Time: At least two periods or until the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To help develop an understanding in students about living in mutuality (with reciprocity).
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Story
Many centuries ago, a small country was attacked. Due to the attack, the residents had to leave the country. They left in large numbers in their boats and reached the shore of a big country and requested refuge. The king of that country was very generous but he believed that the population of his country was already large and it won’t be able to accommodate more people.
They also didn’t understand each other’s language and so he sent a glass full of milk to the people seeking refuge. They immediately understood the message and requested for sugar. They mixed the sugar with milk and sent the glass back. Through this medium, they sent out a message to the king that they are peace-loving people who will make the land and society prosperous with their knowledge and hard work and by mixing into the existing society just the sugar melted into the milk and only made it sweeter.
The king was very impressed by their thinking. He welcomed them into the country and helped them settle into their new home. In this way, they all blended like sugar in milk in the new country and got engaged in its welfare.
Day 1
Proposed questions for Discussion
1. Has it ever happened with you that after spending time with a person your perception about him/her has changed?
2. Are people around us similar or different? In what ways are we similar?
3. On what basis do we form relationships?
4. Do we see similarities and make relationships?
5. Can we be useful to everybody? How?
At Home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
1. Students go home and discuss with their parents about where all the various people who stay in the colony have come from. Also, have all those who have come from elsewhere, blended like sugar in milk?
2. If possible, they should also discuss who came first to the colony and who came later. Does the happiness quotient of the colony depend on who came first and who came later?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
The teachers may give some examples of Indians living in various countries like Africa, Canada, Singapore etc. There are large settlements of Indians in those countries now. There is no corner in the world where Indians have not settled. They blended like sugar in milk with that society. In our country too, there are people from various countries of the world who’ve settled here and all of us are part of one society now.
Additional questions for Discussion
1. What is the difference between living in isolation and living with people?
2. On what basis do we consider ourselves different from the others?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Do’s and Don’ts
Learning objective: To help develop an understanding in students about living in mutuality (with reciprocity).
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Story
Many centuries ago, a small country was attacked. Due to the attack, the residents had to leave the country. They left in large numbers in their boats and reached the shore of a big country and requested refuge. The king of that country was very generous but he believed that the population of his country was already large and it won’t be able to accommodate more people.
They also didn’t understand each other’s language and so he sent a glass full of milk to the people seeking refuge. They immediately understood the message and requested for sugar. They mixed the sugar with milk and sent the glass back. Through this medium, they sent out a message to the king that they are peace-loving people who will make the land and society prosperous with their knowledge and hard work and by mixing into the existing society just the sugar melted into the milk and only made it sweeter.
The king was very impressed by their thinking. He welcomed them into the country and helped them settle into their new home. In this way, they all blended like sugar in milk in the new country and got engaged in its welfare.
Day 1
Proposed questions for Discussion
1. Has it ever happened with you that after spending time with a person your perception about him/her has changed?
2. Are people around us similar or different? In what ways are we similar?
3. On what basis do we form relationships?
4. Do we see similarities and make relationships?
5. Can we be useful to everybody? How?
At Home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
1. Students go home and discuss with their parents about where all the various people who stay in the colony have come from. Also, have all those who have come from elsewhere, blended like sugar in milk?
2. If possible, they should also discuss who came first to the colony and who came later. Does the happiness quotient of the colony depend on who came first and who came later?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
- Have some students recall the story.
- Have them share the feedback received from their homes in small groups. Some students can then share their thoughts with the entire class.
- The remaining students can be asked to share their thoughts on the first day’s discussion questions.
The teachers may give some examples of Indians living in various countries like Africa, Canada, Singapore etc. There are large settlements of Indians in those countries now. There is no corner in the world where Indians have not settled. They blended like sugar in milk with that society. In our country too, there are people from various countries of the world who’ve settled here and all of us are part of one society now.
Additional questions for Discussion
1. What is the difference between living in isolation and living with people?
2. On what basis do we consider ourselves different from the others?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Give everyone an opportunity to express themselves and listen to them patiently.
- Teachers observe whether all the students are participating in the discussion or not.
- Encourage and support the students who are hesitant to participate in the discussion.
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- Alexander and Diogenes
- The Mind Palace
- Rabia’s Needle
- What is real and what is fake?
- How much land?
- Ego’s room
- Turban
- My Identity
- Arunima Sinha
- Socrates’ three questions
- Three labourers, three perspectives
- Serene water
- Who is speaking?
- The kite string
- A big man
- Brother, not a burden
- All together
- Sugar in milk
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