Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #1 - Calm Abiding

Bell...silence

Get comfortable now. Sitting criss-cross applesauce, and letting your body relax. See if you canfind your breathing. Maybe it’s in your stomach. Maybe you feel it moving.

Maybe you feel it in your nose.

When you feel the breath, keep your attention right there, noticing the breath. Notice thefeeling of the breath moving in and out.

No need to change your breathing. It’s fine just like it is. Just notice it with gentle curiosity.

Now let your attention expand to notice sounds. And the feeling of your body. Maybe you feelwarm or cold, heavy or light. Maybe you feel your head or your feet or hands.

Maybe you notice thoughts or memories. This noticing of the mind is meditation. It’s all justfine.

But try to keep noticing the breath in the background, in and out. In and out.

If you loose track of the breath, if you forget what you are doing, just find it again, and thenrelax and let your attention expand to notice everything else, with the breath always in thebackground.

Finish with three bells.

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #2 - The Sound Meditation

Bell...silence

Get comfortable now. Sitting criss-cross applesauce, and letting your body be relaxed and still.See if you can find your breathing. Maybe it’s in your stomach. Maybe you feel it moving.Maybe you feel it in your nose.

When you feel the breath, keep your attention right there, noticing the breath. Notice thefeeling of the breath moving in and out.

No need to change your breathing. Just notice it with gentle curiosity.

Now let your awareness expand to notice sounds. Do you notice any sounds from your body?

Are others making sounds in the room or in rooms nearby?

Listen outside, are there sounds out there?

If you can, continue to notice your breathing while you are also listening to all the sounds.

Now listen way out past the stars–far, far out. Let your listening be big like that if you can. Tryto keep the breath in the background. This is very big listening.

Three bells...

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #3 - The Singing Bowl

Bell...silence

Get comfortable now. Sitting cross legged or in a chair, and letting your body be relaxed andstill. See if you can find your breathing. Maybe you feel it in your stomach. Maybe you feel it inyour nose.

When you feel the breath, keep noticing the breath. Notice the feeling of the breath moving inand out.

No need to change your breathing. Just see how it is.

Now when you hear the bell, try to listen to the sound of the bell from beginning to end. Whenyou hear the verrrry last part of the ring, raise your hand.

Three bells..

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #4 - Aware of my Body

Bell...silence

Let’s do this meditation lying down. Get comfortable now, but don’t fall asleep, all right?

First, notice your breathing. Can you feel it? No need to change your breathing. Just see how itis.

Now notice the top of your head. The very top. Send your awareness up there.

Now notice your face. Your forehead and eyes and nose and mouth. Maybe your ears. Notice your neck and your shoulders.

Now let your awareness notice your arms. Your shoulders and wrists and hands. Your fingers.Even the little one.

Notice your chest and your stomach, too. Notice your whole back side, resting on the floor.

Notice your middle and your legs, from the very top to the knees.. all the way down to yourankles. Notice your feet and your toes, every one. Notice the bottom of your feet, too.

Now notice your whole body, all in one piece, resting there, quietly. Notice how your breathingis there, always there. Your whole body, resting.

Three bells..

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #5 - The Experience of the Body

Get comfortable now, sitting on your cushion, on the floor or on the chair. Let your body berelaxed but straight, but not stiff. Rest like that for a minute until you feel right here.

Now, notice your breathing. Can you feel it? No need to change your breath. But try to noticeeach breath as it comes and goes.

Now notice the things your body is feeling. Do you feel anything? Maybe you feel your bodysitting. You might feel your hands on your legs. You might feel your chest moving as youbreathe.

Pause

Maybe you feel some warmth or maybe you feel cool. Maybe a little breeze.

What else do you feel in your body? Can you keep your attention right there on that feeling foras long as it is there?

Do you feel heavy or light? Awake or sleepy? How does your body feel right now?Notice every feeling, without changing it or moving. Just sort of look at that feeling in the bodyand see how it goes.

Three bells...

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #6 - Calm Abiding with An Object

Put an object on the floor or a table where you can see it without moving. Use a rock or a beanor something kind of small.

