Setting Intentions and Compassionate Action

本週重點

Overview

💬 English Goal

英文目標

Use the future tense to express plans and promises: “I am going to…” (a plan) and “I will…” (a decision). Learn kindness vocabulary: commitment, compassion, humility, the Middle Path, stranger, intention.

🪷 Spiritual Goal

佛學／心靈目標

Understand Refuge (皈依) as setting a goal guided by the Buddha’s teaching, and practice Mettā (慈悲) by turning loving-kindness into a real, generous act — performed with pure intention and no wish for reward.

單字 Vocabulary

點 🔊 聽發音

聽、跟著念、大聲說三次。

commitment(n.)	承諾
compassion(n.)	慈悲
humility(n.)	謙卑
intention(n.)	意圖／發願
stranger(n.)	陌生人
refuge(n.)	皈依／依靠
the Middle Path(n.)	中道

句型 Sentence Patterns

Key Patterns

Pattern 1 · Sharing a plan

I am going to ___.

I am going to smile at a stranger.

I am going to help someone, because it is kind.

I am going to act with compassion this week.

Pattern 2 · Making a promise

I will ___.

I will help them.

I will speak in a kind voice.

Pattern 3 · Setting a pure intention

My intention is to ___.

My intention is to show kindness with humility.

My intention is pure, so I expect nothing in return.

✏️ Grammar Focus · Future tense — “going to” vs. “will”

Both talk about the future, but with a small difference. Use “am / is / are going to” for a plan you have already decided: I am going to volunteer tomorrow. Use “will” for a promise or decision made in the moment: I will help you. A commitment to the Buddha’s path (Right Thought) is exactly this kind of clear promise.

故事 The Story

Story

When the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree, many troubles came to test him. We call these troubles Mara （魔羅，生命中的困難） — the doubts and fears that try to pull us off the path. The Buddha did not fight them with anger, and he did not run away. He met them with a calm, steady heart, walking the Middle Path （中道） — not too tight, not too loose.

After his awakening, the Buddha did not keep his peace for himself. He set an intention: to teach with compassion (Mettā) so that others could find the same freedom. To follow him, students take Refuge （皈依） — they choose his teaching as their guide, like a traveler choosing the North Star.

Refuge is not only words. It becomes real the moment we turn loving-kindness into action — even toward a stranger we may never see again. When we help with humility, expecting nothing back, our kind act is pure. That is Mettā in motion: a promise kept, one small kindness at a time.

🤔 Check your understanding

What does “Mara” stand for in our own lives? 「魔羅」代表我們生活中的什麼？
What does it mean to take Refuge? 「皈依」是什麼意思？
How can you turn Mettā into a real action this week? 你這週能如何把慈悲化為實際行動？

佛法小品 The Principle

Principle

An intention is a seed; a kind act is the flower. This week we learn that a good plan only matters when we carry it into the world with a pure heart.

🌟 From intention to action 從發願到行動

To set an intention is to point the heart in a wholesome direction (Right Thought). To take Refuge is to trust the Buddha’s teaching as our guide. But the path is finished by Mettā — loving-kindness made real. When you help a stranger with humility and want nothing in return, your kindness is pure, and you walk the Middle Path: full of effort, yet free of pride.

練習 Practice

Homework

Do one kind act for a stranger this week. First write your plan in the future tense; afterward, write your reflection in the past tense. Choose the tier that fits you. 先用未來式寫下計畫，做完後用過去式寫下反思。

Beginner 入門

Plan + Reflect (2 sentences)

Ages 5–8 · new learners

Write 1 plan sentence with “I am going to…” and 1 reflection sentence with “I was…” or “I felt…”. Then say one good thing that happened today.

ExampleI am going to smile at a stranger. I felt happy after I smiled.

Intermediate 中級

Plan (3–4) + Reflect (2)

Ages 9–12 · developing fluency

Plan in 3–4 sentences using going to / will and a reason with because. Reflect in 2 sentences with feeling words. Then say whether your intention was pure Mettā.

ExampleI am going to help someone carry their bag, because it is heavy. I will ask them in a kind voice. The stranger was surprised. I felt joyful because I showed kindness.

Advanced 進階

Plan (5+) + Reflect (3–4)

Ages 13–16 · fluent speakers

Plan in 5+ sentences with complex structures; you must use humility and Mettā. Reflect in 3–4 sentences on whether the act followed the Middle Path and how it strengthened your Right Thought.

ExampleNext week, I am going to volunteer at a community center. I will approach the task with humility, remembering that the intention (Mettā) of this act is pure. Although the task was difficult, I found the Middle Path by not getting stressed. This act of Mettā reinforced my Right Thought.

小考 Mini Quiz

Check Yourself

選出最適合的答案，點選後會看到解析。

Question 1 of 10

Which word means “慈悲 / loving-kindness toward others”?

Correct: B. Compassion (慈悲, Mettā) is loving-kindness for others. Humility = 謙卑; stranger = 陌生人.

Question 2 of 10

Complete the plan: “I ___ smile at a stranger tomorrow.”

Correct: C. For a future plan we use “am going to + verb.” → I am going to smile.

Question 3 of 10

Which sentence is a promise made in the moment (use “will”)?

Correct: A. “Will” expresses a promise or decision made in the moment: I will help you.

Question 4 of 10

To take Refuge (皈依) means to…

Correct: D. Refuge means setting a goal guided by the Buddha’s teaching — like a traveler following the North Star.

Question 5 of 10

In the story, “Mara” stands for…

Correct: C. Mara (魔羅) is a picture of life’s challenges — the doubts and fears that try to pull us off the path.

Question 6 of 10

A kind act done with humility , expecting nothing back, is…

Correct: A. When we help without wanting a reward, our intention is pure — this is Mettā in action.

Question 7 of 10

Which word means “陌生人 / a person we do not know”?

Correct: D. A stranger (陌生人) is someone we do not know — this week we offer one of them a kind act.

Question 8 of 10

The Middle Path (中道) means effort that is…

Correct: B. The Middle Path is balanced: full of effort, yet free of strain and pride.

Question 9 of 10

Add a reason: “I am going to help her ___ her bag is heavy.”

Correct: A. Because introduces a reason: “…help her because her bag is heavy.”

Question 10 of 10

What completes the lesson of this week best?

Correct: D. Refuge and intention are completed by Mettā — loving-kindness turned into real, humble action, even for a stranger.

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