tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86155186503633129362024-02-07T04:19:38.095-08:00Walking Buddha's PathPersonal experiences about walking Buddha's PathUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-90831468218697804452010-03-09T21:55:00.000-08:002010-03-09T21:56:54.796-08:00MindUp projectAn interesting educational project:<div><br /></div><div>http://www.thehawnfoundation.org/program/about-mindup/</div><div><br /></div><div>From the site:</div><div><p>"The Hawn Foundation, in collaboration with neuroscientists, behavioral psychologists, educators, and leading researchers in the field of social and emotional learning, has developed MindUP™, a comprehensive classroom-based program for children in grades K-7. </p> <p>MindUP™ has four main goals:<br />• to foster mindful focused awareness;<br />• to increase positive human qualities, such as empathy, perspective-taking, helpfulness and kindness;<br />• to increase optimism and well-being;<br />• to foster a cohesive, caring classroom climate that enhances learning."</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-45402063645496468812009-09-17T06:22:00.001-07:002009-09-17T06:53:27.745-07:00perception of timeI had one of those days today.... rushing from one place to another, with a sick wife, a hungry baby, tired toddler, an (almost) lost wallet...<div><br /></div><div>At school, I went directly to the classroom before picking up the key to the room in the reception. When I realized, I went to reception as quickly as I could. But, when we started the class the kids where of course quite unsettled.</div><div><br /></div><div>We bowed and I immediately asked them to sit for meditation. About half did well, four actually did extremely well and sat for at least 15min straight.</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>For the second group I asked Debbie to lead the class, but she had also not been able to prepare a class. So I sat for a few seconds trying to figure out what was the right thing to talk about. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Of course: time!</div><div><br /></div><div>My personal experience after meditating for 2-3 days in a retreat is that things 'slow-down'. At the end of 10 day retreat the effect is always obvious. It is as if we were seen a film and suddenly we can see each frame of it. The great thing is that by being able to see the details in each frame we can enjoy a different aspect of the film. </div><div>I thought this image might be a bit complicated so I used the drawing of a cartoon. One of those that you draw in a notebook and then flick through the pages to see the animation moving.</div><div><br /></div><div>I explained students how our world demands (or seems to) that we always do more in less time. This is like flicking through the pages quicker and quicker. We all agree that this may the cartoon seem less interesting.</div><div>I asked students to make a resolution, just as I would. To do less in more time, and at the same try to enjoy every moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>I explained that by being aware of our senses and our feelings we can be more aware of time, and enjoy more each moment. </div><div>I don't think the explanation come out terribly clear, but I tried. And as it often happens I still felt satisfied about the class. I should think more about the topic and try to do better next time.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-33534503454406699432009-08-21T17:23:00.000-07:002009-08-21T17:46:16.197-07:00Smell - part 2.This week I brought in a container with cinnamon and one with vinegar (of Modena, the black kind).<div><br /></div><div>We took refuge in the 3 jewels and sat for a few seconds, just as last week.</div><div><br /></div><div>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.<br /></div><div>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)'</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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).</div><div>We wanted to start moving to other senses, and start linking to habits that might affect them later.</div><div><br /></div><div>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).</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night I saw a great documentary on '<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/410106">Consuming Kids: the commercialization of Children</a>'.</div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-43049287671333071472009-08-21T16:47:00.000-07:002009-08-21T17:19:53.574-07:00back! to the senses (smell)I recently came back from a 4 month trip to the US and Europe (work related).<div>Last week I started teaching again and it was a a wonderful experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>The lady who coordinates the classes in the school told me to 'prepare... they will probably be a bit unsettled'. Instead they behaved like angels.</div><div><br /></div><div>The program we had agreed for this term was to work on awareness of the senses, so I had planed to but some herbs in the supermarket before going to school. As it happens I was stuck at work until last minute. When I arrived to school check my watch... no time. With an uncharacteristic quick thinking I went to the school's canteen and asked for an orange that they did not have, an apple (neither)... I finally got a vegemite sandwich and a mandarine.