Letting Go of the Attachment to Family Sentimentality

(Minghui.org) People of the older generation in China often say, “Children are all about debt repayment from past lives.” This saying is clearly illustrated in the 16th century Chinese novel The Investiture of the Gods.

In the novel, Nazha is said to be a reincarnation of Lingzhuzi. He was reborn into the family of Li Jing to wait for cosmic change in order to put an end to the perpetual slaughter.

Nazha was naughty but possessed magic powers. He created a lot of problems for his father. His relationship with his father drastically worsened when he killed the third son of the dragon king and eventually had to pay the enormous debt with his life.

When his father found out Nazha’s spirit was residing in a statue in a temple, he felt that Nazha did not deserve to be honored by the people and so had Nazha’s statue destroyed, leaving Nazha’s soul without a home.

But Nazha’s master restored Nazha to life and Nazha went looking for his father for revenge.

There were a lot of such incidents back and forth.

This story suggests that in this world, no relationship or sentimentality is eternal. That includes our relationship with and sentimentality toward our children. So, we have no need to be too attached or obsessed in this regard.

As parents, our children are not our life, to invest our entirety to the extent of neglecting our own selves and worth.

Children and grandchildren come with their own blessings. To treat them with overindulgence will likely produce the opposite result.

Is it really worth it to exert so much time and energy for a relationship that proves only fleeting?

Some parents look at their children as personal property to be molded according to the parents’ wishes and designs, exhausting themselves but in the end got nothing to show for their efforts.

Parents need to learn to respect and let go. Children need to practice filial piety, to respect and honor parents, and to carry in their hearts feelings of benevolence and gratitude.

If we can live together in this world and maintain a semblance of peace and harmony, it will be sufficient.

The above is my personal take on the topic, meant for reference only.