I was cruising the internerd (internet) looking for some bike-related teaching and learning resources, which I do from time to time … and see what and how teachers and subjects might use bicycles in learning environments – whether primary, secondary or at uni.
Keep in mind, this is using bikes IN the classroom (like to teach core concepts), not getting TO the classroom (which is my PhD focus). Previously, I have posted on:
The week, I came across Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail.
Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail.
This is a case study is written by Mary Rose Grant (School for Professional Services Saint Louis University, USA) and it is a teaching resource for high school or undergrad students and best suited for classes like Biology, Physiology, Sports Science, Legal studies. A full copy of the case study is publically available on the National (USA) Centre for Case Study Teaching in Science (USA) website. Or click the link below.
Part I—The Adventure Begins … and Comes to a Screaming Halt: provides the introduction and scenario and 3 questions.
Part II—A Change of Scenery: The storyline continues and provides more physiological details including dialogue and physiological/medical statistics for details and 3 questions.
Part III—A Dangerous Detour: brings the case study to a close and the dialogue leads to an analysis of what happened to the characters. Includes a role-play activity and 2 questions.
Summary Questions: 9 summary questions for discussion and further analysis.
Overall Scenario
Frank and Joe are 24-year-old fraternal twins who share similar interests, including cycling. The brothers decide to attempt their first long-distance bicycling trip, retracing the journey of early American explorers Lewis and Clark to the Northwest. Along the way, serious problems arise. Students review normal physiology of organ systems as well as changes that occur during physical exertion to piece together an understanding of the medical condition of one of the cyclists. The pivotal point in the case is learning that seemingly harmless and legally available substances can lead to potentially fatal outcomes, affecting organ systems already taxed beyond normal limits. This case is designed for use in a human biology course after students have learned about the integumentary, respiratory, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and urinary systems.
Objectives
Understand physiological changes and adaptations organ systems make with physical exertion over an extended period of time.
Define the term “ergogenic aid” as applied in sports and exercise.
Identify the effects of caffeine on different organ systems.
Discuss the role of caffeine as an ergogenic aid in endurance sports.
Explain the side effects of caffeine intoxication.
Identify potential dangers of caffeine use in combination with other substances.
Practice critical thinking and analytical skills to make a diagnosis.
Examine legal implications of caffeine use, or “doping,” before competition.
Analyze ethical issues of using caffeine, or any ergogenic product, to enhance performance in amateur and professional sports.
I was surprised to see how popular this case study was!
Apparently, it is has been picked up by many schools and unis.
Kristal Huber published her Prezi adaptation which included a few original additions:
GraduateWay extended the original case study to include two parts. The first part was mostly on par with the original case study. The second part is more developed in the role play and has more probing questions:
I was surprised at how popular and well-used this resource was. It is well thought out and there are lots of details in there to get discussion and debates going as well as factual knowledge and concepts that in some courses might be considered ‘must-know’ content.
As a bike rider, I prefer to see bikes (and riders) portrayed in a positive light (and not having accidents or ‘health or medical issues’ while riding), but I can overlook that for the sake of pedagogy.
It is also nice to see a more advanced resource out there for adults learners as well.
Books with bikes that help people have difficult conversations are the best.
Oli and the pink bike is a short story book for children about alcohol feotal syndrome.
Image: Coram BAAF
What is the story about?
This UK short story introduces Oli and her adoptive family, and it follows Oli through her difficulties with behaviour and schoolwork. During the story, we learn about her condition, how it affects her, and all the good things about herself.
This story is designed for children aged seven to 11 whose development and behaviour has been affected by parental substance misuse, or who knows someone else who is affected. It is part of a series designed to teach children about a range of health conditions common to many looked after children.
After the story, there is a question and answer section covering a wide range of FAS topics and questions. There is also practical information and advice provided in a straightforward and child-friendly style.
Oli and the Pink Bicycle is one of a new series of books for children exploring health conditions that are common to many looked after children. Other titles in the series focus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia and emotional and behavioural difficulties. The books in the series will be invaluable for social workers, foster carers, adopters, residential workers, health care practitioners and teachers to use with children who have these health issues or who know an affected child.
