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Kauda the Cannibal
Living Sikhi - Lesson Twenty Five

by VERONICA SIDHU

 

 

KAUDA THE CANNIBAL

 

Lesson Objectives:

1   To have an appreciation for the compassion of Guru Nanak.

2   To understand the kind of power that is shabad energy and why it is never forced on anyone.

3   To begin to develop conscious habits, especially the habit of conscious eating.

 

Teachers, ask the students to say the Sikh greeting with you; then fold hands and do simran with the students.

 

Read pages 81-86. Reminder: Book I, Stories from Sikh History.

Can you imagine hearing about cannibals, people who eat other human beings? What if they lived only a few miles from you? What would you do? (Pause for answers.) Well, that's exactly what Guru Nanak heard . Let's see what He did!

Instead of running the other way, Guru Nanak's heart was moved to feel sorrow and sympathy for such unfortunate souls. He thought, "How did they get into this horrible habit? " "What suffering they are causing to the terrified victims of their hunger!" He did not hesitate for a moment. His compassion was boundless. Because he had merged with the divine will - God's Will - he loved these unfortunate souls. Even in the horror of what they were doing, he knew that they were as much God's children as he was God's child. They had the same ability as he had to give up their harmful ways. If only they could taste the sweetness of the divine, they would no longer crave human flesh.

In the book, the authors say that Guru Nanak thought " I must make them give up their cruel way of life".

That is incorrect. The Guru would never say that. Why not? (Pause.)

God does not force us to be good. No, we choose how we will play out our karam, which are the consequences of our actions. It is God's mercy whether we learn about shabad energy and whether we allow it into our hearts. That is why we pray for God's merciful glance to open our hearts like he did Nanak's and, later, Kauda's. This is why we do not judge others or force them. No, let us be like Guru Nanak and BE one with God's divine Will. It is God who is most merciful to allow us to have compassion for others. Always remember that. It is The divine shabad energy that transforms and uplifts, not us.

We are truly horrified by the actions of Kauda and his companions. What causes this kind of disregard for the feelings of others? Well, we now know of other tribes of people living on the planet who kill and eat other human beings. Here are some of the reasons that they and scientists have found for this extreme behaviour:

-   They were taught to do so by their parents.

-   They were told that people who did not belong to their tribe were not really like them, so their suffering was not really important like their suffering would be.

-   They had poor diets with little usable protein and other important nutrients.

-   They were isolated from other people who could teach them a different way of eating and alternate sources of nutritious food.

-   They liked the taste and didn't care how much suffering it caused to eat the meal.

 

Isn't it lucky that we are so fortunate to be able to find out the source of our food before we eat it?  Aren't most of us lucky to know or to be able to find out what our food is made of and how it was produced? Whether it was soaked in pesticide, or whether sentient (feeling) beings suffered so we could have the tastes we enjoy? Aren't we lucky that we can learn the answers about the food we put into our mouths. Is it really nutritious and healthful? Does it cause suffering?

 

Homework:

Let's become aware of what we are eating. Let's make it a habit to really look at our food before we eat it, thanking God and our parents for providing it. We thank God that we can learn about nutrition and balanced meals - what is good for us to eat. We thank God also that we live in an enlightened age with access to the shabad energy that can transform any bad habit. After all, a habit is what we do over and over again. We can learn to be conscious eaters, just as we learned to be unconscious eaters. Let's be aware and ask God to help us to be more aware.

 

Shabad: Naal Narayan Merai

 

November 1, 2010

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Living Sikhi - Lesson Twenty Five"









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