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.