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| a happy teacher successfully learning how to invite the bell |
200 educators, mostly high school teachers, gather for an afternoon of mindfulness in the Centro Patrimonial Recoleta Dominica. They are very eager to learn methods to improve the well-being in their classrooms and respond very well to the practices of inviting and listening to the bell, walking meditation, mindful movements, and so on. Brother Phap Khai makes everyone laugh with his unique way of guiding us through tangerine meditation: recognizing the shape, color and texture of the tangerine, looking deeply into the conditions that brought it about -the tree, the rain, the sun, the farmer..., seeing the hidden potential of the tangerine (‘You know, this tangerine can turn into a song...because when I eat it, I’m happy, and when I’m happy I might want to compose a song!’), slowly peeling (‘Let us try not to damage the flesh!’), smelling, smiling and salivating, placing a section on one’s tongue (‘Don’t bite into it yet!!’), masticating carefully, aware of the movements of the tongue and jaws before swallowing. We divide into seven groups of discussion. The participants feel encouraged in their aspiration to bring mindfulness to their classroom; they learn from one another’s experiences and we clarify eventual questions regarding Plum Village basic practices. We end this warm-hearted session all together with a presentation on Wake Up Schools and an invitation to the next gathering of the local Sangha, so that the participants will be able to keep on nurturing their practice and form a network of mindful educators in Chile.
