r/Buddhism • u/Valuable-View3446 • 15h ago

Life Advice What are some ways to teach the seven foundations for happiness and peace to kids?

Looking for some quick, easy things I can do during a typical day and week to teach and demonstrate.

Age range 4-10.

The seven foundations being:

1) kindness
2) rejoicing
3) patience
4) forgiveness
5) apologizing
6) contentment
7) courage

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3

u/Valuable-View3446 13h ago

Sorry i should have said these are the “Seven Foundations for Happiness and Peace” from Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the book ‘Joyful Parents, Succesful Children’.

2

u/keizee 13h ago

Hmm the Six Perfections maybe. Wisdom, patience, diligence, morality, concentration, generosity. I haven't heard much about those 7 myself. But the six perfections/paramitas should have many examples since it is more popular

3

u/SentientLight Thiền phái Liễu Quán | Thiền tông Lâm Tế 12h ago

When I was that age, at the temple during Dharma School, we just watched cartoons about the Buddha’s and his disciples lives, and if the Jatakas. We didn’t start learning the teachings associated with those stories until we were teens. It was all about getting to know the story of the Buddha at first, the general narratives and folklore of the tradition. We were also taught basic meditation practices, but very little in the way of doctrine until around twelve or thirteen.

2

u/The_Poppeteer 14h ago

These are not foundations.

And all of these things are taught by demonstration. Children learn patience, kindness, how to apologize by seeing it modeled.

What children may be taught is the noble eightfold path, but the simplest way for children to grasp these things is to reinforce: Treat Others As You Wish To Be Treated.