parish church handbook - st mary's centre

Teachers’ Handbook

World Faiths Today Series

Exploring Buddhism

Tania ap Siôn and Diane Drayson

Illustrated by PhillipVernon

First published 2009 by theWelsh NationalCentre for Religious Education,Bangor University(sponsored by theWelsh Assembly Government).

Second edition (online) 2019 byBear Lands Publishing,The St Mary’s Centre,Llys Onnen,Abergwyngregyn,Gwynedd, LL33 0LD,Wales.

In theWorld Faiths Today Series, Rees and Sara learn about the majorworld faiths in their own country.The seven stories in the series are:

• Exploring Islam• Exploring Judaism

• Exploring the Parish Church• Exploring the Orthodox Church

• Exploring Hinduism• Exploring Buddhism• Exploring Sikhism

Exploring BuddhismThe storyRees and Sara have two Buddhist friends, Jamesand Hana, who live next door. James and Hanaintroduce Rees and Sara to key beliefs andpractices in Buddhism. The children explorea Buddhist Centre and learn about the ThreeJewels which lie at the heart of Buddhism. Theyattend a Buddhist children’s festival and learnabout the significance of the life of ShakyamuniBuddha (Siddhartha Gautama) and the purposeof meditation. Rees and Sara are introduced tosources of authority in Buddhism in the form of alineage of Buddhist teachers who pass on centralbeliefs and practices to others. They investigateBuddhist attitudes to the environment and caringfor others through exploring the symbolism of theTibetan Wheel of Life. Rees and Sara learn aboutethical livelihood, informed by Buddhist beliefs,through visiting a coffee shop run by Buddhistsand listening to a story about a Tibetan Buddhistmonk.The basicsBuddhism appeared in northern India aroundthe sixth century BCE as a result of the life andteachings of Siddhartha Gautama, or the ‘BuddhaShakyamuni’, from whom Buddhism derivesits name. Today, there are two main Buddhisttraditions: the Theravada tradition and theMahayana tradition. Theravada Buddhism claimsto have preserved accurately the teachings ofSiddhartha Gautama in its sacred text called thePali Canon. Mahayana Buddhism includes manydifferent Buddhist groups such as Zen, Pure Land,and Tibetan Buddhism, for example. Each grouphas its own special sacred texts or Mahayanasutras, which it traces back to SiddharthaGautama, although Theravada Buddhists woulddispute such claims.In Exploring Buddhism Rees and Sara are introducedto the New Kadampa Tradition which is a popularbranch of Tibetan Buddhism in the West and a partof Mahayana Buddhism.

Mahayana Buddhists believe in:• Dharma (teaching or truth): the basis for

belief and practice. The source of Dharma is thecosmological Buddha, which is the ideal that liesbehind and within all things. Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha Shakyamuni) was one importantphysical manifestation of the cosmologicalBuddha;

• rebirth: all unenlightened beings are tied to andsuffer in a continuous cycle of rebirth;

• karma: all thoughts and actions (karma) producenegative or positive consequences which affect aperson’s life and rebirths in negative or positiveways;

• tanha: grasping and craving for physical or non-physical things for oneself is negative karma andproduces negative consequences. It is thisgrasping and craving which causes the suffering inthe cycle of rebirth;

• universal Buddhahood: the ideal is that allliving beings are capable of becoming fullBuddhas through following the Path of theBodhisattva (Bodhisattva = one who is workingtowards Buddhahood). The Path of theBodhisattva teaches Mahayana Buddhists how tocontrol suffering and rebirth in order to helpother suffering beings.

Mahayana Buddhists practise:• seeking refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha;

Dharma (Teaching); and Sangha (Community) tohelp them progress on the Buddhist path;

• invoking Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for assistanceon the Buddhist path, often through ritualsperformed before the shrine;

• meditating to develop the skills of wisdom andcompassion, which are central to following thePath of the Bodhisattva leading to Buddhahood.

World Faiths Today Exploring Buddhism 1

James and Hana take Rees and Sara to the shrineroom in their Buddhist Centre to see the ThreeJewels which lie at the heart of Buddhism. TheThree Jewels, like the ring the children found atthe swimming pool, are old and precious, and havebeen passed down by Buddhists, from generationto generation. Buddhists regularly express theirfaith and confidence in the Three Jewels and theirability to help them on the Buddhist path, byreciting this statement of belief:

I take refuge in the Buddha.I take refuge in the Dharma.I take refuge in the Sangha.

