For teacher’s reference
In the chapters so far we understood that:
In this chapter, we will try to understand how and when do we get caught in our ego and show off while trying to fulfil our needs. The needs of Self are fulfilled with happiness and understanding, but we mistakenly try to fulfil them through show off. We often search for respect and happiness by satisfying our ego and by showing off.
There are many things which are not needed in our house, but we still accumulate them in spite of them being unused. We often organise weddings by taking loans and serve numerous dishes and lavish food. Similarly, what are the other things we do to show off? We need to ask ourselves, “Is this my need or I am doing it to show off? Is this what I require or am I doing it to satisfy my ego?” We will try to understand this.
Section 1: Ego and show off
Story 1.1: Ego’s room
Story 1.2: Turban
Section 2: Needs of the mind/self: Feelings
Activity 2.1: Feast: When essential, when show off
Story 2.1: My identity
Section 1: Ego and show off
For teacher’s reference
So far, in our discussion we have understood that we need to know our needs, and then acquire some skills required, and then work hard to fulfil our needs. Without understanding our needs, we go on accumulating things and comforts; and we do not even realize when we overlook the needs of our body and mind, and slip into fulfilling our ego or showing off. The following stories would be helpful in understanding the difference between ego or show off, and needs.
Story 1.1: Ego’s room
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To get students to explore how often we forget our needs and get into the endless cycle of fulfilling our ego or show-off.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Direction of Discussion (For Teachers): Respect does not come from show off but it comes from acceptance of a person’s conduct and excellence. We often believe that we will get happiness and respect out of physical facilities and material needs. Unless we know how much we need, we go on amassing physical facilities and still feel insecure. To hide the feeling of insecurity, we move towards more show off.
Story
A man once built a huge house. He made 100 rooms in the house but there were just two people who lived there – his wife and him. Whenever any guests would visit them, the couple would proudly show them the entire house. They would tell about the marble stones used in the house. They would bring the guests’ attention to the expensive material used in the doors and windows. Once a sage came and stayed at their place. They showed the whole house to the sage too. The sage asked the man, “Your wife and you live in one room, who lives in the other 99?” The man said, “No one.” The sage said, “No, from the time I’ve come here, I feel there is a disease that lives in each room.” The couple was a little scared on hearing this. They had a lot of respect for the sage and they thought this great sage may have come to know about some evil spirits living in their house. They got scared.
The sage told them, “A disease more dangerous than evil spirits lives in your 99 rooms, but I will not tell you right now what that disease is. I will return in 2-4 months and then will tell you what it is. But I want you to begin with the treatment right now.” The couple had a great regard for the sage so they said, “If you cannot tell us what the disease is, at least tell us how to treat it. We will begin with the treatment.” The sage said, “From now, whenever guests come to your house, do not show all of your rooms to them. If they come to stay, just take them to the guest room, but do not discuss the marble and the expensive things in that room.”
The sage returned after two months. He asked the couple if they were following the suggested treatment to the disease. They said they were. The sage asked them, “Would you like to know about the illness?” The couple answered, “We have got to know the disease on our own. We lived in one room of the house and in the other 99 there lived the disease of our ego. When we would show off about the rooms and the expensive things infront of our guests, we were actually not showing them the rooms, we were just satisfying our ego.”
The sage was happy that the couple had recognised the disease. After this, the couple happily moved into a smaller house that was sufficient for their requirements.
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Why do some people want to keep things in more quantity?
2. How do you feel when someone shows off in front of you?
3. Have you ever shown off in front of anyone? Why and how?
4. When we score the highest marks in exams and tell everyone that we have scored the highest, is it our need or the fulfilment of our ego?
5. Buying a new pen, even if it’s expensive, it fulfils our need to write properly, is a need or our ego?
6. Is the desire to show off this expensive pen manufactured by a famous company among our friends a need or fulfilment of our ego?
7. Some people go on telling the price of the expensive things they own. Is this their need, or ego or show off?
8. Find five such examples from life around you which, according to you, was something not done because of need, but because of the need to show off and satisfy one’s ego.
