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21-Day Retreat for Buddhist Youth Association in the USA
The Dharma talk begins with the image of the “family that prays together stays together” from Christianity, then moves to the Buddhist practice: in addition to chanting, reciting the Buddha’s name, and offering spiritual support, there are many Dharma doors taught by the World-Honored One to help maintain stability, heal brokenness, and nurture happiness in the family.
In reality, Vietnamese families overseas at first have strong families and children who excel in their studies, but after about five or six years, the Western lifestyle and countless new sufferings begin to penetrate, families become unstable, children lose their balance and turn to drugs, violence, or divorce. If we do not return to discover the ethical principles and spiritual methods from the Buddhist tradition, it is impossible to save both individuals and families from this situation.
The Buddhist Youth Association—“an organization that nourishes and educates young people in the spirit of Buddhism”—needs to form a close alliance with the blood family and the school, through three main areas:
- Firmly upholding the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
- Participating in activities of reciting the trainings and Days of Mindfulness.
- Collaborating with children in organizing practice at home.
Alongside this, the practices of stopping (calming body and mind) and looking deeply (insight meditation into the nature of suffering) will be the means for both youth leaders and parents to recognize the causes, find concrete solutions, and walk together with the younger generation.