In order to better understand [Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva], we have to understand how Mahayana Buddhism became established as a viable religion in China. Chinese society was strongly influenced by the teachings of Confucianism, which especially upheld the importance of filial duty – the duty and reverence of children toward their parents and ancestors. This ideal has been one of the underpinnings of Chinese society and culture from the time of Confucius in the fifth century B.C.E. to the present day Given this cultural context, we can see that the Buddhist ideal of renunciation – leaving one’s home and family to become a monk or nun, a seeker of truth – would have been difficult to accept.

Someone who is practicing always has the capacity to return home in order to liberate their family from suffering. No one practices just for himself or herself alone. When followers of Confucianism condemned Buddhism as failing to practice filial piety, the practitioners had to prove the opposite, that in following the path of the Buddha they were also following the path of humanity and filial piety. In the story of bodhisattva Quan Am of the Southern Seas (written in Vietnamese Nom script), we have the following verse:

The suchness of the Buddha’s path is very wonderful, our heart is loyal with filial piety and the first thought we have is to look after humanity.

Filial piety is our aim to be able to liberate from suffering those who are close to us. Our humanity is our aim, to be able to rescue all living beings from drifting and sinking in the ocean of suffering.