To commence the new academic year 2024/2025, One Earth School students held Matru Pitru Pujan Divas, or respect for parents on 26 July 2024. So many people recognise and commemorate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. However, these activities have become very mechanical, where we simply wish them well and give flowers and then take a selfie and post it on social media. In the eastern tradition, there is actually no special day to honour parents. We show our respect and affection in our behaviour every day, all day long. Just as parental love lasts for a lifetime, children’s respect and love for their parents should last for the rest of their lives.
When paying their respects, students bow down to their parents, as an expression of gratitude, thankfulness and devotion. Prostrating or sungkem is one of the noble cultures of our ancestors that has been forgotten over time. Therefore, this activity is a means to revive this noble culture.
Matru Pitru Pujan Divas is a reminder that we owe this physical body to our parents. This cannot be repaid in any way except by honouring and using this body to its fullest potential, by respecting every form of life.
On this occasion, Guruji Anand Krishna was present and gave a talk. He advised that we must have the spirit of learning. Be a lifelong learner so that we are not left behind. In addition, he emphasised the importance of the role of parents at home as the first teacher for children. Parents must be able to be good role models for their children.
In addition, we must also learn from history, we need to re-explore the noble wisdom of our own culture. We should be proud of our own country and reflect on the history of Sriwijaya which was able to survive for 800 – 1,200 years and became the largest exporting country. Parents do not need to send their children to study abroad because the glory of European nations colonising Asian nations did not last more than 170 years. We have a very rich treasure trove of wisdom and noble cultural values.
Guruji also emphasised the importance for children to have critical thinking. The students need to have dialogues and ask questions to the teachers and not just blindly swallow what they are given. The spirit of questioning and dialogue will hone our thinking skills. After possessing the two things above, then students should be able to become entrepreneurs who run businesses with full confidence so that we can become an independent and victorious nation.
