Our parents gave us life. They caressed, sheltered, and guided us. Their care and love for us started in the embryonic state long before we were born.

Our parents have a natural loving mind toward us. Without longing for return of merits, they care for us in every single aspect. When we are sick, our parents wake up early or stay up late to take care of our sickness. We eat hearty meals at the expense of their nutrition, have sweet dreams at the sacrifice of their sleep, and enjoy good health to the detriment of their health. They cut their personal needs to satisfy ours. Their love is unselfish, wholehearted and ever lasting.

We are greatly indebted to our parents. It is important to repay their gracious sacrifices and enormous kindness before it is too late.

However, it must be understood that the practice of filial piety includes but is not limited to feeding and caring for our parents. It does not stop even after they pass away.

In fact, filial piety is a continuous and lifelong process of purifying our mind. It is our parents who gave us the body. Therefore, making sure that this body does not fall into evil paths is our basic responsibility as a son or a daughter.

In the Classic of Filial Piety, Confucius said, "Filial piety is the foundation of all virtues, from which cultivation comes to light. ... Our body, hair and skin are given by our parents. We should not harm them. This is the beginning of filial piety."

As it says, all virtues start from filial piety. If we fail to be filial to our parents, all our kindness to other people is just hypocrisy. The Confucian teaching of not harming our body is particularly important nowadays when we are facing a torrent of drugs, intoxicants, alcohol, lethal virus such as HIV (AIDS) and HCV (Hepatitis C), violence and porn. Things like gambling and associating with bad companions will certainly bring misfortunes to us.

The Buddha said, "Those who do not fulfill their filial piety will fall into Avici, the hell of uninterrupted suffering, when they die." The uninterrupted hell is set up for the most serious offenses in the world, and failure to be filial to one's parents is one of them. Inside Avici, offenders suffer, die and are instantly reborn without interruption until their evil karma is exhausted.

There is a saying: When one enters the Buddha's door, nine generations of his ancestors will ascend to the heaven. The genuine filial piety is to cultivate oneself and become a blessing to the world as well as the parents.