The Australian Dharma Curriculum
A daily teaching program linked to the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities based on Buddhist philosophy and approaches that develop compassion, wisdom and mindfulness as the foundation for student learning and teaching practice.
Our school aims to cultivate wisdom and compassion in every student through this daily program to develop awareness and importantly, also throughout the culture of our school. The foundations of wisdom are developed through critical examination and experience of interdependence, impermanence and change and causal relationships that affect the environment, themselves and others. In this way children are encouraged to be responsible and compassionate, and to realise the value in mutual respect, mindful intention and harmony in both personal and interpersonal activities.
This program guides children to understand themselves and their relationship to the world, encouraging them to become responsible, resilient, and harmonious individuals.
Wisdom and Compassion: The Two Wings of a Bird
In Buddhism, wisdom and compassion are like the two wings of a bird – both must be developed in unison to soar.
Compassion
Is the genuine wish to free all beings from suffering. As His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama notes, compassion reduces fear, calms the mind, and actually helps the brain function more smoothly, providing the inner strength needed for true happiness.
Wisdom
Is the inner work we do to lessen our own fear, anxiety, and anger. As Australian monastic Venerable Robina Courtin explains, this practice allows us to clear away artificial barriers, leaving us more content, confident, and capable of truly helping others.
Cultivating Deep Awareness
While mindfulness helps students recognize immediate feelings and surroundings, Awareness goes deeper. Guided by the teachings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, our program helps children access the mind’s innate qualities of peace, love, and contentment. By developing deep self-awareness, students stop being strangers to themselves and naturally build patience and resilience. As Yongey Mingur Rinpoche points out, much of our suffering comes about because we feel a sense of aversion, dislike or discomfort in our own experience. In this way we can see that the root cause of suffering arises from an uneasy or uncomfortable mind. When we can see our own minds clearly, we can then reduce the suffering for ourselves and others (Tulku Migmar Tsering, 2023).
Core Concepts of the Australian Dharma Curriculum
Through discussion, reflection, and meditation, students explore seven key pillars that transform how they engage with the world:
- Interdependence: Understanding that everything is connected and we cannot exist in isolation.
- Impermanence: Recognizing that everything changes, which allows us to let go of attachment, embrace flexibility, and find internal peace.
- Mindful Intentions: Setting daily intentions to channel positive thoughts and actions.
- Understanding Perceptions: Learning how our minds shape our reality, allowing us to question negative assumptions and choose openness.
- Transforming Thoughts & Emotions: Understanding cause and effect so that students can catch rising anger, utilize mindfulness techniques, and break cycles of conflict.
- Cultivating Empathy: Looking beyond our own needs to step into another’s shoes – an important building block for healthy relationships.
- Compassion through Action: Transforming suffering through kind communication. We explicitly teach Compassionate Communication (Non-violent communication) in Term 2 of every year, to give students practical, skilled ways to express themselves and connect with others.