This Is This

Wife has volunteed me to speak at Daughter’s school.

They were celebrating Chinese New Year this week and one of the teachers asked wife if we had any Chinese things that would interest the kids. They learn about all kinds of things there: diwali, fire safety, painting, making music, science, everything and people are always going in to speak to the kids.

Wife: “Not Chinese as such, but we have lots of stuff like that…”

The conversation went on, ending with teacher saying: “Ooooh, do you think he would like to come in and give a talk?”

So I’m going to talk to some very small children about Buddhism. Have you ever tried to get fifteen five year olds to sit still in one place? It’s like herding cats.

I can take along things like my prayer flags, mala beads, statues, thankas and the like. And they can have a go on my meditation seat (like that won’t sound wierd). Sand mandalas are probably a bad idea, but actually, the dharma is pretty easy to explain to kids. In Zen and other Mahayana traditions, they say the more you explain, the more complicated you make it.

They also say that those who know don’t speak and those who speak don’t know, so I’m planning on keeping it brief.

I hope no one expects the shaven-headed robed monk, but I am looking forward to it, although, erm, gulp. It’ll be fun and a challenge. I’ll take my banjo just in case the talk isn’t going so well. Don’t want to embarass my daughter now, do I?

Hammer on, hammer off.

Namaste, y’all.

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