Contemplating Filial Devotion

Essay Prompt: Contemplating Filial Devotion

Reflections on Filial Piety

I. Outline of My Thoughts on Filial Piety

- Filial piety has been a longstanding noble tradition of our nation, one of the essential moral virtues that contribute to the refinement of human character.
- Filial devotion serves as a loving bond among individuals within families and communities, fostering stronger and more intimate relationships.

2. Body of the Essay

- Definition of Filial Piety:
+ It is the heartfelt love and care for our grandparents and parents, always treating them sincerely and with utmost respect.
+ Especially when our parents have aged, facing declining health and continuous illnesses, it is our duty as children and grandchildren to diligently care for them, without hesitation or complaint.

- Expressions of Filial Piety:
+ Children must learn to respect, listen to, and share difficulties with their parents, diligently studying and cultivating moral virtues to alleviate their worries...(Continued)

>> View the detailed outline of my thoughts on filial piety here

Filial piety is exemplified through daily life, living with parents requires children to show respect, listen, and share difficulties with parents, diligently study and cultivate morals to not cause parents worry but instead be proud of their children. If one must leave parents to work far away, then regularly writing letters, calling to inquire, to reduce parental longing and worry, thinking of parents when there are delicious dishes, unusual dishes. Always concerned about the health of parents, having free time to visit parents, take parents out for excursions, regular health check-ups,... Strive to earn a lot of money, stabilize life, to be able to support parents, if students cannot earn money to help parents then they must have the consciousness to save money, avoid indulgence, and competition, avoid causing parents distress. Acting as filial children when stepping out into society must adhere to moral standards, must respect the law, treat people who are the same age as parents with the same respect as their parents, must be extremely respectful, avoid discriminatory and disrespectful actions,... Wholeheartedly leaning towards goodness, living generously, often helping others, only then will many people respect, parents will also be praised for educating their children. Conversely, if acting otherwise, parents will be the first to be criticized for not educating their children well, that is the great crime of unfilial piety.

Filial piety has always been a good tradition of our nation, ancient children always put filial piety first, if unfilial to parents then it is considered a great crime, ridiculed by society. Because grandparents, parents are the ones who have the merit of giving birth and nurturing us, during that entire process they have to endure so much hardship that cannot be fully described. Therefore, filial piety is the responsibility and obligation of every individual, no one is allowed to evade, that goes against the moral standards of society. A person with a complete filial heart will be loved and respected by many, first of all, by the parents, then by friends, teachers, ... This means you have a very good social relationship, will contribute to your future success. Especially each of us, everyone will have their own family, descendants, our filial piety today is the brightest and clearest example for our descendants to follow, with that our old age can receive the filial piety from our descendants, this is also karma. And finally, most importantly, filial piety is the wonderful bond that binds individual beings together with love, respect, with harmony in a family. A good family can only develop society, the country can only rise alongside the great powers of the five continents.

Nowadays, society is developing, but accompanying it is a portion of people with declining consciousness and ethics. Not only do they argue with parents, indulge in extravagance, but they also exploit every penny their parents earn, and even beat, abandon their elderly parents just because they feel the elderly are a nuisance, a hindrance. What's even more infuriating is that some even go so far as to murder their own parents over trivial disagreements, and they don't even feel remorse, it's truly worse than beasts, because even animals have maternal love, they still love each other and have more humanity than those cold-hearted people.

Each of us students needs to have a filial heart, to know how to love and respect our grandparents, parents, and relatives. Live in solidarity, share with each other, obey elders, always remember the merits of giving birth and nurturing of parents. In the future, when grandparents, parents are old, we must know how to diligently care for them, not criticize parents as troubles, annoyances, hindrances to us. Because remember that when we were still in the cradle, parents had to endure hardships to raise us into who we are today. Parents are the ones with great tolerance and extraordinary strength, throughout several decades of life, have we ever asked ourselves why parents always have to wake up early, always have to work day in and day out, it's because of the pressure of food, clothing, shelter, and the need to support the children who are growing up. Have we ever thought why parents don't buy new clothes, just wear the same set year after year, why parents don't eat meat, just choose to eat fat. It's not because parents like it that way, it's all for us, parents always give us the best things in life. That's why parents have always given us the best things, and we as their children must give our parents the most precious, sincere feelings, that is the sweet filial piety. With that, parents will be happy and happy, and we will fulfill the responsibility and duty of a good child.