The first Jewel: BuddhaThe first Jewel is Buddha. Buddha is ‘one who is fullyawakened’ to the truth, which is: everything suffers,there is a reason for this suffering, and there is acure for this suffering.In the story, Rees and Sara are shown a Tibetanshrine which has Buddha Shakyamuni (SiddharthaGautama) in the centre and, on either side,Bodhisattvas (those on the path to becoming fullBuddhas, committed to helping other sufferingbeings). Popular Tibetan bodhisattvas include:• Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who represents

Buddha’s compassion. A popular story relateshow Avalokiteshvara vowed to help all sufferingbeings, and because of the enormity of the taskhe had to grow extra arms and heads;

• Bodhisattva Manjushri who represents Buddha’swisdom. He is often portrayed holding a flamingsword which symbolises wisdom cutting throughignorance;

• Bodhisattva Vajrapani who represents Buddha’spower. Depictions of Vajrapani are oftenferocious and filled with battle-related imagery;he strikes warlike poses, holds weapons, andwears a skull around his neck. The power isdirected to all that impedes correct thought andaction;

• Bodhisattva Tara who represents Buddha’sdeeds or action. Tara is a female aspect ofAvalokiteshvara, and is also linked withcompassion. She is depicted in many differentforms which symbolise her various qualities, forexample, white Tara symbolises compassion andblack Tara symbolises power.

Each image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva is carefullycrafted according to specific rules, which varyamong Buddhist traditions. The images hold theirhands in a number of different positions which are

called mudras. For example, in the story BuddhaShakyamuni is shown touching the earth becausewhen he attained enlightenment, tradition recordsthat he touched the earth to witness the event.Other mudras include hand symbols depicting: nofear, teaching, meditation, giving and generosity.Practices associated with the First Jewel include:• presenting offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

on the shrine;• bowing and prostrating before Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas;• chanting mantras associated with specific

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas;• creating and offering mandalas to Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas.Symbolic offerings to Buddhas and bodhisattvas onthe shrine include:• water and food: Buddhism originated in India and

has inherited Indian practices such as thetradition of offering guests food and water (fordrinking and bathing). Food offerings in the Westmay consist of various food jars and packets,including chocolate bars;

• cut flowers: the beautiful flowers will eventuallywither and die. This reminds Buddhists of theimportant truth that everything is impermanentand that nothing lasts forever;

• light: this symbolises the Buddhist ideal ofenlightenment, when the darkness of ignoranceis replaced by the light of wisdom;

• incense.During devotional worship before the shrine,Mahayana Buddhists invoke Buddhas andbodhisattvas for their guidance and help.When Buddhists enter the shrine room, they removetheir shoes, and bow and prostrate themselvesbefore the figures on the shrine as a sign of respect.Mantras (words which are believed to have greatsacred power) are recited and each Buddhaand Bodhisattva has its own mantra. MahayanaBuddhists believe that these mantras help to focusthe mind and generate merit (positive karma) forthe person chanting them as well as for others.Often a string of beads (usually 108 beads) is usedto keep count of the mantras recited. Mantras aretranslated and interpreted in many ways by differentBuddhists. Examples of Tibetan mantras include:• Om Mani Padme Hum for Bodhisattva

Avalokiteshvara;• Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha for Bodhisattva

Tara;

Chapter 1 Visiting a Buddhist centre


• Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih for BodhisattvaManjushri.

Mandalas are popular in Tibetan Buddhism. Amandala is a powerful tool in meditation, whichincludes the act of constructing it. A mandala is ageometric symbolic representation of the Buddhistuniverse; it may be a physical picture or model(painted or constructed from a variety of materialssuch as coloured rice or sand) or it may be a mentalimage. The focus of the mandala is its centre;everything else points towards it and emphasisesit. In traditional Tibetan mandalas, a Buddha orBodhisattva will be at the centre. Meditating using amandala is particularly powerful because it focusesthe mind on what it wants to achieve ultimately –enlightenment and Buddhahood via the path of theBodhisattva.Buddha’s position as the first Jewel shows thatBuddhism is unlike most other faiths which have Godor gods at their centre. Buddhists believe that gods,like all other things, are also trapped and sufferingwithin the cycle of rebirth. Gods, then, are of limiteduse on a Buddhist path which seeks control overthe cycle of rebirth. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,however, know how to control the cycle of rebirth,and they use this knowledge to help others out ofcompassion for their suffering.The second Jewel: DharmaDharma is the second Jewel. Dharma means‘teaching’ or ‘truth’. Buddhists believe that thisteaching or truth was taught and practised by BuddhaShakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama) and is taught andpractised by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Dharmaexplains why people are unhappy and suffer, and itshows them how to experience real happiness andend suffering. Dharma is presented in written form

