Q1 · Week 3 — Past Actions, Present Results

This Week’s Path

Overview 本週重點

This week we look backward — not to worry, but to learn. Every action we took yesterday began with an intention. We learn the simple past tense to describe what we did, and we meet the principle of karma (Cetanā): past actions shape our present results.

English Goal

英文目標

Use the simple past tense to talk about yesterday, and master three key irregular verbs: sleep → slept, eat → ate, go → went. Learn the words intentional, result, cause.

Spiritual Goal

佛學／心靈目標

Understand karma / Cetanā — that every action begins with an intention. Learn to look back on the past with wisdom, not worry, so that we can understand our intentions and grow from them.

Vocabulary

單字 · Tap 🔊 to listen

Listen, repeat, and say each word out loud three times. 點 🔊 聽發音，跟著大聲念三次。

slept (v. past)	睡了（sleep 的過去式）
ate (v. past)	吃了（eat 的過去式）
went (v. past)	去了（go 的過去式）
intentional (adj.)	有意的
intention (n.)	意圖
result (n.)	結果
cause (n.)	原因

Sentence Patterns

句型 · Key Patterns

Pattern 1 · Saying what you did (irregular verbs)

I ___ (slept / ate / went) ___.

·I slept at nine o’clock.

·I ate an apple this morning.

·I went to school with my friend.

Pattern 2 · Asking about yesterday

What did you ___ yesterday?

·What did you eat yesterday?

·Did you feel calm yesterday?

Pattern 3 · Giving a reason (cause and result)

I ___ because ___.

·I ate rice because I was hungry.

·I slept well because I felt peaceful.

Grammar Focus · Simple past tense and irregular verbs

The simple past tense describes a finished action — something that already happened and cannot be changed. Many verbs add -ed (help → helped), but our three key verbs are irregular: sleep → slept · eat → ate · go → went. To ask a question, use did + the base verb: Did you go to school? (not Did you went).

The Principle: Karma & Intention

業與意圖 · Cetanā

In Buddhism, karma (業) is not fate or punishment. The Buddha taught: “It is intention (Cetanā 思) that I call karma.” Every action — what we say, do, and think — begins with an intention, and that intention shapes the results we meet today.

Imagine a gardener who plants a seed. （想像一位園丁種下一顆種子。） If she plants a kind seed — a helpful word, a generous act — a kind plant grows. If she plants a careless seed, weeds grow instead. The seed is the cause （原因）; the plant is the result （結果）. We are all gardeners of our own day.

So when we look back at yesterday, we are not looking for things to worry about. We look back with wisdom: “Why did I do that? What was my intention?” Maybe yesterday I forgot my homework, and this caused stress this morning. That is a small result of a small cause — and now I can plant a wiser seed today. Don’t worry about yesterday; learn from it.

Check your understanding

What does the seed stand for in the story? 故事裡的「種子」代表什麼？
Is karma the same as fate? Why or why not? 業力等於命運嗎？為什麼？
When we look back at yesterday, should we worry — or learn? 回顧昨天時，我們該擔心還是學習？

Intention is the seed 意圖即種子

Cetanā (思) means volition or intention — the small spark inside us right before we act. We cannot change yesterday’s actions, but we can understand the intentions behind them. When we plant wholesome intentions today, we shape a kinder result tomorrow. Looking back becomes a teacher, not a burden.

Practice: Past-Tense Reflection

過去式反思日記 · Homework

Each day, write down what you did using the simple past tense, and reflect on the intention behind it. Choose the tier that fits you. 每天用過去式記錄，並反思行為的意圖與結果。

Beginner 入門

3 sentences

Ages 5–8 · new learners

Write 3 complete sentences that use all three target verbs: slept, ate, went. Then say one good thing that happened today.

ExampleI slept at nine o’clock. I ate an apple. I went to school.

Intermediate 中級

4–5 sentences

Ages 9–12 · developing fluency

Write 4–5 sentences using at least 5 past-tense verbs. Describe one wholesome action and explain why it was helpful.

ExampleYesterday, I helped my dad. I felt happy because I made a good action. I slept very well after that.

Advanced 進階

5+ sentences

Ages 13–16 · fluent speakers

Write 5+ sentences using complex structures (because of, although, after that) and analyze the intention (Cetanā) behind one action.

ExampleI forgot to finish my homework last night. Although this caused stress this morning, I reflected on my intention and promised to be more mindful of my time today.

Mini Quiz

小考 · Check yourself

Choose the best answer for each question. Tap an answer to see why. 選出最適合的答案，點選後會看到解析。

Question 1 of 10

What is the simple past tense of sleep?

Correct: C. Sleep is irregular: sleep → slept. There is no “sleeped.”

Question 2 of 10

Choose the correct sentence about yesterday.

Correct: A. Eat is irregular: eat → ate. We use the past tense for a finished action.

Question 3 of 10

Complete it: “Yesterday I ___ to school.”

Correct: D. Go is irregular: go → went. “Goed” is never correct.

Question 4 of 10

Which question is correct?

Correct: B. After did, use the base verb: “Did you go…?” — not “did you went.”

Question 5 of 10

In Buddhism, what does karma (Cetanā) really mean?

Correct: C. The Buddha said, “It is intention (Cetanā) that I call karma.” Karma begins with our intention, not with fate.

Question 6 of 10

In the garden story, the seed is the cause. What is the plant?

Correct: A. The seed is the cause (原因) and the plant that grows is the result (結果).

Question 7 of 10

Why do we look back at yesterday?

Correct: D. We look back with wisdom, not worry — to understand our intentions and plant a wiser seed today.

Question 8 of 10

Which word means “結果 / what happens after a cause”?

Correct: B. Result = 結果. Cause = 原因; intention = 意圖.

Question 9 of 10

Add a reason: “I slept well ___ I felt peaceful.”

Correct: C. Because introduces a reason — a cause: “I slept well because I felt peaceful.”

Question 10 of 10

A student forgot her homework and felt stressed. What is the wise response?

Correct: A. We cannot change the past, but we can understand the intention behind it and plant a wiser seed today.

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