It’s Oli’s seventh birthday – the first one since her new mamma and papa adopted her – and she’s really excited about the present she has been promised. A pink bicycle! But Oli’s special day doesn’t go to plan and she is so angry that she just screams and screams.
Nothing ever seems to go right for Oli. Her first mamma drank too much alcohol and took bad medicine when Oli was just a tiny bump in her tummy. Now Oli finds numbers and spelling difficult, can’t always make her arms and legs do what she wants them to and often loses her temper. Oli is sad and doesn’t know what to do, until the mysterious Aggie Witchhazel sets her a series of challenges to help her discover all the good things about herself.
Image: Coram BAAF
Thoughts on this book – a review
The following book review is by Mrs. Dale van Graan who is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education at Kingston University. I like this review as it gives a few points about how to engage with this book with youngsters – in particular the idea of having ‘a secret list of friends’ – see more below.
This is a story about a seven-year-old little girl who has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), and who has been adopted. The story builds with a great deal of anticipation about and around her seventh birthday, describing some of the behavioural and emotional difficulties a child with FAS might experience in the home, at school and socially, as well as the potential impact of her behaviour on others in those environments. The main character meets a neighbour, a helpful adult who assists her in developing a strategy to identify resources within herself and in her environments, to help her.
What is particularly helpful is the child-friendly explanation of how a child may develop FAS and how her development, behaviour and emotion regulation may be affected. However, in my view the fact that she is also an adopted child did not necessarily add value, apart from if this resource was to be used specifically with children who have been adopted or to educate children more generally about some of the additional needs children who have been adopted may have.
The book is aimed at children aged 7–11 years, who may read it themselves, or alongside an adult who may be able to enter into some discussion, explain and elaborate on some of the concepts. The ‘story’ in itself is engaging and entertaining, with effective use of humour.
However, it is a little concerning that the character is encouraged to keep a secret list of friends who could help her and the circumstances under which she meets the helpful adult are a little questionable, so I would be reluctant to encourage a child to read this without adult support to promote discussion and comprehension.
Simple illustrations and a short game at the end are likely to enhance the appeal of the book for children.
Another very useful aspect of the book is the question-and-answer section at the end, which covers a range of queries and concerns about FAS, from a child’s perspective, and practical information and advice, in a straightforward manner. Although published by BAAF, I would suggest that the book has relevance to a wide range of children and could be most effectively used in a classroom context.
I am always looking for stories where bicycles create positive community change. Inclusive bike-focused programs that support First Nations and minority groups is a special interest for this blog.
Previously, I have posted on programs that increase bike use, access and participation for Indigenous Australians such as:
This week, I came across a US community-based project working at the forefront of 3 critical intersecting issues: diabetes, first nations (Native American community) health and using bicycling to mitigate chronic health issues.
This project works with the Pascua Yaqui people in the US. Obesity and diabetes is a major individual and community health issue in many communities – and the Diabetes Community Empowerment Project is using bicycles to help address this issue. What an awesome project!
Pascua Yaqui cyclists participating in the El Tour de Tucson
Since 2012, the Diabetes Community Empowerment Project has been working with the Native American community helping them move towards better health. This community sees a high incidence of diabetes and obesity and DCEP empower native people to exercise more and be role models for each other.
The programs work in resource poor communities by removing the barriers between people and the healthier, happier versions of themselves.
The project began when James Stout (DCEP Executive Director) was training in Tucson Arizona. At the time, he was making a living as a cyclist. Having spent time riding through the reservation and working with nonprofit outside of the US, he noticed the high rate of diabetes among Native American people and wondered if there was anything he could do to help.
As someone who lives with diabetes, James was motivated to share the joy, and health, he found in riding his bike. Taking a clapped out station wagon and as many old bikes and helmets, as it could fit, James took time out from his PhD I began to work on the reservation in order to better understand the barriers between Native people and better diabetes management.
Although access to medication is an issue in many Native American communities, a lack of access to exercise and education is often equally dangerous. Through working with the healthcare team on the reservation, the program engages people with diabetes and encouraged them to try cycling with the goal of completing a El Tour de Tucson event.
