Story 2031a: How to Improve Manners? [For 10 years and older]

It was the beginning of the new year, and two friends, Amara from Congo and Babita from Nepal, were talking.

Amara said, "It’s 2025 now. This year, I want to be a better person. Last year, I sometimes copied homework, wasn’t always kind, helped my parents very little, got angry quickly, and didn’t focus on the good in others."

Babita replied, "Oh, Amara, you’re not so bad! I was worse. I didn’t listen to my parents, was jealous of others, procrastinated on my homework, spent too much time on my phone, didn’t help the little ones with their homework, hardly ever attended the SSSSB class, and didn’t reflect on how I could improve my behavior."

They looked at each other and realized they needed to change their behavior. "If we keep acting like this,"Babita said, "people won’t like us, and we won’t set a good example for other students or the younger children."

They decided to ask Guru-practice for help.

Guru-practice welcomed them with a warm smile. "Guruji," they said, "this year, we want to learn better manners and become kind and good students."

Guruji smiled and said, "That’s wonderful! You just need to practice to become better. This small ashram is for everyone: for those who want to improve, for those who want to stay good, and for those who want to help others."

Guru-practice gave them simple advice: "Always think good thoughts, speak kindly, and do good deeds. If you focus on these, you’ll see yourself change." Guru-practice also gave them many examples of what they could do to become exemplary.

Today’s Question: What examples do you think Guru-practice gave Amara and Babita to help them become exemplary?