Oct 26, 20182 min read

Storytelling

Before the age of technology man used to sit around camp fires to entertain each other with storytelling. Unfortunately this is an art that is going to be lost, even here in the suburb of our beautiful jungle.

It seems that the young children here in this remote area seem to have the same social setback like most of the children in developing country.

It is hard to sit still and to listen due to all the white noise of technology. There are too many visual appliance and distractions.

In the occasion of honoring the passing of our mentor and spiritual guardian Sri Sri Anandamurtiji, we decided to bring our small troupe of children to the hill at the meditation center for short meditation and storytelling. The children of all ages were there, from our smallest of 3 months old to Hong-teto our eldest, 58 years old Than Aye (care mother). It did not take long before they were all captured by a mysterious tale.

Nature worked as a catalyst in creating a mood of freshness and attentiveness. The captivating narrative did the rest. Love was something palpable and soft all around us.

The story was about our guide Anandamurtijii and how the narrator came to discover and meet him. How he appeared when she was just 4 years old and how she had been looking for him and finally found him 16 years later.

The narrator was grown up at that time and had lost the magical eyes of a child. She had to go through so many obstacles and incredible experiences to find what she was looking for. It took a long time for her to recognize him. When she finally heard his ideology of everlasting love in all beings and in our surrounding, her eyes were opened again and her journey of self-discovery and service had taken flight.

The youngest ones were lulled into a sweet sleep while the older children became alert with curiosity, bewilderment and fascination. It was a moment that no gadget could have distracted them from this storytelling.