3 years after it started, each of the initial riders have returned to serve as a mentor and bought friends and family with them. By 2016 the project has seen over 100 participants finished their goal event, thousands of pounds have been lost and blood glucose management has seen drastic improvement.
DCEP Mission
To research and implement peer mentored, exercise based lifestyle interventions in resource poor diabetes communities. Focusing on goal events, we aim to use community based education and exercise programs to empower people to live healthier and happier lives as well as to be changemakers in their own communities.
Moving forward
The DCEP website has not been updated in a while, so I hope this project is still ongoing! Even if it is not, the project is a great example of an how bicycles can be used to improve indiviviual and community health and well-being.
It also serves as a reminder that we need a broader, more inclusive methods of providing specialist, community-focused responses to support the needs of First Nations communities and minority groups.
DCEP Founder James Stout
All images and some content of this post sourced from DCEP.
Scientists are confirming what most cyclists instinctively know – that riding a bike has extraordinary effects on our brain chemistry. This article is by Simon Usborne (@usborne) and was first published in The Independent. In this article, Simon summaries some key scientific studies from different contexts to explore the multifarious and significant impacts cycling has on our brains – just another reason to love getting on your bike! Enjoy! NG.
Image: Casquette
You need only look at the physique of Bradley Wiggins to appreciate the potential effects of cycling on the body. But what about the mind? For as long as man has pushed a pedal, it’s a question that has challenged psychologists, neurologists and anyone who has wondered how, sometimes, riding a bike can induce what feels close to a state of meditation.
I’m incapable of emptying my mind but there have been occasions on my bike when I realise I have no recollection of the preceding miles. Whether during solo pursuits along country lanes in spring, or noisy, dirty commutes, time can pass unnoticed in a blissful blur of rhythm and rolling.
It’s not a new sensation.
In 1896 at the height of the first cycling boom, a feature in the The New York Times said this about the activity: “It has the unique virtue of yielding a rate of speed as great as that of the horse, nearly as great as that attained by steam power, and yet it imposes upon the consciousness the fact that it is entirely self-propulsion.”
The writer, credited only as “ANJ”, continues: “In the nature of the motion is another unique combination. With the great speed there are the subtle glide and sway of skating, something of the yacht’s rocking, a touch of the equestrian bounce, and a suggestion of flying. The effect of all this upon the mind is as wholesomely stimulating as is the exercise to the body.”
Almost 120 years after these observations, and in the middle of a new cycling boom, what have we learnt about the nature and effects of this stimulation? Cycling can of course be miserable, but beyond its ability to more often make me feel emotionally as well as physically enriched, what could be happening inside my head?
Several studies have shown that exercises including cycling make us smarter. Danish scientists who set out to measure the benefits of breakfast and lunch among children found diet helped but that the way pupils travelled to school was far more significant. Those who cycled or walked performed better in tests than those who had travelled by car or public transport, the scientists reported last month. Another study by the University of California in Los Angeles showed that old people who were most active had 5 per cent more grey matter than those who were least active, reducing their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
But what is about cycling that leads me to believe it has a peculiar effect? John Ratey is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. He can’t point to a specific reason but says he has seen patients whose severe depression has all but disappeared after they started to cycle.
Rhythm may explain some of the effects.
“Think about it evolutionarily for a minute,” he says. “When we had to perform physically, those who could find an altered state and not experience the pain or a drag on endurance would have been at an advantage. Cycling is also increasing a lot of the chemistry in your brain that make you feel peaceful and calm.”
At the same time, the focus required to operate a bicycle, and for example, to negotiate a junction or jostle for space in a race, can be a powerful medicine. Dr Ratey cites a study his department is currently conducting. More than 20 pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are expected to show improved symptoms after a course of cycling.
The link between cycling and ADHD is well established. It’s “like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin,” Dr Ratey says. Ritalin is a stimulant commonly used to treat ADHD in children by boosting levels of neural transmitters. Exercise can achieve the same effect, but not all exercise is equal
In a German study involving 115 students at a sports academy, half the group did activities such as cycling that involved complex co-ordinated movements. The rest performed simpler exercises with the same aerobic demands. Both groups did better than they had in concentration tests, but the “complex” group did a lot better.
