A Lost Father
I happened to meet a man who knew me before he became a monk some months earlier, so that he could “repair his heart”. He asked me about how one could ‘Buddhistize’ one’s family. I said there’s no need to. “One just needs to cultivate oneself and the children will follow.” “So we shouldn’t force them to attend Buddhist class and chanting?” “Of course not. That will only make them dislike Buddhism,” I said. “Yes, that’s true. My elder daughter said, ‘Papa, you always talk about suffering, suffering, suffering. We’re already suffering enough! I don’t want to go anymore.’” I chuckled. After a pause I said, “What’s important is that you behave well. Children learn through imitation, and they have the innate ability to recognize good when they see it. When they see good in you, they are inclined to follow.” He nodded quietly. He then left to do something, but came again, eager to learn he could make things better. Seeing sincerity in him to improve himself, I spent two hours answering his q...