효의 근본 의미와 중요성

The Essential Meaning of Filial Piety and its Importance

Family is the root that holds Korean society. Traditionally, there has been a peculiar character in Koreans' awareness to their family. A family in Korea is the smallest unit that keeps the "us" principle. Therefore, Koreans' family relationship is strongly adhesive and the relationship among parents and their offsprings is especially tenacious. Because of this family connection, those parents who can't give things enough to their children always feel sorry while the children feel uncomfortable for what they have done wrong to their parents. If one feels sorry and uncomfortable, it is obviously difficult for him or her to manifest his or her ability. In evidence, it is almost rare to find undutiful sons or daughters who have succeeded in their lives. Then, one solution for the knotty problems in Korean society should be persuading Korean people to look after their family-parents love their children and children behave good to their parents. In order to have sons and daughters be good to their parents, we should define explicitly what the filial piety means. It is not children serving parents but continuously making an effort to get love from parents. The ways of getting parents' love are firstly, having them alive and secondly, obey their wills. This is how we practice filial piety toward our parents. Besides, filial piety can be a means of realizing truth as well as fulfilling world peace.