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students):
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
1. When someone tries to show themselves as bigger or better than the other, what are the thoughts that come to your mind?
2. Share an incident when you took care of someone or you were helpful to them. How did you feel at that time?
3. When does someone truly respect you? (Example: When you have bigger and better things than them, or when you have been helpful to them?) Share other reasons.
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Story 1.2: Turban
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To inspire the students to be aware of things feeding their ego.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Direction of discussion (For Teachers): If a person considers only himself as superior to others, this delusion is called ego. As knowledge increases, one becomes more humble. As ego increases, one becomes more angry. If with time, more people are connecting with us, it validates that our knowledge and understanding is increasing. If this number is going down, it shows that our ego is increasing.
Story
A cunning man once took a turban worth Rs 5 and coloured it in shining colours, and took it to sell in an emperor’s court. The emperor looked at the turban and asked, “What is the price of this turban?” The man replied, “It is for 1,000 gold coins.” The emperor laughed and asked, “How come it is worth 1,000 gold coins?” The minister of the emperor had already warned the emperor to be wary of this cunning man.
In respond to the emperor's question, the man said, “I will take your leave now.” The emperor asked, “Why did you come and why are you going now?” The cunning man said, “I had asked the same question to the person from whom I bought this turban," how is it for 1,000 gold coins"? He told me there is an emperor in this world who can pay 5,000 gold coins for this. Now, I feel that the emperor I’m looking for is not in this court. I should go to some other kingdom.” After hearing this, the emperor immediately ordered his men, “Give him 10,000 gold coins and buy the turban.” When the cunning man was leaving the court, the minister asked him the secret of selling a turban worth Rs 5 for 10,000 gold coins. The man whispered in the minister’s ears, “Friend, the reason is the weakness of a person.” The minister asked him, “What is a person’s weakness?” The man replied, “A person’s weakness is his ego. He believes that he is supreme. "You are the most supreme", by putting this idea in the emperor’s head, I fed his ego and sold a turban, worth Rs 5, for 10,000 gold coins.”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. 1. Have you bought anything expensive for show off? What and why?
2. 2. What are the qualities/attributes that you lack, but you show off about these, as if you have them?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
1. For what reasons do we buy expensive things?
2. When we buy expensive things for recognition and respect, is the above purpose fulfilled? If not, why do we do it?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Section 2: Needs of the mind: Feelings
For teacher’s reference
Attention of students may be drawn to the fact that we can garner respect and trust even without show off or unnecessary spending. By recognising needs of the body, it becomes clear what and how much needs to be fulfilled for our body. The need of the self/mind cannot be fulfilled by providing comforts for the body. We have to recognise that the needs of the Self /mind will be fulfilled not with material show off but with confidence and understanding.
Activity 2.1: Feast: When required, when show off
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning Objective: The students should be able to reflect that in any situation and with the best efforts that showing off with food cannot secure affection and respect for us.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Note for the teacher:
Through this activity, we will try to understand the needs of our feelings little more.
A wise person is able to live with respect through his/her behaviour, thoughts and right understanding. A person in delusion (lacking the right understanding) expects to get respect through show off and considers others to be in delusion as well.
Day 1
Steps of the activity
1. Ask the students to sit in small groups of 4-5 each.
2. Ensure each group has a paper and pen.
3. Tell each group to consider itself to be a family unit and think of an occasion when the family has to throw a feast.
4. They have to decide together what all arrangements they need to make. They need to decide what would be the level of the arrangements. Why would they want to do them that way? They have to make a list on the available paper. (They can be given 10 minutes for this work.)
5. Now ask each group to mark 5 things/works which could be struck off from the list (due to lack of funds), and they would host the feast without them.
6. Tell them to decide the responsibility of each family member and write it down.
7. Now, ask any one person from each group to share the plan of his/her group and share the impact of removing the 5 elements that they had to be struck off the list and the reasons for striking them out.