in the different sacred texts of the various Buddhistgroups. In Mahayana Buddhism, Dharma is usuallyfound in their sutras; however, on the WesternisedMahayana Tibetan shrine in the story, a collectionof books written in English by the founder of thecommunity represents the Dharma.The third Jewel: SanghaThe third Jewel is Sangha which is the Buddhistcommunity. Placing faith and trust in Buddha andDharma alone is not enough to progress on theBuddhist path; Buddhists also need a supportive,like-minded community. As the story of the King’sElephant illustrates, a person’s social context has agreat effect on how that person thinks and acts. Toprogress more quickly and more effectively on theBuddhist path, Buddhists believe that it is importantto spend time with those who have similar idealsand practices. At the Buddhist Centre in the story,some members of the community reside there full-time, and other members of the community live intheir own homes and visit the Centre for variousevents, devotions, and classes.Helping othersThe Three Jewels provide Buddhists with the rightkind of support necessary to develop spiritually andto follow the path of the Bodhisattva. In MahayanaBuddhism the motivation behind this aim is to bein a position to help suffering beings tied to thecycle of rebirth. An important part of MahayanaBuddhism’s practice is creating and giving ‘merit’(good karma) to others to make their lives better.Mahayana Buddhists do this in a number of ways, forexample, through rituals and prayers offered beforethe shrine, the Tibetan prayer flags (see worksheet)and prayer wheel, and reading sacred texts.


Visiting a Buddhist place of worshipVisit a Buddhist place of worship and identify theplaces mentioned in the story. How does it differfrom the places in the book and how is it thesame?Mix and matchCut out the nine boxes on the ‘Write a story’worksheet, and then cut each box into threesections: the heading, the information, and thepicture. Mix up all the sections and place themin an envelope. Divide pupils into pairs or groupsand give each pair or group an envelope. Pupilsneed to match heading, information, and picturecorrectly.Pupils can then do the task on the ‘Write a story’worksheet (the story can easily be adapted toanother genre such as a diary entry ornewspaper article, if needed).M udras: using our hands to talkHands are very important because they help usto communicate with one another. Discuss thedifferent ways in which we use our hands, forexample,whenwearetalking, police/trafficwardensdirecting traffic, diving language, semaphore flags.

What advantages do hands have in these situations(instead of writing or talking, for example)?Look at and try to copy the various mudras(hand symbols) depicted by pictures or statues ofthe Buddha. What advantages do hands have inthese situations (instead of writing or talking, forexample)?Picturing the Three JewelsShow pupils a picture depicting the Three Jewels– often they are represented as three flames.Why do you think that this is the case? In smallgroups, design your own picture for the ThreeJewels. Share your design with the rest of theclass, explaining the thinking behind yourpicture.Living togetherDiscuss the importance of community forBuddhists, using the story of the King’s Elephantas a focus. The story can be acted out. Explorehow the children’s school or home communityaffects them. Ask them about the behaviour ofothers around them that causes them to behelpful or irritable.

Activities


Chapter 2 A children’s festivalIn non-Buddhist countries like Britain where thereare comparatively few Buddhists it can be difficultto gather together regularly for communal activitiesor to celebrate festivals. It is also more difficult tobring children up in a faith tradition without thesupport of a faith community. In the last chapter welearnt the importance of belonging to a communityin Buddhist tradition. To address this problem theNew Kadampa Tradition featured in the story holdsan annual ‘Buddhist festival’ and a ‘Kid’s Festival’where New Kadampa Buddhists can meet up andengage in activities as a large community.At the children’s festival Rees and Sara learn moreabout Buddhism in the workshops. They areintroduced to the life and teachings of thehistorical founder of Buddhism, Buddha Shakyamuni(Siddhartha Gautama). The story of SiddharthaGautama is an excellent teaching tool because itoutlines the main concerns of Buddhism in a simpleway.Siddhartha’s life in more detail• Siddhartha Gautama was born into a tribal group

called the Shakyas. This explains the title givento him by Mahayana Buddhists - BuddhaShakyamuni, which means sage of the Shakyas.As a son of the tribal leader, he would have liveda privileged and luxurious life.

• His conception and birth were miraculous.Legend says that his mother, Maya, dreamt that awhite elephant entered her womb, and after tenmonths she gave birth; he was born on a fullmoon in Lumbini Park and deities paid homageto him; immediately after his birth he took sevensteps and proclaimed his mission. Siddhartha’smother died when he was seven days old and hewas brought up by his mother’s sister who wasalso his father’s wife.

• Siddhartha’s training to be a great ruler wouldhave included learning academic skills such as howto read and write and do mathematics as wellas the skills of war such as archery and swordfighting. He was a fast learner and excelled in allhis lessons.

• At sixteen he married Yasodhara, the daughterof an elder from a neighbouring tribe, and theyhad a son called Rahula. Rahula means ‘fetter’;a tie which would make it particularly difficult forSiddhartha to leave on his quest to find the curefor suffering. In spite of this, he left his sleepingwife and newborn son to join a group of wanderingholy men; this is called the Great Renunciation,which is symbolic of the detachment needed for

following the Buddhist path. After enlightenmentSiddhartha returned to see his family, and hisson, Rahula, became a Buddhist monk.

