Buddhism for Children

drawings And Worksheetsto colour up

Martha Aitchison

From time to time I have been asked to design worksheets forschools explaining the Teaching to children.

I thought of presenting them as colouring pages with simpledrawings and short legends posing questions that the childrenhave to answer in writing alongside the pictures.

The teachers liked the idea and so did the pupils. I enjoyed thework and would gladly consider similar projects, which I will dofor free of course, if contacted with suggestions.

I can be reached by emailnottwobooks@gmail.com

Please note:

To download find the Share button under the open book and clickon it. You will see highlighted in red From first page. This settingwill download the whole book. Then click on Download .

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free to download fromAdobe) and choose the page or pages you want to print.The normal A4 plain paper used for letters and reports is adequate.

Martha Aitchison

Colouring Pages

Temple flower

WORKSHEETS

Meditation is a special way of paying attention. We practisemeditation to train our mind to be more attentive in daily life becausebeing more attentive we will be brighter and happier.

What is the mind? We call mind to the part of us that does all thethinking and the planning and the remembering.

What is the differencebetween a railwaystationmaster

and ?

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MEDITATION

When we want to meditate we find a quiet place where we will not bedisturbed for five or ten minutes.

We sit like the Buddha, crossed legged on a cushion with the backstraight but not stiff. We pretend to be a tall and strong mountain,steady and comfortable. We close our eyes.

Then we start to pay attention to the breath coming in and out of ournostrils. We notice air softly touching our upper lip on the out-breath.We notice cooler air going in on the in-breath. Sometimes the breath isfast and sometimes it is slow.

Sometimes it is deep and sometimes it is shallow. We just watch it; wedo not try to change it in any way. Our only task is to stay relaxedand keep watching the breath as it comes in and goes out with noother thought in our head.

Simple isnt it? Yes, but not easy! Soon we find that we arethinking of something else. It is not our fault; this jumping aboutis what minds do naturally, like monkeys on the trees.

Meditation clearly shows us that the mind is always changing. So whatdo we do? We bring the attention back to the nostrils, softly and withkindness, again and again.

Little by little we can train our mind to be more able to stay with thebreath for longer and longer. We just have to practise a little everyday,well, most days anyway.

Training the mind is like training a dog.You know how lively a young puppy is.

One minute it can be chasing a butterfly

The next it has dived into the dustbinto see what he can find, ugh!

The next it has dived into the dustbinto see what he can find, ugh!

It will get into all sorts of scrapes.

Just like our minds, a puppy doeswhat its nature makes it do.

and tricks,

So we train our puppy with patience and kindness.

Teaching it games,

and to walk on the lead so it is safe.

Training it well makes our puppy a good and happy dogthat everybody loves. Training our mind is the same; we have to bejust as kind and patient with ourselves. When we meditate welearn to keep attentive towhat is going on here and now and not jumping about from yester-day to tomorrow and back again, like a puppy chasing a butterfly.

The answer is: The stationmaster minds trains while the meditation teacher trains minds.

is sharing our things and abilities with everybody withoutexpecting a reward, just because making others happy makes ushappy too.

What is the girl saying ?Can you write it in the balloon?

Why is one of the girls pointingto the book?

Why is the other girl lookingunhappy?Can you write it down here?

What is the girl doing with the paperin her hand?

Why is she doing this? Can you write it down here?

What is the boy doing?And what do you think theboy is saying to the lady?Can you write it in theballoon?

Respectis treating everybody and everything with care and considerationbecause we would not like to be treated badly ourselves.

Here are two flags; the one on your right hand has the lines of the Buddhistflag already drawn, it only needs the colours. Can you paint it?

The one on the left is blank so you can also paint the flag of your country.

Blue represents Loving Kindness and Compassion.Yellow represents the Middle Way.Red represents the Blessings that come to those who practise.White represents the Dhamma which leads to freedom from suffering.Orange represents the development of Wisdom.

Did you know that there is a flag with many happycolours belonging to all the Buddhist people of theworld? It sends to everybody a message of peace whenit flutters merrily in the wind. The colours of the flag arethe colours of the five rays of light that it is saidsurrounded the head of the Buddha at the moment ofEnlightenment. Each means something important to us.

The International Buddhist Flag

Here is the Buddha. Can you colour the rays with the colours of the flag?

Blue

Yellow

Red

White

Orange

Can you write below the meaning of each colour?

Pntipt veramani sikkh padam samdiymiI undertake the precept to abstain from destroying living beings.

WE SHOULD NOT HARM LIVING THINGS

Adinn-dn veraman sikkh padam samdiymiI undertake the precept to abstain from taking things not given.

WE MUST NOT TAKE WHAT DOES NOT BELONG TO US

Kmesu micch-cr veraman sikkh padam samdiymiI undertake the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.

WE MUST NOT BE GREEDY IN OUR OWN PLEASURESBUT SHOW RESPECT AND KINDNESS TO EVERYBODY

Musvd veraman sikkh padam samdiymiI undertake the precept to abstain from false speech.

