Smell - part 2.

This week I brought in a container with cinnamon and one with vinegar (of Modena, the black kind).

We took refuge in the 3 jewels and sat for a few seconds, just as last week.

The cinnamon was first, and they found it much harder to identify than I had originally thought, but most could tell it was a spice (maybe because they probably saw it). Interestingly when I asked them about the memories it brought, everybody had different ideas. Some thought about 'banana cakes', 'pudding' one about this dad's 'massage oil' (he is a masseuse) and 'cough medicine'. This was a beautiful opportunity to discuss how the senses trigger different memories in each of us.

Two of the kids said the class was starting to feel like a science class. First, 'I agree in some sense, for me the Buddha was scientist, but a scientist of the mind'. The difference with the science class is that there 'this would be cinnamon and this vinegar. Here it is banana cake and massage oil, worcestershire or soy sauce (for the vinegar)'

The fact that many confused vinegar with soy or other sauces also triggered a nice discussion on how the different senses often 'trick you or do not agree'. If you see something your ideas of what it is will  change even if the smell is telling you something else.

With the older ones we discussed how the habits or the thoughts that senses trigger affect our lives. We talked about walking in front of McDonalds triggers a thought of 'hunger' (even when you are not), all due to the smell (that all of them identified as a unique McDonalds smell).

We wanted to start moving to other senses, and start linking to habits that might affect them later.

Debbie brought some magazine photos form Cloe and other teen magazines, and we discussed  very briefly what does photographs make them feel. There were photos of obese and photos of female models. We wanted to make them aware of their feelings... originally thinking that a model would trigger things like 'I want to be like that' but it did not seem to be something they I actually (or so explicitly) see. Next time we will use other type of photos (objects of marketing).

Last night I saw a great documentary on 'Consuming Kids: the commercialization of Children'.

One of the researchers (or marketers?) describes the outcomes of advertising as 'attachment' to a sense of self. Buddha was so right! Hopefully these type of exercise will help kids be less attached, and a have a proper sense of self (or no-self ;-) not based on what they own.