When Śākyamuni Buddha was a crown prince, King Śuddhodana, the Buddha’s father, did not allow the prince to enter the priesthood. He placed 2,000 soldiers at the four gates of the palace to keep an eye on the prince. Nevertheless, Śākyamuni entered the priesthood against His parents’ wishes. In the secular world one should follow the wishes of one’s parents. In Buddhism, however, it seems to be an act of filial piety not to follow one’s parents’ wishes. Therefore, it is preached in the Meditation on the Mind-base Sūtra regarding the root of filial piety, “It is the true way of repaying indebtedness to enter the Buddha Dharma by severing ties with the long-lasting love of parents.” It means that in true Buddhism entering the priesthood and becoming a Buddha by not following the wishes of parents is the true way of repaying the gratitude of indebtedness.

Even in the secular world it is stated in the Classic of Filial Piety, a Confucian classic, that it would be an act of filial piety for one not to follow one’s parents in the event when one’s parents rise in rebellion. When Grand Master T’ien-t’ai entered the Lotus Meditation, his late parents clung to both his knees, to prevent him from practicing the Buddha way. It was a heavenly devil taking the form of his parents to disturb him.

Kyōdai-shō, A Letter to the Ikegami Brothers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 79-80