Emotions

This video recording (1hr) is of Shugen Roshi's talk at the Middle Way School in January 2024. Shugen sat with students and parents to talk about impermanence, one of Middle Way Education’s core units of inquiry. He focussed on the importance of cultivating equanimity in the context of recognizing the impermanent, always-changing quality of all things. He also fielded questions from parents and students, who wanted to know things like “how did the Buddha have fun?”

We want to set children up for success when introducing them to meditation practices so playfulness is on order. The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go by Wendy O'Leary with illustrations by Noémie Gionet Landry (Bala Kids 2022) is a wonderful and playful way to approach the idea that feelings and thoughts are fleeting.

Joy jars are a fun and effective way to bring awareness to moments that light children up and practice gratitude. This resource includes all the hows and whys, including science based research, prompts, materials to use, and other reflections.

Angélica Paljor wrote this interview with Sandra Cisneros published in August, 2022 on Lion’s Roar entitled, “The Sacred Work of Sandra Cisneros.” The author speaks candidly about her own struggles, and how writing has been a practice that has helped transform them. An essential ingredient in Buddhist education is seeing how others integrate their view and practice into their work, art, and lives. Cisneros' example is vital as students work on developing their own voice, and considering how their view and self-expression are inextricable.

From the Rubin Museum: An art project aimed at generating self-reflection and mindfulness

From the Rubin Museum: An engaging art project in mandala making with the aim of exploring our emotions

Book review by Sally Devorsine: Percival the puppy teaches children how to juggle emotions and distractions and find inner peace.

Neil Amas writes about why Buddhist wisdom can add great value to a modern education, and what makes a Buddhist education unique.

Our emotions and feelings are like the weather, ever-changing and dependent on many causes and conditions. This unit plan includes a variety of guiding questions, unit objectives, activities and resources across all domains that teachers can use for working with students or developing their own lessons. It is adaptable for a range of ages and could be implemented as a week-long, month-long, or year-long exploration.

Author Andrew Jordan Nance introduces the major themes in his new book, The Barefoot King, and reads the first few pages aloud!