8. Tell them that everyone has the feast on the same day. And they have to invite other families to the event.
9. Put this question forward as to which family’s feast would each one of them like to go to and why. (Through this question, let the students think that while deciding, did they prefer the comforts of the feast, the purpose of the feast or the way they were invited to it.)
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Has it ever happened with you that someone served good food to you, but you didn’t feel like eating it for some reason? You may share without taking names.
2. Has it happened with you that you went to someone’s place for a feast and you found some deficiency or discomfort in seating or food arrangements. In such a situation, what did you do and why?
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.
Steps of the activity
1. In a situation, does everyone show off in a similar manner?
2. What is the prime reason behind the show off? (Answer: The pressure or delusion of getting recognition and respect.)
3. Do you respect those who show off? Why do you do so/why don't you do so?
4. Why do you respect a person?
5. What do you do to get recognition for yourself?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Story 2.1: My Identity
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To enable the students to understand that identity is not from things, it is through our attitude, behaviour, values and wisdom.
Direction of discussion (For Teachers): We often want to look attractive and likeable to others and that is why we make a lot of effort by wearing good clothes, getting a new pen or pencil, bringing a new toy etc. We think that material things are our identity but it is important to understand that a person’s identity is not restricted to his/her clothes or looks. For example, a nurse without her uniform would still be a nurse.
Story
Henry Ford was a big entrepreneur who would dress very simply to the office and factory. His employees would wonder at this and discuss among themselves that their boss had so much money and yet he dressed to office in such a simple way.
One day, his secretary mustered the courage to ask him, “Sir, you’ve so much money that you can afford the best clothes in the world. Then why do you dress so simply to work?”
Henry Ford smiled and said, “Everyone here knows who I am. Why should I dress in expensive clothes and worry about showing off to people that I am Henry Ford.”
After a few days, Henry Ford went on a world tour. He visited many places but he continued to dress simply. Now, his secretary again asked him, “Sir, no one knows you here. So, you should dress in good, expensive clothes.”
Henry Ford smiled again and said, “Why should I worry about my dressing, particularly for those who don’t even know me?”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. In the society, are all those people recognised and respected who wear expensive, branded clothes? Discuss that a person’s recognition is not dependent on his/her clothes.
2. On what basis does a person get recognition and respect in society?
3. What would you do to get recognition and respect for yourself?
4. Name someone whom you respect. Also share the main reason(s) why you respect him/her.
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
The students will see if they recognise and respect people around them because of their dressing or because of some excellence. Alongside, students will look closely if those who have recognition and respect in society pay more attention to their dressing or their behaviour.
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.
1. If anyone you know wears ordinary clothes, would it change his/her identity? Why yes/why not?
2. Does a person’s identity depend on good, expensive clothing or on their qualities? Give examples of famous people and share their qualities. (Teachers may share the example of Mahatma Gandhi if a student doesn’t come up with it.)
3. Is someone’s recognition based on his/ her clothes? (If a doctor is not wearing his/her white coat, is he/she not a doctor then, or can someone become a doctor by wearing a white coat?)
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion
-----------------------------
In the chapters so far we understood that:
- All of us want to be happy. Whatever we do, we do in the hope of being happy.
- We are happy when our needs are met.
- We also understood our needs and saw that our needs are of two kinds –
- Material/physical needs, that is, the needs connected with our body, such as food, clothing, house, car, mobile etc.
- Non-material needs (feelings), that is, the needs associated with our mind/self, such as love, respect, peace, etc.
- Many-a-times, in our quest to meet our needs, we forget actually what they are and unknowingly do such things many a times that do not fulfil our needs, but only satisfy our ego and our need to show off.
In this chapter, we will try to understand how and when do we get caught in our ego and show off while trying to fulfil our needs. The needs of Self are fulfilled with happiness and understanding, but we mistakenly try to fulfil them through show off. We often search for respect and happiness by satisfying our ego and by showing off.
There are many things which are not needed in our house, but we still accumulate them in spite of them being unused. We often organise weddings by taking loans and serve numerous dishes and lavish food. Similarly, what are the other things we do to show off? We need to ask ourselves, “Is this my need or I am doing it to show off? Is this what I require or am I doing it to satisfy my ego?” We will try to understand this.
