Right Motivation
Learning from Buddhist stories about motivation
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Taking time to really reflect, contemplate, and meditate is essential to gain insight into our own mental habits enough so we might glimpse our own—often mixed—motivations. Pausing to generate the intention to really benefit each student in whatever way they most need it and to avoid harming them in any way can be a powerful practice that guides us while we engage with them. What does it feel like when you catch yourself acting from irritation versus genuine care? Try starting one class this week by silently setting the intention: “May I truly benefit each student today.”
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Think of a character from a book or movie who seemed to have good intentions but caused problems. What do you think their true motivation was?
Understanding
Students will understand...Examining our motivations helps us understand why we make certain choices and how those choices affect both ourselves and others around us.
Action
Students are able to...Examine Buddhist biographical stories to identify how right motivation led to beneficial outcomes and wrong motivation led to suffering. Compare the motivations of different Buddhist figures and analyze how their intentions shaped their actions and legacy. Create detailed personal narratives about times when changing your motivation transformed a difficult situation.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Right motivation, also called right resolve or right intention, is one of the steps in the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. It means having intentions that are based on kindness, honesty, and the wish to benefit others rather than just ourselves. Our motivations can be layered – we might have obvious reasons for doing something, but also deeper, hidden reasons that we need to examine.
The Buddha taught three aspects of right motivation: renunciation (refraining from being greedy or attached to things), goodwill (wishing others to be happy), and harmlessness (avoiding the desire to harm anyone). When we act from these motivations, we create positive results for ourselves and others.
Motivation is part of what Buddhists refer to as mental formations— the thoughts and feelings that shape our actions. By examining our motivations honestly, we can learn to choose intentions that lead to less suffering and more happiness for everyone. This takes practice because sometimes our real motivations are hidden beneath what we think we want.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Use Buddhist stories about figures like Angulimala, Milarepa, or Asanga, focusing on the transformation of motivation. Create comparison charts that illustrate how the motivations of different historical figures led to various outcomes. Design storytelling projects that allow students to research Buddhist teachers, focusing on themes of motivation. Develop personal narrative writing exploring times when motivation shifts changed outcomes. Practice group story analysis, identifying characters’ motivations and consequences. Create biographical timelines that show how the motivations of spiritual figures evolved.
Assessment Ideas
Evaluate students’ ability to identify characters’ motivations in Buddhist stories during discussions. Assess the quality of personal narratives about motivation transformation experiences. Observe group presentations to analyze how motivation shaped historical outcomes. Review creative projects for understanding of motivation’s role in Buddhist teachings. Check participation in story discussions for evidence of connecting ancient examples to modern situations.
