Why Spirituality from a young age?
A Short Story
“Grandma what’s in your hands and what are you doing and saying at the same time?” asked little Ajay. He had just turned 5.
“Ajay, this is known as Japa mala and I am chanting the name of the Lord”.
“What is a Japa mala grandma?” asked Ajay looking deeply to the rosary beads that I was holding.
“Japa means meditation/chant and mala means a garland” I had given him the word to word meaning of a Japa mala not knowing that he would bounce back with another question. Ajay is my daughter Renuka’s son. She and her husband Rohan are full time Doctors and before going to the Hospital They would drop him at his school which is close by our house and I would pick him up by noon and my time pass time would be in nurturing this young sapling telling tales of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and teaching him small chants. In the night they would pick him up.
AS it is summer vacation now taking care of Young Ajay has become a fulltime job for me which I would never miss for anything.
Ajay was indeed a bundle of joy. Sometimes, I would be amazed at his sharp memory .He would recollect everything that was taught to him in a jiffy.
“What is meditation grandma?”
“Meditation means to concentrate on the Lord and nothing else”.
“Should we sit like you in one place and chant? can’t we chant or concentrate on God all times?”asked Ajay so innocently.
My heart jumped in happiness I was just waiting for him to ask me this question.
“Ajay you are right we can chant the names of God all the times but when we are are occupied in our work sometimes we chant and sometimes we may not but when we are done with our work and sit in front of the Lord we can focus much better.
Alright let’s have this game. The word game rang bells on his ears and he was more eager and curious than ever.
When you come to grandma’s home tomorrow I am going to ask you how many time you said”Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare! While you were playing or while you were reading alright?
Then tell me when you sat in front of God and focused how many more times you could chant.
“Do we have a deal here Ajay” I would make the hand gesture and he would say it out loud
Yes we have a deal”.
“But grandma why should we pray god?” asked Ajay.
“Ajay you tell me why do you love your mom and dad?”
“Because they are my mom and dad and they give me everything I ask for and more over they love me so much just like you grandma” said Ajay.
“Yes Ajay you are right just like how you respect your parents for giving birth to you and taking care of you we have to pray God because he created us .he is taking care of us and he provides us with everything that we ask for. He gives us food water and what not. Just like a Mother and Father taking care of the child.
The only difference is God is always loving and never gets angry on anyone.
“Can we See God Grandma?” asked Ajay with excitement.
This was a challenging question for me to answer as I didn’t know that my little grandson could even grasp the concept of the divinity present everywhere.
I deeply prayed the Lord to speak thru me and give his child the right answer.
“Yes Ajay we can see God. He is everywhere .There is nothing in this world without the Lord. He is present in you, me and in all the living creatures.”
“Does that mean we all are Gods? If we are? Then why should we pray him when he is everywhere and when he is present in everyone, why should we worship this picture?”Blurted out Ajay pointing to the picture of Lord Krishna.
I needed some time to think and answer him the right way. These generation kids how fast they are in grasping things, I thought. Again I prayed the lord to speak thru me and my only excuse to ajay to answer him later was it was already lunchtime.
“Ajay its Lunch time lets have lunch and after you are done eating and taking a nap, let’s talk again”.
“Do we have a deal grandma?”Asked Ajay smiling a mischievously.
“Yes Sir, we have a deal.”
Lunch was over and and Ajay jumped on the bed throwing pillows at me asking me to catch and then he would run and pounce on me hugging me and it was our daily routine before he took a nap.
Soon he fell asleep and I was thinking what to answer him when he woke up.
Just then I felt the Lord helping me out. It was 4 in the evening. I had baked fresh cookies as Ajay loved cookies. He would drink milk and have some cookies.
I could hear a grumbling noise in the room and I knew that Ajay was waking up.
Ajay came to the kitchen and was about to take a cookie.”Ajay did you wash your face and and hands?”
“No grandma, I shall.”
He was back within a minute. He ate the cookies and drank milk.
I heard the calling bell ringing and Ajay ran towards the door. He peeped thru the window glass and opened the door.
It was my neighbor’s grandchildren who had come to play with Ajay.
“Ajay can you come and play with us?”
To my utter surprise Ajay didn’t go with them instead he came to me reminding me of my deal.
I was surprised as kids of his age would want to play and spend their time in fun but this child was curious to know about God and I thanked God to have blessed my child with such a god loving son.
“Ajay what do you want to be when you grow up?
“I want to be a Doctor just like my mom and dad and give people injections when they are sick.”
“To be a doctor what is the first step that you need to take?
“Go to school “out came the answer.
“Then, you need to pass the test in each grade, finish high school and graduate from the medical college then, you gain experience and then you work in a hospital just like your parents? Am I right?
“Right?”Nodded Ajay joyfully. He was proud of his parents.
“Same way God wants us to be like him and to be like him we have to practice not the ABCs that we learn from school but to learn the ABCs of Life. Like speaking the truth, to love everyone unconditionally, to help others when they need help, having the right conduct, not hurting others knowingly or unknowingly. When we begin to learn these ABC’s of life, then we like in school have to pass the test given by god too and when we pass each test then we are moving towards HIM to become HIM one day.”
“Grandma what if we fail the test? What happens then?
“Phew! That was a smart question as expected.
“Then we may have to retake the test again just like how your mom is not happy with your handwriting makes you write over and over again so that it may look beautiful one day. “Came out the reply without even me thinking about it.
“Oh! Now I understood grandma why we have to pray god, to be just like HIM right grandma?”Asked Ajay.
“Yes Ajay, the sooner we begin to learn the sooner we can become one…. Even before I could complete my sentence I heard the noise of the car and today my daughter had come home early.
“I took a break ma! Hey Ajay you look so fresh! Said Renu.
“Ma, grandma and I had a lot of talk today regarding GOD.I learnt so many things from grandma. I shall tell you all while we are going home deal? Said Ajay
“Thank you ma! You not only taught me all these when I was a child but you are taking care of my young one too”! Renu hugged me.
“Renu, it’s my duty as a grandma to teach my grandson the right values .I can’t believe how these years flew by and he reminds me much of you when you were little with the same curious look on your face when I spoke about God, and how you followed those values.”
I am just taking care of this young sapling so that it can give shade to many more when he grows up.
“The sapling has to be constantly protected by the fence of chanting of god’s name, good company, listening to stories of GOD from a young age.”
Renu and I cried in unison.Ajay could understand most of it. It was time to go, while the car was moving slowly, Ajay was waving his hand out of the window with a smile on his face and was crying out loud, “Grandma ,remember the deal! Tomorrow I shall tell you all about it. What deal Ajay asked his mom.
“It’s between grandma and I mom “saying he winked at me.
I waved my hand too, I knew Ajay would come up with more questions to be answered and I don’t have much time to waste. I knew Renu would tell him all these as she was a mother too. But I too am a mother and can understand the pressures of my daughter. AS a Mother I wanted to help my daughter in some way and felt this was the the only thing I could, to teach Ajay at a young age so that he would be in the right direction too just like his MOM! And one day he would understand all these things and would appreciate the beauty of the nature of GOD!
