why is personal devotion important to buddhist families?

Answer 1

1. If "personal devotion" means personal attachment or worship, this is not consistent with Buddhist practice. This may be your perception, but the Buddhist teachings advise against personal attachments to perceptions or to the teachings or authority of others that hold relative truths.

2. If you mean respect for traditions, for elders and family, this is a natural cultural following in many families besides Buddhist. Because Buddhism represents spiritual wisdom and compassion, and since all people are believed to have a "Buddha nature" within, then there is a natural respect for all persons that is cultivated in the Buddhist tradition. The Tibetan Buddhists in particular meditate on the concept that every being is part of Creation and therefore deserves the same respect as one's "Mother."

Note: If a Buddhist family believes in overcoming past karma with good deeds and prayers, or in building good merit that affects past or future generations, then this faith in a spiritual connection in the family lineage may be what you mean by "personal devotion" to praying and acting in good faith for the sake of the souls of past elders or of future generations.

The cultural equivalent of spiritual reverence for the elders is "honoring our mothers and fathers" which the Bible also proscribes for long life.

I believe that in this way, the past and future generations of Buddhist families are joined together by the prayers of the righteous, so that this "spiritual devotion" to what is true, right and good brings strength and guidance in life.

3. If you mean personal commitment to discipline, the Buddhist practice does cultivate respect for regular meditation and development of awareness or "mindfulness."
Since many practitioners find inner peace by developing meditation skills, they may become "personally devoted" to the practice because it brings them spiritual satisfaction and success in developing wisdom and compassion in everyday life.

Answer 2

Personal devotion is important to any family, or individual. What else is there, really?