如意精舍RU-YI MEDITATION
首頁如意英文學校第 19 週
Quarter 2 Week 19

Muditā in the Family

喜悅從家開始:感激父母無私的愛 · Joy with My Family

本週重點

Overview

💬 English Goal

英文目標

Use the cause-and-effect pattern “I appreciate my parents because…” to give reasons, and learn character vocabulary: appreciate, selfless, perseverance, altruistic, provide. Review the simple past tense for telling stories.

🪷 Spiritual Goal

佛學/心靈目標

Understand that the practice of Muditā (隨喜) begins at home. Learn the importance of gratitude (報恩) and filial piety (孝道), and see that true wealth is not money but love and compassion.

單字 Vocabulary

點 🔊 聽發音

聽、跟著念、大聲說三次。

appreciate(v.)感激
selfless(adj.)無私的
perseverance(n.)堅持
altruistic(adj.)利他的
envy(n.)妒忌
provide(v.)提供/養育
paramount(adj.)至高無上的

句型 Sentence Patterns

Key Patterns
Pattern 1 · Giving a reason
I appreciate ___ because ___.

I appreciate my parents because they take care of me.

I appreciate my grandma because she is selfless.

I appreciate my dad because he works hard for our family.

Pattern 2 · Sharing joy without envy
I am not jealous; I am happy for ___.

My friend won the race. I am not jealous; I am happy for her.

My brother got a good grade, and I am happy for him.

Pattern 3 · How parents care for us (simple present)
My parents provide ___ for me.

My parents provide food and a home for me.

Love is more important than money.

✏️ Grammar Focus · Simple past for storytelling

When we retell a story, we use the simple past tense. Many verbs add -ed: My friend played well. Others change form: My friend won the race. · I felt happy for her. Use the past tense to share a moment of Muditā that already happened.

故事 The Story

Story

There was once a boy whose father was a poor farmer (一位貧窮的農夫). The other children at school had new shoes and shiny lunchboxes, but the boy had only old clothes. He felt ashamed of his father, and he wished his family were rich.

What the boy did not know was that his father quietly gave away almost everything. When a neighbor’s child was hungry, the father shared their rice. When an old man could not walk, the father carried him home. He never spoke about it, and he never asked for thanks. His love was selfless (無私的) — and altruistic (利他的).

One day the boy fell sick. Many people from the village came to help, because they remembered the father’s kindness. The boy finally understood: his family was not poor at all. His father had given them the greatest wealth — a heart full of love. From that day, the boy appreciated his father, and his envy turned into joy.

🤔 Check your understanding

  • Why was the boy ashamed at first? 男孩一開始為什麼覺得羞愧?
  • What kind, selfless things did the father do? 父親默默做了哪些無私的善事?
  • What is the “greatest wealth” the story talks about? 故事中所說「最大的財富」是什麼?

佛法小品 The Principle

Principle

Muditā means “having joy with others.” It is the opposite of envy — and the place to begin practicing it is right where we live.

🌟 Joy with My Family 喜悅從家開始

It is sometimes easiest to feel joy for strangers and hardest to feel it for the people closest to us. Muditā begins at home: being truly happy when your brother does well, thanking your parents for a love that asks for nothing back. When you let go of jealousy and appreciate the selfless care your family gives, your whole house fills with light. As the teacher reminds us, “When you are happy for your parents and your siblings, your whole house fills with joy.” Be a joy-sharer this week.

練習 Practice

Homework

“Muditā Starts at Home.” Choose the tier that fits you, and practice being a joy-sharer with your family this week. 選一個適合自己的等級,本週在家中練習隨喜。

Beginner 初級

Draw & trace

Ages 5–8 · new learners
Draw a picture of your mom or dad doing something for you (cooking or driving). Then trace and complete the sentences. Smile and say “Thank you” to your parents 3 times this week.
ExampleI love my family. Thank you for taking care of me.
Intermediate 中級

3 reasons

Ages 9–12 · developing fluency
Write 3 reasons why you appreciate your parents or guardians. Use the word selfless to describe someone in your family.
ExampleI appreciate my parents because they cook for me, help me study, and never give up. My grandma is selfless because she always shares her food.
Advanced 高級

Reflection essay

Ages 13–16 · fluent speakers
Write a paragraph (6–10 sentences) about the father’s story. Why did the son change his mind? Then name one moment this week when you felt jealousy, and describe how you turned it into Muditā.
ExampleAt first the son was ashamed, but he learned that his father’s selfless love was true wealth. When my friend won, I felt envy — then I chose to be happy for her instead.

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
What does Muditā mean?
Correct: C. Muditā (隨喜) means having joy with others — being happy when good things happen to them.
Question 2 of 10
Which word means “感激 / to be thankful for”?
Correct: A. Appreciate means to value and be thankful for something. Envy = 妒忌; provide = 養育.
Question 3 of 10
Choose the correct sentence to give a reason.
Correct: D. The pattern is “I appreciate ___ because ___.” A reason must follow because.
Question 4 of 10
A selfless person is someone who…
Correct: B. Selfless (無私的) means putting others before yourself — like the father in our story.
Question 5 of 10
Your friend wins a race. What is the Muditā response?
Correct: C. Muditā is the opposite of envy — we feel pure, jealous-free joy for another person’s success.
Question 6 of 10
Tell the story in the past tense. Which is correct?
Correct: A. For storytelling we use the simple past: win → won, feel → felt.
Question 7 of 10
In the story, why did the boy feel ashamed at first?
Correct: D. The boy was ashamed of being poor and wished his family were rich — until he understood his father’s love.
Question 8 of 10
According to this lesson, true wealth is…
Correct: B. The story teaches that real wealth is not money but love and compassion — “Love is more important than money.”
Question 9 of 10
Complete the sentence: “My parents ___ food and a home for me.”
Correct: A. Provide (養育) means to give what is needed: parents provide for us.
Question 10 of 10
Where does the teacher say Muditā should start?
Correct: D. “Muditā is a beautiful light that starts in your own home.” Be happy for your parents and siblings first.