Om Sri Sairam

GO-GREEN FOOD LESSON PLAN 2

GROUP 1

Value: Peace Sub Value: PurityPurpose: How people's thoughts have an effect on the food we eat and how we can help minimize the effects. To remember to always pray to God before eating and ask Him to purify and bless the food.

Materials: Apple slices or fruit; 16” X 20” paper or cardstock, fruit stickers, copies of the Brahmaaparnam Prayer and the English version, and maze; Food Chart handouts

1. 3 Oms, Prayers Vakrathunda Maha Kaya, Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu, Twameva Matha Cha Pitha Twameva

2. Sailent Sitting/Prayer - Brahmarpanam

Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmana HutamBrahmaiva Tena GhantavyamBrahmakarma Samadhinaha

The act of offering is God, the oblation is GodBy God it is offered into the Fire of GodGod is That which is to be attained by him who sees God in allThe whole creation being the gross projection of Bramham,the Cosmic Consciousness itself; the food too is Brahmam, the process of offering it is Bramhanit is being offered in the fire of Brahman.He who thus sees Brahman is action, reaches Bramham alone

Aham Vaishvanaro BhutvaPraninaam Dehamaa AshritahaPrana Pana SamayuktahPachamyannam Chaturvidham

Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beingsmingling with the upward and downward breaths,I digest the four kinds of food. I, the Supreme Spirit, abiding in the body of living beingsas the Fire (Vaiswanara) in their stomach I am associatedwith their Praana and Apaana, digest the four type of foods(solids, fluids, semi-fluid and liquid) which they eat.

English version:

Oh Lord, Thou art the foodThou are the enjoyer of the foodThou are the giver of the foodTherefore I offer all I consume at Thy Lotus Feet

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

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Om Sri Sairam

The two verses are from the Bhagavad Gita: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, verse 24,Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XV, verse 14.

Teachers Notes: (from http://www.saibaba.ws/prayers/brahmaarpanam.htm )Swami's explanation of this prayer“We should partake the food with a sathwic (pure, serene) mind. Our ancestors recommended the offering of food to God before partaking. Food so partaken becomes prasad (consecrated offering). Prayer cleanses the food of the three impurities caused by the absence of cleanliness of the vessel, cleanliness of the food stuff, and cleanliness in the process of cooking. It is necessary to get rid of these three impurities to purify the food, for pure food goes into the making of a pure mind. It is not possible to ensure the purity of the cooking process because we do not know what thoughts rage in the mind of the man who prepares the food. Similarly, we cannot ensure the cleanliness of the food ingredients because we do not know whether it was acquired in a righteous way by the person who sold it to us. Hence, it is essential on our part to offer food to God in the form of prayer so that these three impurities do not afflict our mind. The food thus offered to God is digested by 'Vaishwanara" in the digestive system. Since God exists in the form of fire as Vaishwanara, He digests the food along with the impurities. So, man will not be affected even if the impurities enter the food.“

Swami has said that the Brahmaarpanam mantra is a very powerful mantra and that after recitation, the food is converted to prasadam, since it has been offered to God. It further purifies the food and all items around it. That is why the blue aura was found around the plates of food after the mantra was recited.

3. Review of Life Application from previous lessonReview the sheet of paper that the students bring and with cutouts of different forms of potato or potato products from newspaper advertisements/magazines. What did they find? Specify the fact that the potato has gone through a long journey to become those products and how any step in the process can be impure.

4. Quote from http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume09/sss09-28.pdf “The food that one eats has to be pure.” SSS 09-28 10/20/69

5. Affirmation“I pray before I eat to purify my food.”

6. Pre-Story ActivityServe the children a slice of apple or grapes. Simply observe their behavior. Do not have any further discussion at this point. They can eat it if they want. Read the story.

Story: The Priest and the Little Girl

Once upon a time a long time ago, but not very far from here, there was a priest who always liked to feed children after the church activities. So one day he brought a basket of bread pieces wrapped up in a basket and invited the children gathered near the church to take what they needed. Everyone grabbed what they wanted except a small little girl who stood looking at what was happening. The priest realized that all the bread pieces in the basket were gone and the little girl did not get anything. He asked her why she did not come forward to take something. She replied, “My mother always asks us to pray before taking food and that was what I was doing.” The priest was so pleased with her truthfulness and self-discipline, that he went inside and brought a whole loaf of bread, giving it to her. She smiled and thanked him for his kindness.

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Om Sri Sairam

Post-Story Questions

a. Why didn’t the little girl grab the food in the basket like everyone else?b. How often do you pray before eating meals and snacks?c. How did the priest reward the little girl?d. Did you remember to pray before eating your apple slice?

Have any students who did remember to pray, share the prayer they said and what it means to them. Reiterate how food is turned into prasadam after reciting the Brahmarpanam.

7. Song

O Lord, purify me and make my heart worth stealing

A precious possession that is full of loving feeling

Take every good thought and take every action

Soaked in the sweetness of love and compassion

[Same tune as 'Bada Chitta Chora Brindavana Sanchara']

8. Group ActivityMaterials: 16” X 20” paper or cardstock, fruit stickers, copies of the Brahmaaparnam Prayer and the English version, and maze.

Have them glue the prayer sheets and decorations onto the paper/cardstock. Let them put the snakes and ladders game on the back of the paper. Take them home to laminate (Mardel Teachers Store does it for 25 cents per foot), and then bring them back the next week to give to the students

9. Life ApplicationFood Chart: Give the students enough copies of the Pray before Eating chart (attached). On this food chart, mark a check if you remembered to pray before each meal including snacks. Ask them to ask their parents to help if needed.

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Om Sri Sairam

Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmana HutamBrahmaiva Tena GhantavyamBrahmakarma Samadhinaha

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, verse 24,

Meaning: The act of offering is God, the oblation is GodBy God it is offered into the Fire of GodGod is That which is to be attained by him who sees God in all

Aham Vaishvanaro BhutvaPraninaam Dehamaa AshritahaPrana Pana SamayuktahPachamyannam Chaturvidham

Meaning: Becoming the life-fire in the bodies of living beings mingling with the upward and downward breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.

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Om Sri Sairam

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XV, verse 14

English version:

Oh Lord, Thou art the foodThou are the enjoyer of the foodThou are the giver of the foodTherefore I offer all I consume at Thy Lotus FeetOm Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

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Om Sri Sairam

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Om Sri Sairam

Pray Before Eating Chart

Day Date Breakfast Lunch Snack Dinner Snack

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 4

Day 6

Day 7

Pray Before Eating Chart

Day Date Breakfast Lunch Snack Dinner Snack

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 4

Day 6

Day 7

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