Let our filial virtue be nurtured and grow forever
Filial piety is truly the foundation of all kindnesses from which morality itself also arises. Filial virtue, indeed, comes from gratitude and the wish to repay kindness. A person is truly worthy of human beings only when they live with gratitude and repay it. Filial devotion begins with our parents, ancestors, and extends further to loyalty toward our nation and society. In Buddhism, the meaning of filial piety is elevated to encompass all sentient beings.
However, filial virtue must be expressed through actions, not merely words. For their nation and society, lay Buddhists should express gratitude through meaningful acts such as supporting families of war veterans, those families who have made special contributions, and families of heroic martyrs.
To our parents, we must love them deeply and with all our hearts, especially as they grow older, as old age often brings irritability, stubbornness, and confusion. It is our understanding and empathy that allow us to truly care for them, ensuring that they do not feel lonely even within their own family. In loving our aging parents, we are also loving ourselves and nurturing our own future.”
(Except from the Dharma Teaching “Being both a father and a mother” by Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh)
Wishing all Buddhists to follow Thay's teachings and apply them to their daily lives to repay their parents' kindness and become filial children!
Monks, nuns, and Buddhists attentively listened to and committed to memory Thay's profound words
By writing down Thay's teachings, we Buddhists will diligently apply and practice them
