mode...hey, a new tv program maybe, you think...lolBut, I learnd how to survive the tides that came my way...What I'm attempting to say is that I found myself lost in the hussle and bussle of the "not learning" of education to the learning of the streets to live and stay alive...taking seveal years to come out of that paradign. I finally force myself to get out of that the situation of homelessness and sought a job, but never recieved a High School diploma, and still don't, although luck was with me, in that I do have a B.S. degree and going on for a Master degree in Theology.In affect what I was doing was re-creating my life in the long run, what "karma" has done in strenghtening me, if you will, in that I would find myself losing faith, then over the years coming back several time over. But, I learned that I was coming into a clearing of sorts that it needed to take inventory at self care in the emotional and spiritual department. Education was a side show or side attraction for me. Nevertheless, it was a means to help me come back to something intrinsically, without myself realizing this point, that in the journey, I would catch up with myself. The Light of God within.The love of your children is a great benefit for the self esteem on the personal, and emotional front as a strenght for you kids, because that's exactly what they are going through in a big way, identifuing where their at in the whole spectrun of things, to where they may be heading towards expressing that strenght.They need that reassurance in the process, and when you give them your strenght of unconditional love, they will see that light that is theirs too!Building a personal relationship with oneself is so very vital and important, in that the spiritual will also be a major player in the drama toward self esteem strenghtening and self empowering, too~The place where one can recieve that personal and intrinsic education is that which is ourselves, that for me was reflected the deepest within. The deeper the hurt, the wider the search. And over the years, this gave to me a "beacon of Light" if you will, that kept on pinging within, sounding over and over again throught the years, resonating the truth of the guiding Light of peace, love. From this I know that all good things come. So, from the Self, all power of love and light will shine to create what is needed for the journey that is supportive and brings to you and your children the teacher we need to bless us with each turn. Swamiji and Maa are Pillars of the Light that will show the way, just look at their LAMP, at the door. And with each step, one step at a time, the light will show the way~Your son's should not give in or give up, only go in and go up...Peace and in all goodness, my heart,EdwardCarie M <m.cirene Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 4:44:51 AMRe: [www.ShreeMaa.org] GRADUATION BLUES I do agree that schools do not prepare the youth very well. In Florida it is so poor. The youth have the idea they are failures before they even finish school and their only reliance of hope is their friends. My older son graduated from high school and had a part time job. He has tried to do college but it has been difficult with his learning disabilities however society has thrust that unless he does something immediately he has failed which is why he has had problems. I raised both sons alone since 95 and we developed a very strong trusting bond so the boys do come to me for guidance but also know I won't prevent them from doing what they need to do; in other words suffocating them. Trust is such a big thing. My younger son dropped from high school at 16 number one due to his health and no understanding from the schools and two, due to the FCAT. It doesn't matter in Florida if you have your high school credits, the FCAT matters. He had most difficult time because he also has learning disabilities and the schools do not help. I've seen families who are wealthy, live in large homes and spoil their children and now they are on drugs. Both my sons have jobs and are respectful and trust me. I find there is a lot of counteracting society for the benefit of the children. Peace, Carie On 6/10/07, inspectionconnectio n108 <inspectionconnectio n108 > wrote: NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. Atthe graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration aboutthe inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change.Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones.They were not happy or fulfilled.My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departingwithout a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: either jobs or college.We are not providing the training which children need to gainknowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success andfulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is up to us to teach them.This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativityand despair which seems so rife today.We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa andSwami for this knowledge. Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with thisinformation. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swamireally desire we reach out to the young folks.Jai Maa Jai Swami vishweshwarPlease visit us online at http://www.ShreeMaa .org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Peace to all: I am touched by this post today, particularly because of a recent event in my life: while others were having graduation festivities last weekend, my high school aged daughter attended a candlelight roadside vigil for a classmate who died after a drunk driving incident involving 8 children, ages 15-17, another in a coma. The magnitude of this tragedy has filled my heart these past few days. My heart goes out to our young people, coming into adulthood in an age where the loudest voices are often about either self indulgence or inescapable doom. What reason have they to value their own lives, when they are being told that the planet is being destroyed, and corruption is king? And yet, if they dig beneath the loud voices, they can find so much reason for hope, so many brave souls in the world making a difference and dedicating their lives to remarkable works of peace, restoration, transformation. As I practice reciting the universal peace mantra, I reflect on these things. The mantra is like a river to throw these questions into, to wash away these blurry perceptions of mine. I believe that to pray for peace means to be willing to seek alignment with perfect peace unfolding in every moment, for every being, in every interaction. To be given the eyes to see the peace already there. I am so grateful for Shree Maa's way of expressing this, as I just was reading on the DM website front page her words: " ALL is beautiful. Satyam (Truth) Shivam (Infinite Consciousness) Sundaram (Beauty). " All. Can't argue with all. Even the tragedies. I think the best way to help our children is to be that peace with them in every interaction as best we can, to model reverence, awe and wonder and gratitude for every single big and little thing we are fortunate enough to share with them. To share how our spiritual practices help us. And then to trust that perfect divinity is unfolding for them too (even in the forms of tragedy, unhappiness, and angst) according to their path, just as it has for us. To point it out to themas we see it, in respectful words that they can understand. To regard them as our teachers, & as inheritors of our individual and collective decisions. ....and also, Congratulations vishweshwar, on your son's graduation! Jennifer , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At > the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave > speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about > the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. > Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted > about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones. > They were not happy or fulfilled. > My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departing > without a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: > either jobs or college. > We are not providing the training which children need to gain > knowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success and > fulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is > up to us to teach them. > This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativity > and despair which seems so rife today. > We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa and > Swami for this knowledge. > Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with this > information. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swami > really desire we reach out to the young folks. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > vishweshwar > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Namaste Vish: I saw this old post, and I thought I would reply. Vish, sometimes it seems like the next generation is filled with so much negativity that it is totally overwhelming. Between the forced mediocrity, the drugs, the teen pregnancy, the almost complete breakdown of society, one would wonder how anyone let alone someone going through adolescence could make any sense of the world right now. I used to be a teacher out on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, and I will tell you that some of their situations were beyond unbearable in my book. Most of the kids who got through that had a supportive adult of some kind. They had someone in their corner rooting for them. We have to root for our kids Shanti Om, Shankari Kali , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > NAMASTE: Last night my son graduated from high school in Napa. At > the graduation ceremony, several of the brightest students gave > speeches. The speeches were filled with angst and frustration about > the inexorable passing of time and the inability to cope with change. > Rather than seeing the potential of an unlimited future, they fretted > about the difficulties of the past and leaving friends and loved ones. > They were not happy or fulfilled. > My wife and I felt bad that all these young adults were departing > without a firm basis for moving into the next phase of their lives: > either jobs or college. > We are not providing the training which children need to gain > knowledge of themselves, which is the basis of all success and > fulfillment. If our schools are not teaching our children, then it is > up to us to teach them. > This knowledge we have been given can change the tide of negativity > and despair which seems so rife today. > We must teach our children, and we must do it now. Thanks to Maa and > Swami for this knowledge. > Please share suggestions on how to reach our children with this > information. Share how you have helped your children. Maa and Swami > really desire we reach out to the young folks. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > vishweshwar > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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