Curriculum+Guide-Introduction+&+Overview

=Introduction=

Purpose of the Guide
//The purpose of Buddhist Education is to find the path that leads to personal awareness. This curriculum guide is designed to encourage teachers to provide meaningful lessons on religion for students, to develop positive attitudes in students, and to develop further the religious awareness of the teachers. Guidelines for teachers, and study guides and materials, are developed so that the educational goal of Buddhism can be achieved. Buddhist education guidelines are "experiences under guidance, consciously planned to attain specifc objectives."// Excerpt from the Dharma School Teacher's guide

The purpose of this online version is to serve as an resource to assist Dharma School teacher's in this effort by facilitating communication between them and to propogate the best ideas.

Grade Level Focus, Aims and Objective
Learn to gassho - to recite the Nembutsu - why? Learn to get along with each other Learn about Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu through listening to stories, sermons and each other || Continue to reinforce lessons in Preschool Learn to sing the Gathas Learn about Amida Buddha Learn about Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu through listening to stories, sermons and from each other || Acceptance of new things Kindness Thoughtfulness Inter-dependency Religious differences || Kindness to fellow living beings Kindness to family Kindness to your surroundings Three Treasures || Meaning of the shrine Incense offering Nembutsu Ojuzu Sutra chanting Gatha singing || Teach concept of time with a time line How the life of Gautama Buddha relates to our daily lives || Four Noble Truths/The Eightfold Noble Path Six Paramitas Students put into practice what they learned and understand about the Buddhist Way || Trace the Mahayana Movement through India, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, North and South America Study the origin of Buddhist Churches of America Study other Buddhist groups in US How the Buddhist Heritage has contributed and affected your family || Time line of Shinran Shonin's life How the life of Shinran Shonin relates to our daily lives Major doctrinal influences on Shinran Introduction to Shoshin-ge and other Shinran texts || History of Nembutsu Practice of Nembutsu Practice and learn the ways of leading a life of gratitude everyday Shinjin Rennyo Shonin || 7 Patriarchs Comparative Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana Visualization Practice Greater Contemplation Sutra (Kammuryo-ju kyo, Meditation Sutra, Greater Amida Sutra) Dharmakara's 48 vows Shan Tao's Commentary on the Meditation Sutra Shoshinge & Wasan Comparative Buddhism Comparative Religious Studies Application/appreciation of Jodo Shinshu in everyday life ||
 * **Grade Level** || **Focus** || **Aims and Objectives** ||
 * Pre-School || Buddhist Etiquette || Learn how to act in Temple
 * Kindergarten || Buddhist Teachings || Learn to respect the Temple
 * First || Thankfulness || Cover topics with interest and challenge for students
 * Second || Gratitudes || Learn about the Four Gratitudes in Buddhism and how it affects the students
 * Third || Our Temple || Appreciation and understanding of Temple/Minister-role and explanation of articles in the shrine
 * Fourth || Gautama Buddha || Study of the life of Gautama Buddha
 * Fifth || The Ways of a Buddhist || Review and continue to study the life of Gautama Buddha
 * Sixth || Buddhist Heritage || Study the history and expansion of Buddhism
 * Seventh || Shinran Shonin || Study the life of Shinran Shonin
 * Eighth || Nembutsu || Meaning of Nembutsu
 * High School || Jodo Shinshu Doctrine/Buddhism || Historical/doctrinal and relational Overview