The Buddha’s Equanimity
Learning fairness from the Buddha's example
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.Reflect on a time when you felt left out or treated unfairly, then practice treating others with the dignity you wanted to receive.
Understanding
Students will understand...Everyone has equal worth and dignity, and we can learn to see past social labels and differences to treat all people with the same respect and fairness.
Action
Students are able to...Demonstrate equal respect for all classmates through inclusive actions, practice responding to unfair treatment with kindness rather than exclusion, and implement daily habits that show everyone has equal value regardless of their background or abilities.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Equanimity is one of the four immeasurables in Buddhism, which means treating all people with equal respect and kindness regardless of their background, appearance, or social status. The story of Svasti and the Buddha illustrates this perfectly. Svasti was an eleven-year-old boy who belonged to the “untouchable” caste in ancient India, meaning society considered him so “low” that touching him would make higher-caste people “impure.”
When the Buddha met Svasti in the forest, he completely ignored these unfair social rules. He touched Svasti’s head kindly and said, “You are a human being, and I am a human being. You can’t pollute me.” This was revolutionary because it rejected the entire caste system that divided people into “better” and “worse” categories.
The Buddha’s equanimity meant seeing past society’s labels to recognize the equal dignity and worth of every person. When we practice equanimity, we treat the popular kids and the quiet kids the same way, we include new students who seem different, and we stand up for fairness when we see unfair treatment.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Establish “equity teams” where students practice inclusive leadership by ensuring everyone feels welcome in group activities, while developing peer mediation skills for responding to exclusion with compassion rather than retaliation. Create community service projects where students serve diverse populations while practicing equal respect across differences. Use current events discussions to identify modern examples of unfair social categories and practice applying Buddhist principles of equal treatment through structured role-play and reflection activities.
Assessment Ideas
Assess through peer observation forms documenting inclusive behavior across different social situations. Evaluate reflection journals showing understanding of equity principles applied to daily interactions. Use role-play scenarios to assess responses to unfair treatment situations. Create portfolio assessments combining examples of inclusive leadership with written reflections on dignity practices.
