"Little Bodhisattvas" Children's Program
Материал из Buddha World.
At January 7, 2012 DDRC offers an educational program for children, in conjunction with our monthly 1-Day Retreat.
Program Mission
Our mission is to nurture the innate wisdom of each child, and help them to cultivate a more wholesome and compassionate character. We do this by raising children's awareness of the basic principles of Buddhadharma, as well as showing them how to integrate these ideas into their daily lives.
Some principles that the children learn are:
Impermanence (constant change of everything)
Cause and Effect (moral responsibility)
Causes and Conditions (inter-relationships among oneself and others)
These concepts are presented in a simple way without complicated terminology. For example, the children learn about causes and conditions by seeing how a flower--in order to be a flower--requires sunshine, water, nutrients, care, etc. The children are encouraged to use their own creative abilities to demonstrate these and other basic Buddhist concepts.
They also practice meditation and silent observation of nature to help engender a more direct experience of these principles as a living reality within themselves.
From these activities, children learn the need to protect the spiritual, societal, daily, and natural environments, which will lead to the development of more eco-conscious and spiritually-conscious children.
Through this process of understanding and experience, gratitude, compassion, humility, and other wholesome and virtuous qualities will naturally emerge from the heart of each child.
Activities
The children's day is filled with kids' Dharma book reading, nature walks, drawing and coloring, yoga, beginner's meditation, chanting, and other fun activities. A healthy vegetarian lunch, a nap, and snacks are included. Some activities might involve brief trips off the DDRC campus, for example, a visit to a local farm or ice cream stand.
The program begins at 8:30am and lasts until 5:00pm. Parents are simultaneously able to enjoy their own 1-Day Retreat during these same hours.
Note to Parents: In order to enhance their experience, please do not visit your child during the retreat. We appreciate your cooperation in this.
Registration Process
(Register early, as space is limited)
Register yourself online for the 1-Day Retreat
Register your child by
- writing to littlebodhisattvas.ddrc@gmail.com
- or calling Lingyun Wang at 860-805-3588
If this will be the first time for your child to attend the program, please fill in this application form, and send it to the email address above.
Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC) was founded by the renowned scholar and teacher of Chan Buddhism, Chan Master Sheng Yen. Currently our resident abbot is Guo Xing Fashi, one of the Dharma heirs of Master Sheng Yen.
We are located in Pine Bush, NY, 90 miles northwest of New York City. The center lies below the ecologically protected Shawangunk Ridge amid 125 acres of woods and meadowland. A tributary of the Verkeerder Kill flows from below Sam's Point Preserve on the ridge down through the property, where it forms a tranquil pond (Murray Pond) not far from the Chan hall.
The center is maintained by staff members and volunteers who, together with our strong faculty of lay and monastic teachers, aim to provide a home of Buddhist practice and learning for everyone. Whether for a few hours or a few weeks, we offer a range of activities to suit your interests and needs.
English
