No 766 of Living Life Series 1
A father or elder who was instrumental in bringing about the family success of an organisation, family or group should always be respected as the elder and there cannot be any excuse for his removal. Such a thought however remote should not even be considered at all.
He had done good in his hey days and whether he will continue to do good or be of use of sorts after his retirement from the helm should not be the yardstick for discarding or retaining him. Men should never have the audacity to discard a parent or elder just because they have come of age and can stand on their own, not even if he was a sore thumb or irritant of sorts. Due respect for his being an elder should be accorded till the end of time and beyond.
He had done good in his hey days and whether he will continue to do good or be of use of sorts after his retirement from the helm should not be the yardstick for discarding or retaining him. Men should never have the audacity to discard a parent or elder just because they have come of age and can stand on their own, not even if he was a sore thumb or irritant of sorts. Due respect for his being an elder should be accorded till the end of time and beyond.
The issue of meritocracy should not be considered to merit judgement on him. Whatever judgement there may be cannot serve as excuse to say he is no longer effective as the father figure or elder, let alone expelling him from the family.
Others may have seen him in his prime but let not his old age and frailty with inability to be as good as before be excuse to discredit him. Respect must be accorded to elders and parents even if they are no longer as good as before and have become liabilities of sorts.
In reality, parents and elders are still of value and can provide good guidance and options to the rest of the group or family who have come of age and think they can go on their own. They should not forget that there is always that debt of gratitude and love for the parents and elders.
This is just common sense, more so if we are humans. Even many animals accord respect to elders and parents but to a lesser degree. But men cannot degenerate to being like animals or even worse than animals. That would be sad.
Thus the respect for parents and elders is one of the universal precepts that the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) introduced in 1969 when he descended for the mission to show the oneness of goodness, love and truth in all religions and sects.
Incidentally and perhaps even admirably, it is a fact that even if an elder or father figure is thrown out of the family or group, he will find ways to reconcile with those who threw him out. He may seek legal redress to bring this about. This will be such as to re-establish that he is indeed still the elder
He still loves his family and go for reconciliation to return to the as before, more so when all are family after all. He will not send those who mishandled him to the gallows but will reform and save them so as to save the family.
He will not send them out of the family even though one or two might have done so to him. He is indeed the father figure and the elder in him will still regard them as family. He will put them in their place to play their rightful and appropriate roles in the family.
He will engineer things such that all are like particles cemented together to be like the concrete pillar so as to stand up well to withstand the elements.
As head of family, the family will withstand all weather conditions. As head of a group or mission, the mission will be restored in strength and prominence to face the odds.
The legacy of the elder and parent is to be reckoned and not trifled with or taken lightly. Give it due regards even if you don't like him at times. He is human and not saint.
But he is every bit still an elder and had made good in the past and no reason he cannot make good for the remainder of his life. Even if he could not, respect him and respect is due for his upbringing of family and the goodness he had brought about.
He has done good and no reason, he cannot still do more good. It is up to the rest of the family to bring out the good in him. The fault lies as much in others as in him if there is the failure for more of the good in him.
We must uphold dignity of the elders. We will not stand for elder abuse. But the fact is that elder abuse is on the rise. Even heaven through saints like Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) has enshrined respect for elders and parents as one of the universal precepts. There is no place for elder abuse be it in heaven or in all places under heaven.
Our family or society is the first temple and our elder or parent is the first god or saint, never mind if he is not perfect. He has done good and have track record. It is up to the family or group to bring out more of the good in him.
Do not flame the elders or you will end up flaming the grounds that you are standing on and be burnt as well. Is this the moral of the story. Well, it is not as simple as that, or is it?