Cycling has even been shown to change the structure of the brain.
In 2003, Dr Jay Alberts, a neuroscientist at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute in Ohio, rode a tandem bicycle across the state with a friend who has Parkinson’s to raise awareness of the disease. To the surprise of both riders, the patient showed significant improvements.
Dr Alberts conducted an experiment, the results of which were reported last month. He scanned the brains of 26 Parkinson’s patients during and a month after an eight-week exercise programme using stationary bikes.
Half the patients were allowed to ride at their own pace, while the others were pushed incrementally harder, just as the scientist’s tandem companion had been. All patients improved and the “tandem” group showed significant increases in connectivity between areas of grey matter responsible for motor ability. Cycling, and cycling harder, was helping to heal their brains.
We don’t know how, exactly, this happens, but there is more startling evidence of the link between Parkinson’s and cycling. A clip posted on YouTube by the New England Journal of Medicine features a 58-year-old Dutchman with severe Parkinson’s. In the first half of the video, we watch the unnamed patient trying to walk along a hospital ward. He can barely stand. Helped by a physiotherapist, he manages a slow shuffle, before almost falling. His hands shake uncontrollably.
Cut to the car park, where we find the man on a bicycle being supported by staff. With a push, he’s off, cycling past cars with perfect balance and co-ordination. After a loop, he comes to a stop and hops to the ground, where he is immediately immobile again. Doctors don’t fully understand this discrepancy, or kinesia paradoxica, either, but said the bicycles rotating pedals may act as some sort of visual cue that aided the patient’s brain.
The science of cycling is evidently incomplete, but perhaps the most remarkable thing about it for the everyday rider, its effects on hyperactive children notwithstanding, is that it can require no conscious focus at all.
The apparent mindlessness of pedalling can not only make us happier (“Melancholy,” the writer James E Starrs has said, “is incompatible with bicycling”) but also leave room for other thoughts, from the banal to the profound.
On the seat of my bike, I’ve made life decisions, “written” passages of articles, and reflected usefully on emotional troubles. Of his theory of relativity, meanwhile, Albert Einstein is supposed to have said: “I thought of it while riding my bicycle.”
You might have seen this story in the news recently. If not, you need to know about it! It is an inspirational story of fifteen-year-old Jyoti Kumari who rode a second-hand bicycle 1, 200kms with her disabled father as pillion to get home amidst India’s coronavirus lockdown. Amazing! Enjoy. NG.
Image: Inquirer.net YouTube.
Mohan (father) is an e-rickshaw driver who sustain a fracture knee during a road accident. They had travelled to seek medical attention. Their family lives in Gurugram (a suburb of the Indian capital Delhi) and his young daughter Jyoti went with him to look after him while he recovered when the lockdown started on 25 March.
So Jyoti decided to buy a bicycle and like thousands of other Indian migrant workers have done since March, make her way home.
Using the money they had left (Rs2000) she bought a second-hand hot pink bike with a rack on the back for her injured father to ride pillion. They left home only with a bottle of water and she rode him non-stop from Sikandarpur in Haryana to Darbhanga in Bihar with only brief stops at Palwal, Agra and Mathura.
The trip was 1200km. Keep in mind the blistering heat and that they had no money for food along the way and relied on the kindness of strangers.
Jyoti said she was exhausted from the trip and that “It was a difficult journey”. She also said “The weather was too hot, but we had no choice. I had only one aim in my mind, and that was to reach home. It was a decision taken in desperation”.
Her efforts have made global headlines and won hearts on social media.
Their trip highlights the plight of migrant workers caught in the lockdown. Activists say her story highlights desperate measures migrants are taking under the Covid-19 lockdown in India
The Indian Express reports Mohan (father) says they survived with the help of “several well-wishers” on the road. “We were lucky. Jyoti pedalled for eight days, making brief stops at Palwal, Agra and Mathura. At some places, we would get a proper meal, sometimes just biscuits, but we managed”.
