The Buddha’s Equanimity
Practicing kindness with everyone we meet
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Consider relying on systems to ensure equity in the classroom, such as pulling names from a hat rather than just calling on those who volunteer to speak. Before teaching, try privately practicing a simple loving kindness meditation for each student, thinking, “May you be happy, and have the causes of happiness.” What kinds of attitudes do you find most challenging to work with? Notice where your growing edge is, and when you encounter difficulty, aspire to extend more goodwill and generate patience.
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Notice how it feels in your body when someone is especially kind to you, and then practice giving that same feeling to others through your actions.
Understanding
Students will understand...All people deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, no matter how different they might seem from us.
Action
Students are able to...Practice treating everyone with kindness by offering seats to classmates, demonstrate caring actions toward all friends regardless of differences, and show equal friendship to everyone in the class through daily interactions and inclusive play activities.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Equanimity means treating everyone with the same kindness and respect, no matter what they look like, where they come from, or how different they are from us. The Buddha showed this when he met a boy named Svasti who took care of water buffaloes. Even though some people said the boy was “different” and shouldn’t be treated nicely, the Buddha smiled at him, touched his head gently, and accepted his gift of grass with gratitude.
The Buddha knew that all people are equally important and deserve to be treated with kindness. When we practice equanimity, we are kind to everyone—our friends, new students, classmates who are different from us, and even people who might not always be nice to us. This doesn’t mean we like everything everyone does, but it means we remember that everyone deserves basic kindness and respect.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Create daily “kindness circles” where children practice the seat-offering ceremony from the Buddha story, taking turns giving and receiving with equal care for every classmate. Use story-time discussions about treating everyone fairly, followed by friendship rotations that help children connect with diverse peers throughout the week. Establish “kindness detective” activities where children notice and celebrate acts of equal treatment, supplemented by inclusive playground games that welcome everyone regardless of ability or background.
Assessment Ideas
Observe daily interactions for consistent inclusive behavior across diverse peer relationships. Document kindness circle participation showing equal care for all classmates. Use photo journals to capture examples of inclusive play and friendship partnerships. Listen for language that demonstrates understanding during story discussions about treating everyone equally.