</div><div><br /></div><div>We first took refuge in the three jewels (Buddham Saranam Gachami, Dhammam Saranam Gachami and Sangham Saranam Gachami). </div><div>I explained why I like to do it in Pali, the language of Buddha. People has been doing it for 2500 years. Every time they do, people are putting a bit of effort into something. Millions of people do it every day, and have been doing it for centuries! how much effort has gone into this.</div><div>If we compare it with some of the 7 wonders of the world, with the Great Wall of China, buildings that took thousands of people decades to build.... how much more have we built with the Buddhist tradition. The fact that we can not see it, does not mean is not there. The effort goes into changing ourselves, not the nature outside, and interestingly enough this is more difficult. The kids were very interested with this idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>We sat in our normal position' the legs crossed, the back straight, right hand over left hand'</div><div>And then did a bit of 'breath in.. breath out'. I asked them to keep their eyes closed until all had a chance to smell the objects hidden in my cloth bag. 'try to feel where you 'feel' the smell, i it in the tip of your nose or deep inside. Is it in your stomach? your mind?'</div><div><br /></div><div>I walked around and let them get a sniff of the orange.</div><div>Most had an idea of what it was, but some confused it with other fruits.</div><div>We discussed what they felt? some actually wanted to eat it, and their 'mouth watered' so we discussed the response patterns we have. We smell some things and get hungry...</div><div><br /></div><div>We then got a smell of the vegemite sandwich. Obviously most of them expressed their feelings loudly 'stink', 'o no!', 'disgusting', but very few recognized what it was.</div><div>We then discussed how some scents we feel attracted to and some we reject. How we do this to recognize things that can be harmful or things that can bring nutrition.</div><div><br /></div><div>The important thing is not to recognize the object, the stimulus, it is to recognize what it triggers in our mind. I believe that when we learn to do this we would have fewer cases of eating disorders, marketing would have a much lower impact on us. We would be much wiser.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the session, as a joke I ate the vegemite sandwich (that I like), and they all laughed. Regrettably I was not mindful enough to notice that I would need it for the second class with the older kids. The exercise with them was similar but just discussing the 'attractive' fruit.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-36468702501453660502009-01-22T04:47:00.000-08:002009-01-22T05:18:43.874-08:00the six perfectionsKids never stop surprising me. We so underestimate their abilities!<div><br />One of the activities I led late in the year was to discuss the six perfections (technically called the Paramitas), a different take on the path, with similarities to the eightfold path.</div><div>I wanted to leave them some 'homework', something to think about in their holidays, and we had already discussed the eightfold path, so I thought this could be a good alternative, but I had my reservations due to its complexity.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, they always can surprise us with their ingenuity and focus.</div><div>I thought that activity was very successful. The kids meditated on these perfections and seemed happy and motivated when we finished. </div><div><br /></div><div><br />Dana (generosity), reminds us on what the real meaning of the Christmas season should be (most of the kids are from christian families). We practice giving without expecting anything back. </div><div><br />Sila: (virtue), can be developed by remembering that giving should be accompanied by virtue. </div><div>This means that we can only give what is ours, and that choices should be mindful of waste, cost,...</div><div> <br />Kshanti (patience, acceptance), can be developed when we have expectations, desires, etc, all of which cannot be met.</div><div><br /></div><div>Virya (diligence) that I brought up, asking them to make an effort to meditate a few minutes everyday, while they were on holidays.</div><div><br />Dhyana: (concentration) that they would develop while they meditate</div><div><br />Prajna: (wisdom) that they would also develop while thy meditate.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wish I had written the details on the session's pros and cons immediately after school. Now, a month later, I only remember the gist of it, and that I was extremely happy about the outcomes.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-60147560480700301882009-01-22T04:33:00.000-08:002009-01-22T04:48:50.144-08:00epilogue to 2008<div>2009 has started, and soon I will be teaching again.</div><div>Regrettably life was so hectic on the last couple of months last year, that I did not keep this diary up to date.</div><div>A few important things happened. The best thing was to meet Debbie in a Buddhist Council workshop. Soon after we met she volunteered to help me with the teaching. She already volunteers in another school, cares for seniors and somehow manages to maintain a family with 3 kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to take a more structured approach this year, with a specific topic in each term.</div><div> I also want to better engaging parents, trying to motivate them to practice with their kids at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will be away, for work, for almost 4 months this year, so it is really good that Debbie will be around to cover for me.