Jyoti’s bike ride story viral internationally (just look it up on the internet or on a news service) and their journey internationally highlighted ongoing issues such as the precarious situation of migrant workers, inequity and access to healthcare and how the most disadvantaged are being impacted by COVID-19.
Jyoti gained popularity due to her kindness and effort- and has had offers of financial help.
Jyoti’s riding also caught the attention of the Indian cycling Federation.
Impressed by her fortitude and stamina, Cycling Federation of India Chairman Onkar Singh said he was “extremely impressed” and that “it’s no mean feat for a 15-year-old to pedal with her father for eight days at a stretch over more than 1,200 km. It shows her endurance levels”.
She has been invited to try out for the national cycling team having proven her stamina.
“Once she is out of quarantine, we will bring her to Delhi to conduct trials, where we will ascertain if she can be groomed into a serious cyclist. And then, it’s up to her if she wants to pursue a career in cycling. We can even transfer her to Patna or any other centre that’s closer to her village. Ultimately, she has to make the choice” Singh said.
What an incredible story!
Image: Inquirer.net YouTube.
Content for this post was sourced from news sources: The Indian Express, the ABC and Inquirer.net (YouTube) which the images/stills are from.
I hope you had a great time out and about on two wheels!
To see photos and stories from how others spent World Bicycle Day 2020 – check out #WorldBicycleDay and #JustRide
People celebrate World Bicycle Day in many ways. Some people do it on bikes, others do it for bikes. It was a delight to see the myriad ways people honoured the humble bike – riding with friends, making art, sharing music, having critical conversations, holding events and all kinds of advocating for more positive bike change.
To acknowledge the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health
In large part, this is in response to the fact that, internationally, the mobility needs of people who walk and cycle – often the majority of citizens in a city – continue to be overlooked. The UN Share the Road Programme Annual Report 2018, shows that the benefits of investing in pedestrians and cyclists can save lives, help protect the environment and support poverty reduction.
Walking and cycling continues to be a critical part of the mobility solution for helping cities de-couple population growth from increased emissions, and to improve air quality and road safety.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and cycling is also a pathway for achieving greater health equity.
For the poorest urban sector, who often cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling can provide a form of transport while reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, and even death.
That means bikes are not only healthy, they are also equitable and cost-effective. There are many reasons to love bikes, for example…
Bikes are a simple, reliable, clean and environmentally sustainable means of transportation
Bikes can serve as a tool for development and as a means not just of transportation but also of access to education, health care and sport
The synergy between the bicycle and the user fosters creativity and social engagement and gives the user an immediate awareness of the local environment
The bicycle is a symbol of sustainable transportation and conveys a positive message to foster sustainable consumption and production, and has a positive impact on climate
Cyclists in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo by Yoav Azi
Internationally, the aim of World Bicycle Day is to:
Encourage specific bicycle development strategies at the international, regional, national and subnational level via policies and programmes
Improve road safety, sustainable mobility, and transport infrastructure planning and design
Improve cycling mobility for broader health outcomes (ie preventing injuries and non-communicable diseases)
Progress use of the bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development
Strengthening bike and physical education, social inclusion and a culture of peace
Adopt best practices and means to promote the bicycle among all members of society
Regardless of the reason you ride bikes – you are in very good company!
Keep riding, be healthy and have a awesome World Bicycle Day today!
Happy World Bicycle Day 2020 Image: Boldsky
Parts of this content is taken/edited from the UN World Bicycle Day official website.
Health Hack 2020 has been released and here are the details so far. Expect a few more posts about Heath Hack as we get closer to kick-off.
And yes, that is me on the YouTube promo video cover shot below. And yes, I am wearing a ‘WOW – women on wheels’ T-shirt – spreading the biking love!
HealthHack is a product-building event.
Teams work on problems that have been submitted by Problem Owners – typically medical researchers, medical organisations, hospitals or government— but they could come from anyone who has a health-related problem they want to solve.
Everything made at HealthHack is open source and made available for anyone else to use. You can find every project from every HealthHack at our GitHub.
