ADVICE TO CHILDREN By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

God created you, your brother, sister, father, mother, friend and your relatives. He created the sun, moon and the stars. He created the animals and the birds. He created the mountains, rivers and trees. He created the whole world.

He dwells in your heart. He is everywhere. He is all-pervading. He is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. He is all-merciful. He is all-loving. He is all-blissful. Your body is the moving temple of God. Keep the body pure, strong and healthy.

God is Love. God is Truth. God is Peace. God is Bliss. God is Light. God is Power. God is Knowledge. Realise Him and be free.

Do Kirtan daily morning and night. Pray daily. Offer flowers to Him. Prostrate before Him. Offer sweetmeats to Him and then eat. Place light before Him. Burn camphor before Him. Do Arati. Put garland on Him. Pray to Him daily. He will give you everything.

Keep a picture of God in your room. Worship Him daily. All your desires will be fulfilled.

Offer this morning prayer to God, everyday:

"O Lord of this world! Prostrations unto Thee! Thou art my Guru, real Mother, real Friend and real Guide. Protect me. I am Thine. All is Thine. Thy Will be done."

"O Adorable God! Salutations unto Thee. Give me pure intellect. Make me pure. Give me light, strength, health and long life. Make me a good Brahmachari."

"O Almighty Lord! Remove all my evil qualities. Make me virtuous. Make me a patriot. Let me love my mother-country."

Before you retire to bed at night, offer this prayer to God:

"O Sweet God! Forgive my sins and wrong actions. I thank You for all Your gifts. You are very kind to me. Let me remember You always."

"Make me dutiful. Give me success in my examination. Make me a good, brilliant boy. (Make me a good, brilliant girl.) Adorations unto Thee."

"Give me good memory. Let me love all. Let me serve all. Let me see You in all. Make me prosperous. Protect me, my father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brothers and sisters. Glory unto Thee!"

Dear Govinda! Do not fight with your brother, sister or classmates. Obey your parents and teachers. Do not smoke. This is a bad habit. You will get disease from smoking. Give up bad company.

Do not use vulgar words. Do not abuse anybody. Be kind to all. Serve all. Love all. Respect elders. Do not steal anything. Do not hurt anybody. Speak gently. Speak sweetly. Be punctual in your school.

Study your daily lessons well. Stand first in the class. Do not play much. Do not kill bugs and scorpions. Do not waste time.

Don't play cards. Playing cards will make you a wicked boy. Do not go to cinema. But do go to the temple daily and worship the Lord. Take flowers, camphor and fruit when you go to the temple.

Don't hate anybody, but do love all. Give a pie to a blind man. Wash the clothes of your parents. Never become angry towards your parents and others. Anger is very bad. It will spoil your health. You will spoil your name. You will do wrong actions if you become angry.

God watches your thoughts. Don't hide your thoughts. Be frank. Be pure in your thoughts, words and actions.
Worship Lord Surya, the Sun-God, on Sundays. Repeat 'Om Mitraya Namah', 'Om Suryaya Namah', 'Om Adityaya Namah'. Lord Surya will give you good health and vigour and good eyesight.

Worship Lord Siva on Mondays. Worship Devi on Tuesdays and Fridays. Worship Guru on Thursdays. Worship Hanuman on Saturdays. You will get plenty, peace, prosperity and success!

Lord Brahma is the creator of this world. Sarasvati, Goddess of learning, is His Sakti or energy or wife. Lord Vishnu is the preserver of this world. Goddess Lakshmi is His Sakti, energy or wife. She is the Goddess of wealth. Lord Siva is the destroyer of this world. Uma or Parvati is His Sakti, energy or wife. Lord Ganesa is His eldest son. Lord Subrahmanya is His second son!

Lord Ganesa removes all obstacles. Lord Subrahmanya gives all success and strength. Worship them with faith and devotion. You will get Bhakti (devotion), Bhukti (happiness) and Mukti (liberation).

God loves you. He gives you many good things. He gives you food to eat and clothes to wear. He has given you ears to hear, eyes to see, a nose to smell, tongue to taste, hands to feel and work, and legs to walk.

You cannot see God with your fleshy eyes but He sees you. He takes care of you. He knows all that you do.
He is very kind to you. Love Him. Praise Him. Sing His Name and glory. Pray to Him to keep you away from all sins. He will be pleased with you. He will bless you.

O David! Look at the rose! How beautiful it is! What a fine fragrance it has. You love it. You pluck it and smell it. Can a scientist produce a rose? You can make a paper-flower which may look beautiful but it has no sweet smell.

The rose soon fades and loses its beauty and fragrance. You throw it away. It is perishable. Its beauty lasts for a few minutes. Who has created the beautiful flower? This Creator is God. He is Beauty of beauties. He is everlasting Beauty. Attain Him. You also will possess eternal beauty. Beauty is God. Always discriminate between the real and the unreal.

There is only one God. But His names and aspects are endless. Call Him by any name and worship Him in any aspect that pleases you. You are sure to see Him and get His grace and blessings.

Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are the three Forms of the one God of the Hindus. Allah is the God of Muslims. Jehovah is the God of the Jews. The Father in Heaven is the God of Christians. Ahura Mazda is the God of the Zoroastrians.

God is the Aim of all religions. Every religion points out the way to attain God. God is the central topic of every religion.

Do not fight with your Christian friends. Do not fight with your Muslim friends or Parsee friends. Their religions also lead them to God just as your religion does. You can reach the same destination by travelling through any of the paths leading to it. "All paths lead to God." Bear this in mind.

Purity, charity, control of the senses, penance, truthfulness, absence of hatred and pride will help you to attain God.