A message to the Meiteis living abroad

Sanjoo Thangjam *

REPAYING YOUR PARENTS , ELDER BROTHERS & ELDER SISTERS

Even if you folks there in abroad accumulate great wealth, many possessions, and an esteemed position in society, if you all show no gratitude or kindness towards your mother and father and your elders then you guys are without true wealth. To put it simply, you all are without the distinguishing features of good persons.

When you people there, out of our Kangleipak Ima Manipur, realise the goodness your parents have shown towards you, you should try to repay the goodness with wholehearted effort. They cared for and look after you for many years, so you can in turn look after them in their old age inclusive of your poor elder brothers and sisters. And even if they have passed away, you can still benefit them by performing good deeds and sharing the merit with them.

When you were in school, you should be diligent and put all your efforts into studying and succeeding with the best possible grades, so as not to priced your elder brothers, sisters and your parents as a whole any anxiety. This will also assists you all in finding good jobs and worthy life partners as well.

Moving from there into a workplace, you then have the opportunity to give a hand to them financially or with whatever physical help they might and the society need as a whole instead of passing comments via print or electronic medias without knowing or rather bearing in mind the ground reality. At this point in your life, you can start to look after the people of Manipur apart from your parents and elder brothers and sisters in the way they looked after you up until now.

Because our parents have our best interests at heart and do whatever they can to guide us in life. Sometimes they aren’t practising generosity, virtue or meditation, and worry about their inner welfare. But if we truly want to help them, the best we can do is to develop goodness within ourselves first. When they see the positive results in us, they will naturally be inclined to follow our self first. When they see the positive results in us, they will naturally be inclined to follow our example.

It’s normal that in the course of our relationship with our parents there will be some conflicts and disagreements. But deep in our heart we still have a sense of appreciation and gratitude towards them, even if sometimes negative emotions spill out. Our parents have shown us great kindness throughout their lives. So if any times we have mistreated them, we should ask wholeheartedly for their forgiveness.

We can also repay our debt to them by being cautions with our speech and behaviour. Since the day we were born they looked after our welfare. They imparted knowledge, raised us, and cared for our needs. So if we speak or act in a harsh way towards our parents , even the smallest thing can have a great impact. Words take on an extra intensity and meaning when they come from one’s own children. This is the love a parent feels for their child.

If our parents have reached a stage where they can no longer look after themselves, it’s now time for us to selflessly give all the assistance we can. We repay our debt by caring for and looking after them with all the kindness in our heart.

And as we perform these types of good, wholesome actions and express our gratitude, then our lives will take on a newfound, inner wealth and meaning. Being supportive of one’s parents, the Buddha said, is among the highest blessings.