this presentation is available for purchase from re today services. it may be used or copied in the...

This presentation is available for purchase from RE Today Services. It may be used or copied in the purchaser’s school for educational purposes only. Any other use is by written permission only.All photographs are © David Rose / NATRE unless otherwise stated.Presentation © RE Today Services 2012

Photo StoriesVisual Learning in RE

Visual learning in RE

A special day for Buddhists:Being generous, caring for our elders

This presentation from RE Today uses original photographs by David Rose to raise questions

and share simple information with 9–11s.These photos were taken at the Buddhapadipa

Temple in Wimbledon, London.

© RE Today Services 2012

I wonder what

country you think

this building is

in? I wonder what it’s

like inside.

The building is called the Buddhapadipa. It is a temple for Buddhist

people. It is in Wimbledon, in south London. What do you like about it?

We are going to learn what happens here on

one day of the year.

© David Rose / NATRE

Someone has been caring for

the building. How can you

tell?

I wonder why there is so much gold on the roof, doors and windows?


My name is Pornapat. I am ten. I’ve come to the temple

with Mum and Dad, my brother Pitchakoru, who is

twelve and my big sister Manunchaya, who is

fourteen. We will show you what we do!

I wonder: What will

Pornapat do today? Why has she come to the

temple?


The sand is always changing, and can take

on lots of different shapes. Lots of tiny

grains make up something big. It’s like life!

But mostly, I like playing with it.

I wonder: Why is Pitchakoru playing

with sand? Is this anything to

do with being a Buddhist?


London is often cold and wet, but today it’s sunny. The temple is always cool inside. I love it when it is like this!


We like to keep the temple clean and show respect and love when we come here.

I’m wearing a special dress, and Mum and Manunchaya look good too. It’s a special

day today.

Can you guess why the family

are leaving their shoes

here?


We have come to the temple today because it is the day to respect elders. We have come to respect the monks who lead our

religious community.

I wonder: Why are Pornapat and her

family kneeling and pressing hands

together? What might they be thinking?


I wonder what it feels like to meditate

in front of these golden images of the

Buddha. I wonder how long those

candles burn for!

We have images of the Buddha in the temple to help us be still and calm. We like to think kind and

compassionate thoughts. I love this: it makes me feel peaceful, and full of good

thoughts. It makes my heart feel warm.


Our monks are often from Thailand, and lots of

people at the temple are Thai as well. The monks like to make sure people are happy at the temple.

I’m glad my son can have a laugh with the monks.

Is it good to have friends who are

grown-ups? Who do you have a

laugh with?


Our monks are very special and important in our community. They

give wisdom to everyone, so on this day we give them something back. I

bring a gift, and the monks receive it.

I wonder: Why are Pornapat and the monk holding out

their hands?


Pornapat makes a generous gift. I

wonder how she feels about giving

things away?

From the temple we get friendship and wisdom. We

are part of a community, and we have some fun. I like making gifts at the temple: it’s a great place to belong.


I wonder what difference it makes

to celebrate Respect Day for

Pornapat?

One of our scriptures says ‘Conquer anger through gentleness.

Win over unkindness through kindness.

Beat greed with generosity.’ That’s what it’s all about!


When we have made our gifts and shown our respect, Mum gives us

all something to eat. We like being at the temple – it’s an inspiring

place.

What does Pornapat like about Respect Day? If

you had a ‘Respect Day’ in your family or

community, what would you do? Who do you

respect, and how do you show it?


What did you learn about . . . ?

Buddhist monks

How monks dress

The Buddhist

community

Showing respect

What a Buddhist temple is like

inside

The teaching of the Buddhist

scripturesSigns of respect at a

temple

Inspiring places

How unkindness is conquered

Pornapat


• use the presentation on a whiteboard with a whole class, pausing for conversation and ideas at each slide, and considering the questions asked

• use religious artefacts from the Buddhist community to find out more about the meditation and celebrations of the Buddhist community

• show pupils a YouTube clip of Buddhist meditation practice


Possible learning activities: teachers could . . .

