Rainbows 2008

here is a slideshow of the weekend.

As we are not producing a magazine in paper format this year - you can still see some of the ideas in image format we generate here (use right click to see full screen)

We also ran a art exercise with some of the 9-12 year olds where we asked them to paint a animal that had a good head and bad behind and then give it a name have a look at the images here (use right click to see full screen)

So you can have a look here on why we chose the theme.

Welcome - Day 1 Morning Puja - Day 1 Evening Puja - Day 2 AM and PM - Closing session

Welcome Evening

We watched this video first as a introduction to theme - a funny way of looking at the way our minds can work.

We played this game - called what are you doing and then split bodies

Exploring the Precepts

In order for all this to come to Amaravati -what do we need to do to feel safe here – or put another way what do we leave at the door to participate.

Here's some of the answers

Anger, bad habits, bad thoughts, worries, business, homework, need to achieve something, temptation, set patterns, the past.

We finished with this music for some lying down meditation.

Day 1 Morning

Guided meditation on body and breathing - here

We watched the part of the little Buddha where the Buddha realizes the truth - see here

We then go into three groups and they where asked to report the story of the Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree– One groups say in positive way, negative way , and the other group the way it is. Each group had a reporter on the spot and another person in the studio....We then watched each group perform there version of the story.

A interesting article about the way news is presented :-

Several years ago, we ran an article by Walter Carp in the Utne Reader, titled "Who decides what is news?" The author showed with a lot of examples that news stories in the United States are not researched but derived almost exclusively from official sources. The press seldom investigates. The news is funnelled through Capitol Hill. Objectivity is confused with passivity. Reporters are explicitly forbidden to comment, and the instrument for keeping them in line is manipulating access. There are threats to reporters and to publishers that if they don't toe the party line, their access to the country's political leaders will be reduced. In addition, of course, there's the influence of corporations through advertising. So business influences the media directly through its advertising money, and indirectly through the campaign funds to politicians. The question, then, is, what actual influence can the media have on business if they are victim to those influences?
(more details here )

We then came up with group definitions for

Good
Action or thoughts that would not harm other people - Help other people -Feel good

Evil
Perception

And the way it is
Being in the now
In the present
Without judgment
It the way its not
is everything

Day 1 Evening Puja

Guided meditation on liking

We watched this video and what can happen when we take liking a bit to far.

We then did a drawing exercise where we used OHP plastic and pens to draw each other faces in pairs. We then explore this in various ways. Putting on our faces, holding the plastic out and letting half the group wander around to see through another faces and then we ended up sticking them on the wall.

Sister Cittapala can up with two poem which you can read here and here

We finished off with read this sutta - Lady Vedehika

There could be groups discussing some of these questions:
What is it that I really don't like, that makes me angry? - examples ...
how to deal with it when I'm becoming angry? And what are the results? - examples ...
can I decide not to become angry? How can that be possible? - Any examples from own experience?
What can happen when I suppress anger, when I don't want to feel it? (examples for good or bad results)
Is it my anger or whose is it?
Any remedies for anger? What helps? (share own experience)
Any good examples for anger? - How is it that sometimes anger seemed to be a skilful response? And was it really good ..

We also spoke about what good things we give up to come to the monastery...

toys, work, hope, home, T.V, pets, diet, toothpaste, your own bed,

Day 2 Morning

Guided mediation on inner listening to dislike read it here

Day 2 Evening

Guided mediation on dislike read it here

We got into small groups and said yes to our dislike a very simple exercise put one that requires care and attention to run.

And one of the parents read this story

THE GATES OF PARADISE
A soldier named Nobushige came to the Zen master Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"
"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.
"You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."
Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."
As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"
At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.
"Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin.
- from Zen flesh, Zen bones, Zen and Pre-Zen Writings, compiled by Paul Reps

And we finished of with a poem created by one of the young girls ...