Bridging Generations - Bringing the Bhagavad Gita to Children with Author Lissa Coffey.

@Ramya · 4w ago · 0:19

1. Impact of the book on young minds.

As a US based author, Lissa, what led you to choose the Bhagavad Gita as the foundation for your children's book? And what impact do you hope it'll have on young readers, especially in western cultures?

@LissaCoffey · 4w ago · 3:12

And I got Sonu nagam to sing the song from chapter two. And then I thought, you know, I wish there was a book like this when my kids were little so that I could read it to my kids. And I thought, you know, I know Rajesh Nagulakanda, and he's a great artist. And, you know, maybe we could come up with something that would, you know, that would appeal to kids. So that's what I did

Swell Team

@Swell · now · 0:15

Welcome to Swell!

@Ramya · 4w ago · 0:17

2. What specific themes from the Gita did you aim to convey through the book?

What specific themes or messages from the Bhagavad Gita did you aim to convey to young readers through the character of Arjuna and his conversations with Krishna in the book?

@LissaCoffey · 4w ago · 1:13

But I thought, you know, two important messages is, number one, know who you are, and number two is, you know, the message about Karma yoga, about, you know, it's not whether you win or lose, it's that you play the game. It's not even like how you play the game. It's that you're in the game. You're in the game. So play, you know, take action

@Ramya · 4w ago · 0:24

3. How an storytelling contribute ro children's understanding of spiritual concepts?

I am sure you would have been asked this question several times before, but how do you believe that storytelling, particularly through books like youve got this Arjuna, can contribute to childrens understanding and appreciation of diverse spiritual traditions and teachings?

@LissaCoffey · 4w ago · 2:42

I think storytelling is our best kind of teacher, our best tool, as, you know, as parents and as teachers. And, you know, we can see, like, through the ages, how stories have impacted kids in their education and how they still impact us as adults today. We remember the stories that we learned as kids. You know, I still remember the story of stone soup that I learned when I was a little kid where the

@Ramya · 4w ago · 0:28

4. Any anecdotes that you could share about the significance of introducing spiritual concepts to young minds through literature?

Also, Lissa, are there any specific anecdotes or personal experiences from your life, or perhaps interactions with other young readers that you've had that have, in a way, reinforced your belief in the importance of introducing spiritual concepts to children through literature?

@LissaCoffey · 4w ago · 2:35

It helps them to see that this wisdom is out there. And it has been out there for thousands of years. You know, where have I been that I haven't known about this? So that to me is very affirming, reaffirming that this is going in the right direction. And, you know, the kids, the kids here in the US absolutely love it. And it's funny because they always, a lot of kids play soccer

@Ramya · 4w ago · 0:49

5. How do the illustrations complement the book's narrative?

Could you talk about your collaboration with illustrator Mister Rajesh Nagulakonda and how the illustrations complement the narrative in conveying the essence of the Bhagavad Gita?

@LissaCoffey · 4w ago · 3:18