Sister Shakti and I met on Wednesdays at the Kindness Temple in Santa Clara. After Nipun's article was featured in the DailyGood, sister Kelly --a friend of sister Shakti and a music teacher in an elementary school in Oakland-- contacted me "to have a dialogue with her students (32 ten year olds!) about nonviolence, Occupy Oakland and what kindness in the world looks like" as part of the week-CARE (Campaign for Acceptance, Respect and Empathy). Almost in parallel, brother Aaron came to Wednesdays on Fridays. We previously met in Karma Kitchen. His Pacha's Pajamas is a powerful Great Turning story of a ten year old and he is an incredible talented musician. Was a no brainer.

Brother Aaron and I went to the school together. We --the 32 kids and a few adults!--started with a few minutes in receptive silence followed by the KarmaTube of the Milky Way. Brother Aaron played the flute and when the kids thought that was another traditional calm song, he started beatboxing, then rapping and at the end we simulated a rainforest! We all loved it :-)

Then we had some Q & A. The kids couldn't understand why the police arrested a bunch of peaceful meditators. I told them "one of the beautiful things about meditation is that everyone can meditate; even in the most dehumanizing environments one can meditate and that's a power no one can take away from you."

At the end, sister Kelly --whose husband was deported two years ago and who has performed with Nelson Mandela-- asked the students to form groups of four to answer the question: "If you had super powers, all the resources in the World and the influence, what would be one problem you would get rid off from the Earth?" They had to act it in silence and the audience had to guess it. From eradication of hunger, to clothes and housing for everyone, to no more war, to a chicken feather spreading kindness, I was wondering how can we keep this children wisdom alive as we "grow up". One group was considering: "We have powers from a friendly alien who is capable to invisibly fly and speak to the minds and hearts of the police in Oakland to tell them to stop arresting peaceful people." :-)    Sister Kelly cooked a delicious vegan soup for Shakti and I. And when I thought I was nourished and satisfied, Kelly's next class was arriving with an impromptu gift: 10 cute five year olds who dedicated a peace song to me in the middle of the aisle. Priceless. :-)  Now, some people in the school want us to present them the concept of Karma Kitchen. 

Service Space, mission accomplished... the ripples continue! ;-)