A couple of years ago I spent a week at a wonderful meditation retreat in Kansas, and it was really inspiring to see the children meditating. One of them was my young friend Tarak McLain who meditates every day. He is delightful and fun and loves to play like all boys, but he has a more serious side. In 2009 when he was 6 years old he was interviewed on National Public Radio after he wrote this remarkable school assignment;

30 Things I Believe

by Tarak McLain

January 18, 2009

Tarak meditatingI believe life is good.

I believe God is in everything.

I believe we’re all equal.

I believe we can help people.

I believe everyone is weird in their own way.

I believe hate is a cause for love.

I believe that when I meditate I feel peaceful.

I believe we should be generous.

I believe brothers and sisters should be kind to each other.

I believe kids should respect their parents.

I believe I should not whine.

I believe people should wake up early.

I believe people should go outside more.

I believe in nature.

I believe people should use less trees.

I believe we should help the Arctic and rainforest animals.

I believe people shouldn’t throw litter on the ground.

I believe people should not smoke.

I believe God is in good and bad.

I believe in magic.

I believe people should not give up.

I believe love is everywhere.

I believe that God helps us to have a good time.

I believe we live best in a community.

I believe we can protect people in danger.

I believe we should help the poor.

I believe it’s OK to die but not to kill.

I believe war should not have started.

I believe war should stop.

I believe we can make peace.

7 Comments

  1. Yatindra on June 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm

    A pretty amazing child… Who knows what he will do for the world by just being himself!

  2. Jayatii on August 23, 2013 at 9:46 am

    Beautiful!…And well spoken Yatindra.By just being himself…

  3. Dianne Rivera on March 4, 2014 at 5:48 pm

    This moved my heart and I know that he will make a HUGE difference in the world, as this “homework assignment ” has already done for me and for. The. Countless others who have not left a comment!

  4. s on March 4, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    great insight for a six year old in 2009. wonder what his list is like in 2014. The same, at least, if not larger. 😉 more to being himself and us ourselves…..

  5. shirley on March 4, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    i loved the article about the young meditator. my meditation class last week was commenting how different life would be if mediation were taught in schools. and i heard a remark by the Dalai Lama, that if children between 5 and 7 were asked to meditate on compassion for one hour a week, it would only take one generation to see its effects. What possibility!

  6. dada rudranatha on March 4, 2014 at 8:52 pm

    i belive that only light makes shadows visible
    so lets better concentrate on the light

  7. Vanitha on March 4, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    Amazing. Makes me feel small in front of this kid. Wish I have the same dedication towards meditation and being connected with God. Wishing him all the very best.

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