Date: April 1, 2008 (Tuesday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Place: March 29, 2008 - Tzu Chi High/Elementary School in Tainan
Hello, little bodhisattvas. You aren’t little sparrows but little bodhisattvas. See how still and upright you’re all sitting. Everyone is sitting in such an orderly and dignified manner which is indeed very adorable. You teachers and the principals of our schools, I’m truly very grateful for your efforts. My mind has truly been set at ease.
In these children at our schools, we see the hope of our society. If fact, the hope of our society also lies in how children are educated at home. In Taiwan’s society today, there is no shortage of schools. But what there is shortage of is education that is truly committed to and takes responsibility for the children’s future. However these days, there are also cases where the teachers earnestly guide the children, but are faced with parents who only know to spoil their children rather than truly love them the right away. “What did the teacher ask you to do today?” “Sweep the floor?” “How could they!” “We paid school fees” “How can they ask you to sweep the floor?” The parents would go talk to the teachers about it. This is the wrong attitude. Throughout the course of their education, children should be taught about aspects of daily living and how to take care of themselves. They need to learn these skills. If you raise a child who expects to eat without having to do anything, in the future, he will have many problems in his relationship, be it relating to others in society, his peers, or his family. So, we need to pave the way for them to learn about life’s principles. For that, we need the school to educate them. We should teach children about different things at the different stages of their lives. We should also teach them the principles of human relations. By the latter, I mean educating children about moral ethics and principles. While gaining knowledge and learning about life’s principles is fundamental. They should also be taught to respect others. Children should know to be grateful as well as know about the proprieties of showing respect for their elders. It’s the family’s responsibility to teach them this;. Of course, once they enter the workforce, they should know how to treat their friends, colleagues, their seniors or subordinates. They should be clear about proprieties and decorum. In our relationships with people, it is important that we know about this aspect of moral ethics and principles.
But during the course of their education, it is important that they learn about different principles at different ages. See, after a child is born, he or she is referred to as “an infant”. Next, the infant enters into childhood. Once they enter into childhood, parents will send them to kindergarten. For children of this age, we should teach them to greet the teacher when they see him or her. Those are the basic proprieties we should teach preschool children. After graduating from kindergarten, they begin elementary school. Their elementary school teacher begins imparting rudimentary knowledge about life’s principles and aspects of daily living such as how to have a neat and tidy appearance and how to keep themselves clean. This is all part of the education process. So, not only should they be taught to achieve academically, but their ability to contribute should also be nurtured so that they know to be useful and to cherish the environment around them by helping to keep it clean. The last time I came, I saw that the students were all very neat and tidy. This time, I see that they have made further progress from the last time I saw them. Because the last time I saw them was at the end of last year. When I came from the year-end blessings ceremony gave out hong-baos, didn’t it? “Did you get them?” “Yes” That time they were like sparrows twittering away. Today it was different. Their sign language performance today was very good and they also sat very still and upright. So, they’re improving day by day. Evidently, education needs to start from teaching children about daily living. It’s the same for high school children. As the children enter different stages of their lives and they get increasingly older. Upon entering each stage of their lives, they’ll come to understand more and more about life’s principles and they gain more and more wisdom. These are the objectives we hope to achieve for children at our schools.
Our hope for the future lies in education. We must set a fine example of education that is truly worth being passed on from generation to generation. So instilling the humanistic spirit in our children should be in mission shared by everyone serving in Tzu Chi’s schools. Not only do the principals need to be resolute. I often say to our principals “I don’t ask for a great quantity of students, but please make sure every one of them has good character.” This is what I hope our principals can achieve. There are some parents who say, “I’ll only enroll my child here if you do such and such”. At that, you should say to the parents, “Enroll your children here only, you can go along with the school’s policies”. The school shouldn’t only try to cater to the parent’s wishes. It is parents who should support the principles of the school and work in unison with the school. If for example, the school works to meet every parent’s requests, then the school will lose its ideals as well as its direction. Students come and go, but schools remain forever to serve for the good of society as it works to pass down an exemplar of character to hundreds and thousands of years to come. So, it is my hope that all the parents can do what is truly best for their children. You must learn to bear with not seeing your child being pampered at school but rather having to follow many rules. Please don’t find it hard to accept. You must give your child a chance to learn the proper manners and proprieties that the school wishes to teach your child. Such practice of self-discipline and propriety is what schools should be teaching. In addition to inspiring children to give of their love to others. I believe such an education is the best kind of education one can have. My heart is set at ease and I also hope that our parents can also rest assured and let our school and our very good teachers educate your children. I hope the parents can give the principals your support and truly trust the schools.
I’m truly very grateful. Of course, I must also express my gratitude to all Tzu Chi volunteers. All our schools were able to be built, thanks to the love of all Tzu Chi volunteers as well as every bit of their donations that were pooled together to make all this we have today possible. You must know that so many people have made great contributions to the school. They donated their money with sincere blessings for the school with heart full of love. So, you should know that all the students that study at the school study in place where every inch of land is filled with blessings and every tile is filled with love. Tzu Chi volunteers had given all of their love and blessings to this school. See how blessed the children are who receive their education here. I see how you helped to clean the streets together with your children as a way to extend goodwill to people in your community. This is what family education is about as parents are role models for their children. I hope that your children can all be just like yourselves who can also serve as model examples. May education and the culture of humanity always remain closely linked so that our kinds can become people of exemplary character and our school can serve as a model of education to be emulated by future generations. Thank you all and I give you my best wishes.
