និទានពីការគោរពមាតាបិតានិងអ្នកគ្រូ

Long ago, there lived a noble son named Dara in a small village nestled by the foothills, surrounded by lush, green rice fields. Although his family was not wealthy, Dara possessed an abundance of respect and profound love for his aging mother and father.

Dara understood clearly that parents are the living Brahma of their children, the ones who bestow birth and life, alongside the very first education before entering society. Every time he awoke, he would respectfully raise his hands in a Sampeah (Khmer greeting) to his mother and father with a bright, earnest smile.

Before setting off for school, Dara would help with small household chores without needing to be told, such as fetching water or setting up the woven palm mat for his mother to rest upon. These actions were not a burden, but a genuine expression of gratitude from the depths of his heart.

Upon reaching the schoolhouse, Dara would walk with disciplined steps, his books and slate clutched firmly in hand, eager to seek knowledge from the esteemed teacher. The school was his second sanctuary, where the master teacher stood as a second set of parents, guiding the path of intellect.

Lok Kru Keo, the village sage, always instructed his students that respect was not merely words, but an action stemming from pure body, speech, and mind. He explained that showing respect to teachers was equivalent to showing respect for one’s own future.

Dara committed these moral lessons firmly to memory. Whenever the teacher spoke, he would sit perfectly still, bowing his head slightly in deep attention, knowing that every single word uttered by his master was a seed of genuine wisdom.

One afternoon, the teacher assigned a complicated arithmetic problem that none of the students could easily solve. Dara concentrated intensely until sweat beaded upon his forehead, and his heart began to feel small and discouraged, nearly tempting him to give up.

The feeling of defeat crept into his thoughts, but immediately, the image of his parents laboring under the sun so that he could study flashed into his mind. He realized that abandoning his studies was tantamount to disrespecting the hard labor and sacrifice of his mother and father.

Next, he recalled the unwavering patience of his master teacher, who had explained the difficult lesson repeatedly without a single word of complaint. Respect for his teacher required him to persevere diligently so that the instruction offered would not be in vain.

Dara wiped the sweat from his brow and straightened his posture. He began to re-examine the mathematics problem, step by painstaking step, with a mind now filled with renewed determination.

He recognized that true respect resided in possessing high responsibility and meticulous attention toward the tasks entrusted to him. Laziness and procrastination were the direct opposites of respect, that supreme virtue.

After a long duration of strenuous effort, Dara discovered the key to the solution and solved the difficult problem accurately. This was not merely a victory over numbers, but a profound triumph over his own inner weakness.

Lok Kru Keo walked over to inspect the work and saw Dara’s perfect answer. He did not praise the solution alone, but instead praised the unwavering diligence and firm resolve of his student.

The teacher stated: ‘Dara, my child, you have demonstrated that a person who truly respects their teacher and parents fears no hardship, for they understand that difficulty itself is simply another lesson.’

In the evening, Dara returned home feeling refreshed and proud of having fulfilled his duties. He rushed to embrace his mother and immediately helped prepare the evening meal, showing no sign of fatigue from his intense study.

Dara’s parents were overjoyed, for they saw that the light of their son’s bright future rested not upon material wealth, but squarely upon the supreme virtue of respect and gratitude.

Dara’s story became renowned throughout the village, not just because of the knowledge he acquired, but because of his impeccable manners and the profound respect he held for both those who gave him birth and those who bestowed upon him wisdom.

Oh, my children, remember this truth: Respect is the key that unlocks the door to all opportunity and true happiness. He who honors his parents and his teachers possesses a robust root in life, one so strong that no storm or hardship can easily shake or uproot him.