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-45676515117059794682008-08-20T23:03:00.000-07:002008-09-28T03:40:59.081-07:00Books recommended in the SRE workshopI found a number of really interesting books in the last workshop organized by the NSW Buddhist council. I have not used them in class yet, but they seemed excellent.<br /><div><div><ul><li> The Centering Book, awareness activities for children, parents and teachers by Gay Hendricks and Russel Wills<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0545040876/designelearn-20">Zen Shorts</a> by John Muth Recommended for year 1, 2 and 3.<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439199964/designelearn-20">The Three Questions</a> by John Muth<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/043933909X/designelearn-20">Stone Soup</a> by John Muth (I loved this one)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679891889/designelearn-20">The Prince Who Ran Away: The Story Of Gautama Buddha</a> by Anne Rockwell (Author), Fahimeh Amiri (Illustrator)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0861711173/designelearn-20">Her Father's Garden</a> by James Vollbracht<br /></li></ul><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-30364151200122841682008-08-06T00:43:00.000-07:002008-08-20T22:39:16.582-07:00books on teaching emotional intelligenceIn a recent training workshop(for SRE teachers) at the Buddhist Council, its president made a point about how Buddhist Scripture is teaching in many way 'life skills' (in the lay sense. Dealing with emotions (our own and those off others), is an essential part of this training. Although these books are not Buddhist at all, I have bought a copy and now have them in the ever growing pile o things to read. If any Buddhist teachers has experience with any of these, I would appreciate your feedback.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1412940583/designelearn-20">Teaching Emotional Intelligence</a>: Strategies and Activities for Helping Students Make Effective Choices. by Adina Bloom Lewkowicz. 2006<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761977481/designelearn-20">Fostering Emotional Intelligence </a> in K-8 Students: Simple Strategies and Ready-To-Use Activities. by Gwen Doty. 2001<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/055338371X/designelearn-20">Emotional Intelligence </a>. by Daniel Goleman. This is the book that probably coined the term and started the trend. Goleman is very well know researcher in the field of emotions.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/055338449X/designelearn-20">Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships</a> by Daniel Goleman.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-81501373902557281932008-08-01T00:19:00.000-07:002008-08-20T22:55:17.168-07:00Teaching Meditation to Children - new book<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905857322/designelearn-20">Teaching Meditation to Children</a>: The Practical Guide to the Use and Benefits of Meditation Techniquesby David Fontana (Author), Ingrid Slack is a fantastic book written by experienced teachers of mediation. Not a Buddhist book but very insightful about techniques and particularly issues that appear while teaching meditation to children.<br />It is the type of book where I feel the urge to use a highlighter is stronger than the guilt of scratching a book (I feel this guilt, even when the book is mine).<br /><br />Some of the things I highlighted:<div><ul><li>"Working with children in meditation lifts our spirits as well as theirs."</li><li>"A fifth-century Buddhist monk, Buddhghosa, spoke of meditation as a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">training of attention</span>"</li><li>Preparatory rules:.. 1. Don't expect too much. 2. Never show disappointment or impatience 3. Make it clear that children are not competing with each other 4. Keep all instructions simple 5. Keep explanations simple and 6. Use appropriate tone of voice.</li></ul><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-78389721820391816872008-06-22T17:22:00.000-07:002008-06-22T17:31:29.896-07:00Dalai Lama meets scripture studentsThe NSW Buddhist Council organizes great events. "On Saturday 14th June 2008 some children along with their parents were invited to meet His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at Homebush. Here are some pictures to share with you <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwu2218">http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwu2218</a>"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I was not one of the lucky ones ;-)<div>But Michael photos are fantastic.<br />I still haven't figured out how to embed a single photo, so I borrowed one:<br /><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2591933787_13e6ff794d.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-39254518377634347012008-05-23T14:38:00.000-07:002008-11-13T17:45:57.335-08:00Mathieu Ricard in AlokaThe ABM Youth group organized a fantastic event around Ricard's visit. <div>We had a musical show, and then a very interesting Dhama by Ricard. </div><div>The following Q& A section with Ven Mahinda was enlightening. It showed how different monks have different opinions on things, but then at the bottom, it is the same.</div><div>The icing on the cake was the slide show that Ricard gave to the youth group. His sensitivity and analytical skills are reflected on all he does.