Category: Babble

Early Education in Buddhism

Ever since I was 2 months old, Mommy has brought me to Avatamsaka Vihara, the Buddhist temple Mommy attends in Potomac, Maryland.  (www.drba.org)  It is a branch of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, where A-ma (Mommy’s mommy) has devoted her life.  Taking me to the temple was something Mommy told herself she would do for me since I was conceived because Buddhism is very important to Mommy.  Mommy became a Buddhist starting in medical school and believes it has made her a better person, but she wishes she had known Buddhism sooner.  This is why she wants me to have early exposure so that I could be a better person from birth.

I don’t really know what I am supposed to do at the temple at such an early age, but all I know is that as soon as I get up on Sunday mornings, Mommy wisks me off to the temple.  Mommy says she wants me to get used to going to the temple every Sunday and she wants me to hear the chants.   In reality, I had been going since I have inside Mommy’s uterus, so I was already pretty used to all the sounds of the chants.  Still, I usually fall asleep on the way to the temple and sleep for another hour at the temple while listening to all the chanting.  Mommy gets to chant for that hour, but it’s usually short-lived because I will start wiggling in my car seat, forcing Mommy to have to attend to me before I start crying.  Lunch time is particularly hard on Mommy since I am usually very irritable by then.  She has to put me in the Baby Bjorn while she gets her lunch and then eat while keeping me in the Baby Bjorn.  There are usually very nice people at the temple who offer to carry me during lunch so that Mommy can eat more efficiently, but Mommy has figured out how to not rely on others in case she’s not so lucky every week.  Once a month, I also get a bonus and get to see YiMa there when she volunteers. 

Besides going to the temple every Sunday, Mommy also turns on the recording of “The Great Compassion Mantra” in my crib so that I can listen to it subconsciously while I sleep every night.  Hopefully I will be able to recite it at an early age without many obstacles.

“What does Daddy do every Sunday morning then?” you ask.  Well, since Daddy isn’t Buddhist (at least not yet) and doesn’t go with us to the temple, he gets 5 extra hours of uninterrupted time to himself.  Lucky Daddy?  Some might say so, but Mommy still hopes I’d prefer to go the temple with her.

My First Mixed Drink!

Everyone knows all I drink is Mommy’s milk with daily supplements of carnitine and Enfamil’s Poly-Vi-Sol with iron, but I had my first “sampling” of something a little edgy.  Well, not exactly. 

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Mommy, Daddy, PoPo, Uncle Jason (Daddy’s cousin from NYC), and I went to Cafe Atlantico in D.C. on Sept 5 to experience my first Restaurant Week.  Mommy and Daddy love this restaurant and I must say, I didn’t ruin it for them or for anyone else in the restaurant.  I was the only baby in the whole restaurant and  I remained on my best behavior throughout the 3 course lunch for $20.09 .  Mommy also ordered a virgin mojito and brought the mint/lime combo to my nose so I could sniff it out for myself.  I definitely like this smell better than the hoisin sauce mommy made me smell at the pho restaurant.  Daddy thought it would be funny to do some camera tricks, so hence my first “sampling” of a mixed drink. 

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My PoPo left to go back home to Paris on Sept 6 and I must say I am rather sad.  PoPo gave me my last bath and fed me my last bottle on the way to the Dulles Airport.  Mommy even had tears in her eyes when we all waved goodbye to PoPo at the airport.  I will visit PoPo in 2 months and by then, hopefully I’ll be able to roll over and maybe even sit up. 

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After PoPo left, we drove to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum in Chantilly near the airport.  Since Uncle Jason had never been there, we decided to visit again.   I was asleep during the whole visit, but just to prove I was there, Daddy was ready with his camera.  Mommy and Daddy marveled at just how many strollers there were at the museum and just how many toddlers were running around.  In many ways, it’s the ideal place for us, kids, because we can run around, cry, and scream without being noticed too much.