• Siddhartha had a number of respected teacherswhile he lived the life of a holy man. He learnt allthat they knew, but they did not know the curefor suffering. Siddhartha tried all the traditionalmethods for attaining spiritual knowledge, suchas practising different meditation techniques anddepriving his body of food. This made him very illbut it did not help him to discover the cure forsuffering, so he gave up this lifestyle. Statues ofthe Buddha exist where he is pictured as astarving, skeletal figure meditating, which recallhis pre-enlightenment spiritual search.

• While he sat under the Banyan tree in Bodhgayaon the night of his enlightenment, he enteredinto higher and higher states of meditation. Inthese states he learnt why everything suffers andthe solution to this suffering. This is what hetaught to his first disciples in his first sermonin the Deer Park at Sarnath.

• When SiddharthaGautama, nowthe Buddha, diedat Kusinara, he was cremated and his remainswere buried under monuments called stupas.

The places of the Buddha’s birth (Lumbini),enlightenment (Bodhgaya), first sermon (Sarnath),and death (Kusinara) are now important places ofBuddhist pilgrimage alongside the stupas.MeditationPractising meditation is very important in Buddhism.In the meditation workshop Rees and Sara learn thatmeditation helps to control the mind by stilling andcalming it. When the mind has been quietened, it iseasier to concentrate and focus on really importantthings like the truth of the impermanence ofeverything around us. Buddhists believe that learninghow to use the mind effectively is the key toenlightenment and following the Path of theBodhisattva.Buddhists can use a number of different techniquesfor meditation, for example:• sitting in the lotus position;• walking meditations;• chanting mantras;• undertaking everyday tasks like peeling potatoes,

washing up, or gardening;• focusing on an image or statue of a Buddha or

Bodhisattva;• focusing on their breathing;• practising on their own or in groups.


What are my ties?Make a list of the ties or ‘fetters’ that would havebeen difficult for Siddhartha to leave behind ashe set out on his spiritual journey (for example,beautiful house, clothes, servants, friends, wife,child, food).All of us have ties of some sort, even in oureveryday lives. Imagine that your mother has askedyou to tidy your room (or do your homework orsome other task). You have promised to do itbefore tea. It is a beautiful, sunny afternoon andyour best friend arrives with a new bike which hasto be tested in the park. What ties or ‘fetters’might stop you from tidying your room? Try toexplain carefully why.Learning to recognise and let go of fetters andties in all parts of a person’s life is central to theBuddhist path.Special placesWhat makes a place special to us? A special placeis often associated with people who are special tous or events which are special in some way. Drawa picture/diagram illustrating the special places ofBuddhist pilgrimage linked to the life and deathof the Buddha. Draw another picture/diagram toillustrate the special places in your life and writea sentence about each to explain why. And/or,ask adult members of your family to identify fourspecial places in their lives, and to explain why theyare special. Have they ever been back to thoseplaces? If they have, how did they feel?Amazing birth and childhood storiesCompare the birth and childhood stories ofSiddhartha Gautama with the birth and childhoodstories of Jesus, noting all the clues which showthat they are very special and different from thosearound them. Do you think that it is important forgreat religious teachers to have amazing storiesabout their birth and childhood?What do you thinkthese amazing stories about birth and childhoodare trying to teach those who hear them?Does your family have any favourite stories aboutwhen you were a baby or a very young child? Whydo you think that they remember them?

Mind over bodyPractise a simple meditation using breathing. Sitpupils comfortably cross-legged on the floorwith their eyes closed or, if this is not possible,at their desks. Ask them to inhale and exhale, nottoo quickly or too slowly, and try to concentrateon their breathing. Every time the mind wandersto anything else, they should gently bring it backto their breathing. After a few minutes, askthe children to stop and quietly reflect on theexperience:• How do they feel now?• Was it difficult to focus on their breathing?• What things distracted them?Practise a focused meditation in groupsconcentrating on an everyday picture or anobject which is not religious. Ask pupils to lookcarefully and silently at the picture or object: itsshape, colours, and tiny details, for a few minutes.Remove the picture/object from each group, andask one pupil from each group to describe in detailwhat s/he noticed. Can the other members ofthe group add any more details? Does anythingsurprise them about what they noticed? How easywas it for them to concentrate on the picture/object?Celebrating festivals in BuddhismThere are other more traditional types ofBuddhist festival which you can also study. Avery useful and important festival is Wesak whichcelebrates the birth, life, and death of BuddhaShakyamuni.Festivals across religious traditionsWork on a calendar or book of festivals from allreligions. This would need to be a loose-leaf folder,or pages joined together with treasury tags so thatpages can be added as needed in chronologicalorder.Talk about the importance of organising materialwell so that people can quickly find the informationthey need. With the pupils, decide on a usefulstructure for the book, for example, sectionheadings could include stories, how the festival iscelebrated today, recipes, and so on.

