Clipping Board » Other ─ There is currently no cure for this disease of the country and society...
Update Date: 2009/06/06 03:15
By Ho Jung-hsing, Kao Yu-chih, Chien Tung-yuan / Hualien Report
Frequent reports of child abuse incidents have raised concerns about family education issues. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the publication of *Jing Si Aphorisms*, Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation, emphasized to visiting reporters from this newspaper that some incompetent parents indeed need education. However, she believes child abuse cases are isolated incidents, and more family problems stem from "children being overly spoiled, leading to a lack of discernment between right and wrong." She urged parents to "love their children, but not spoil them."
Master Cheng Yen also expressed concern about the "superficialization of higher education," pointing out that many college students lack even basic moral principles. In the past, parents taught their children the values of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame from a young age. Nowadays, children not only fail to greet guests or elders but also display arrogance, while their parents neglect to teach them basic manners.
With soaring high school and college admission rates, nearly all students can enter university, yet social norms show no signs of improvement. Master Cheng Yen stressed, "High academic qualifications aren’t necessarily useful. What’s the point of reading so many books?" Everyone just wants to study, resulting in abandoned farmland. "Words and paper can’t be eaten. If everyone only wants to write, who will build roads? How could we have highways? How could roads be so smooth?"
She emphasized that although modern society is filled with highly educated individuals, public safety has deteriorated, and the quality of life has declined. Human desires have grown, yet capabilities have weakened, which is truly regrettable. Ancient people lived with wisdom, while modern people only acquire superficial knowledge from books—lacking the profound, experiential wisdom of life.
*Jing Si Aphorisms* has been published for 20 years, with over 3.45 million copies of related books distributed globally in 11 languages. Reporters from this newspaper visited the Tzu Chi Abode to hear Master Cheng Yen’s reflections.
Regarding family education, Master Cheng Yen observed that current parent-child relationships and upbringing are plagued by excessive indulgence, leading to children who lack moral clarity and discipline. She noted that families in the past taught etiquette and human ethics early on, emphasizing propriety and moderation. "Even entering school gates, students learned about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Now, these are gone. Family education was strict in the past, but it’s being lost today."
She pointed out that many young parents today grew up without strict family education, resulting in generational decline. "People have already lost their way. In the past, parents scolded children for being 'unruly,' but now family education is making many people less and less humane."
Referring to the shocking case of a baby being boiled in oil in Changhua County, Master Cheng Yen attributed it to the parent’s "mental illness," calling it an isolated incident that media should not sensationalize. "There are far more stories of spoiled children." Most parents should discipline their children strictly, teaching them right from wrong. "Today’s children are already too unruly—they shouldn’t be indulged or overly pampered."
On the 20th anniversary of *Jing Si Aphorisms*, Master Cheng Yen hopes the book can deepen family education, teaching not only children but also parents. "Parents are their children’s role models. If you want your child to turn out a certain way, you must first set the example yourself."
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090606/ 4/ 1kr5b. html
Exclusive: Overindulgence Breeds Lawless Children, Warns Master Cheng Yen
By Ho Jung-hsing, Kao Yu-chih, Chien Tung-yuan / Hualien Report
Frequent reports of child abuse incidents have raised concerns about family education issues. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the publication of *Jing Si Aphorisms*, Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation, emphasized to visiting reporters from this newspaper that some incompetent parents indeed need education. However, she believes child abuse cases are isolated incidents, and more family problems stem from "children being overly spoiled, leading to a lack of discernment between right and wrong." She urged parents to "love their children, but not spoil them."
Master Cheng Yen also expressed concern about the "superficialization of higher education," pointing out that many college students lack even basic moral principles. In the past, parents taught their children the values of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame from a young age. Nowadays, children not only fail to greet guests or elders but also display arrogance, while their parents neglect to teach them basic manners.
With soaring high school and college admission rates, nearly all students can enter university, yet social norms show no signs of improvement. Master Cheng Yen stressed, "High academic qualifications aren’t necessarily useful. What’s the point of reading so many books?" Everyone just wants to study, resulting in abandoned farmland. "Words and paper can’t be eaten. If everyone only wants to write, who will build roads? How could we have highways? How could roads be so smooth?"
She emphasized that although modern society is filled with highly educated individuals, public safety has deteriorated, and the quality of life has declined. Human desires have grown, yet capabilities have weakened, which is truly regrettable. Ancient people lived with wisdom, while modern people only acquire superficial knowledge from books—lacking the profound, experiential wisdom of life.
*Jing Si Aphorisms* has been published for 20 years, with over 3.45 million copies of related books distributed globally in 11 languages. Reporters from this newspaper visited the Tzu Chi Abode to hear Master Cheng Yen’s reflections.
Regarding family education, Master Cheng Yen observed that current parent-child relationships and upbringing are plagued by excessive indulgence, leading to children who lack moral clarity and discipline. She noted that families in the past taught etiquette and human ethics early on, emphasizing propriety and moderation. "Even entering school gates, students learned about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Now, these are gone. Family education was strict in the past, but it’s being lost today."
She pointed out that many young parents today grew up without strict family education, resulting in generational decline. "People have already lost their way. In the past, parents scolded children for being 'unruly,' but now family education is making many people less and less humane."
Referring to the shocking case of a baby being boiled in oil in Changhua County, Master Cheng Yen attributed it to the parent’s "mental illness," calling it an isolated incident that media should not sensationalize. "There are far more stories of spoiled children." Most parents should discipline their children strictly, teaching them right from wrong. "Today’s children are already too unruly—they shouldn’t be indulged or overly pampered."
On the 20th anniversary of *Jing Si Aphorisms*, Master Cheng Yen hopes the book can deepen family education, teaching not only children but also parents. "Parents are their children’s role models. If you want your child to turn out a certain way, you must first set the example yourself."
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090606/ 4/ 1kr5b. html