Section 1: Ego and show off
Story 1.1: Ego’s room
Story 1.2: Turban
Section 2: Needs of the mind/self: Feelings
Activity 2.1: Feast: When essential, when show off
Story 2.1: My identity
Section 1: Ego and show off
So far, in our discussion we have understood that we need to know our needs, and then acquire some skills required, and then work hard to fulfil our needs. Without understanding our needs, we go on accumulating things and comforts; and we do not even realize when we overlook the needs of our body and mind, and slip into fulfilling our ego or showing off. The following stories would be helpful in understanding the difference between ego or show off, and needs.
Story 1.1: Ego’s room
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To get students to explore how often we forget our needs and get into the endless cycle of fulfilling our ego or show-off.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Direction of Discussion (For Teachers): Respect does not come from show off but it comes from acceptance of a person’s conduct and excellence. We often believe that we will get happiness and respect out of physical facilities and material needs. Unless we know how much we need, we go on amassing physical facilities and still feel insecure. To hide the feeling of insecurity, we move towards more show off.
Story
A man once built a huge house. He made 100 rooms in the house but there were just two people who lived there – his wife and him. Whenever any guests would visit them, the couple would proudly show them the entire house. They would tell about the marble stones used in the house. They would bring the guests’ attention to the expensive material used in the doors and windows. Once a sage came and stayed at their place. They showed the whole house to the sage too. The sage asked the man, “Your wife and you live in one room, who lives in the other 99?” The man said, “No one.” The sage said, “No, from the time I’ve come here, I feel there is a disease that lives in each room.” The couple was a little scared on hearing this. They had a lot of respect for the sage and they thought this great sage may have come to know about some evil spirits living in their house. They got scared.
The sage told them, “A disease more dangerous than evil spirits lives in your 99 rooms, but I will not tell you right now what that disease is. I will return in 2-4 months and then will tell you what it is. But I want you to begin with the treatment right now.” The couple had a great regard for the sage so they said, “If you cannot tell us what the disease is, at least tell us how to treat it. We will begin with the treatment.” The sage said, “From now, whenever guests come to your house, do not show all of your rooms to them. If they come to stay, just take them to the guest room, but do not discuss the marble and the expensive things in that room.”
The sage returned after two months. He asked the couple if they were following the suggested treatment to the disease. They said they were. The sage asked them, “Would you like to know about the illness?” The couple answered, “We have got to know the disease on our own. We lived in one room of the house and in the other 99 there lived the disease of our ego. When we would show off about the rooms and the expensive things infront of our guests, we were actually not showing them the rooms, we were just satisfying our ego.”
The sage was happy that the couple had recognised the disease. After this, the couple happily moved into a smaller house that was sufficient for their requirements.
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Why do some people want to keep things in more quantity?
2. How do you feel when someone shows off in front of you?
3. Have you ever shown off in front of anyone? Why and how?
4. When we score the highest marks in exams and tell everyone that we have scored the highest, is it our need or the fulfilment of our ego?
5. Buying a new pen, even if it’s expensive, it fulfils our need to write properly, is a need or our ego?
6. Is the desire to show off this expensive pen manufactured by a famous company among our friends a need or fulfilment of our ego?
7. Some people go on telling the price of the expensive things they own. Is this their need, or ego or show off?
8. Find five such examples from life around you which, according to you, was something not done because of need, but because of the need to show off and satisfy one’s ego.
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students):
- Students discuss the story at home and understand the thoughts and views of their family members.
- Students observe what things are bought or have been bought in their families without need, just for show off.
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
- Have some students repeat the story.
- The first day’s discussion questions can be used again for the remaining students.
- Some other students can share their storytelling experiences at home in groups. Some of them may share with the whole class.
1. When someone tries to show themselves as bigger or better than the other, what are the thoughts that come to your mind?
