Teach-Primary-Issue-19.3

Generosity, or dāna in Pali, is a central idea in Buddhism. It involves giving without expecting anything in return. For Buddhists, this practice cultivates kindness, reduces attachment, and promotes a sense of community and compassion. This lesson explores how dāna shapes Buddhist thinking and life, and compares the concept with similar values in Islam. It also offers children a chance to explore their own personal worldviews and their thoughts and beliefs on giving. In our culture, where effort and reward can be the driving factor in decision-making, how hard is it to give selflessly? 1 | UNDERSTANDING DĀNA Begin by introducing dāna as a foundational Buddhist practice, meaning generosity or giving. It is one of the ten perfections (paramitas) that Buddhists cultivate on their path to enlightenment. Generosity takes many forms – providing food to monks, donating money to temples, or offering wisdom and kindness. Explain that selflessness is key: giving without expecting anything in return helps Buddhists overcome attachment and selfishness which are obstacles to spiritual growth. To deepen their understanding, ask children to create a mind map showing different forms of generosity, branching off from each example to show its potential impact on the giver and receiver. They can use their list of ideas from the starter activity as a basis. For example, they could map giving time (e.g. they might have helped a grandparent with the gardening). In terms of impact, their grandparent received help, while the child was able to spend time with their grandparent and share in an activity with them. The point of this activity is to encourage personal reflection and make the concept of dāna more relatable. As a final short activity, ask pupils to reflect on their own START HERE MAIN LESSON WHAT THEY’LL LEARN l What dāna means in Buddhism l How dāna is practised in Buddhist communities l How generosity relates to reducing attachment l How dāna compares to charitable giving in Islam RE Ask pupils about any acts of generosity they might have seen or experienced recently. Encourage them to think broadly – it could be helping a friend, donating to charity, or offering time to others. Ask them to consider their motivations for this generosity: was it linked to a Brownies or Scouts badge? Was it something a family member does, and they were joining in? Was the act to strengthen a friendship? Have them jot down these examples to use later in the lesson. Highlight how generosity feels for both the giver and receiver, and compare this to Buddhist teachings, which emphasise giving without expectation as a way to reduce selfishness and foster kindness. Is it possible to be truly selfless? Explore dāna, the Buddhist concept of generosity, with Matthew Lane KS2 LESSON PLAN theteachinglane.co.uk @MrMJLane Can we really give to others unselfishly? 72 | www.teachwire.net