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjSZzN1X88C4J08gKPmoou9DkYqZFxpK2adqtM1QOrjZrKUZtStHVDA7HHM-Icb0D2sdTzCkQpJ_IBRWysRq98yF_gFVHD66gCR3Gt_cUMoPc66GZuMdZSgOOxwiuH1IAzOedh2EgPvo/s200/100_5913.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203692656935589234" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Al proceeds from the event went to Ricard's charities. If you can help support orphans in Tibet and Nepal, please visit his website: http://www.karuna-asia.org</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-82153588619743936822008-05-12T05:04:00.000-07:002008-05-12T05:34:08.820-07:00Meditation And The Neuroscience Of ConsciousnessIt feels very strange to comment on two readings as distant as "Peaceful piggy meditation" and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521674123/designelearn-20">Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness </a>on almost the same day... but well, that is what I have been reading. <div> <div>Actually, of the latter I only read "Meditation And The Neuroscience Of Consciousness: An Introduction" by Antoine Lutz, John D. Dunne, And Richard J. Davidson.</div><div>This chapter reviews defines meditation by analyzing some of the techniques common to all Buddhist traditions, then it explores where Buddhism and Neuroscience intersect, describing how Buddhism as an exploratory field of study can contribute to the neuroscience of emotions and mind-body interactions. The chapter concludes with a section discussing the neuroimaging and neuroelectric research that reviews some of the correlates between both. With 120 pages the chapter goes pretty deep.</div><div>The authors, from the University of Wisconsin, are working with a number of very experienced meditators, monks from the Tibetan tradition, including Matthieu Ricard. </div><div> </div><div> <br /><div><br /><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-54415507585086669022008-05-12T02:43:00.000-07:002008-05-12T02:51:44.374-07:00Peaceful Piggy MeditationOn week two of this term I tried to reproduce the successful results I had on week one. We read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0807563811/designelearn-20">Peaceful Piggy Meditation</a> a short story about family life in today's fast world. <div>The basic premise is that since "Sometimes the world can be such a busy, noisy place" then "it's good to meditate."<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>According to Amazon, the author is a certified meditation teacher for children.</div><div>The books is very nice, both the writing and the illustrations. For teaching in a large class in fact that images are somewhat realistic makes reading it more difficult: all kids want to see them!</div><div><br /></div><div>For the older kids I think the story was less interesting than the "Hermit and the Well" I read last week.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-29220176521094832172008-05-06T15:45:00.000-07:002008-05-11T04:02:49.749-07:00Mind Science - a news report<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.</span> (Albert Einstein)<br /><br /><div>A number of scientists have started looking at Buddhism as a source of information on how the brain works. This is a news report of the research produced at the <a href="http://psyphz.psych.wisc.edu/web/index.html">Lab for Affective Neuroscience</a> at the University of Wisconsin, led by Prof Richard Davidson.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Dan Rather news report starts with a section on the impact of meditation on well-being, with interviews to the Dalai Lama and a number of scientists. Then there is a discussion of medical research on how the increased understanding of neuroplasticity is helping people suffering the consequences of stroke. I found the interview to <a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2000/kandel-autobio.html">Eric Kandel</a>, nobel prize winner, particularly entretaining.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" style="width:400px;height:326px" flashvars="" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-4846933362481486227&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-16696272259850936872008-05-02T05:22:00.000-07:002008-05-11T03:59:20.454-07:00The Hermit and the WellFor the first lesson of this term I picked <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1888375310/designelearn-20">The Hermit and the Well</a> a short story by Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is a fantastic writer. The book tells, in first person, the story of a boy who goes on a school trip to a mountain to find a hermit. They do not find him, but the boy finds something much more important while sitting next to a well. <div>The story raises a number of issues that can trigger discussion. The kids were interested in knowing if the story was true, or if it could even be true. It also can be used to discuss how when we hurry we do not see the beauty of what lays on the path, or how we sometimes find what we are looking for, in something that looks completely different.<br /><br />I was actually feeling pretty awful before the class. I had read the terrible story of child abuse and was feeling very sad. But somehow the kids were the quietest they have ever been. The class was fantastic. I had decided to read the story while we 'played' freeze and the distractors, and offer to give candy to those who won. At the end I gave a candy to each of them, because they had all been so good (I actually ran out of them half way).<br /><br />With the older ones, I used the remaining time to discuss the story. It always amazes me how people can have so different interpretations of a text.