• use the Buddhapadipa website: www.buddhapadipa.org/temple. It has a brilliant gallery of photos and you can show children what is happening there this week.

• give pupils literacy activities based on the photographs, labelling and describing the features they have learned about

• ask pupils what photos from their life could be used to make a photo story like this one.

Take care that children see the similarities and differences between Pornapat’s life and their own lives. Whether they are growing up in an all-white village, or a multicultural city, all pupils will live in one world, so learning about British Buddhist identity is relevant everywhere.

http://www.buddhapadipa.org/temple

This work is intended to enable children9–11 years old to:

• identify some Buddhist practices (L2)

• respond sensitively to the experiences of others (L2)

• use their curiosity and questioning to learn about and describe Buddhist religion and practice (L3)

• describe how a Buddhist family shows respect and practises generosity (L3)

Learning objectives

• make links between the lives of Buddhist children in Britain and their own lives (L3)

• use the right words to show they understand what matters to Pornapat on ‘Respect Day’ and how this connects to Buddhist living (L4)

• apply ideas from Buddhism about celebrations, meditation and respect thoughtfully to their own lives. (L4)


The Respect Ceremony at BuddhapadipaFrom the Buddhapadipa website (adapted):• Respect is the best of virtues. It should be part of all communities. The Buddha

always encouraged people to pay respect to each other: the junior to the senior. Respect is a symbol of civilisation and it produces good results for the community: peace and harmony.

• In Buddhist practice, over a couple of weeks, the juniors pay their respects to the senior monks. And at the same time, the senior monks will bless them and say words of wisdom to them for the benefit of their study and practice. It is a good tradition which should be carried on.

• Today in the Buddhapadipa Temple, there is a Respect Ceremony. The Thai Theravada Buddhist monks gather together and pay respect to two senior monks: Amara Thera, the head monk of the Buddhapadipa Temple, and Sumedho Thera, the head monk of the Amaravati Buddhist monastery. It is a good environment which is filled with respect, gratitude, loving-kindness and compassion. The families come and show respect by giving gifts too.

• I can say that ‘Respect’ pays an important role in every community. We should bear in mind that if we give people respect, we will be respected.


The Most Valuable by Dhammacaro (from the website)

• There was once a millionaire, who had a big castle and a beautiful Zen garden that cost a lot of money, which was supposed to show how happy and rich he was. Every morning he walked in the garden, which was well maintained by a good gardener, just to look at it. One particular morning he got up early and went for a walk in his Zen garden, just as usual. That morning, a beggar approached him and asked him for breakfast. The rich man said to the beggar, ‘Wait here a moment and I’ll fetch you the food.’ Then he went to the kitchen and asked the cook for the food and brought it for the beggar.

• While the beggar was waiting for his food, he walked in the garden and enjoyed the scent and beauty of it. When the millionaire came back, he called to the beggar to get his food. The beggar came to get his food and said, ‘Thank you very much, sir.’ The beggar then commented, ‘Sir, you have very beautiful garden and flowers, which give out a wonderful scent throughout. I have enjoyed being here very much, thank you, sir.’ The millionaire was surprised to hear the beggar say how much he enjoyed this garden in which the millionaire himself had walked every morning. For the millionaire neither enjoyed it, nor smelled any scent from the flowers. Following this, he walked back into the garden and calmed his mind; and as a result he heard the sound of silence, the good smell of the flowers and saw the beauty of nature. And then he realised that he had had many valuable things for a long time, but without this insight would not have known how to enjoy them.

• From the story, we can see that there are a lot of people who are like the millionaire, who do not enjoy their possessions, or make use of them. So we should learn to realise what we have and how to make use and enjoy what we already possess. And we should not forget to be satisfied with what we have as well.

