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Everyone wants to be happy

The main objective of this lesson is to help children to gain some understanding of Buddha's teachings on moral discipline. Basic moral discipline consists of refraining from actions that are harmful to others, and we practise this on the basis of consideration for others, gained through contemplation and meditation on love.

The lesson uses discussion, games and examples to lead the children through the points of the teaching.
The 'bottom line' is provided by Buddha (in the form of a cardboard cut-out) who has all the answers in the form of a series of speech bubbles. Whenever a conclusion needs to be drawn the teacher invites a pupil to come and attach the next speech bubble to Buddha. The teacher or pupil then reads this out to the rest of the class.
On this sheet, notes to the teacher are in itallics and the contents of the question cards and speech bubbles are in colour. The text in plain type is what the teacher reads out.

The room should be set out so that the children are in several small groups each seated around a table with pens and paper on. The image of Buddha ideally 'stands up' at the front of the class.

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Begin the lesson by introducing Buddha - eg 'does anyone know who this is?'
This is Buddha. He is a very special wise person who learned how to make his mind completely peaceful and happy and teaches people how to do the same.
Today we are going to have some fun finding out what Buddha taught about how to make ourself and others happy.

I've got some questions here that we're going to try and find the answers to.

Put a pile of question cards face down on each groups table.
Ask the students to turn over the first card, and ask one of them to read it out.

'Who do you think is the most important person in the world?

The children discuss in their groups and one person from each group writes down the answers to read out at the end. They don¹t have to agree on an answer - each person can put a separate answer to be read out.
The spokesperson for each group reads out the answers. The children are more likely to have put 'David Beckham' or 'Tony Blair'than 'me'; however , if they are encouraged to investigate more deeply they will find that each of us holds our own self to be the most important.
To help them to explore the issue more deeply, the teacher asks the following rhetorical questions:

- How do you feel when the people on your list have a headache or a problem?
- How much do you want it to stop for them?
- How about when you have a headache or a problem? How much do you want it to stop?
- How much time do you spend thinking about what the people on your list need and want?
- How much time do you spend thinking about what you need and want? Is it more? Less?
Surely the person we think is most important is the one we're thinking about the most - the one whose needs and wishes we put first. Who is that person?

Let's see what Buddha says about this.

Invite one of the children up to put the first speech bubble on Buddha.
It says:

Even though there are millions and millions of people in the world, we spend most of our time thinking about just one person.

To find out who , turn over the next card.

OURSELF

That's quite surprising isn't it? You wouldn't think it was you who is the most important person in the world. But Buddha says we can check whether it's true by looking at how we think each day.

For example, when you're in the dinner queue, are you thinking 'All these people in the queue must be hungry - I hope they get their dinner quickly!'
Or are you thinking 'I'm hungry. I hope I get my dinner quickly'?

Usually we're just thinking about ourself aren't we? Buddha called this 'self-cherishing'(this could be written on the board) . That's what it's called when we feel that our happiness is more important than anyone else's.

- Have you ever thought about why we feel like this?
- What is it about me that makes my happiness more important than anyone else's?

I might say "I'm important because I'm me" but me is a name we all call ourself. Everyone is me. So why do we only care about our own 'me'? Whats so special about us?

use the picture of the pebbles here

What about if I showed you these pebbles and I tried telling you that this pebble is most important because it's a long, grey pebble? Or this one because it's a small, brown pebble?

The shape and colour don't really make one pebble more important than another, do they?
What about with people?

Invite one student from each group to the front. Use superficial differences between them to say that one is more important than the others, as with the pebbles, eg
Is Tom the most important because he has a red t-shirt on?
Is Catherine most important because she has curly hair?
Is Jo most important because she likes to draw?

This example is used in Buddhist teachings. They say that even though the pebbles are all different shapes and sizes, when it comes down to it their nature is all the same - they are all just pebbles.
In the same way, even though on the surface we might all seem to be very different from each other, deep down there is no difference between us because what we all want in our heart of hearts is the same thing - to be happy all the time.

There is no difference between our wish for happiness, and everyone else's. This is our deepest wish and we are all the same in this respect.

(Next speech bubble)

If we think deeply about this we will care just as much about others' happiness as we do about our own, and we will want to stop doing anything that makes others unhappy or causes them pain.

The children go back into their groups and turn over the next card.
It reads -
Can you give examples of things that people might do which make other people or animals unhappy?

After a short while, come together again to read out the answers.

People who follow Buddha's teachings try not to hurt anything or anyone in any way.

( show them photos 2+3 )

These are Buddhist monks and nuns. They have promised never to kill anything for the rest of their lives. Even creepy crawlies and flies!

This is a Buddhist community who live and study together - a bit like our school community. They try always to put each other first and never to say unkind things to each other or anyone else.

Invite a student to attach the last speech bubble to Buddha.
If we cherish others we will make them happy and we will be happier too. Anyone can try to be kind to the people and things around them. What could you do to be kinder to the people and creatures around you?