Normally the event is run in person but due to COVID-19 it is running entirely remote this year. The exact plans for this year will be confirmed, but here are the basic so far:
Run out of (sponsor) IBM’s Cloudtheater virtual event space
Run across two weekends (but not during the week in between)
Organisers will still be assisting problem owners and teams to form so there’s no need to have formed a team prior to HealthHack
Same basic format as previous HealthHacks will be kept, but there will be tweaks to allow for the changed circumstances
Organisers will still be available to help teams work together just like every other HealthHack to date
Now more than ever it’s important to support the work of healthcare professionals both in front line services and in medical research and the event is committed to supporting problem owners and hackers solve important problems.
This blog prides itself on bringing news, ideas and projects from all over the world. Previously we have posted a range of South American stories including several from Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Surprisingly, this post is about South America, but comes via a longer report from the Hindustan Times no less! At a time when we are feeling very insular and localised, it is a good reminder that others internationally are experiencing similar conditions, but perhaps meeting it differently. Pedal on, South America! Enjoy! NG.
A woman rides a bicycle next to Barra da Tijuca beach, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
Capital cities in South America such as Bogota, Lima, Quito, Santiago and Buenos Aires have expanded bike lanes, closing off miles of roads to cars, in an effort to ease crowding on public transport to maintain safe distancing.
From Bogota to Buenos Aires, rising numbers of residents in some of South America’s major capitals are getting on their bikes as the coronavirus pandemic drives city officials to expand bike lanes and promote cycling as a safe way to travel.
Capital cities such as Bogota, Lima, Quito, Santiago and Buenos Aires have expanded bike lanes, closing off miles of roads to cars, in an effort to ease crowding on public transport to curb the spread of Covid-19 and maintain safe distancing.
South America is now battling the global pandemic with many cities still under strict or partial lockdown, and Brazil ranked second globally in total cases of the virus, behind the United States.
People go for a walk and ride bikes as the country has managed to get the coronavirus disease under control, in Montevideo, Uruguay. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
“COVID has been a fundamental factor in achieving what nothing else could have – expanding bike lanes and network length by orders of magnitude instead of slowly and timidly as before,” said Carlos Pardo, senior manager at the Washington- based New Urban Mobility Alliance, a group of cities, non-profits, companies and operators of mobility services.
“COVID made governments aware that it wasn’t a big risk to implement a system of bike lanes,” Pardo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
‘In the drawers’
Plans to expand bike networks in cities, such as Lima, have been in place for decades but officials hadn’t pushed cycling as a sustainable means of transport until the pandemic hit.
“Many cities had the stuff in the drawers. The plans are ready .. the bike lanes have been identified for years but hadn’t been built,” Pardo said.
In Lima, where about 7 in every 10 people use public transport, promoting alternatives to ease overcrowding on buses and the subway is a priority as the city tries to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In Peru, there’s been a huge change. The minister of transport has made cycling a key policy,” Pardo said.
The government has announced plans to create 300 kilometres (185 miles) of temporary bike lanes in the coming months across Lima.
“I suspect that many of the temporary bike lanes are going to become permanent. There is momentum,” Pardo said.
Bogota already had a 550-kilometre (340-mile) network of bicycle lanes criss-crossing the capital before the coronavirus outbreak.
Since Bogota’s lockdown started in late March, 80 kilometres of temporary bike lanes have been added, which are now set to become permanent.
Under the lockdown, about 300,000 trips a day are being made by bicycle, mostly by essential workers, and nearly 70% of people riding bikes today used other forms of transport before the pandemic started, according to Bogota’s secretary of mobility.
A woman rides a bicycle next to Leblon beach, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image: REUTERS via Hindustan Times.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed with modifications to the original text.
I came across this Zen proverb while looking for bicycle-related folklore and fairy tales.
A lovely reminder to enjoy being fully in the present moment when riding a bike.
Image: Yakima Herald
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles.
When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?”
The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!” The teacher praised the first student. “You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.”
The second student replied, “I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!” The teacher commended the second student, “Your eyes are open, and you see the world.”
The third student replied, “When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo.” The teacher gave his praise to the third student, “Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.”
The fourth student replied, “Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings.” The teacher was pleased and said to the fourth student, “You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.”
The fifth student replied, “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.”
The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, “I am your student.”’