• Remember: the most valuable thing in our life is what we can make use of, to enjoy, and be satisfied with, and not just to see the possession of it as being important in itself.© RE Today Services 2012

Notes pagesThe teacher’s notes are printed under each slide in the notes section which can be printed if you select ‘notes’ from the print options.They are also reproduced on the following slides.


The Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon is the oldest Thai Buddhist centre in the UK, opened (on a different site originally) in 1965. There is a good website, with lots of information, stories and a gallery of images. It’s child friendly. www.buddhapadipa.org/temple

The temple is in a Thai style. When teaching about Buddhism, as with all religions, it’s important to remember the diversity: in the UK there are maybe 200 000 Buddhists, and they trace their origins to Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka and many other places as well as Thailand. Religion and culture are mixed. Increasing numbers of British Buddhists were born in the UK and many are ‘white western’ Buddhists who have converted to the Buddha’s way of living.


Thanks to 10-year-old Pornapat and her family for ‘starring’ in this simple photo story. Good RE often uses stories about children of similar age to the learners. It is very important for RE to be about ‘religion here and now’ in ways that are relevant to the learners. Don’t start – or finish – with the ancient history of Buddhism!

Buddhist gardens and mandalas sometimes use sand, which can be easily raked and made into patterns, and is impermanent. But for Buddhist children it is often just good fun.

Symbols of respect: examples children will see include removing shoes, kneeling, pressing hands together in greeting and giving gifts. As the special occasion is a day to respect the monks of the Sangha (Buddhist community), it is good to point these out. Ask pupils what they do to show respect, and to whom.


Family and community: Talk to the class about what they do together as a family. Religious communities often reinforce family life by giving families things to do together and focusing these on important values, such as respect for elders, It’s important that such activities feel enjoyable to children and young people too, of course. What other examples would it be good to draw attention to for your class?

Supporting the community of monks: In Buddhist practice, lay people offer many kinds of support to the men and women of the Sangha, the community of monks and nuns. This includes giving food and giving robes, and sometimes money. This is not seen as a burden, but as an honour.

Buddha images: Any study of Buddhism with 8–11s will introduce them to the use of images of the Buddha and their use in meditation. The Buddha is not a god to be worshipped, but a guide to life’s path, and the image enables calm and peaceful meditation on the teachings of the Buddha, the dharma. Shrines and images vary very much in different traditions, but here the golden figures are lit and decorated to honour them, and fresh flowers do the same. Shrines like this are a feast for the senses: what can you see, hear, smell, think, feel?


Sometimes the image of a monastic way of life misses the good humour and happiness. Buddhist teaching is that to be calm, happy and thoughtful is a good way to walk through life. Teachers might ask pupils what their image of a Buddhist is, and where it has come from. Does this photograph challenge or change it? (We liked the sunglasses.)

Gifts of money are used for the work and support of the monastery. It is interesting to relate this to charitable giving in the UK – a visible form of generosity. Buddhist parents might try to bring their children up to be generous and to experience giving. It’s a form of detachment, a very significant virtue in Buddhist practice. What helps children to learn to be generous? Collect ideas from the class.

Discuss with the class what Pornapat says here: where do they get these things, friendship, wisdom, community, fun, belonging? Why are these things important? Do all religions give these things to their followers? What about non-religious people?


The quotation is simplified from the Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada (17:223–4). The ideas have all been illustrated in the preceding slides. It is worth using this quotation to extend children’s thinking about the point of being a Buddhist: to pursue Enlightenment. Discuss with the class the idea that we are all rather often angry, unkind and greedy, and we all need ways to win against these things.

Benjawan, Pornapat’s dad, is only in this picture. Mention him to the children if they are interested. The picnic after the devotion is a part of the day many children will recognise. Good RE sometimes makes connections to learners’ own, possibly very different, lives. Should RE ‘make the strange familiar, and the familiar strange’? There’s a deep idea!

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