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ABOUT UNIVERSAL ETHICS
His Holiness the Dalai Lama says “In order to inculcate the inner values like patience, empathy, honesty, equanimity, forgiveness, generosity, contentment etc., it is crucial to embed, integrate and implement these values within the education system."
This vision of His Holiness is realised through the Universal Ethics approach. Universal ethics is prefaced on the two main principles. Firstly it aims at developing a recognition of our shared humanity and our shared aspiration for happiness. Secondly it aims to develop awareness and understanding of interdependence as a key feature of human reality.
The Universal Ethics approach achieves this by focusing on the development of basic human values. The basic values that are focused on in the curriculum are generosity, patience, development of restraint and cultivating compassion and universal responsibility.
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OUR JOURNEY
Ayurgyan Nyas recently participated in the Future School leaders Masterclass, where we discussed the importance of Universal Ethics in schools and our journey in the education.
Watch the video by clicking on the play icon.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Chosen tools from the Children's Workbook of Virtues
PATIENCE
Patience is a virtue that gives the ability to remain calm and uncomplaining in the face of delays. Practising patience provides us with a fresh and positive perspective, helping us find opportunities in any and every situation. It requires continuous practise so that we can apply it in times of adversity.
The story of 3 men and their kernels of corn is a lesson in that very aspect of developing patience. Listening attentively to the audio will provide us with a deeper understanding of the benefits reaped by staying patient. The story also explains how patience is essential to being helpful and compassionate.
Click on the button below to listen.
QUALITIES SNAKES AND LADDERS
This video demonstrates how to create your own game of Snakes and Ladders. The activity aims to help students classify and understand the impact of various positive and negative qualities. The video walks you through the process of making the game at home with some basic materials. The game involves writing positive and negative qualities in boxes and connecting them to each other. Landing on a positive quality in the game leads the student up a ladder where they land on a box highlighting a positive consequence.
Similarly, landing on a negative or unhelpful quality leads the student down the snake of a negative consequence. For instance, if a student lands on being mindful of our environment, they will go up a ladder and land on clean and healthy environment.
You can make this game and play it by themselves or with another family member. While playing, share experiences similar to the quality they have landed on.
Qualities here refers to those that are developed over a period of time, and influence the thoughts, emotions and behaviour of an individual. In order to fully develop a quality, one must incorporate it in their actions, emotions, and most importantly, their thoughts.
Click on the button below to access the video.
THE PATIENCE HOURGLASS
What is patience? It is waiting without getting upset, angry or restless. Patience is the ability to remain calm and uncomplaining in challenging situations. We are never too old, young, or tired to practice patience.
We should think ahead and work towards the end goal, handing all obstacles in a calm and composed manner. Making an hourglass will help us understand the importance of patience in creating something to the best of our abilities.
Once you have made the hourglass with the help of the video, there are multiple ways to use it and practice patience.
You can sit with a friend or family member and take turns asking each other questions. After one person has asked the question, turn the hourglass upside down and wait for the sand to trickle before answering. This will help us understand the importance of taking our time and ‘responding’, rather than ‘reacting’. Once this is done, you can reflect upon how the activity made you feel. Did you wish the sand moved faster? Did that thought change after a few questions were asked?
This hourglass can also be used in situations where you feel impatient.For instance, if you want to talk to someone and they are talking to someone else or already occupied, you can turn the hourglass upside down and practice waiting patiently. Patience is a golden virtue, and this video aims to make it more attainable!
ANTIDOTE TIPPY TIPPY TAP
This video will help you learn how to use virtues as antidotes for afflictive emotions through a much loved, popular classroom game, tippy tippy tap! Afflictive or negative emotions are those that cause you and your loved ones hurt and sadness. It is natural to feel such emotions. However, you should make use of virtuous qualities and use them as ‘antidotes’ or medicine to reduce, manage and regulate these afflictive emotions.
For instance, jealousy can be countered by rejoicing in the happiness of others
While making the game, these emotions and antidotes will be written on the back of the tippy tippy tap. Once you start playing the game, you will notice each colour pertains to a certain emotion. Opening the flap of the emotion will show us its ‘antidote’.
This activity can be followed by a discussion on every player’s experience of feeling those emotions and how they reacted in those situations. Would they have reacted differently if they had known about these antidotes?
This activity is a stepping stone towards turning these antidotes into virtues. An antidote, when continuously practiced in thoughts, feelings and actions, turns into a permanent virtue, helping us be healthier and happier.
Click on the button below to view the video.
TACKLING FEAR
All of us have things which we fear. We may be fearful of uncertainty, failure and new situations. However scary and insurmountable these fears may seem, we can make use of antidotes.
Antidotes help regulate ‘afflictive emotions’. These are emotions that may impact us negatively.