2. Share an incident when you took care of someone or you were helpful to them. How did you feel at that time?
3. When does someone truly respect you? (Example: When you have bigger and better things than them, or when you have been helpful to them?) Share other reasons.
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Story 1.2: Turban
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To inspire the students to be aware of things feeding their ego.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Direction of discussion (For Teachers): If a person considers only himself as superior to others, this delusion is called ego. As knowledge increases, one becomes more humble. As ego increases, one becomes more angry. If with time, more people are connecting with us, it validates that our knowledge and understanding is increasing. If this number is going down, it shows that our ego is increasing.
Story
A cunning man once took a turban worth Rs 5 and coloured it in shining colours, and took it to sell in an emperor’s court. The emperor looked at the turban and asked, “What is the price of this turban?” The man replied, “It is for 1,000 gold coins.” The emperor laughed and asked, “How come it is worth 1,000 gold coins?” The minister of the emperor had already warned the emperor to be wary of this cunning man.
In respond to the emperor's question, the man said, “I will take your leave now.” The emperor asked, “Why did you come and why are you going now?” The cunning man said, “I had asked the same question to the person from whom I bought this turban," how is it for 1,000 gold coins"? He told me there is an emperor in this world who can pay 5,000 gold coins for this. Now, I feel that the emperor I’m looking for is not in this court. I should go to some other kingdom.” After hearing this, the emperor immediately ordered his men, “Give him 10,000 gold coins and buy the turban.” When the cunning man was leaving the court, the minister asked him the secret of selling a turban worth Rs 5 for 10,000 gold coins. The man whispered in the minister’s ears, “Friend, the reason is the weakness of a person.” The minister asked him, “What is a person’s weakness?” The man replied, “A person’s weakness is his ego. He believes that he is supreme. "You are the most supreme", by putting this idea in the emperor’s head, I fed his ego and sold a turban, worth Rs 5, for 10,000 gold coins.”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. 1. Have you bought anything expensive for show off? What and why?
2. 2. What are the qualities/attributes that you lack, but you show off about these, as if you have them?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
- Students should discuss the story at home and understand the thoughts and views of their family members.
- Students should observe how people are absorbed in feeding their ego.
- Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
- Have some students repeat the story.
- Some other students can share their storytelling experiences at home. Some may be given the chance to share with the whole class.
- The first day’s discussion questions can be used again for the remaining students.
1. For what reasons do we buy expensive things?
2. When we buy expensive things for recognition and respect, is the above purpose fulfilled? If not, why do we do it?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Section 2: Needs of the mind: Feelings
For teacher’s reference
Attention of students may be drawn to the fact that we can garner respect and trust even without show off or unnecessary spending. By recognising needs of the body, it becomes clear what and how much needs to be fulfilled for our body. The need of the self/mind cannot be fulfilled by providing comforts for the body. We have to recognise that the needs of the Self /mind will be fulfilled not with material show off but with confidence and understanding.
Activity 2.1: Feast: When required, when show off
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning Objective: The students should be able to reflect that in any situation and with the best efforts that showing off with food cannot secure affection and respect for us.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Note for the teacher:
- We have two kinds of needs – of the body (material) and of our mind/self (feelings).
- Both are important to us, but feelings play the primary (lead) role.
Through this activity, we will try to understand the needs of our feelings little more.
A wise person is able to live with respect through his/her behaviour, thoughts and right understanding. A person in delusion (lacking the right understanding) expects to get respect through show off and considers others to be in delusion as well.
Day 1
Steps of the activity
1. Ask the students to sit in small groups of 4-5 each.
2. Ensure each group has a paper and pen.
3. Tell each group to consider itself to be a family unit and think of an occasion when the family has to throw a feast.
4. They have to decide together what all arrangements they need to make. They need to decide what would be the level of the arrangements. Why would they want to do them that way? They have to make a list on the available paper. (They can be given 10 minutes for this work.)
5. Now ask each group to mark 5 things/works which could be struck off from the list (due to lack of funds), and they would host the feast without them.