Activities


Although all teachers are different, in the story Hanaobserves that ‘a good teacher is anyone who knowshow to help people learn things’. Teachers havea central role to play in many Mahayana Buddhistgroups. A good Buddhist teacher knows that peopleare different from one another and that individualsneed to be taught in different ways if they are toprogress on the Buddhist path. In Tibetan Buddhism(and the New Kadampa Tradition), a good teacherwill know exactly which spiritual exercises will bemost useful to individual pupils, and will make surethat the pace of education is not too fast or tooslow. This appreciation of difference may be linkedto the appreciation of different learning styles fordifferent children which is part of good educationalpractice in schools today.Teaching as skilful meansMahayana Buddhism uses the term ‘skilful means’when referring to this flexible and individualisedkind of teaching. ‘Skilful means’ is using your wisdomand compassion for the benefit of others in themost appropriate way. In the Lotus Sutra there is afamous story which illustrates skilful means.

A father returned home to see his house inflames. He could hear his children playing inside.He called to them to get out, but the childrenwere too interested in their game to leave andthey did not realise the danger that they werein. The father knew that the only way to save hischildren was to offer them something theywanted which would grab their attention, sohe promised them the best toys that they couldimagine, if they came out of the houseimmediately. His children came out of thehouse and were saved.

The father gave his children the greatest gift of all– life, although through indirect means because thechildren were not mature enough to understandtheir real needs. The message of the story is thatteaching needs to be presented in a way that peoplecan understand, and this will be different for eachindividual.

A long line of teachersLike all Buddhists, theNewKadampa Tradition tracesits teachings back to Buddha Shakyamuni (SiddharthaGautama), and like all Mahayana Buddhist groups, ithas a line of recognised and famous teachers whohave passed on the teachings. This is a way of provingthat the teachings are authentic as well as protectingthem from being corrupted and distorted.The New Kadampa Tradition recognises an IndianBuddhist calledAtishaas themost important foundingfather of Kadampa Buddhism in Tibet (982-1054CE). The next most significant Kadampa Buddhistteacher in Tibet was Je Tsongkhapa who lived in thefourteenth century. According to the New KadampaBuddhist Tradition, Buddha Shakyamuni predictedthat Bodhisattva Manjushri would appear in the formof Je Tsongkhapa. Je Tsongkhapa modernised thetradition and founded New Kadampa Buddhism. ATibetan called Geshe Kelsang Gyatso wanted thosewho lived in theWest to benefit fromNew KadampaBuddhism as well, and so he made it his mission topresent the teachings in a way which Westernerswould understand. He founded the very successfulNew Kadampa Tradition, the International KadampaBuddhist Union which contains over 1,000 Buddhistcentres from around the world.If religious traditions are to be meaningful, theyneed to adapt appropriately to changing times andcultures without losing that which lies at the heartof the tradition. Gyatso may be said to have donethis for the New Kadampa Tradition in the West.Biography of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso• He studied Buddhism in Tibet.• He spent 18 years meditating in a Himalayan

retreat supported by his spiritual teacher.• In 1977 he came to England to teach and

introduce New Kadampa Buddhism to the West,and settled at the Manjushri Centre in the LakeDistrict.

• He established the New Kadampa Tradition, theInternational Kadampa Buddhist Union, whichconsists of over 1,000 Buddhist centres fromaround the world.

Chapter 3 Teachers


ActivitiesThe Middle WayBuddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama)recommended the middle way between a lifeof luxury and a life of asceticism. He comparedit with a stringed instrument: if the string is tootight it breaks (asceticism); if it is too loose then itdoes not play (luxury). The instrument needs themiddle way of balance to play best. Put the pupilsinto three discussion groups.• Group 1: identify the signs of being very rich

(for example, expensive car etc.).• Group 2: identify the signs of being very poor

(for example, little money to buy food etc.).• Group3: identify the basic things thatwe need to

keep us alive.Each group chooses one person to speak to theclass on their behalf, presenting their ideas. Putthe pupils back into their groups for the followingdiscussions:• Group 1: if you were very rich, what would be

good and bad about it?• Group 2: if you were very poor, what would be

good and bad about it?• Group 3: if you had enough to keep yourself

alive, but no more or less, what would be goodand bad about it?

