Lesson 8 (Family Program)

I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger; and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.

Activities for Month Eight

(Print Version Here) 

 

Here’s a list of the activities for the month.
Find descriptions below.

Journal
Family Meeting
Gandhi Searches for Truth, Reading and Discussion (for whole family)
Search for a Nonviolent Future, Reading and Discussion (for older teens and adults)
Mealtime Activity
Wisdom Tradition Passage
Nature Activity

Journal
Nonviolence is not about repressing anger, it’s about harnessing its power. Take some time this month to process on paper how you handle anger, and note what patterns you see others engage in to handle their anger. What tools do you use that help you to transform your anger into positive channels?

 

Family Meeting
Suggested topic for this month:
What can we do when we are angry with ourselves, each other, or at a situation in the world? How can we help each other through our anger?

 

Reading and Discussion with Children:
We’re on Chapter EIGHT now.

In chapter eight, Gandhi has a moment that will change his life forever. He realizes that he can transform his anger into nonviolent power, which he later called “satyagraha,” or Truth-Force.
Why do you think that Gandhi realized that Truth is a such powerful force?

Gandhi also took a vow on that day to use his creativity, not his violence. Take time to proclaim your own vow of nonviolence inspired by Gandhiji!

 

Reading and Discussion for Adults
Finish your reading of Search for a Nonviolent Future with Chapter 8. Write down some key ideas have inspired you in this chapter.

 

Mealtimes
Incorporate your vow of nonviolence into your mealtime. Perhaps this means sharing a commitment to nonviolence at the beginning of a meal.

 

Wisdom Tradition Passage
Pick a passage that speaks to your heart this month. Share it with your family and reflect on it together throughout the month.

 

Activity in Nature
Go on a walk and look for birds. Listen to their calls, notice how they fly, their color, their size. Make a promise to protect them.