The Dewdrop Digest

The Dewdrop Digest
Connecting Children, Youth and Sangha
Clouds in Water Zen Center
Sunday, February 17, 2002

TODAY'S DEWDROP INCLUDES
...the program Mission Statement which was developed by the Children's and
Youth Practice Committee during the summer of 1998. This statement still
lights our way wonderfully. Deep thanks to the many people who have served
the next generation here at Clouds in Water over these past years!


MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Clouds in Water Children's and Youth Practice is to joyfully
awaken the Heart of Great Wisdom and Compassion within the next generation,
honoring each of the three refuges:

Buddha:
- By helping children connect with and express their own Buddha-nature,
- By inviting children and youth to integrate Buddhist principles into their
life,

Dharma:
- By providing opportunities for appreciation and respect of Buddhist values,
stories, symbols, rituals and practices,
- By exploring the common ground that Buddhism shares with other traditions,
- By teaching meditation and mindfulness practices,

Sangha:
- By creating an environment for friendship, fun, support, and acceptance
with other children, youth and adults, in a community of spirit,
- By providing opportunities to honor life passages for themselves and
others,
- By doing group community service in the larger world.


2001-2002 PROGRAM YEAR THEME: BOUNDLESS OPENNESS
This year's overall theme is "boundless openness" or emptiness: becoming
aware of our connectedness with - and caring for - all beings. We are
exploring boundless openness through the lenses of the Triple Treasure:


Fall - Buddha

Discover how we are - and can be - Bodhisattvas

Winter - Dharma

Learn how we are empty of a separate self
Explore other aspects of emptiness

Spring - Sangha

Focus on interdependence with Mother Earth
Perform community service



LESSON FROM FEBRUARY 3: "THE TRIPLE WORLD IS MIND ONLY."
(The Dewdrop was not published last Sunday due to a cyber-error, so here's
the scoop from last session.)
Each session this quarter, we examine another aspect of boundless openness.
Last time, our teaching message was: "The world, including all beings and
each of us, is made up of a field of heart-mind, or a field of love and
understanding. The field of heart-mind - let's just call it love for now -
that is inside us is, is inside every being. Love connects us, love is
everywhere. It is really this love that brings us to life and all things
into being. We can close our eyes and imagine - or we can wake up in a
special moment and see the truth of it - that all beings are made of love."
Demonstration: Ice in a bowl of water (same substance permeates all,
everything is made of water, is "born" of water, and returns to water).
Students strung beads (each bead representing someone they know, the string,
love).


IMPERMANENCE, THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF ALL THINGS.
Many classes today will hear the hear the story of Buddha's death and perhaps
ponder how impermanence and boundless openness relate. Here are some
discussion ideas for home:

Buddha-nature can be found everywhere, in every person, animal, plant and
just everywhere.
Buddha-nature is impermanence; it means that everything is changing and
nothing lasts forever. We all experience birth/death and joy/suffering.

Especially for Pre-1, this is another window on what we have in common with
all beings.
Especially for 2nd grade on up, we can reflect on how understanding
impermanence liberates us from the suffering of attachment and anger.


Buddha-nature also points to the field of heart-mind; it is another way to
say that we are made of and connected by love and understanding.


DRAMA at 10:10
Most classes will be offering a dramatic expression of their new or deepened
understanding of boundless openness. On March 3, the 2nd and 3rd grade class
will present "The Interdependence" and the Preschool and K-1 groups will
together present "The Rainbow of Friendship." On March 17, the 4th and 5th
grade class and the Middle School Group will each offer something special.
Thanks to Sandra Knaeble and Carol Patt for their great help with this!


QUESTION, SUGGESTION, PROBLEM?
Contact Children's and Youth Practice
Coordinator Katharine Krueger at (612) 798-4777 or
katharine@cloudsinwater.org.


posted by Michael Howard on 2/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | link