Q1 · Week 4 — Setting Intentions & Compassionate Action

This Week’s Path

Overview 本週重點

This week we turn from looking back to looking forward. We learn to set a clear intention — a promise to ourselves — and to carry it into the world through one small act of kindness. To take Refuge is to choose the Buddha’s teaching as our compass; to practice Mettā (loving-kindness) is to point that compass toward others, even strangers.

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.

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。

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

Sentence Patterns

句型 · 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.

The Story: Taking Refuge, Acting with Mettā

皈依與慈悲行的故事

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？

The Principle: Refuge & Mettā

皈依與慈悲 · Loving-Kindness in Action

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.

Practice: A Kind Act for a Stranger

對陌生人的善行 · 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.

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

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.

You answered 0 of 10 · Correct: 0

Setting Intentions and Compassionate Action