This section introduces a poem by Maya Angelou.
You can use this poem to think about the different fears that you have in your life and how you face them.
Click on the button below to listen to the poem.
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USING UNIVERSAL ETHICS IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
Tools and Activities to help You become Self Aware and Calmer
REGULATING OUR DIFFICULT EMOTIONS
The current situation gives rise to many difficult emotions. We may feel angry about the lockdown. Similarly, such an outbreak can also grip us with fear.
Most of these situations are beyond our control. But how we perceive them remains within our control.
Click on the button below to download the activity and use it offline.
REGAINING COMPOSURE
What are the techniques you use to help us when we feel overwhelmed with emotions?
All of us are juggling multiple roles in our lives. These circumstances call for us to be self-aware, centred and mindful of ourselves.
Click on the button below to download the activity and use it offline.
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MINDFULNESS
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of the research-backed stress-reduction program called “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)”,
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”
Mindful practices help us in breaking down our conditioned responses and put some space between ourselves and our reactions.
Few points to remember before starting mindful practices
Time and space—We need to set aside some time and space for mindful practice. Time can be assigned according to your own convenience, but the space must have least distractions. For example, mobile, tv, computer etc. should all be switched off or kept away.
Present moment awareness- The goal of mindful practice is simple. The practice aims to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Although it is difficult to do it but with continuous practice it is definitely possible.
Be nonjudgmental and gentle with your wandering mind- It is encouraged that you do not judge yourself harshly if you get carried away in your thoughts. Instead, calmly guide your attention back to the present moment. It is important that you are aware of these moments. Let your thoughts pass calmly.
To help you be more mindful, the section below has some guided mindfulness exercises. Scroll down to explore them
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GUIDED MINDFULNESS SESSIONS
MINDFUL BREATHING AND ACCEPTANCE
Mindfulness is natural to all humans. It is the ability to remain fully present in the moment. It is the awareness of our senses, our thoughts and our emotions.
Although we all possess the ability to be mindful. But with time, we start getting more reactive and overwhelmed by the happenings around us. As research points out regular practice of mindfulness remodels the brain and under overwhelming circumstances the regulation of thoughts and emotions become easy.
Let us use this mindfulness exercise to return to the present moment and be aware of ourselves. Click on the button below to access the recording
MINDFUL INTERDEPENDENCE
The word ‘interdependence’ means that all of us are dependent on each other for different things. We depend on our parents for care and sustenance when we grow up. Similarly, we also depend on our peers and teachers for important skills that we build in school. We also depend on different people for our material needs. For example, think about the products we use in daily lives, like biscuits and shampoo. How do you think those things reach us? They are made in factories, where numerous people work on different processes to get these products to us. Think of the delivery mechanisms with which these things reach shops, and the shopkeeper who sells you these items.
All of us are also dependent on nature for our sustenance. Resources like water, air are very important for our survival. This shared interdependence is something that unites us together.
Let us reflect more on this shared interdependence. Please ensure that you have a biscuit with you for this exercise. Click on the button below to play the exercise.
USING MINDFULNESS TO REGULATE ANGER
Dealing with our anger is a challenging task for all of us. But if we use these small steps and practice regularly, we would be able to regulate the duration, frequency and level of anger. You will be soon able to experience the changes in you and the environment around you.
Remember the acronym “RAIN”
Recognise- It is important to recognise that this strong emotion exists in you and overwhelms you when it comes. Be mindful of the thought pattern of anger like blaming others for issues, exaggeration or misapprehension of your problems. All this feeds your anger.
Acceptance - Accept that in this moment the strong emotion is present in you. It is possible to pretend that the feeling is not present. However, without accepting the emotion, its regulation is difficult.
Investigate- Critically investigate the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing in your mind. Which area of your body feeling tense/relaxed, hot/warm/ cold etc. Notice the sensations that arise on your face, stomach and chest. Be aware of rising heartbeats, clenched jaw and fist. These sensations in your body also help you realise that you are feeling anger.
Navigate- Emotions are always in a state of flux. Anger like other emotions will come and go. Just distance yourself and navigate away from the situation and emotion. Recognise that you are the observer and not the thoughts and emotions themselves. This will help you to navigate the emotion in a better way.
Let us look at this mindful practice on anger. Find a comfortable spot to sit down and listen to the recording.
Click on the button below to play.
UMBRELLA OF CARE
In this mindfulness practice, you will be thinking about care like an umbrella. Under this umbrella, you will first receive care from your loved ones, and ultimately extend it to a person unknown to you.
Extending care is comparatively easier for people who are close to us. It is challenging to extend care to someone who is unknown. With regular practice, extending care to unknown people becomes easier. Practitioners who are adept at this exercise are also able to extend it to people who are hostile towards them.
Click on the button below to access the exercise.
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