ENCOURAGE A LOVE OF READING GOOD BOOKS
A young boy told his mother he was very hungry and asked for some sweets.
“Wait until your father gets home; he will bring you something truly delicious and sweet today,” she replied.
His father came home holding a large box in his hand. Excited, the boy ran to his father and quickly opened the box. As he looked inside, he felt an overwhelming disappointment. The box did not have any sweets. It held only two books: the Ramayan and the Mahabharata. The boy ran, crying, to his mother.
“Where are the sweets you had promised?”
His mother gently explained to him, “Dear, these books that your father has brought for you are some of the sweetest things in life.”
Curious, the boy ‘tasted these sweets’ and found them very agreeable. Soon, je was hooked, and his habit of reading good books brought about a complete transformation in his life.
This boy was Vinobha Bhave. Inspired by Ramayan and the Mahabharata, Vinobha Bhave grew up to be one of India’s great freedom fighters. He stood strong alongside Mahatma Gandhi to win India’s independence. Later in his life he often stated, “I became so enchanted with these ‘sweets’ my father had brought me, even today, I can’t do without them. Moreover, these books have played a vital part in moulding who I have become.”
For parents to ponder and reflect upon:
- Encourage children to read inspiring books that promote noble thoughts, such as: the biographies of our gurus and other spiritual luminaries, the Mahabharata, the Ramayan, stories of Dhruv, Prahlad and other great devotees.
- Create a tradition of buying children captivating books for their birthday.
- Read Satsang literature daily as a family in ghar sabha.
- Invest the time to familiarise yourself with the books your child reads at school. Discuss with your children the values promoted by those books and help your children understand any conflicts with your family and spiritual values.
- Encourage an interest in listening to and telling stories.
What’s your love towards reading good books? Show that love by fulfilling this worksheet, and in turn your minds!
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