Many people mistake Buddhism for a religion that goes against filial piety. This misconception arises from the Buddhist practices of monks: 1) shaving their hair off, which is tantamount to removing part of their body given to them by their parents; and 2) taking a vow of celibacy, thereby cutting off the family line. This book addresses such misconceptions by pointing out that Buddhism also has scripture dedicated to filial piety, namely the Sutra of Filial Piety, and that much importance was placed on this value by the Buddha.

The Sutra of Filial Piety paints a detailed portrait of the love and self-sacrifice of parents towards their children and how this is met with ungratefulness on part of their offspring. The parental love preached by the Buddha is unconditional love whose value is unfathomable and therefore impossible to repay through filial offerings, whether material or non-material. Rather than rely on such secular means of filial piety, one must study the Dharma, repent, take refuge in the Three Jewels, and attempt to practice the Dharma in all parts of life. Filial piety in Buddhism differs from its Confucian counterpart in that ensuring one’s parents’ peace of mind is valued above material offerings, in that parents do not rank above their children but share equal status with them, and in that repaying filial debt is an act that does not end in this life but extends to the afterlife.