How does regular use of the Light Meditation impact upon teachers’ behaviours and attitudes in the classroom?
1. To what extent do teachers perceive regular practice of the Light Meditation to promote feelings of love and peace in themselves?
2. How do teachers perceive regular practice of the Light Meditation to influence their interactions with other people and with the environment?
3. How does the practice of the Light Meditation affect teachers’ rectitude (synonymous with righteousness, goodness, virtue, morality, honour, integrity, principle, honesty, right-mindedness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, uprightness, good character, scrupulousness, decency, fairness, equity, justice, principles, ethics) in their teaching and other professional activities?
4. For those (students/teachers) who have been involved in setting up the displays, what has been the impact of their involvement on their thoughts/words/actions/characters?
Teachers of SSEHV are aware of the importance of the teacher as a role model of the human values of Truth, Right Action, Love, Peace and Non-violence. However, it is sometimes difficult for teachers to know how to bring this about. We suggest that the Light Meditation, used on a regular basis, will help to bring about positive changes. Through this action research project, we invite teachers to explore this idea and discuss the outcomes with colleagues.
In this section, present a clear summary of all the results you have collected:
1. This activity is best conducted by a group of colleagues. As a group, meet every morning before school begins for 10-15 minutes and do the Light Meditation together (see script below). Colleagues can take turns to read the script aloud, or an audio recording can be used. If you are unable to do this activity with a group, it is just as acceptable to do it by yourself, using an audio recording.
2. Once per week, spend 30 minutes filling in a journal (see questions below).
3. At the end of the month, summarise the changes you have noticed in yourself, and share with your colleagues.
In this section, present a clear summary of all the results you have collected:
1 The answers to the sub-questions
2 Summarise the most common changes that colleagues observed in themselves. Use some examples from journal entries to illustrate these changes.
2 Summarise the most common changes that colleagues observed in themselves. Use some examples from journal entries to illustrate these changes.
3 For a more in-depth analysis, the writing can be analyzed through software (such as Atlas.ti) that enhances conceptual networks based on frequencies of appearance in the writing in which concepts such as Love, Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Non-violence come to life in the teacher’s daily practice.
Discuss your experiment. What was successful? What was unsuccessful? What will you do differently next time? What insights have you gained about education in human values? What new questions have been generated for your next cycle of experiment?
1. Did my thoughts, words and actions align? Describe some instances when this did/did not happen in the past week.
2. Did I find myself generating thoughts of love for myself and for all the beings around me? An example of this was when …….
3. Did I have moments of peace, calm and inner silence seeking to deepen my knowledge about myself? How often did this happen and for how long did it last? The feelings from this experience were….. The insights I gained about myself included……
4. Were my words authentic, necessary, constructive, and loving? I felt that I was able to achieve this ….. % of the time. Examples of the words I used included ……..
5. Were my actions authentic, necessary, constructive, and loving? I felt that I was able to achieve this ….. % of the time. Examples of such actions included ……..
1. Did I find myself helping or serving someone else just because I wanted to, without any feeling of obligation or expectation of reward or praise? This happened when ……
2. Did I listen to other people with full attention and interest by being empathic with them? I did this particularly well when ….. I could have done better when …..
3. Are the foods I have been eating healthy for my body and the environment? I have noticed changes in my eating habits, such as……..
1. Have I included actions in my daily life that include caring for plants, animals and the earth?
2. Have I taken care of my health through my physical activities and habits?
3. Have I maintained equanimity in my emotions? A situation in which I was able to do so…… A situation when I could have done it better…….
4. Am I prudent in everyday decisions? A situation in which I was able to do so…… A situation when I could have done it better…….
1. Are my daily actions correct ones, in that they do not harm anyone? A situation in which I was able to do so…… A situation when I could have done it better…….
2. Have I been tempted to do anything that goes against the legal framework in which I live? The way I dealt with this temptation was……
3. Have I done any actions that have helped another person to grow or benefit? A situation in which I was able to do so…… A situation when I could have done it better…….
Please describe any other changes in your behaviour or attitudes in the classroom or elsewhere in your professional life that you have noticed this week.
Please describe any other changes in your behaviour or attitudes in the classroom or elsewhere in your professional life that you have noticed this week.
Sit with your back straight. Breathe in and out deeply.
Let us now imagine a light in front of you. Bring this light to your forehead.
Let your head be filled with light.
Whenever there is light there can be no darkness. You are filled with good thoughts.
Your thoughts are filled with love.
Bring the light down to your heart. Imagine a flower in your heart.
When the light reaches the flower, it opens petal by petal, until it is a beautiful flower.
Your heart becomes pure. Your heart is filled with love.
Bring the light to your arms, to your hands. Both your hands are filled with light.
Say to yourself, “I will do good, serve everyone. I will form my actions with love.
Bring the light down to your legs, to your feet. Both your legs are filled with light.
You will walk forward bravely, with self- confidence towards the goals of your life.
Take the light up through your body, all the way to your mouth and tongue. Let your mouth and tongue be filled with light.
Say to yourself, “I speak the truth, I speak only what is good and useful”.
Take the light to your ears. Let your ears be filled with light.
Say to yourself, “I listen to good things. I hear good things. I listen to everyone with love”.
Now take the light to your eyes. Both of your eyes are filled with light.
With your eyes full of light, you see good in everyone and in all things.
Now take the light up to your head once again. Let your head be filled with light
Let the light increase in intensity and start to expand outwards until it covers all of us in this room, until we become one with the same light
Now take the light to your parents, to your teachers, to your friends and relatives.
Imagine you are sending the light especially to people who are unkind to you or who you perceive are being unkind.
Now send the light to all the people of the world, all the animals and all of nature.
Continue to expand the light until it covers every corner of the universe.
Say to yourself:
“Let the whole world be filled with light.
Let the whole world be filled with love.
Let the whole world be filled with peace.
And let me be the source.”
Then imagine yourself filled with light, and say to yourself:
“I am in the light.
The light is in me.
I am the light”.
And now bring the light back to your heart. Install this light in your heart. Whatever you do, wherever you go, you will have this light in your heart, guiding you, helping you, and protecting you all the time. You may now open your eyes.
