How important are our children?

Just got back from Sunday Dharma School today. Finally my kids have found a Sunday Dharma School they enjoy, could understand and connect with. They have even enjoyed Puja and have on their own initiated daily Puja sessions at home. I even started to join in their Sunday School Puja.

This morning while we were all waiting for Puja start a member from Buddhist center came up to the classes and instructed the teachers to "abandon" Puja, the classes elsewhere because there was a very important speaker in the center and there were just too many people attending the talk. A couple of the children's classes had give way for the audience to view a tv projection of the talk. The children's classes had to be "sacrificed".

A parent approached this adult and suggested that Puja must be conducted for the children. This parent also voiced his opinion that if Children's Puja is cancelled as it may send the wrong message to the children.

I agree with this parents and I generally feel that we will need to give attention to our children and give them the due respect. There is just too much of lip-service saying that we need to give attention to our children. Parents talk too much and it comes to making decisions, very commonly, children's needs are over-ruled. One of the last places I thought I would see this happen was in a Buddhist Center - but I guess it runs in our community ans society. I was upset because, have trying very hard find a connection for my children to the Buddhist teachings without being too imposing. I needed to let them have the space and fun to learn and appreciate for themselves.

I guess we will have to learn to live with it. I am just happy that we have opportunity to Puja together more regularly.

(our shrine at home where we do our Puja)

I guess, its up to up parents again - just as what the Ministers say when the schools cannot solve the problems - the parents needs to do their part.

K V