Unhappy children at dhamma schools

Thank you! :pray::sunglasses:

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The Dhamma is a skill and that skill can be taught to kids. As Richard Feynman famously said, if you can’t explain something to a child it means you don’t understand it.

When I taught Sunday school, I tried to come up with activities to get the kids to reflect wisely. So, for example, one activity for young kids I did was for them to draw their favorite activity and one thing they disliked about it, and then draw their least favorite thing and one good thing about it, and then share with the class. We learned that things are never 100% good or 100% bad even if they are something we like a lot, or dislike a lot.

So, not drilling them on path factors for sure! But trying to think what wisdom they need. Hope that helps inspire some more creative lesson plans :smile:

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Sorry, that makes no sense, like if I love meth are you sure it’s not like 100% bad?

Dhamma is nature, what else is it, truth, the the thing that led me here to sit here behind this temple. We could even speak like, that monk is skilled in his dhamma and his discipline. Frankly im sort of shocked by you implying you know the curriculum here.

Could you love meth if it were 100% bad?

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No, some people could delude themselves into thinking they love it perhaps. I can only speak for myself.

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Well sometimes it’s difficult for a older person to get in to the head of younger people. What do you think is the best method of teaching young kids.

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Games? I don’t know sir.

Precisely! Sense pleasures do have their gratification. But they also have their danger: namely in the delusion, the addiction, and the suffering that follows.

Having seen the peril in clinging
as the origin of birth and death,
being liberated by non-clinging
is the extinction of birth and death.
Those happy ones have attained security;
they have reached nibbāna in this very life.
Having overcome all enmity and peril,
they have transcended all suffering.

:innocent:

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I used to teach at a dhamma school, and the children loved to have dhamma pop quizzes!

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the seven enlightenment factors, the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the three charictaristics I have no idea if any of this is being taught in dhamma schools. In truth I don’t know a single thing about the curriculum being taught in the place where my friend had to study in order to teach the children.

Cool, great. Thanks.

Yes, in the sensual plane everything has good and bad aspects according to Ven Sariputta, when he taught Anatapindika.

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OK. I am really really lost. I took a cheap shot at a monk here and the post got flagged so on behalf of me I am sorry to the entire community for making a mistake that got a decent conversation among good people get stopped. I messaged the bhikku and we made friends.

Having seen the peril in clinging
as the origin of birth and death,
being liberated by non-clinging
is the extinction of birth and death.
Those happy ones have attained security;
they have reached nibbāna in this very life.
Having overcome all enmity and peril,
they have transcended all suffering.

:innocent:

"Those people who are negligent,
when warned by the gods’ messengers:
a long time they sorrow,
when they go to that wretched place.

But those good and peaceful people,
when warned by the gods’ messengers,
never neglect
the teaching of the noble ones.

Seeing the danger in grasping,
the origin of birth and death,
they’re freed by not grasping,
with the ending of birth and death.

Happy, they’ve come to a safe place,
extinguished in this very life.
They’ve gone beyond all threats and perils,
and risen above all suffering.”

Two quotes from two suttas. What did they ever have to do with anything about wanting something better for the kids at a Sunday dhamma class? I know not. I’m asking.
?

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I always tried to connect topics to their lives, like importance of determining if something is the right thing to do, or how to know someone is your friend.

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Temporary close of topic :slight_smile:

Well, I’ve had children who were wiser than their parents, when it came to understanding the dhamma. I believe Visaka was 7 when she became a stream entrant. So there are exceptions. However while ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t work, you need to get to know the aptitudes of your class’ children to know how to pitch it right!

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There are numerous 7 year old stream-enterers and arahants in the suttas and commentaries. Children of that age and younger can completely understand suffering. They may not understand lack, but they sure know suffering. And they can also see many deep Dhamma ideas. Children can be intensely interested in the world and appreciate when adults take them seriously.

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Thank you for your time Mat, these are all suggestions I have gained by listening to. I think the most important thing I learned was so far is, everyone needs to work together to keep the dhamma alive.

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