In a traditional Confucian society, the enthusiasm for education is evident in the proverb: 孟母三遷之敎
(The mother of Mencius, a saint in the East, moved three times to educate her son.) When living next to a cemetery the child imitated the wailing sound of music, they moved next to a market and the child was initiated in commercial affairs; moved near to a school he began learning about the classics. One needs to be interested in the education of the child is the meaning.
Enthusiasm for the education of their children by Korean parents shows readily in this proverb. It is said that there are many parents who make fake documents to help the selection process and seek ways of receiving preferential treatment for their children as well as moving for their children's education.
By studying well, he became a judge, doctor, professor, and entrepreneur faster than others and succeeded in high office, but he closed his eyes to his neighbor's pain and lived only for his own success. There are a lot of 'responsible intellectuals' in our society who don't smell human.
The purpose of education and learning is to become a true human being, however, today, education seems to aim at success— to have a high position and a good salary. Human life and death, and all that this comprises are of little concern. Studying with the head without acquiring its broader and deeper meanings and values is to win in competition with a cold heart.
Since the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty, examinations and the emphasis on one's educational background was the royal road to success. Those of our older generations who lived in poverty and with sorrow were not recognized simply because they lacked formal education.
However, at the end of one's life, it is not the lack of learning and not being appreciated that is the problem but a life without love. Whatever the educational background of ourselves and our children, if we can break out from the cultural bonds that bind us and experience love as a child of God, the self-esteem that faith conveys to our children is a greater asset than any prestigious college can give.
The purpose of true education and learning is not to accumulate knowledge as in a warehouse, but rather to learn 'wisdom', which allows us to expand our vision to the world and reflect and learn from our lives. Indeed, the training of Mencius' mother was successful in all three moves, rather than only in the third place after two failures!
Mencius learns the 'dynamics of death' the limits of human existence and the vanity of life while living by the cemetery. In the marketplace, he encountered the fierce 'dynamics of life' in the buying and selling competition of life. And by the school, he learned the universal value and meaning of life from the pursuit of learning.
Even though his own mother's level of education was not high, the words that his deceased mother, left the writer have remained vivid."What if you don't have a Ph.D. Do not try to be popular but one recognized by God."