Get comfortable now, sitting on your cushion, on the floor or on the chair. Let your body berelaxed and still as a stone. Rest like that for a few breaths.

Now look at your object. Really notice it. Don’t talk to yourself about it, just notice it with youreyes and your mind. Don’t make up any stories about it. Just look carefully, noticing everythingabout that object.

When you find that you have forgotten about your object, bring your mind back and rest yourattention on the object again. Then relax and just keep noticing that object and everythingabout it.

Keep doing that now for awhile.

Keep noticing your object for one more minute now. Stay right there with it.

Three bells.

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #7 - The Bean Meditation

Get 7 beans. If you are older, or have done this a lot, you can get 21. Stones will work, too, ormacaroni. Any small object.

Get comfortable now, sitting on your cushion, on the floor or on the chair. Let your body berelaxed and still as a stone. Rest like that for a few breaths.

Take a breath in. Just your natural breath. One whole breath. Now let it out. Just naturally.When you have finished that breath, move one of your beans or stones to a new pile.

Take another breath. When you have finished that breath, move another stone or bean to thenew pile, too. Keep doing that until all the stones or beans are in the new pile.

You can do this more than once if you like. Go at your own pace. Keep your mind on what youare doing, OK?

Three bells...

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #8 - Bell in a Circle

Sit in a circle now. Put the bell in the middle.

Get comfortable, sitting up straight and relaxed. Allow your body to be very still, all right? Justrest like that a few minutes.

Now one person can take the bell and ring it very gently. Everyone listen. Keep your listeningright there on the sound of the bell. When the bell is done ringing–-the very last part of theringing–put the bell back in the middle of the circle, very gently.

When the next person feels ready, take the bell and do this again. No need to rush. Everyonewill have a turn. Just ring the bell. And everyone listen until it’s completely done ringing. Thenthe person will put the bell back in the middle of the circle.

(No three bells)

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #9 - Counting to 7

Bell...silence

Sitting comfortably, begin to notice your breathing. Can you feel it? No need to change yourbreathing. Just see how it is.

Now when you breathe your next breath, and that breath is finished, count “one” to yourself.Just go at your own pace, no hurry.

When you finish the next breath, count “two.”

Continue like this until you get to seven.

If you loose track and forget where you are, just start over with one. It’s ok.

Three bells...

Script for Buddhist Meditations for Kids Meditation #10 - 4 Immeasurables

Bell...silence

Sitting comfortably, begin to notice your breathing. Can you feel it? No need to change yourbreathing. Just see how it is. Be right here.

(Equanimity) Imagine one of your friends. Imagine them all.

Now imagine someone who seems to want to be your enemy.

None of us really like to have enemies, but sometimes we do. We wish everyone was our friendbut maybe we don’t know how. So in front of you, imagine an enemy. What would they needto do to become your friend? Imagine they did that. Just to it until you begin to feel even a tinybit better about that person.

Who made that better feeling? Did you? Now rest in that feeling of feeling good about thatpossibility of friendship. See how it feels to have done that, just in your mind.

(Pause)

(Loving kindness) Now, to yourself, make the wish that all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.Imagine that. Imagine them happy. All the animals and people and birds and bugs. All happy.

(Pause)

(Compassion)Now make the wish that all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. That theynever hurt and are never afraid. All the animals and fish and people are just fine, feeling good,not angry or worried or sick. Imagine that. All of them at peace and feeling so good, notsuffering at all.

(Pause)

(Joy)Imagine all beings having joy. Make that wish. Yourself, too. Can you feel it? Smiling people.Laughing people. People at peace. Kids feeling good about themselves. Nobody stressed out.Nobody worrying too much. People feeling satisfied about themselves and everyone. No onefighting. Just being glad to see each other. Happy to help each other. Everyone safe. Peopleyou know and strangers from far away, all feeling so good. Happy to be alive in the world. Allour differences, all the ways we are the same. All joy. Can you feel that? Rest right there.

Three bells.