6. Tell them to decide the responsibility of each family member and write it down.
7. Now, ask any one person from each group to share the plan of his/her group and share the impact of removing the 5 elements that they had to be struck off the list and the reasons for striking them out.
8. Tell them that everyone has the feast on the same day. And they have to invite other families to the event.
9. Put this question forward as to which family’s feast would each one of them like to go to and why. (Through this question, let the students think that while deciding, did they prefer the comforts of the feast, the purpose of the feast or the way they were invited to it.)
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Has it ever happened with you that someone served good food to you, but you didn’t feel like eating it for some reason? You may share without taking names.
2. Has it happened with you that you went to someone’s place for a feast and you found some deficiency or discomfort in seating or food arrangements. In such a situation, what did you do and why?
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.
Steps of the activity
- Divide students into small groups.
- Students may discuss in their groups for 8-10 minutes what kind of display of wealth they are able to see. The objective of the discussion may be noted in points.
- Hold a discussion on the reasons for showing off.
- Ask each group to share the analysis of their group with the class.
1. In a situation, does everyone show off in a similar manner?
2. What is the prime reason behind the show off? (Answer: The pressure or delusion of getting recognition and respect.)
3. Do you respect those who show off? Why do you do so/why don't you do so?
4. Why do you respect a person?
5. What do you do to get recognition for yourself?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Story 2.1: My Identity
Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To enable the students to understand that identity is not from things, it is through our attitude, behaviour, values and wisdom.
Direction of discussion (For Teachers): We often want to look attractive and likeable to others and that is why we make a lot of effort by wearing good clothes, getting a new pen or pencil, bringing a new toy etc. We think that material things are our identity but it is important to understand that a person’s identity is not restricted to his/her clothes or looks. For example, a nurse without her uniform would still be a nurse.
Story
Henry Ford was a big entrepreneur who would dress very simply to the office and factory. His employees would wonder at this and discuss among themselves that their boss had so much money and yet he dressed to office in such a simple way.
One day, his secretary mustered the courage to ask him, “Sir, you’ve so much money that you can afford the best clothes in the world. Then why do you dress so simply to work?”
Henry Ford smiled and said, “Everyone here knows who I am. Why should I dress in expensive clothes and worry about showing off to people that I am Henry Ford.”
After a few days, Henry Ford went on a world tour. He visited many places but he continued to dress simply. Now, his secretary again asked him, “Sir, no one knows you here. So, you should dress in good, expensive clothes.”
Henry Ford smiled again and said, “Why should I worry about my dressing, particularly for those who don’t even know me?”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. In the society, are all those people recognised and respected who wear expensive, branded clothes? Discuss that a person’s recognition is not dependent on his/her clothes.
2. On what basis does a person get recognition and respect in society?
3. What would you do to get recognition and respect for yourself?
4. Name someone whom you respect. Also share the main reason(s) why you respect him/her.
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students)
The students will see if they recognise and respect people around them because of their dressing or because of some excellence. Alongside, students will look closely if those who have recognition and respect in society pay more attention to their dressing or their behaviour.
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 repeat the story. If required, the teacher may help them.
- Some other students can share their storytelling experiences from home in small groups.
- The first day’s discussion questions can be used for the remaining students.
1. If anyone you know wears ordinary clothes, would it change his/her identity? Why yes/why not?
2. Does a person’s identity depend on good, expensive clothing or on their qualities? Give examples of famous people and share their qualities. (Teachers may share the example of Mahatma Gandhi if a student doesn’t come up with it.)
3. Is someone’s recognition based on his/ her clothes? (If a doctor is not wearing his/her white coat, is he/she not a doctor then, or can someone become a doctor by wearing a white coat?)
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion
-----------------------------
- Chapter 1: Understanding Happiness
- Chapter 2: Need
- Chapter 3: Needs of the Self
- Chapter 4: Trust and Confidence
- Chapter 5: Identifying Commonness
- Chapter 6: Sensible person = happy person
- Chapter 7: Happy Family
- Chapter 8: A Happy Society
- Chapter 9: Nature and Space
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