Master Xuecheng: Is it unfilial for a monk not to serve his mother by his side?

Amitabha

Question: If you become a monk and study, you will have to end your worldly ties and you will no longer be able to fulfill your filial piety around your parents.

Master Xuecheng: Many people who study abroad cannot stay with their parents to fulfill their filial piety. Even in the same country and city, more and more people now live in different places with their parents. In turn, even if you become a monk, you can go home to take care of your parents when they are sick or have difficulties in life. This is at the level of life. On the spiritual level, monks are dedicated to repaying the kindness of their parents and treating all living beings as their parents, which is a deeper and broader form of filial piety. Question: As a monk who practices outside home all year round, how can you fulfill your filial piety to your parents?

Master Xuecheng: First of all, becoming a monk does not mean escaping the responsibility of supporting children. When parents have difficulties in life or cannot take care of themselves, monks can and should provide food and clothing or take care of them personally; secondly, filial piety for becoming a monk does not stop at food and clothing. In terms of support, the emphasis is more on benefiting the infinite life of the parents, and not only facing the parents in this life, but also extending to the parents in the next life. It is a deeper and broader filial piety.