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Vietnamese | English Education
Starts in the Womb A Talk Given by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Oct. 25, 1988 A baby will be imprinted by whatever mindset the mother has during her pregnancy. All
good and wise friends, today we are together in this great hall to
discuss education. Education is the foundation for everyone, if we
neglect this basic issue, we will be “renouncing the essential while
pursuing the trivia, ignoring what is near and seeking what is far
away.” Education
starts when we are born; what we constantly see and hear after our
birth shapes our behavior throughout our lives. It is said that
“Those who draw near to vermilion will turn red, those who associate
with ink will turn black; something stained with gray will turn gray,
something stained with yellow will become yellow.” It can even be
said that education not only affects a person after his birth, but
also when he is still in the womb. For example, if a mother were
knowledgeable, the baby in her womb will be positively influenced to
also be very smart and learned. If a mother likes to lose her temper
while pregnant, her baby certainly will have a big temper. If a mother
were very obstinate and refuses to take advice from anyone, her child
will definitely be very stubborn and does things his own way without
heeding the advice of others. Therefore, educating the fetus is very
important. Women
are mothers of every citizen, and thus they are the foundation of a
nation. Given this important role they play in society, all women
should learn how to educate their children, and this responsibility
starts when they become pregnant. During their pregnancy, women should
not fight, be greedy, seek, be selfish, pursue personal advantage, or
tell lies. Because if a mother engages in any of these behaviors, her
baby will be influenced accordingly and develop similar mindset.
Consequently, the child won’t become a good citizen. Therefore,
parents should start paying attention to educating their child when
their baby is still in the womb. Parents
must set good examples for their children. They should not fight or
quarrel so much, be selfish, seek self-advantage, be greedy, or lie!
This is important because children will observe and imitate their
parents’ behaviors. Indeed, children are highly susceptible to their
environment. For example, by observing the way adults talk, children
learn how to talk bit by bit. Therefore, parents should not say they
are only capable of bearing their children, but incapable of educating
them. By bringing a child into this world, you are adding a new
citizen to your nation. However, if you don’t educate your children
well, you won’t be fulfilling your responsibility to your nation and
society. In other words, you will be held fully responsible if you
fail to educate your children properly and they become problem youths,
who may even harm the nation and society. Therefore,
as parents, you should make your children’s education as your first
priority, instead of focusing mainly on earning money and pursuing
fame. You should consider educating your children as your most
important task. If you are able to educate your children well, it will
be more valuable than earning a lot of money for them. This is because
through proper education, your children will learn how to behave as
upright individuals, and how to cherish their own bodies. Therefore,
before children are old enough to attend school, their parents should
be responsible for their education during this period of time. As
soon as children start school, teachers should set good examples for
their students. Under the teachers’ positive influence, the students
should learn how to develop upright characters and virtues, and how to
show filial reverence toward their parents and respect toward their
elders. From the very beginning, teachers should teach their students
filial reverence. In the elementary school at the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas, students are instilled with the concept of filial reverence.
They are taught to be obedient to their parents, and to help their
parents when they go home. Therefore, their parents are very pleased
with their behavior at home. For teachers who have taken “obtaining outstanding people in the world to educate” as their true vocation and duty, they should shoulder the responsibility for educating other people's children. They should start with instructing the students not to smoke, not to take intoxicants or drugs, and not to get involved in improper relationships with members of the opposite sex.
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