It is interesting to note that research surveyssuggest that after certain basic needs have beenmet, people’s happiness levels do not appear togrow with increased wealth.Creating a tableauPrepare a tableau depicting the line of teachers inthe New Kadampa Tradition (Buddha Shakyamuni,Atisha, Je Tsongkhapa, and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso)or in another Buddhist tradition such as ZenBuddhism, for example.

Tradition is important in Buddhism (and otherreligions), and correct belief and practice ispassed on through reliable and respected peopleor groups. These reliable and respected peopleor groups adapt belief and practice sometimesto make the traditions relevant and meaningfulto different countries and times. For example,India over two thousand years ago was verydifferent from Britain today (you can discuss thesedifferenceswith pupils).However, some importantbasic things remain the same (human suffering,illness, death, the desire to be happy, for example).Throughout their history, Buddhists have tried topresent Buddhist teaching about suffering and itscure in ways that make sense to different peoplein different places at different times. The figures inthe tableau are examples of this.Lessons in lifeThere are many important lessons in life whichpeople pass on from generation to generation.Ask pupils to interview an older family memberor neighbour. Possible questions include:• If you had to pass on only one piece of advice

to others, what would it be?• How did you learn that piece of advice?The pupils can also ask themselves the samequestions, and feed back to the class.Before he died, Buddha Shakyamuni said, ‘WhenI am gone, do not say that you have no teacher.Whatever I have taught, let that be your teacherwhen I am gone.’ Ever since then the Buddha’steachings have been passed on from teacher topupil, providing guidance for Buddhists on how tolive their lives.


In this chapter Rees and Sara plant trees and look at apicture of the Tibetan Wheel of Life. They learn thatBuddhists believe every action a person does (bothgood and bad) has an effect on others, the world,and ourselves. Many environmental organisationsand charities also make a similar basic connection.An important question is asked: why do peopledo things which damage others, the world, andthemselves? It does not make sense. James andHana explain the Buddhist answer to this questionthrough looking at the symbolism in the Wheel ofLife.TheWheel of Life in more detailThe centreThe three symbolic animals in the centre fuel thewheel of life and keep it turning. Ignorance (pig),greed (cockerel), and hatred (snake) are showneither biting one another or throwing one anotherup. This symbolises that they feed on one anotherand are connected to one another. For example,if people are ignorant of how the world works,they become greedy and strive to possess thingsfor themselves, and this often leads to hatredtowards anything which stands in the way. Byreplacing ignorance with knowledge (practising theBuddha’s teaching or Dharma) a person becomes‘enlightened’; an enlightened person is withoutgreed and hatred, and the wheel stops turningbecause it runs out of fuel. In the picture, the figureof the Buddha sits in meditation outside the Wheelof Life, which represents the potential in everyoneto free themselves from the cycle of rebirth throughfollowing Buddhist practice.The inner circleThis shows what happens if people’s lives aredominated by ignorance, greed, and hatred. Theyare trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth which ismarked by pain and suffering. Rees and Sara learnthat Tibetan Buddhists believe that there are manydifferent realms of existence which co-exist and,depending on a person’s actions (karma), thatperson will be reborn into one of these realms.Although Buddhist scriptures sometimes say whatactions would lead to rebirth in a particular realm(for example, rebirth in the hell realm for killing aBuddha), the whole process is very complicated andsimple connections like this are best avoided.Tibetan Buddhists also believe that skilled Buddhistscan choose where they want to be reborn, andthey will choose the best rebirth for helping those

still suffering in the cycle of rebirth. This is part offollowing the Path of the Bodhisattva.The outer circleThis takes one human life and shows the cycleof birth, death, and rebirth. In a more detailedpicture of the wheel of life, it is possible to seehow all actions are connected to one anotherand how they contribute to the endless cycle ofrebirth and suffering. Although these connectionsare too complicated for pupils in this age group tounderstand, it is useful for teachers to see how theywork in more detail:• blind man: failure to ‘see’ the truth;• potter: creates pots (actions) based on ignorance

of the truth;• monkey: unruly, uncontrollable, and restless,

swinging from tree to tree, like actions based onignorance;

• three men in a boat: the boat (body) takes aperson across a stream (a life journey), and theroute taken is affected by a person’s past actions(karma);

• house: actions are determined by sensoryinformation passing through sense entrancesinto the mind (windows and doors of thehouse);

• lovers: the link between sense organs and thesense information entering the mind producessense-based feelings;

• man with arrow in his eye: the strength of thesense-based feelings damages a person’s abilityto see things properly;

• an intoxicated man, drinking: damaged sightturns sense-based feelings into desire, and aneed to have more than a person requires;

• monkey eating fruit in a tree: the monkey issymbolic of a person clinging to a desiredthing despite the fact that the uncontrolledclinging makes that person unhappy;

• pregnant woman: the uncontrolled clingingproduces the seeds for a new life;

• woman giving birth: a new life begins;• an old man weighed down by a heavy bag: the

life is weighed down by all its ‘history’, andso the cycle continues.

