In “The Childish Person” from the Dhammapada we read: Childish, unthinking people go through life as enemies of themselves, committing detrimental actions that bear bitter fruit. Glenn Wallis, in his notes about his translation of the Dhammapada, explains that “childish” in this context as several meanings: “childlike” is certainly relevant, but the Buddha also meant …
Walking down the hallway, I try to smile and acknowledge students as we pass each other. They say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile, but I’m not convinced. Smiling is not always easy: sometimes I want to scowl because of some frustration; sometimes I want to have a blank expression due to …
I have the privilege of introducing a group of twenty eighth graders to the unabridged, unadulterated Shakespeare. We began Romeo and Juliet this week, and it is the highlight of my year. I began preparing a foundation earlier in the year by having the kids write sonnets and wrestle with iambic pentameter. I mentioned that …