I have found very few links or websites that talk about how to present buddhism to your children and how to be a buddhist parent. If there is such a thing. I have specific questions about meditating with children and explaining basic concepts to them through stories. How young is to young to sit? Are there childrens books out there designed for this purpose? Any ideas or links or suggestions from more experienced practitioners would be appreciated. THX.
Hi,
Try these links,
http://www.wisdom-books.com/Subject.asp?PG=B&SHID=1&SID=165
http://www.buddhanet.net/budtales1.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/budtales.htm
My daughter’s only three, which is definitely too young. She knows that I meditate; she knows that if I’m in a grumpy mood that meditation can help; she knows that I go to the Zen group once a week.
There are a couple of picture books my daughter likes: Peaceful Piggy Meditation, and Zen Shorts. The first book is a very basic introduction to meditation. The second book is retellings of two well-known Zen stories and one Taoist story, and it is very well done. The illustrations are brilliant.
I’m not going to raise my daughter Buddhist in the same way that my parents raised me as a fundamentalist Christian. She’ll know what Buddhism is, but she’s free to take it or not.
I highly recommend putting into “kid’s terms” the most famous passage of the Kalama Sutta:
“Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:
1. it is repeatedly recited,
2. it is written in a scripture,
3. it was handed from guru to disciple,
4. everyone around you believes it,
5. it has supernatural qualities,
6. it fits my beliefs anyway,
7. it sounds rational to me,
8. it is taught by a respectable person,
9. it was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. one must defend it or fight for it.
However, only when it agrees with your experience and reason, and when it is conducive to the good and gain of oneself and all others, then one should accept the teachings, and live up to them.”
How to explain this to the kids is a different story.
May be late but I wrote some articles of Buddhism, Children & Education onmy blog @ http://beyond-buddhism.blogspot.com
hope this helps