The ideal father is one who knows how to love the mother and creates a peaceful atmosphere for the family; the child does not need money or toys but needs the happiness of the parents with each other. In a heavy atmosphere, the child will “wither,” closing the bathroom or toilet door to hide from suffering, and when grown up, will not know how to create happiness for their own family, repeating the “cycle of samsāra,” the round of suffering from one generation to the next.

Only when we learn the methods of the true Dharma, especially the practice of the Fourth Mindfulness Training—deep listening and loving speech—can we break the cycle of samsāra and sow seeds of love. Deep listening and loving speech are two practices that go hand in hand, helping to build genuine communication and heal the suffering in our family, our ancestors, and society.

1. Deep listening: to be silent, to breathe mindfully, to be fully present with your whole heart, like the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
2. Loving speech: to speak words of love, without judgment, so that the other person can express their pain and suffer less.