WE MUST NOT TELL LIES OR SPEAK UNKINDLY

Sur meraya-majja-pam-datthn veraman sikkh padam samdiymiI undertake the precept to abstain from distilled and fermented liquor that causes

intoxication and heedlessness

WE MUST NOT CLOUD OUR MINDS WITH DRINK OR DRUGS

A note for parents and teachersI have simplified the text of the precepts so that children can relate them

to their own experience. The third precept, to abstain from sexual miscon-duct, presented quite a challenge until a senior monk advised me that in itswider sense it not only relates to sex but comprises all kinds of sensuality.Therefore I have interpreted it as refraining from indulging in excessivepleasures, e.g. eating, playing computer games, etc. It also implies givingconsideration to the well being and happiness of others and not to thinkonly about satisfying our own selfish impulses.

Perhaps the children could be encouraged to think of other examples offollowing or breaking the precepts and then drawing their own comics.Working two together one child can do the drawing and the other fill theballoons and then switch over.

THE FIVE PRECEPTSEXPLAINED FOR CHILDREN

WE SHOULD NOT HARM LIVING THINGS

What is the girl doing with a rolled up newspaper? How does she look, is she smiling?Can you guess what she is thinking?

Can you write it in the balloon please?

And in the picture below, why has she opened up the newspaper?What is she doing with it? What is the other girl saying to her? And what does she reply? Please write it in the balloons.

WE SHOULD NOT TAKE WHAT DOES NOT BELONG TO US

Look carefully at these pictures.What have these boys found in the street? Why is one boy pointing at the toys?

What is happening in the picture below? Where are they going? Can youguess what the children are saying to each other?

Can you please write it in the balloons?

WE MUST NOT BE GREEDY IN OUR OWN PLEASURESBUT SHOW RESPECT AND KINDNESS TO EVERYBODY

In this picture a boy is playing games while his mother is in thegarden. What is she doing? Can you guess what is she saying to him? And what is heanswering? Please write it in the balloons and then write inside the heart what the boyshould do after playing for a while.

What is happening in the picture above?What are the two girls saying to each other?Please write it in the balloons.Also please write inside the heart what the girl holding the cakeshould have said instead.

WE MUST NOT TELL LIES OR SPEAK UNKINDLY

The girl trying on the silly hat seems to like it, what do you think she is saying to herfriend? What should the other girl reply?

And how should she tell her friend the what she thinks? Can youwrite it in the balloons please?

What is the teacher asking the boy? Why is the boy thinking of a bird flying awaywith papers in its beak? What is he telling the teacher? Do you think it can be true? Please write it in the balloons

WE MUST NOT CLOUD OUR MINDS WITH DRINK OR DRUGS

Where are these two boys? Looking through the window, how do you think they gothere? Are both drinking the same drink? What is the difference? Can you guess whatthey are saying and can you write it in the balloons, please?

In the picture below one of theboys doesnt seem very happy. What happened to his bike and his leg?

What is he drinking now? Can you guess what is he thinking about?And can you please write it in the balloon?

THE MEANING OF VESAK

The day of the full moon of May is a special day for Buddhists around the world.It is called Vesak, a word that comes from the name of the month of May in thelanguage spoken a long time ago in India.On Vesak day Buddhists remember and reflect on the Birth of the Buddha, hisEnlightenment and the day when he died and entered Parinirvana.

THE BIRTH

The Buddha was born earlier than expected in the gardens of Lumbini, when hismother was travelling to her parents house to have her baby.He was named Siddhattha and was the pampered prince of a small kingdom. As hegrew up he tired of his empty life of luxury and worried about the suffering of thecommon people.One day Prince Siddhattha left the palace to live in the forest as a poor beggar.He wanted to find out real happiness by his own efforts in meditation and so to beable to help others.

THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Many years later, after a long period of meditation, he found the cause and thecure of all our suffering. In this flash of enlightenment was born the Dhamma, asBuddhas Teaching is calledPrince Siddhatta realized that the cause of all suffering is greed and that thenature of all things is to change all the time. The way out of suffering is to beaware of this and wisely not holding on to what is changeable. He also advised todevelop mindfulness and kindness through meditation and reflection .Thus hereached Nirvana, which is a state of profound peace and contentment.Since then the prince has been known as the Buddha, a word that means

THE PARINIRVANA

The Buddha wanted to share his discovery with everybody in the world so they alsocould become enlightened. He spent the rest of his long life travelling and teaching.He founded monasteries wherever he went and many followers became monks andnuns.When the Buddha was 80 years old he died and reached Parinirvana, which is astate of sublime peace beyond Nirvana attained only after death.

VESAK DAY AT A BUDDHIST TEMPLE

On Vesak Day Buddhists visit their temple and listen to the monks and nuns whohelp them to reflect on the message of the Buddha. Everybody joins in chanting andin a short meditation in a beautifully decorated shrine room. There are flowers andcandles on the altar in front of the Buddha image and the air smells sweetly of in-cense. The participants bring food that they offer to the monks and nuns and thenall share a nice and friendly meal.

I had a lot of fun doing these drawings for you but I am a little tired now; perhapsyou can help me and draw above in the frame some of the activities that are partof a Vesak ceremony at a Buddhist temple.

QUESTIONS

1 What do we celebrate on Vesak day?

2 Who was Siddhattha?

3 Was Prince Siddhattha happy in his palace?

4 What did he decided to do?

5 How did Siddhattha become the Buddha?

6 What does the word Buddha mean?

7 What did the Buddha do during his long life?

8 Why did the Buddha teach the Dhamma?

9 What was the last advice of the Buddha?

10 What do you think the Buddha meant by that?

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Martha Aitchison nottwobooks@gmail.com