This lunch ritual is loosely based on ōryōki, a Zen monastic eating meditation that places an emphasis on service, generosity, and appreciation. It was developed by Noa Jones and Catherine Fordham for the Middle Way School of the Hudson Valley.
Shared mealtime is an opportunity to foster a healthy relationship to food, enjoy each other’s company, and create a harmonious environment at the table. Creating a consistent mealtime practice can help children feel more focussed and be more present with their food.
Students sew drawstring bags using a simple backstitch in preparation for the mala they will string in a future class. This lesson was created by Noa Jones at the Middle Way School for third grade students preparing for Rites of Passage.
Students are introduced to the concept of harmonious speech from the Buddhist tradition and explore how it arises in their own lives. The lesson includes group work, pair sharing, charting, and discussion.
This lesson plan includes everything you need to help children make an origami representation of the Buddha sitting on a lotus. Students will learn about and reflect on their significance and set intentions to make them as offerings.
Hosting tea parties is a fun way to engage children in the practice of serving and being served. This role-playing activity does require quite a bit of preparation and a minimum of 2 teachers/guides.
This simple lesson about the three ways of listening, based upon the classic "Three Defects of the Pot" teaching can be adapted for students of many ages as a playful way of exploring the connections between attitude and learning.