Possibly one of the most important questions I will ever ask. My wife and I (yup...I am actually a guy) are thinking about having a baby and as a responsible future parent I have been thinking about the types of principles that I would like to instill into my child. I am sure that most of you have kids and so I ask you...how do you start explaining Buddhist concepts to a little-person that will be raised in a non Buddhist society? My parents were not Catholics, but raised me as one just because...well...everyone in my town was Catholic. While the teachings of Jesus surely taught me some discipline (the "do it or else" approach is questionable but very effective ) I always tried to fit in the best I could, forced my way into becoming a good Christian and, when I could not stand it anymore, I had to undo everything on my own and start from scratch. Considering that my kid will be raised in a non Buddhist society, I wonder if I should instill Buddhist principles into him/her from the start (e.g. do any of your kids sit with you?) or should I go for a most "standardized" education until he/she finds his/her own way? It is maybe too early to think about this...but I am still questioning the choice of bringing a new life into this strange, overly-polluted, ultra-competitive, yet beautiful world.

Thanks,

Andrea