Family matters, by Ajahn Sumedho

By Buddhism Now on 27 May 2024 • ( 0 )

Q: What about people around you? I find the people in my family becoming rather resentful about my interest in Buddhism and meditation.

Ajahn Sumedho: It can be very frustrating for others who don’t understand what you’re doing. People want you to reaffirm their lives, so if you stop drinking, smoking, and eating meat, for example, that can be very frightening. And then you might meditate rather than sit watching television. This is a problem because families could feel very threatened; they want your participation, then they feel everything is all right, ‘She’s doing what we’re doing and we understand her when she’s doing what we’re doing.’ When you’re not doing what they’re doing, then, ‘What’s she doing? Is she going senile? Is she losing it?’ I’ve found also, though, with so many people that in the long run and in troubled times — especially when somebody dies or something like that — the family will probably come to you. That’s when they need you and you will have something to offer that will help them that they wouldn’t have had if you had just gone along with them.

Click here to read more teachings by Ajahn Sumedho.

From the Buddhist Publishing Group Summer School, 31 July 2001.