Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

Positive Affect

  • 504EZen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
    Analyze the relationship between “beginner’s mind” and insight as taught in Zen Buddhism; evaluate how cultivating curiosity and appreciation supports openness to learning; and find natural delight in everyday things. Maintain childlike wonder and curiosity.
  • 515EAnicca and Lila
    Create spontaneous, playful artistic expressions with awareness of impermanence, and analyze how non-agenda-driven creativity enhances present-moment awareness.
  • 427EMantra of Compassion
    Analyze the symbolic meaning of each syllable in OM MANI PADME HUM; evaluate how mantra recitation functions as both meditation practice and a method for cultivating compassion; and implement regular practice while documenting personal observations about the relationship between mantra repetition and emotional patterns or responses to challenging situations.
  • 327ESukha or Contentment
    Analyze different definitions of happiness; evaluate how equanimity transforms our relationship to pleasant and unpleasant experiences; and experiment with showing “no preference” toward perceived beauty and ugliness.
  • 511ALila and Mudita
    Practice spontaneous play and creative expression through movement, art, and imaginative activities; celebrate friends’ achievements with genuine happiness; and experience the joy of creating without worrying about the outcome.
  • 511BLila and Mudita
    Explore stories and examples of joyful play and sympathetic celebration from various cultures; create and share stories that demonstrate the difference between spontaneity and impulsivity; and identify examples of mudita in literature and personal experience.
  • 511CLila and Mudita
    Express understanding of lila and mudita through diverse creative projects while practicing spontaneous joy; design activities that help others experience genuine celebration; and explore how different people naturally express and experience playfulness through multiple creative approaches.
  • 511DLila and Mudita
    Create conditions for spontaneous joy in daily life through mindful attention to present-moment opportunities; practice mudita by genuinely celebrating others’ successes without comparison; and experiment with releasing creative control while maintaining awareness.
  • 511ELila and Mudita
    Define and analyze the concepts of lila (divine play), mudita (sympathetic joy), and anicca (impermanence) in Buddhist philosophy; evaluate how cultivating spontaneity and celebrating others’ success supports contemplative development; and synthesize understanding by implementing creative practices that embody playful wisdom while maintaining awareness and compassion in artistic expression enhanced by recognition of impermanence.

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