Children Dharma Class 9- Listening with Acceptance

The 3rd of July marked the 9th Children Dharma Class of Semester 2. All the children were excited because the semester was close to an end. But, regardless of their anticipation, they brought out their biggest sincerity and remained focused to concentrate on the day.

At 10 am, the children were all ready to start the day as they gathered at the main shrine. They placed their shoes and bags neatly in a row and went into the main shrine in an orderly manner. It was pleasing to see the children following the procedures and applying the Buddhist etiquette learnt from class. The chanting of Lu Xiang Zhan commenced after everyone had received an incense, and children chanted with respect and most importantly, with a sincere heart.

After settling down in the classroom, Venerable NengChang, Thomas, and Jane guided the students with the chanting of the Sanskrit Heart Sutra. There were certainly huge improvements which could be seen with each one of the children, which brought back the memories of when they were first introduced to the Heart Sutra, till now, after a whole semester of practice. The children were more able to grasp the pronunciations and follow along with the chanting, which they had found hard at the beginning of the Semester. Aside from that, the students were fortunate to learn a part of the Lu Xiang Zhan chanting and understand its relative meanings. Venerable NengChang shared that when students chant, they should always think of the image or the meaning of the chanting so that it can be more relatable and meaningful to them.

Following that, the beginners class continued with a story-sharing session. Students took turns reading the stories while Thomas and Jane helped the children understand the meanings and the concepts to be learnt. The class concluded that no matter the status or the circumstances, it is important to always be modest and humble. One can only make improvements or be successful when they listen with acceptance and always treat or accept comments and feedback given by others gratefully. After some snacks and drinks to refresh themselves, the children returned to the classroom with revision worksheets summarising the crucial concepts learnt throughout the semester. With guidance and encouragement, the worksheet was soon completed, leaving the classrooms with enthusiastic discussions, laughter, and teamwork from everyone.

In the meantime, the intermediates class started their activities with the chanting of taking refuge. Under the guidance of Venerable NengChang, students were able to chant and perform proper bows while having the correct postures. It was an exciting yet significant session, as students were able to be guided one by one and were shown examples. Practising good habits and learning the proper way of chanting is essential to showing respect for the valuable knowledge obtained. After morning tea, Gwen guided the students to discuss the life stories "Growing up quickly" and "The greedy fox". With further interpretations and discussions in the class, students listened attentively while thoughts were shared across the classroom. It was another interesting yet valuable class today.