RAISING BUDDHIST CHILDREN IN A NON-BUDDHIST SOCIETY

QUESTION:

We are going to have a child soon. As Westerners who have accepted Buddhism into our lives, we wonder how we should raise our child. Many people turn to Buddhism because they are dissatisfied, for whatever reason, with their previous faith. We fall into this category, and we are wary of preaching our beliefs to others, including our children. We don't want to create a similar situation by force-feeding Buddhism to our child. How would you recommend that an American Buddhist couple raise a child in an environment that is largely ignorant of Buddhism?

SHIH-FU:

First, we must accept and affirm that religion can help the baby. With this in mind, parents should begin transmitting the Dharma before the child is even born. The unborn child is aware of the external world, and is capable of receiving blessings and good merit.