UPEKKHA: EQUANIMITY
(note: this lesson was done in group but some of the lesson unfortunately wasn’t planned or recorded!)
ACTIVITY: Meditation Timers How to Create a Glitter Jar for Kids – Mindful Daily Practices
Materials: Water Bottles, Water, Glitter/Beads/Legos/Etc
Using the glitter jars, demonstrate how shaking the jar only keeps the glitter floating around. Only when the jar is left alone does the glitter naturally settle. This can lead to talking about meditation and developing equanimity.
STORY: The Zen Farmer
Characters: Narrator, Farmer, Neighbor
This is the story of the zen farmer. He lived on a farm with his wife and son, and every day he hooked his wagon or plow up to his horse and worked in the fields.
One evening, though, his son left the gate to the horse pasture open. A storm came through, scaring the horse, and it ran out the gate and away. They searched and searched but couldn’t find it.
The farmer’s neighbor heard about it and came to visit.
NEIGHBOR: Oh no! Your only horse has run away! What bad luck!
FARMER: Maybe bad, maybe good. Who can say?
A few days later, as the farmer was slowly digging in his field, his horse came trotting back up the road. It was being followed by three other wild horses. The farmer went and gathered the four horses and put them in the pasture.
His neighbor came to visit.
NEIGHBOR: I heard the news! Four horses! What good luck!
FARMER: Maybe good, maybe bad. Who can say?
The farmer’s son set to work trying to train the new horses. He dreamed of riding the horse all over and having adventures. But the horses were still very wild. One day, while the son was trying to ride, the horse bucked and threw him off. He fell and broke his leg.
The farmer’s neighbor came to visit with a pie.
NEIGHBOR: I heard about your son. Who is going to help you with the farm work now? What bad luck!
FARMER: Maybe bad, maybe good. Who can say?
A few weeks later the army came through town. They were heading off to battle and needed fresh recruits. They gathered all the young men in town and made them soldiers. But the farmer’s son, with his broken leg, couldn’t go. The army left.
The neighbor, whose son was recruited, came running to the farmer.
NEIGHBOR: Oh, the army took my son! But yours will be safe at home while his leg heals. What good luck for you!
FARMER: Maybe good, maybe bad. Who can say?