Teach-Primary-Issue-19.3

• What does it mean to give selflessly? • How does dāna help Buddhists on their spiritual journey? • What are the differences between dāna and Zakat? • Can generosity create a better community? merit for their generosity, and monks sustain their role as spiritual guides. Share a story or description of a Buddhist festival of Kathina, where offerings of cloth for robes and other essentials are made to monks (the British Library blog has a good explanation of the history of Kathina, at tinyurl.com/tp-BLkathina ) . Following this, ask students to summarise how generosity is practised in these events and why it is significant to the community. They could write a short explanation or complete a sentence-starter activity, such as, ‘Dāna is important in Buddhism because...’. Alternatively, you might want to do this as a class discussion if children acts of generosity from the mind map and compare their motivations to the Buddhist idea of selflessness. They could write a short paragraph reflecting more deeply on one chosen example, and explore whether they think it was a selfless act or not. 2 | PRACTISING DĀNA In Buddhist communities, dāna is woven into daily life. Show a picture of monks on alms rounds in a Buddhist country like Thailand (the academic news site The Conversation has a good one, at tinyurl.com/tp-Alms ) . Discuss how laypeople give food to monks, enabling them to focus on their spiritual practices. This mutual exchange supports the entire community; laypeople earn • Research how dāna is practised differently in Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism (see BBC resources at tinyurl.com/ tp-BBCbuddhismdiv). The differences are subtle, so they will need to compare a few sources. • Investigate other charitable practices in religious or secular traditions. For example, they might research tzedakah in Judaism (see RE Online for an explanation: tinyurl.com/tp-tzedekah ), or the role of the Salvation Army. They can also explore secular practices such as community service and food banks. EXTENDING THE LESSON did lots of writing in the first part of the lesson. 3 | COMPARING DĀNA AND ZAKAT Next, compare dāna to Zakat (or Zakah) in Islam, where Muslims give a portion of their wealth to those in need as a religious obligation (BBC Bitesize has a good overview at tinyurl.com/tp-BBCzakat ) . It is important when comparing religions or worldviews that we do not make superficial comparisons. The purpose of this part of the lesson is to explore how generosity and charitable giving are central tenets of two different worldviews, rather than contrasting the ways giving is undertaken. Explain that both religions emphasise community welfare and reducing inequality, but differ in structure. While dāna is voluntary and focused on cultivating personal virtue, Zakat is a mandatory act of worship. If pupils have explored Zakat before, ask them to create a comparison chart, drawing on examples from what they’ve learned about both practices. Or you could give children a completed table to read and reflect upon. Discuss how both traditions value generosity and its impact on individuals and communities. As a final activity, the class could write a reflection comparing how generosity in these two traditions compares to giving and generosity within their own personal worldview. Matthew Lane is a teacher from Norfolk. His book Wayfinder , on how to lead curriculum change, is out now. “Dāna cultivates kindness, reduces attachment, and promotes a sense of community and compassion” USEFUL QUESTIONS Download your FREE PowerPoint at tinyurl.com/tp-dana www.teachwire.net | 73