Dharma Club
once a month on Sunday
See calendar for dates
A Happy Life Comes from a Good Mind and Good Actions
One Sunday a month from 10:30am - 12:30pm Dharma Club
is held for young people at Tara Institute in Landcox Hall.
(Please check calendar regularly for dates as they sometimes need to be amended.)
If you are aged between 4 and 15 and want to have some fun and live a healthy life, then Dharma Club might be for you.
No matter what religion you might follow, you can come to Dharma Club without giving up your religious beliefs or customs. The Club is co-ordinated by Jenny Molloy, a trained teacher, so you will get to do activities that are fun and interesting - not boring adult stuff.
The aim is to give children an understanding of how to be happy.
The Buddhist teachings are brought to life through listening to stories, learning meditation, acting in plays and joining discussions.
Through developing a child’s inner wisdom we aim to encourage love and compassion towards self and others. The curriculum is based on:
‘The Seven Qualities in which to Educate Children’ by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
The seven qualities are: 1.Kindness 2.Delight 3.Patience 4.Contentment 5.Forgiveness 6.Humility 7.Courage
The following link is to an article I believe is well worth reading: http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=569
The Club is divided into two groups: 4 - 6 years and 7 - 15 years. The morning starts at 10:30 and we share a snack from midday for a 12:30 finish. You can start any time and you can come whenever you want to because there are no fees and no formal commitment.
The main points we would like the children to get are:
-
Good thoughts lead to good actions = happiness;
-
Unhappy thoughts lead to unhappy actions =sadness;
-
By practising love and compassion we can direct our minds in the right direction;
-
It is most important the kids know that “Kind is Cool!” and that there are other children who think like they do;
-
Part of each class will be dedicated to simple meditation. Meditation can contribute a great deal to one’s sense of wellbeing. It is hoped that the children can gain some knowledge of their inner spiritual world.
Some Topics covered:
-
A quiet still place – The source of happiness within us all;
-
Karma – Sow happy seeds for tomorrow: No effort = no result;
-
Practising patience as an antidote to anger;
-
Benefits of meditation;
-
Jealousy and its antidote – Rejoicing;
-
What makes for a good friend versus peer group pressure;
-
Developing kindness as a source of happiness;
-
Finding the right direction: The Eight-Fold Path to Happiness;
-
Who is the Dalai Lama?
-
The material will be adapted to each age group.
Teachers
Brony Allan
Jenny Molloy
Jenny Molloy is a trained secondary school teacher and has been coordinating Dharma Club for 13 years. Jenny coordinates the older group with the help of visiting teachers.
Bronwyn Allan is a qualified nurse and Yoga teacher. “Teaching children to believe in themselves and helping to foster a sense of happiness, love and compassion can make a real difference.”
All teachers of Dharma Club have a current Working With Children Check.
If you want to join us or to find out more, please call the Office on (03) 9596 8900 between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Or
Telephone Jenny Molloy, Dharma Club Coordinator on 0408 184 327.
Click here to join the Dharma Club email list to receive newsletters and other occasional correspondence.
Can you play music?
We would love to have musical element to the program but we need to find the resources.