The Dragon's Head Blog: Filial Piety

Reflections on the 8 Virtues: Filial Piety    

Reverence and loving care of our parents – teachers – elders

The practice of working together and taking care of others, a core element of our  training, has helped me enormously.  

I came from a dysfunctional background and for as long as I can remember, I couldn’t wait to leave home. I spent my life arguing with my mother. I did not have any time for her, and was as unhelpful towards her as I could be.

As part of my Taoist Tai Chi™ path I attended a Fung Loy Kok week at the International Centre near Orangeville, Ontario.  During this retreat I discovered the virtue of Filial Piety.  Initially as I read about this virtue, I felt great pain and sadness.  I experienced enormous guilt and wanted someone to tell me what to do.  Over time, reflecting on the description of this virtue has helped me to become aware of the bitterness that was eating away at my insides.  I began to understand I had to find the answers within myself.  And I did. One day I realized I was acquiring a deeper sense of filial piety.  I was calming down. I felt I wanted to get closer to my mother.  The end result is I am now able to take care of my mother, to love her sincerely and freely.

Reading the virtue of filial piety now does me a lot of good and makes me happy.

~Christine