The Lotus

BROTHER SIMPLE - Medieval Christian
Retold by Sydney Solis

Listen to a Recording of this Story
Working With the Story Teaching Mantra to Chilren

There was once a young soldier who had fought many battles. He tasted victory many times, but his dreams were filled with blood. Something was missing. There was no peace in his heart. Something called him to go out and find it.

He went out to the countryside and journeyed across many hills and valleys, until one day he heard the sound of a bell. He followed the sound across another hill and there he found a cloister. He knocked on the heavy, wood door, and the monks invited him in to rest.

The next morning, the soldier heard the sound of the monks chanting in the sanctuary. Later he arose and went to the sanctuary alone. He was overwhelmed by the peace of the great silence, and it touched his heart. From there he went out to the courtyard garden and marveled at the herbs and plants growing. He saw a beautiful red rose, blooming in full glory. He was struck by its beauty and said, “Ave Maria.”

He took off his soldier’s uniform, gave his last money to the poor, and put on the robe of a monk. The only words he ever spoke again were, “Ave Maria.”

When the monks tried to teach him Latin and the scriptures, their new brother said only, “Ave Maria.” They thought he was just simple so they called him Brother Simple.

In the mornings when they went to prayers, Brother Simple had a peaceful look on his face as he chanted, “Ave Maria.” When he went out to meditate in the garden, Brother Simple chanted “Ave Maria.” When he cooked for the others he chanted,
“Ave Maria” and when he served he said, “Ave Maria.”

Years past, and the monks grew used to their Brother Simple. Although he could only say, “Ave Maria,” he always looked like he was in great peace, no matter what the circumstance. That’s how they found him in the garden when he died. Sitting next to the blooming roses, looking peaceful.

They missed their brother; they missed hearing the words, “Ave Maria” fill up the sanctuary, the garden, the rooms and halls. One day at dawn, the monks smelled an amazing scent. They followed it out back to the graveyard. There a tall, white lily grew. Looking closer at this amazing flower, they saw that written in gold on each and every petal were the words, “Ave Maria.”

Amazed at this mystery, the monks began to dig in the earth to find the source of the lily. They found the bones of their Brother Simple. The lily was growing out of his mouth.

Top of Page

WORKING WITH THE STORY
Teaching Mantra to Children

Mantra is an important part of yoga to teach to children … and adults. It helps children focus their minds on positive, spiritual pursuits, and protects the mind from negativity. Children’s mantra can be very simple.

Words are powerful. The whole world was created by words, and our words create our reality. The word God comes from the Proto-Indo-European, GHUT, to evoke, create. So when we use words we are being like God and evoking our creative power.

Teach children the power of their words, regardless of their age. Words can hurt, help or heal. Ask children to be aware of their speech as a meditation practice. For young kids, ask them to think of pleasant words. Write down a list. “Love, happy, kind, creation, OM,” etc. For older children, they can reflect on the day’s speech, or an incident where they have used kind or unkind words.

Challenge children to go with a minute, hour, or day of silence! See what happens!

Pick a word, such as Peace. Have children say the word in a variety of ways. Fast over and over again, super sloooooowwwwww and dragging out each letter’s sound and syllable. Have them sing it, shout it, say it in many character voices.

Make up mantras to go with nursery rhymes. My favorite is to put the words Love and Peace and Happiness to the tune of “Here we go round the Mulberry bush.” I use a Lumberjack, an Appalachian folk toy, to help with rhythm and entertain the kids. Find any popular song on the radio and you can probably switch out the words for a mantra. I used to have songs stuck in my head driving me nuts; I would substitute words with mantra.

Find time for quiet meditation and to use a mantra. Om Nama Shivaya, Shanti Om, or any preferred religious prayer or word of your choice. Ave Marie comes from the Latin and means Hail Mary. You can throw in a language and geography lesson by explaining that Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish all come from Latin, and talking about the countries they speak them in.

In secular environments, use powerful, positive words. I made up a tune using the words, “I am Powerful, Positive, Peaceful and Present.” You can have older children discover what issues they have that they want to transform. Are they negative all the time? Self-doubting? Angry? Find words to affirm a transition to peacefulness, and put a tune to it. Sing it and play with musical instruments!

Encourage children to take their mantra into their dally lives. If they are having trouble sleeping, repeat the mantra. If they are washing dishes, repeat the mantra silently to themselves. Until it starts to be automatic in the back of their mind. They may be able to get a glimpse of the transcendent and eternal behind the symbol it represents in duality by focusing on the present more through mantra and awareness.

Have children focus on their breath, and use the sound of the breath as a mantra.

Although the source of this story is Christian, how can we turn it into a universal story? How can we apply it to our present situation that is beyond any religious belief? What in our everyday life’s experience of the beauty of creation, life and peace all around us inspires us to say a word? What would your personal mantra in reaction to this be?

For older children, teach them to use mala beads or a rosary. Have them pick a word that has meaning for them, and repeat the word for each bead. Instruct them that the purpose is for meditating and focusing the mind, and whatever meaning we want to give the words is our own personal choice. By giving them their own beads, they can practice on their own.

Top of Page

Top of Page | The Lotus Home