Family Life

Family Life Buddha left no specific instructions on family life Focus on daily life and morality Does not favour any particular form of family organization See family as the foundation of the family Respect and honour one another Husband and wives are expected to be faithful Parents raise children as Buddhists Children are to obey parents and preserve traditions

Non-Attachment One of the more challenging values of Buddhism is non-attachment Believed attachment brings suffering Living in a family involves necessary material and emotional attachments Buddha left behind his family Theravada tradition expects only monks, who leave their families when they take their vows, to achieve enlightenment Others see the family as a spiritual environment where a deep understanding of attachment can be explored

Marriage In some Buddhist countries, monks never attend weddings because marriage ceremonies are believed to bring bad luck In most countries, however, Buddhist monks do attend Viewed as a secular affair rather than sacrament Follow the civil laws of government May receive blessing from monk after marriage Varies between Buddhists Theravadin wedding: ceremony takes place at the local temple. Bride and groom are surrounded by friends and relatives. Image of Buddha is wrapped with a long cotton thread, and then the thread circulates to all those in the congregation. The thread symbolizes the union of all present. All the while, the chanting of the monks fills the temple. After the principal monk blesses the couple, two pieces of the thread are cut. A monk ties one around the groom’s wrist, and then the groom ties the other piece around the wrist of his bride Divorce is not forbidden, but rarely occurs

Friendship Buddhism asks followers to let go of the negative bonds that tie us to others, such as lust, prejudice, jealousy, fear, and hate The Buddha encouraged Buddhists to treat their friends with generosity, kind words, helpfulness, impartiality, and integrity Being attentive and present in our encounters with our friends brings a sense of respect Choose friends that follow the teachings of Buddha, not ones that lead them away

Homework Page 279 # 1-3