Dharma Rain - Dharma School Classes
Dharma
School
Classes
Dharma School takes place on Sundays, during the regular adult program.
This schedule allows parents to join us for music and to then attend the
Dharma Talk in the Zendo.
Dharma School always begins with music, usually with everyone sitting on
the floor in a big circle. Most songs have
a Dharma theme, but we also sing traditional children’s songs.
After singing, it is time for meditation, done by each group in an age-appropriate
way. See the description of classes below
for more information about the meditation formats. Instruction is offered
to new students.
After meditation, the children turn to their particular group’s lesson
or activity for the day. A couple of times each term we have a ceremony
or festival day of some sort, when all the kids meet together. The morning
ends
with snack and a shift from a quiet atmosphere into a wild ruckus,
as parents begin to pick up their children.

Preschool Group
Primary School Boys
Primary School Girls
Middle School Group
High School Group
Overnights
Both the middle school and high school groups have monthly overnights.
These times are an extension of the regular Dharma School program at Dharma
Rain,
providing a way for the young people to get to know each other better
in an informal, fun atmosphere. We always cook and eat a vegetarian dinner
and talk together. The rest of the time might include going bowling or
rock climbing, having a pillow fight, watching and discussing a movie,
playing hide and seek, or a surprise.
The majority of the Dharma teaching at these events is implicit, hidden
in the schedule and in subtle guidance and reminders about listening,
being
helpful, being generous with attention and caring for each other. We
do use a version of the adult Fusatsu (repentance) ceremony on some overnights,
in which participants offer incense and some comments on what is going
on
in their lives. The ceremonial form marks out the space and time as silent
and sacred, a meaningful experience for both the students and teachers.
The overnights are very helpful in nurturing the kids bonding to each
other and
the teachers.
The middle-schoolers play more games and have more physical activity
and structure than the high-schoolers, who tend to do more talking
and primarily
hold the container for themselves. They spend some time together and
apart; part of the training for high-schoolers is learning to be a
mentor for
the younger children. The overnight ends Sunday morning with a regular
Dharma
School meeting of songs, meditation and class.
See the manual, Sharing the Dharma with
Chidlren,
for more discussion of overnights.
See the schedule for when they are planned.
top

Preschool Group
The youngest group is for 3 to 6 year olds. This group starts by setting
up their altar and having a few minutes of quiet before moving into activity.
Next is usually something active and physical, such as yoga stretching for
a few minutes, followed by a story or a craft project. This can be tied to
the day’s lesson. Acting out the movements of various animals can precede
a lesson about kindness to animals, or making sock puppets can provide characters
for acting out a Jataka tale. The important thing is to release some energy
in a creative way, and acknowledge the playful nature of children this age
in an atmosphere of kindness. For more information, see the manual’s
discussion of the preschool
group.

Primary School Boys Group, Grades 1-5
The boys’ group begins with a chanting practice along with quiet
meditation facing a wall. They learn rhythm instruments and chant the Fudo
ceremony, modified from the one the adult sangha does on Saturdays. Fudo
is “The Immovable One,” a fierce bodhisattva who embodies resolution
and determination, and fits well for this group. We provide an environment
that is largely active and task-driven, with a lot of physical movement.
Sometimes there is discussion or a story, and often there is a project of
some sort — making a bird house or a statue, playing drums or taking
apart an organ. For more information, see the manual’s
discussion of the grade-school
boys’ group.
top

Primary School Girls, Grades 1-5
After meditation, the girls’ group meets by themselves with female
teachers. This group is verbal and focused on content. Story-telling is a
frequent activity, as are various arts and craft projects. They discuss the
theme and teaching for the day in relation to the activity and to their daily
lives. We place particular emphasis on how the girls relate to each other,
and emphasize being generous with objects, time and attention. Participants
in this group need to be developmentally ready to handle themselves in a
discussion that will touch on social issues and values. For more information,
see the manual’s
discussion of the grade-school
girls’ group.

Middle School Group
Both boys and girls in the middle-school grades (6th-8th grades) meet together.
They are given higher standards and more direct Dharma teaching. Young people
of this age are asking abstract questions and have more choice in the content
of their classes. They need to discuss personal and social issues, and the
teachers focus on helping them process feelings without pushing for conclusions.
With this age group, working with right speech is very relevant. We work
on showing respect, finding common ground, and learning how to be close to
one another. The discussions are often personal, dealing with concrete examples
from school and family life. The young people must work to maintain the level
of maturity and responsibility that is expected, but there is still ample
time for silliness. For more information, see the manual’s
discussion of the middle
school group.
top

High School Group
Young men and women in high school are in this class together. Their focus
is on the intensely felt issues of their personal lives and their growing
awareness of the larger world around them. The teachers facilitate the discussion,
and can take a teaching role when necessary, but step back when possible
so that the kids can stretch more. We maintain confidentiality in these discussions
to create a safe space. At this age they are beginning to make the transition
to the adult world. Formal sanzen with one of the priests is offered sometimes,
and three teens have taken the precepts as lay Buddhists in the last three
years. (One must be sixteen years old to take the Precepts in Jukai).
Two students have also done a ceremony of entering the zendo as an adult
after
their graduation from high school. For more information, see the manual’s
discussion of the high
school group.
top
|