Aim

To appreciate own duties and those of a parent.
To begin to understand the concept of 'dharma'.

Preparation

Before the lesson obtain images of Raksha Bandhan festival.

Lesson

Begin by revising what was taught about the 'stages of life' in the previous lesson.

Can the children remember how many 'stages of life' Hindus believe there should be?

At what stage are they? At what stage are their parents?

Hindus believe that during each of the four stages, a person has certain duties to perform. Hindus call this dharma.

Using the worksheet, the children are to list their duties and those of their parents.

Inform them that, in all likelihood, these duties would be almost identical to those of a Hindu child or parent. But there would be some important differences.

1. Religious duty. This includes reading the Holy Scriptures and the daily act of puja. Mothers have special responsibility for the worship at home.
2. The Hindu family. When Hindus talk about their family, they don't just mean parents and children. Hindu families include grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws. Therefore, a Hindu's dharma, during the first two stages of life, should extend to all of these.

A special Hindu festival which celebrates an aspect of this family dharma is called Raksha Bandhan and is celebrated between sisters, brothers and cousins.

On Raksha Bandhan Day, girls and married women take a rakhi, a bracelet which they have made themselves, and tie it round the wrist of a brother or male cousin. The males give a present of money in return. The girl asks for blessings on her brother/cousin and he in return promises to love and protect her. As the gifts are exchanged, the girls mark the boys' heads with red kumkum powder and feed them with sweets.

If available, show images or a video of the festival.

What are the children's responses? How do they feel towards their brothers / sisters? Do they think the festival is sexist?

Conclusion

Conclude lesson by sharing with the children the relevant story of the god Indra.

Notes

Dharma is also a reciprocal system, involving an individual's rights. For example, it is the dharma of children to show respect to their parents and teachers and to do their best in their studies. But, it is their right to receive shelter, education, food and clothing. These rights form part of the dharma of their parents.