Children’s Program at Nevada Buddhist Vihara: (Part 3)

   

Children’s Program at Nevada Buddhist Vihara:

(Part 3)

September 17, 2023

By Bhante Sumitta (PhD)

(Part 1)

Inspiring Young Minds: 

Bhante Sumitta's Motivational Program 

@Nevada Buddhist Vihara

Published on September 18, 2023

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Part 3 of the Material

Sigalovada Sutta on Idleness:

"There are, young householder, these six evil consequences in being addicted to idleness:

"He does not work, saying:

(i) that it is extremely cold,

(ii) that it is extremely hot,

(iii) that it is too late in the evening,

(iv) that it is too early in the morning,

(v) that he is extremely hungry,

(vi) that he is too full.

"Living in this way, he leaves many duties undone, new wealth he does not get, and wealth he has acquired dwindles away."

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Now let's explore this passage from the Sigalovada Sutta in a way that can inspire children:

Imagine you have a magical opportunity to make your dreams come true, but there are some obstacles in your way. The Buddha, who was a very wise teacher, once told a story that can help you understand how to overcome these obstacles and achieve your goals.

In the story, there's a person who doesn't like to do any work. They come up with six excuses for not doing their tasks:

• "It's extremely cold." They say it's too chilly to do anything, so they stay in their cozy blankets.

• "It's extremely hot." When the sun shines brightly, they complain it's too hot to do anything active.

• "It's too late in the evening." In the evening, they want to relax and play instead of working.

• "It's too early in the morning." When it's early and the world is quiet, they'd rather sleep in than start their day.

• "I'm extremely hungry." When they feel hungry, they choose to eat and forget about their responsibilities.

• "I'm too full." After eating, they feel too stuffed to do anything else.

Now, here's the exciting part: The Buddha tells us that when we keep making these excuses and avoid our responsibilities, we face some problems:

We leave many duties undone. This means we miss out on doing important things that can help us grow and learn.

We don't get new wealth. Think of new wealth as all the wonderful things you can achieve and the new skills you can learn.

The wealth we already have dwindles away. The good things we already have in our lives can start to disappear because we're not taking care of them.

So, what's the lesson here? The Buddha is telling us that if we want to make our dreams come true, we should not make excuses like "it's too hot" or "I'm too hungry." Instead, we should be brave and do the things we need to do, even when it's a bit challenging.

Just like when you study for a test even if you'd rather play, or when you help your parents even if you'd rather watch TV, you're learning to overcome these excuses. And that's how you'll grow, achieve your dreams, and keep all the wonderful things you already have in your life.

So, remember, be brave, work hard, and don't let those "too hot" or "too hungry" excuses stop you from becoming the amazing person you're meant to be!