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appreciated and respected by their children and also be fun to be with. To be a Buddhist is to
become “truly human;” one becomes a more loving and an effective parent. Who we are as a human being is more important than what we consciously teach!
I am neither an expert in child psychology nor parenting; the views expressed here are limited and based on personal experience. For accurate and updated knowledge, I encourage parents to listen to experts. This pamphlet is simply my attempt to address some of the problems and issues facing many Jodo-Shinshu Buddhist parents in the contemporary North
American setting. Parents should not feel obligated to agree or practice what is expressed here; these are
simply suggestions. Also, parents should know that it’s okay to say “I don’t know, but I will try to find out. Let’s ask our minister.”
Dr. Taitetsu Unno reminds us of the three points that are needed for effective sharing and
teaching: faith, gratitude and sincerity.
I) Faith: We ourselves must try to understand and appreciate the teaching in order to share with others.
2) Gratitude: Stemming from our growing understanding, gratitude emerges spontaneously.
3) Sincerity: Without sincerity, techniques of teaching and knowledge of the subject matter done are insufficient.
(Shin Buddhist Handbook,
pp. 67-68)
Let us keep these three points in n and whenever we guide or instruct our children.
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