The Wheel of Life is held in the jaws of Yama, theLord of Death.A diagram of the wheel of life is providedin the worksheet for pupils to discuss, label,and colour.

Chapter 4 Caring for the world and others


ActivitiesPractising mindfulnessHow often do we really think about what we sayand do, and the effect that it has on ourselves andthose around us? Arrange a break time when pupilscan practise ‘mindfulness’ to understand better animportant skill that practising Buddhists try todevelop. They will need some practical pointers.• Think before you say or do anything. How

will what you say or do help or harm otherpeople or yourself?

• Look around you. Is there anything that youcan do to help others or the environment?

It is important that pupils are given an opportunityto feed back to the class directly after the breaktime, focusing on their experiences in response tothe practical pointers.Caring for the environmentBuddhists believe that everything they do shouldbe helpful to themselves and others. Planting treesis helpful for the environment. However, you needto make sure that the trees are planted in the rightplace (for example, not near pipes or overheadwires) and cared for properly. There are severalorganisations that will work with groups to ensuretrees are planted sensitively, such as the ForestryCommission of Wales Education Team, the TreeCouncil (which runs a National Tree Week around

November), and the Woodland Trust. Create aresearch project based on one or more of theseorganisations.What can I do?Sit in a circle and allow each child in turn tocomplete the sentence, ‘I can care for the worldby ...’ (If children do not wish to say anything, allowthem to pass.) These ideas can be displayed in theclassroom to act as a reminder.The domino effectSet up a lineof dominoesor cards, anddemonstratethe domino effect. This is similar to an importantbelief in Buddhism. Buddhists believe that all thingsare connected to one another, and that everyaction has a knock-on effect.Make a list of ‘actions’, for example, planting trees,buying fairtrade bananas, and supporting a chosencharity. Divide the class into groups, and give eachgroup an ‘action’ to research further. Then, ona large sheet of paper, create a spider diagramwhich shows the effects of that action on otherpeople and the world as well as us. Rememberthat knock-on effects can occur in all directions,so try to make the diagrams as complicated aspossible.


Chapter 5 It is better not to killRight livelihoodChoosing the right livelihood (job or work) isimportant for many Buddhists, where a choiceis available. Ideally, a job should support and nothinder one’s progression along the Buddhist path,so a job should require actions which are goodkarma rather than require actions which are badkarma. By working in the organic coffee shop,James and Hana’s mother believes she is producinggood karma and showing compassion for the worldand living beings within it. In Theravada Buddhismright livelihood is part of its Eightfold Path whichguides a person on the path to enlightenment. Oneof the accompanying worksheets describes theEightfold Path and suggests an activity. In MahayanaBuddhism the idea of right livelihood is understoodin the context of the Path of the Bodhisattva, whichguides Mahayana Buddhists to enlightenment. ThePath of the Bodhisattva focuses on practising SixPerfections: giving;moral discipline;patience; effort;concentration; and wisdom.Practising compassionIn Buddhism it is important to show care andcompassion towards all living beings, and not justhuman beings. Buddhism is traditionally less human-being focused than religions likeChristianity, Judaism,and Islam. This is because of its beliefs about rebirthand the interconnectedness of all living things. Likeother religions which emerged from India such asHinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, the principle ofahimsa (non-violence) is often central to Buddhistpractice. The Tibetan tale of the meditating Buddhistmonk illustrates this.However, Buddhist beliefs about non-violencedo notmean that all Buddhists are vegetarian or that theytreat the naturalworld in exactly the sameway. In thestory two reasons are given which explain why. The

first reason is that different Buddhists and Buddhistgroups live in different cultures and environments.In Theravada Buddhism (and Theravadin Buddhistcountries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka) the laitysee it as their duty to provide monks with foodand other means of support, and monks are notexpected to ‘work’ in a traditional sense. The laityaccepts the Theravadin rule that monks should nottill the soil because it would produce bad karma forthem to kill living creatures. However, Theravadinmonks are allowed to eat meat if an animal has notbeen killed to feed them. By providing food andother support for the monks, lay Buddhists believethat they are making good karma which will help toproduce a good rebirth in their next lives.Mahayana Buddhist groups were established inplaces where it was unrealistic for the laity toprovide them with food, for example, in China andJapan. Also, Mahayana Buddhism is more flexible inthe way that it approaches scripture, and tends toadapt to its environment to a greater extent thanTheravada Buddhism. As a result, Zen monks areable to do work which would not be acceptable toTheravadin monks.The second reason given for difference in practiceamong Buddhists is that people are at different stageson the Buddhist path, so you should not expectthe same standard of practice from someone justbeginning as you would a Buddhist monk, whose liferevolves around the path. Everyone should do whatthey reasonably can by putting in the right effort(not too much or too little); this is called the MiddleWay. Everyone should do what is appropriate intheir particular life situation and stage of spiritualdevelopment.


