Hi Taryal! I had an experience with my family. My father is a pastor so imagine the anger and shame my family must have felt when I became a Buddhist. I hid my faith until I was 21 (I started at 17). 2 years ago I was even told “You are only 21 years old, you don’t yet know anything about life”, “please my son come back and pray with us, you have fallen into a foreign religion, and contrary to God”. Regardless of their comments, I was firm on my decision to follow the Buddha Dhamma. This kind of situation is a good breeding ground for the development of adhiṭṭhāna pāramī (perfection of determination). We will face situations that test our desire to follow the Dhamma. We must be able to resist the pressure that others put on us to abandon the Dhamma. This is one of the aspects of this paramis. The best thing we can do is to leave them alone without arguing. Perhaps one day, or billions of lives later, they will change. They are simply not ready. It is the nature of this world to prevent those who want to break free from this prison of 31 realms. Lord Buddha himself encountered strong opposition from his family and friends when he began to seek the Dhamma. His family used all kinds of means to discourage him. The harassment that we will suffer from others for our faith in the Dhamma is inevitable (anatta). It is part of the journey towards Nibbāna. Let us not forget that countless times we have defended erroneous beliefs(Micchādiṭṭhi) and prevented beings from seeing the Dhamma. We can only develop Metta towards them. I encourage you to read about the 4 types of learners. Those who have no interest in Dhamma can be classified into 5 types. We’ve all been like this for eons. May you achieve the supreme bliss of Nibbāna. 🙏🏿
- Also, read the 10 Paramis that are necessary to achieve Nibbāna. Pāramitā and Niyata Vivarana – Myths or Realities? Difference between a Wish and a Determination (Pāramitā)
1. Generosity (dana)
2. Moral conduct (sila)
3. Renunciation (nekkhamma)
4. Wisdom (paññā)
5. Effort (viriya)
6. Patience (khanti)
7. Truthfulness (sacca)
8. Determination (adhitthana)
9. Loving-kindness (metta)
10. Equanimity (upekkha)
