Freedom and Peace - Sukhpreet Kaur

 "Human Beings, indeed all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness and live in peace and freedom." - Dalai Lama.

Freedom is a mirror of internal peace. They are sides of a coin which are incomplete without each other. The moment we are peaceful from the inside, we feel and provide freedom to all. Looking back to the school days of my life, I am lucky enough to get teachers who provided me with a better environment for learning. I am thankful to all of them for shaping my life. I always remember one line of my past that my parents and my Hindi teacher shared with me-

जो हुआ, वह अच्छा हुआ, 

जो हो रहा है, वह भी अच्छा ही हो रहा है,

और जो होगा, वह भी अच्छा ही होगा। 

If I think about instances, each phase of life indicates some vital message to us. It is us who we need to focus on. The giver and the taker need to understand the importance of life and do things peacefully and with the right intention.

I would like to share one activity where we took our Shreeyans (students) to a micro forest setup in Jewar. Students observed different varieties of plants and herbs and learnt the techniques by which they can grow plants. After the activity, they all sat and had their meal in the arms of Mother Nature. Students were amicably talking to each other. After some time, I observed two of my students talking to the caretaker. I was curious and went silently closer to them and sat near them. They took an interview with the caretaker and asked about his life. I could see the calmness and peace on their faces and the feeling of happiness.                                                                             

It inspired me to write a few lines in Hindi, which I am sharing with all of you.  

रहता जिंदगी में सुकून उसकी मर्जी से 

हम सुकून को ढूंढते हुए बेड़ियों में जकड़ गए 

We can quickly promote peace in the classroom. By promoting peace, students will develop a sense of responsibility, positive regard, and empathy, feel safe and learn naturally and encourage others to learn. Education for peace seeks to nurture ethical development, values, attitudes and skills required for living in harmony with oneself and others as responsible citizens. 

Regards

Sukhpreet Kaur

Gyanshree School