<br />Note: Before starting the reading I asked what a Hermit was. Very few knew the meaning, so one of the kids explained it.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-19379177363005450392008-04-13T13:51:00.000-07:002008-05-11T04:02:09.517-07:00End of term<div>For the last 3 weeks, Monica, a Volunteer came to the class to help with the teaching. She was really nice and I was hoping she would be able to teach Kindy and year 1 that currently have no teacher. On the second week she made the case that it would be better to teach in a school that has no teacher whatsoever. She was probably right.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The kids behaved pretty bad the first two of these weeks. The third one I started sending the restless ones out, to their normal class. I will have to keep strict on the discipline or we will have the same problem I had last year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The classes have not been as structured as they used to be. We worked on a historic topic on alternate weeks. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we discussed the four sights, I showed a snippet off the BBC video.</div><div>Siddharta was very sensitive to what happened around him so the King was very concerned about the type of things he saw and heard. But Siddharta wants to see the world.<br /></div><div>The story tells how Siddharta leaves the palace with his friend/servant Channa. On each excursion he sees an important sign, and on each occasion Channa explains how that could happen to anyone: A sick man, is the first one, then an old, and a dead man. With these first three sights he faces for the first time the suffering of the cycle of life. On the four one he sees a monk, begging for food. And Channa explains that he is a wise man looking for answers to the problems of life.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the last class the kids wrote on small cards, made by the Buddhist council, their name, year and an act of kindness they did recently. We then read and discuss them (without saying aloud who wrote what). The Council will collect them all for the Vesak celebrations.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-91023078300366714642008-04-07T23:51:00.000-07:002008-04-15T05:25:22.238-07:00Interesting booksI am trying to learn about what Neuroscience has to say with respect to emotions, a very hot field of scientific research. I just ordered three books that seemed promising. They are not Buddhist at all, but I hope to find they have something interesting to say:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195155920/designelearn-20">Cognitive Neuroscience of Emotion</a> - Richard D. Lane;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000WPPYGS/designelearn-20">The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind</a> - Marvin Minsky<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0262661152/designelearn-20">Affective Computing</a> - Rosalind W. Picard<br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-38777820975036513142008-03-17T01:51:00.000-07:002008-03-17T02:02:19.760-07:00circles of metta - loving kindnessEvery once in a while I get bits of inspiration out of nowhere. By serendipity I end up making up an activity that engages students much more than other activities. Last week it one of these.<div><br /><div>With the older ones (about 12 this year) we did almost 15 minutes of meditation. Most of them where sitting pretty quietly by the time I finished the session. We stretched, talked a bit and then I thought another 5minutes of sitting would be nice.</div><div>I asked them to sit in groups of 3-4. I ended up with 2 groups of 3, a group of 4 and two groups of 2. They had to sit in circles. The exercise was to send loving kindness 'energy' to the person on the left. This way the person on the right was sending 'metta' to myself and I was sending metta to the person on the left. Metta circulated clockwise in each group. I asked them to feel the energy coming in through one arm and leaving through the other. It seemed that liked the activity.</div><div><br /></div><div>We then discussed what they felt when they meditated. They mostly said 'calm'. </div><div>Surprisingly they could not come with examples of other situations where they felt the same way. I said that I felt somewhat like that when I sat in the beach, listening to the waves and feeling the breeze. They did not seem to click on the simile, so I think they enjoy the beach in a different way :-)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-22151617142012416052008-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:002008-03-14T14:07:33.908-07:00SRE workshop - a successI have been with a flu and classes just started at Uni, so I had not able to report on the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">fun</span>tastic workshop organized by the N<a href="http://www.buddhistcouncil.org/">SW Buddhist Council</a>.<div><br /></div><div>We followed the program for the day quite closely:<br />10:00 - 10:10 Welcome and meditation<br />10:10 - 10:50 Daniel Yeo “how best to use the Come & See CDs” gave us a great show, with music, dancing and a lot of ideas on how to make our classes more fun. The CDs of D-Kidz, his group, can be acquired in the <a href="http://www.d-kidz.com/">website</a>. You can listen to samples in his site or from Buddhanet <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/buddhist_songs/budsong1.htm">here. </a>The songs tell the story of Buddha and as such they can be very useful. Note, some of the lyrics have religious connotations common in asian countries, but that not all teachers might want to bring to their classes in Australia (or other western countries). As I told Daniel, I wish I could sing and entertain like that!, but as he replied 'if you can't sing, use the CD!' </div><div>10:50 - 11:10 DET Representative on their protocols. A discussion of mostly administrative issues, but the lady who presented provided some useful materials.