Be Morally-Correct

The Chinese culture has been deeply influenced by Confucius, a great Chinese teacher and educator. His influence extends throughout the world even today. Confucius believed that moral principles, virtues and discipline should be the very first lessons taught to a child, and that children need to practice them daily. Unlike modern-day parents who disapprove of physical punishment, ancient Chinese parents actually encouraged and thanked the teacher when their children were punished for misbehaving. It was most important to the ancient Chinese parents that their children learned moral principles and virtues first - before any other subjects, because without these as a foundation, the learning of all other subjects would be futile. In ancient China, the purpose of going to school and studying was to prepare for becoming saints and sages, not to pave the way for fame or profit-making.

Even though they seem stringent by today's standards, it is apparent that the people of that time felt it was important that the child should be well-disciplined and taught moral principles and virtues when still very young. They felt that without strict discipline and moral standards, a child would amount to nothing. Not knowing what it meant to be dutiful to parents and respectful to teachers, a child would grow up not listening to or respecting anyone. Ironically today, many parents listen to the child instead of the other way round. Additionally, teachers are afraid to teach and discipline children because they are fearful of violating the children's legal rights and of being sued by parents.

Currently, we live in a tumultuous world where the relationships among people; between people and their government; parents and children; husbands and wives; employers and employees - are disintegrating. Parents do not act like parents and children do not act like children anymore. Our minds are polluted and our family system is disintegrating, as evidenced by an ever-increasing divorce rate. Soon the planet Earth will no longer be fit for us to live on. We are fearful of our futures and the futures of our children.

Therefore, it is fervently hoped that each and every one of us would embrace all good moral principles, virtues and be disciplined, so that our future generations will benefit from it, and society at large and our world will be at peace and be a better place to live on, come rain or shine! CIAO!