ActivitiesDifference in Buddhism mapDisplay amap of the world and mark the countrieswhere there is a large population of Buddhists (forexample, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan,Sri Lanka, Tibet, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Macau,Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, and India).Illustrate the map with pictures from the internetof famous Buddhist buildings, locations, andstatues. You could also show the different styles ofdress for Buddhist monks and nuns (for example,black for Zen in Japan, purple for Tibetan in Tibetor one of the New Kadampa Tradition centres,saffron for Theravada in Thailand and Sri Lanka).Make a graphSome Buddhists may prefer to use organic foodbecause theybelieve it is better for theenvironmentand the body. Do your parents use organic food?Ask at home how often (if ever) your parentsusually include organic food in cooking, selectingone of these five descriptions of frequency: never,a few times a week or more, at least once a week,at least once a month, less often.If your parents do use organic food, find out thereasons why. If your family does not use organicfood, find out the reasons why.Construct a block graph to display the results forthe class, using the five frequency categories. Thiscould be further developed by asking differentquestions based on the graph. For example: Howmany families use organic food in their cooking?How many families use organic food at least oncea week or more? Also, the selected informationcould be presented in a different way, for exampleas a pie-chart, or table.

Difficult decisionsThere are many difficult choices to make in lifeand making the right choice can be a complicatedbusiness. Also, people often disagree about whatthe right choice is. Gather together or prepareinformation about one or more of the followingfor the pupils:• organic farming and organic food/conventional

farming;• food available in the UK/food from around the

world;• free-range animals and battery-farmed animals;• fish farms/open-water fishing.It would be useful to include a comparative pricelist in this information, and you could include airmiles, where relevant.Working in groups or pairs, ask pupils to use thegathered information to answer the followingquestion, which can be adapted according to thetopic selected.Do you agree or disagree with the followingstatement? Give reasons for your answer.• Organic farming is better than conventional

farming.Groups should feed back their answers to theclass. Did every group have the same answer andreasons?Buddhists have to make difficult choices too. Theymay decide what to do by weighing up the effectsof certain actions on others, the world, andthemselves. As it shows in the story, there is oftenmore than one answer, and different Buddhistgroups can make different choices.


ahimsa non-violence

Bodhisattva

Gyatso

Mahayana

Tradition Buddhism

Pali Canon the scriptures ofTheravada Buddhism

rebirth the belief that all thingsare subject to acontinuous cycle of birthand death

Sangha the Buddhist community;often used morespecifically for themonastic community

Shakyamuni another name for theBuddha historical Buddha

Siddhartha the Buddha from whomGautama

Keywords

one who has taken theBodhisattva oath, and ison the path to becominga full Buddha

Dharma teaching or truth

enlightenment waking up and seeingthings as they really are

Geshe Kelsang the founder of the New

one of the main BuddhistBuddhism traditions; many Buddhist

groups fall in the categoryof Mahayana Buddhism,including the NewKadampa Tradition

mandala a tool used in meditation

mantra words which are believedto have great sacredpower

meditation the practice of calmingand focusing the mind

Middle Way not doing or having toomuch or too little ofanything, itprovides theideal context for Buddhistpractice.

mudra hand symbol present inHindu, Buddhist, and Sikhiconography

New Kadampa a tradition within Tibetan

Kadampa Tradition

karma action: there is positiveaction (karma) andnegative action (karma)

Buddhism derives itsname

skilful means the use of wisdomand compassion to helpsuffering beings in themost appropriate way

sutra a sacred scripture inMahayana Buddhism

tanha grasping and craving forthe self; the cause ofsuffering

Theravada one of the main BuddhistBuddhism traditions

Three Jewels Buddha, Dharma, andSangha

Wheel of Life a Tibetan picture whichdepicts the universe, thecycle of rebirth, and theBuddhist ideal ofenlightenment


World Faiths Todayteachers’ handbookThe teachers’ handbook is part of theWorld FaithsToday Series, which includesseven story books for 8- to 11-year-old learners. In the series, both learnersand teachers are invited to join two children called Rees and Sara who arelearning more about their friends from religious traditions:• Anglican Church• Buddhism• Eastern Orthodox Church• Hinduism• Islam• Judaism• Sikhism

The teachers’ handbook provides:• In-depth background information about the seven religious traditions• Classroom activities• Photocopiable worksheets• Keywords

parish church handbook - st mary's centre

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