<br />11:10 - 11:30 Michelle Corby “meditation with children”. Michelle told us about her experiences and a discussion followed.<br />11:30 - 11:40 Break<br />11:40 - 12:00 TC Lim “the Dhammapada”. TC Lim, a long term benefactor of different Buddhist organizations told the personal story of editing a version of the Dhammapada, and suggested looking into it as a source for children stories.<br />12:00 - 12:30 Ven Jin Rou "Teaching Ecology through Buddhist Stories" read some of the stories she has written.<br />12:30 - 12:50 Group discussions<br /><br /></div><div>We then went for a delicious lunch at a restaurant in Crows Nest.<br /></div><div>Thank you to Roselin and Brian for organizing this</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-2415707992456548112008-02-24T14:57:00.000-08:002008-02-24T15:05:54.743-08:00online learning?Since we have so little time during the class (30 min) I have been thinking how I could extend it to the time they spend at home.<div>Several of the kids mentioned that they practice with their parents at home.</div><div>Maybe sharing their experiences online would help having them think more about meditation during the week?</div><div><br /></div><div>The first real question is, would online activities help at all?</div><div>If so, what type of activities would be best? Some ideas</div><div><ul><li>I found <a href="http://www.epals.com/">ePals</a> website, recently featured at New York Times, that helps teachers link with groups of students elsewhere. How about getting students talk about Buddhism with kids in Vietnam or Thailand? <br /></li><li>Discussion amongst themselves about their personal experiences</li><li>Pick a topic for the year (e.g. 'happiness') and discuss it, bringing the buddhist perspective in classes. </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-87303063454831843532008-02-07T03:21:00.000-08:002008-03-17T02:07:34.851-07:00Ricard coming to Sydney<div>One of the best news I got in the Council's meeting a few weeks ago was that Matthiew Ricard was coming to Sydney. He will nowhere less than Aloka! on the 4th of May. They have set up a website with a name around the theme of his visit: '<a href="http://www.simpleandpeaceful.com.au/">Towards a simple and peaceful life</a>'</div><div><br /></div>I also found another excellent talk by Matthiew Ricard at google video.<div><br /></div><div><br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-1424079446171087119&hl=en-AU" flashvars=""></embed><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-47974213359039624382008-02-01T18:00:00.000-08:002008-02-01T20:17:44.657-08:00Sunnataram Forest Monastery<div style="text-align: left;">Last weekend we went to the <a href="http://sunnataram.org/">Sunnataram Forest Monastery</a>, a Thai temple about 120Km south of Sydney. The temple is a few kilometers from Bundanoon (see map below), and I strongly recommend a visit. Check the temple's <a href="http://sunnataram.org/">website</a> for events.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>We forgot to bring a camera, but in Flickr I found fantastic photos of the temple, the monks and the flora and fauna surrounding the place. I insterted them below as a slideshow, so people can get an idea of the beauty of the place. To see who took the photo, just click on the one you like.<br /><br />The food, as temple food always is, was fantastic. The baby got tired early so we where not able to hear a Dhamma talk, but I hope that we will next time.<br /><br /><iframe align="center" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?tags=sunnataram&monastery" frameborder="0" width="300" scrolling="no" height="400"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="300" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bundanoon,+nsw&ie=UTF8&om=0&s=AARTsJqy8TsGIdhDUfYqOuaOlfbh0d2OWQ&ll=-34.284453,150.644531&spn=1.361603,1.647949&z=8&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bundanoon,+nsw&ie=UTF8&om=0&ll=-34.284453,150.644531&spn=1.361603,1.647949&z=8&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-88664270077331224412008-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:002008-11-13T17:45:57.704-08:00Getting ready for the first class in 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFHb4n7y0lE0V7SROm_yDRJDWNFf5x74rAxrJEFvZnj1Uy5dvByYyYkD9oODgooNfRr0FymF4AesWlgLvzkQ-HlBFtIEEA_h_VvFNB3mTvQqNMMTdzrS9R3O3v9UOMV5DeGw7iWD0vVw/s1600-h/Leichhardt_Public_School.JPG"><br /></a><br />The School's scripture coordinator called me yesterday to inform me that classes would start on 28 February. Scripture classes start a few weeks after the beginning of the first term, to give parents time to decide which classes they will enroll in.<div> </div><div>Her estimate is that the number of students enrolling in Buddhism would increase even further this year! It is really amazing. Parents must really feel that Buddhist teachings will benefit their kids. We had more than 50 students last year, lets see how many we have in 2008. To give you an idea of the context, this is a relatively small school located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leichhardt%2C_New_South_Wales">Leichhradt</a>, serving an area of Sydney with less than 3% Buddhists.