Student says: “Thank you teachers, Thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you all. We’ll grow strong like a little tree”
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Place: March 29, 2008 - Tzu Chi High/Elementary School in Tainan
Hello, little bodhisattvas. You aren’t little sparrows but little bodhisattvas. See how still and upright you’re all sitting. Everyone is sitting in such an orderly and dignified manner which is indeed very adorable. You teachers and the principals of our schools, I’m truly very grateful for your efforts. My mind has truly been set at ease.
In these children at our schools, we see the hope of our society. If fact, the hope of our society also lies in how children are educated at home. In Taiwan’s society today, there is no shortage of schools. But what there is shortage of is education that is truly committed to and takes responsibility for the children’s future. However these days, there are also cases where the teachers earnestly guide the children, but are faced with parents who only know to spoil their children rather than truly love them the right away. “What did the teacher ask you to do today?” “Sweep the floor?” “How could they!” “We paid school fees” “How can they ask you to sweep the floor?” The parents would go talk to the teachers about it. This is the wrong attitude. Throughout the course of their education, children should be taught about aspects of daily living and how to take care of themselves. They need to learn these skills. If you raise a child who expects to eat without having to do anything, in the future, he will have many problems in his relationship, be it relating to others in society, his peers, or his family. So, we need to pave the way for them to learn about life’s principles. For that, we need the school to educate them. We should teach children about different things at the different stages of their lives. We should also teach them the principles of human relations. By the latter, I mean educating children about moral ethics and principles. While gaining knowledge and learning about life’s principles is fundamental. They should also be taught to respect others. Children should know to be grateful as well as know about the proprieties of showing respect for their elders. It’s the family’s responsibility to teach them this;. Of course, once they enter the workforce, they should know how to treat their friends, colleagues, their seniors or subordinates. They should be clear about proprieties and decorum. In our relationships with people, it is important that we know about this aspect of moral ethics and principles.
But during the course of their education, it is important that they learn about different principles at different ages. See, after a child is born, he or she is referred to as “an infant”. Next, the infant enters into childhood. Once they enter into childhood, parents will send them to kindergarten. For children of this age, we should teach them to greet the teacher when they see him or her. Those are the basic proprieties we should teach preschool children. After graduating from kindergarten, they begin elementary school. Their elementary school teacher begins imparting rudimentary knowledge about life’s principles and aspects of daily living such as how to have a neat and tidy appearance and how to keep themselves clean. This is all part of the education process. So, not only should they be taught to achieve academically, but their ability to contribute should also be nurtured so that they know to be useful and to cherish the environment around them by helping to keep it clean. The last time I came, I saw that the students were all very neat and tidy. This time, I see that they have made further progress from the last time I saw them. Because the last time I saw them was at the end of last year. When I came from the year-end blessings ceremony gave out hong-baos, didn’t it? “Did you get them?” “Yes” That time they were like sparrows twittering away. Today it was different. Their sign language performance today was very good and they also sat very still and upright. So, they’re improving day by day. Evidently, education needs to start from teaching children about daily living. It’s the same for high school children. As the children enter different stages of their lives and they get increasingly older. Upon entering each stage of their lives, they’ll come to understand more and more about life’s principles and they gain more and more wisdom. These are the objectives we hope to achieve for children at our schools.
Our hope for the future lies in education. We must set a fine example of education that is truly worth being passed on from generation to generation. So instilling the humanistic spirit in our children should be in mission shared by everyone serving in Tzu Chi’s schools. Not only do the principals need to be resolute. I often say to our principals “I don’t ask for a great quantity of students, but please make sure every one of them has good character.” This is what I hope our principals can achieve. There are some parents who say, “I’ll only enroll my child here if you do such and such”. At that, you should say to the parents, “Enroll your children here only, you can go along with the school’s policies”. The school shouldn’t only try to cater to the parent’s wishes. It is parents who should support the principles of the school and work in unison with the school. If for example, the school works to meet every parent’s requests, then the school will lose its ideals as well as its direction. Students come and go, but schools remain forever to serve for the good of society as it works to pass down an exemplar of character to hundreds and thousands of years to come. So, it is my hope that all the parents can do what is truly best for their children. You must learn to bear with not seeing your child being pampered at school but rather having to follow many rules. Please don’t find it hard to accept. You must give your child a chance to learn the proper manners and proprieties that the school wishes to teach your child. Such practice of self-discipline and propriety is what schools should be teaching. In addition to inspiring children to give of their love to others. I believe such an education is the best kind of education one can have. My heart is set at ease and I also hope that our parents can also rest assured and let our school and our very good teachers educate your children. I hope the parents can give the principals your support and truly trust the schools.
I’m truly very grateful. Of course, I must also express my gratitude to all Tzu Chi volunteers. All our schools were able to be built, thanks to the love of all Tzu Chi volunteers as well as every bit of their donations that were pooled together to make all this we have today possible. You must know that so many people have made great contributions to the school. They donated their money with sincere blessings for the school with heart full of love. So, you should know that all the students that study at the school study in place where every inch of land is filled with blessings and every tile is filled with love. Tzu Chi volunteers had given all of their love and blessings to this school. See how blessed the children are who receive their education here. I see how you helped to clean the streets together with your children as a way to extend goodwill to people in your community. This is what family education is about as parents are role models for their children. I hope that your children can all be just like yourselves who can also serve as model examples. May education and the culture of humanity always remain closely linked so that our kinds can become people of exemplary character and our school can serve as a model of education to be emulated by future generations. Thank you all and I give you my best wishes.
Student says: “Thank you teachers, Thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you all. We’ll grow strong like a little tree”
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