Dhammadinna's Request

Supporting Family-Oriented Sangha and Mindful Parenting

Resources

• Buddhist Parents Mailing List  A forum for Western Buddhists in which to discuss parenting issues and the application of Buddha-dharma to everyday life - our own and those of our children.  

• Online Buddhist Center For Families - A wonderful! site with lots of great resources

• Buddhamind site for kids and teachers - Mindblowing!

• Buddhist Studies resources for primary and secondary students from Buddhanet - Another great site, with downloadable texts, projects and coloring books.

• Dharmaforkids - a resource site on Mahayana teachings and practice for kids

• Buddhist Parenting Page - A nice page of resources at the "Class Struggle Buddhism" site.

• Acorn Family Sangha - A UU Buddhist resource site for Buddhist families, including Resources for Home Practice

• Householder Sutta Page - Theravadan teachings specifically for lay people.

• Innerkids - Dharma teacher Trudy Goodman's mindfulness-based program for inner city kids.

• Resources for Buddhist Kids at DMOZ

• Bibliography of Children's Buddhist Literature

Books and Articles

• Mindful Parenting By Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn

• Judith Simmer-Brown's article "American Buddhism: The Legacy for Our Children"

• FWBO Articles

  •  "Lay Life and the Buddhist Tradition"

  • "Family Matters"

• Practicing Loving-Kindness Meditation with Kids

Retreats and Programs

Theravada

IMS Family Retreat
Six days, July, Massachusetts
Retreat for families held each August at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts.

IMS Young Adult Retreat - Annual retreat for 14-19 year-olds at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts.

Family Sangha Retreat -
Four days, July, Massachusetts
Retreat for families held annually since 2002 in July in Western Massachusetts.

• Sangha for Families Mailing List  A mailing list for participants in the IMS Family Retreat and Family Sangha Retreat.

Spirit Rock Family Program
Year-round, California
Classes, special days and retreats for kids and families at this California Vipassana retreat.

Bhavana Youth-Family Retreat
Three days, August, W. Virginia
A retreat center led by Bhante Gunaratana.
 

Zen

Zen Kids Program
Weekly, upstate New York
A weekly program at Zen Mountain Monastery.

Family Wild Arts Retreat
3 days, August, upstate New York
A weekend workshop for families focusing on creativity and wilderness held at Zen Mountain Monastery.

Great Heart Family Retreat
Four days, August, New Mexico
A retreat at the Upaya Zen retreat center with Joan Halifax and other teachers.

Tibetan

Shambhala Family Camp
One week, August, Colorado
An annual retreat at the Shambhala Mountain Center. Affiliated with Vajradhatu.

Karmê Chöling Family Camp One week, July, Vermont
An annual retreat at the Karmê Chöling center, affiliated with Vajradhatu.

Dhammadinna?

When the Buddha offered the  popular lay dharma teacher Dhammadinna the teaching on emptiness, the man asked:

'Lord, it's no easy thing for us, living as we do in crowded houses, committed to children, handling money and enjoying Benares sandalwood, to spend our days learning these teachings. Let the Lord teach us some other teaching, us who stand firm in the five precepts.'

The Buddha then taught on the importance of living virtuous lives, building spiritual community (Sangha), studying the teachings (Dhamma), and remembering enlightened mind (Buddha). Dhammadinna was delighted when he realized that he and his lay students were more spiritually established than he had thought.

 

Master: I have no tolerance for those who use their children as an excuse for not practicing. Hermit: I have no tolerance for those who use their practice as an excuse for not parenting. Beggar: When we fully immerse ourselves in parenting as our practice, we answer the question, Of what use is it merely to enjoy this fleeting world? O sincere trainees, create no Dharma orphans. Quickly is dew gone from the grass. Quicker still are our children grown. -Dharma Family Treasures