</div><div><br /></div><div><div> </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFHb4n7y0lE0V7SROm_yDRJDWNFf5x74rAxrJEFvZnj1Uy5dvByYyYkD9oODgooNfRr0FymF4AesWlgLvzkQ-HlBFtIEEA_h_VvFNB3mTvQqNMMTdzrS9R3O3v9UOMV5DeGw7iWD0vVw/s200/Leichhardt_Public_School.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162190446686162338" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I have to summarize my plans for this year's teaching preparation, I would do it in one word 'sit'. If I wanted to summarize the learning outcomes for this year, 'metta' (living kindness) is the best I can think of.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-72598252285269528432008-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:002008-01-21T14:16:45.296-08:00preparing for the new yearA couple of days ago I got an email from Roselin the SRE coordinator for the NSW Buddhist council. The Council's president has organized a taxation office recognized charity, so they can take tax-deductible donations. The council plans to use part of this money to pay for teacher's expenses. Luckily I do not need mine to be paid, but I am sure it will help a number of people out there who do a lot of teaching or have a lot of traveling expenses.<div><br /></div><div>After the email my mind somehow spinned off (as they do) thinking about what I would do if I earned the Lotto (not that I ever play). I added 'create scholarship for non-English speaking monk or nun' to the list. There are so many wise and compassionate Sangha members that could help teaching to a wider audience, if 1) they were here in Australia 2) had good English communication skills. It is now written in stone (well on a digital one)...</div><div><br /></div><div>Roselin also mentioned that she will be organizing a meeting with all the teachers at the end of March. I look forward to it. Regrettably I was overseas for the one at the end of last year.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615518650363312936.post-61428486106148442012008-01-16T11:31:00.000-08:002008-01-16T12:30:59.742-08:00Learning from hatredI have felt the impact of being hated for the first time in my life, and I am trying to learn from this. Although this started over a year ago, this week I realized how far this person's delusion has gone, and it may me think about the issue again. I still have to learn to live with these situations better.<div><br /></div><div>So far, I could say that I have been very lucky. I was born white, straight, ... so I did not have to suffer any hatred from people who did not even know me. While meditating, one of the visualizations we use is to send loving kindness to people who with had disagreements with. I always interpreted that as wishing well to those who have wronged us. But what I am writing about is different, it is about someone who decided to hate us, so I am thinking how to extend (for personal use) this exercise.</div><div> </div><div>It seems that at some point this should happen, and according to the 'Sunday Dhamma school' book, these things make us stronger.</div><div><br /></div><div>By keeping a compassionate life we are less likely to get into trouble. I think people notice that we only wish them well and this way we are able to keep good relationships. At least in my personal life this has worked well. We will always have the ocasional person who might not like what we do, but so far I never had someone who I would say 'hated' me.</div><div><br /></div><div>When our jobs give us positions that affect other people's lives, this affects their views about us, and this views can be very strong. They may perceive that we have ulterior motives, hidden agendas... they attribute things that happen to their fantasy characters, and everything we do only feeds their delusions.</div><div>I believe that in these jobs we have a responsability to do our best . I have always made my best effort, and in general I think I have done well. Of course we make mistakes, and when this happens we might be making people unhappy. The responsability is to then learn from the experience, so we can do better next time, and ask for forgiveness when necessary.</div><div><br /></div><div>It also happens that some people have stronger seeds of delusion and hatred. They have not been touched by the Dhamma, and they do not even see those seeds.</div><div>When that hatred is directed to us (at least in my case), it produces confusion, doubts in ourselves. I first tried to understand what had triggered it. I asked this person what I had done, but only small meaningless things came up. I even apologized for any suffering I might have caused. Nothing helped. I have wished him well (from within and explicitly). Recently when through his web page I learned that he was moving on, I was happy. Then, through his web page I also learned that his hatred was still there. It had actually become so irrational that some people told me to be careful, because the person could be dangerous (I don't think so).</div><div><br /></div><div>This is an opportunity to learn. Family and friends have told me that I should just let it go. Ricard's book says that when this happens we should meditate and send them metta -loving kindness-, and I am trying this. It really helps, but the pain still languishes inside. I am not wise enough yet.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0