How To Be Good Parents With Good Children The Daily Enlightenment Buddhist Inspirations (since 1997)

Be better children to your parents,
as this karmically ‘creates’ better children.
Be better parents to your children,
as this karmically ‘creates’ better children too.

– Stonepeace | Books

In the movie ‘Are You Here’ is the following dialogue, between a mother-wannabe and a religious man. Terri asks, ‘What would you do if you couldn’t have children?‘ Mr. Yoder says, ‘I would pray to God to send them to me.’ Terri again asks, ‘What if you don’t believe in God?’ Yoder replies, ‘Maybe that’s why you can’t have children.’ For those not very sharp, his advice might seem to make sense… though it does not really, due to four reasons. First of all, maybe a medical checkup for a remedy is all that is needed. Second, there are many who believe in and pray to God, who remain childless. Third, there are many who do not believe in or pray to God, with too many children. Fourth, if there is an all-powerful and all-good child-granting creator God, the world should be full of only good children, which is not the case.

However, there is a Buddhist solution for having not just children, but good ones too. In ‘The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra’s Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s Universal Door Chapter’ (妙法莲华经观世音菩萨普门品), Sakyamuni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛) taught that, ‘If there are women who desire for sons, prostrate and make offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will then give birth to blessed, virtuous, and wise sons.‘ (若有女人设欲求男，礼拜供养观世音菩萨，便生福德智慧之男。) In case this is seen as sexist, he next taught that, ‘If there is desire for daughters, they will give birth to proper and noble-looking daughters who have planted roots of virtue in past lives, and are loved and respected by many people.’ (设欲求女，便生端正有相之女，宿植德本，众人爱敬。) How do such devotional practices differ and work?

By sincere connection to the Bodhisattva via thought, word and deed with faithful and mindful chanting of (homage to) her name (Namo Guanshiyin Pusa; 南无观世音菩萨), related mantras or sutras (Universal Door Chapter; 普门品), and expression of reverence with prostration and offerings, positive karma is generated. Ideally, one should align to her character by emulating her compassion too. This creates both self and other-powered blessings, which can dilute and purify negative karma that obstructs conception. With such positive karma, one naturally attracts only spiritually good children. (Note that as all beings karmically recreate themselves, no child is really created for anyone.) Even if already pregnant, there can be prenatal conditioning of the baby to be a better person with the above practices. Likewise, present parents should share the Dharma with their children to create spiritually happy Buddhist families!