Regulating the Family

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God said, “Taking the four seas as your home, it cannot be called the family; you must fold your wings and return to the shade of the pine tree. Where familial love and kinship reside, Tao can be found; transform your character and renew your being to become an Immortal.”

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The Book of Changes states, “With Heaven and Earth, there came myriad things; with myriad things, there came men and women; with men and women, there came husbands and wives; with husbands and wives, there came parents and children; with parents and children, there came ruler and ministers; with ruler and ministers, there came superiors and subordinates; with superiors and subordinates, propriety and righteousness found their proper place. This is the beginning of Regulating the Family.”

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The commentary of the Book of Changes states, “In the family, the woman fulfills her proper role within the home, and the man fulfills his proper role outside. When both men and women are in their proper positions, this is the great principle of Heaven and Earth. Within the family there are respected authorities—namely the father and mother. When parents fulfill the Tao of being parents, children fulfill the Tao of being children, elder siblings fulfill the Tao of elder siblings, younger siblings fulfill the Tao of younger siblings, and husbands and wives fulfill their duties of husbands and wives, the Tao of the family is set right. When the family is set right, the world will be at peace! This is the foundation of Regulating the Family.”

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Confucianists state, “Regulating the Family begins with upholding the fundamental principles and ethics, namely the Three Cardinal Bonds, the Five Constant Virtues, the Five Human Relationships, and the Eight Virtues. The Three Cardinal Bonds: The ruler is the guide for ministers, the parents are the guide for their children, and the husband is the guide for his wife. The Five Constant Virtues: Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trustworthiness. The Five Human Relationships: Righteousness between ruler and ministers, affection between parents and children, distinct functions between husband and wife, order between elder and younger siblings, and trustworthiness between friends. The Eight Virtues: Filial Piety, Fraternal Love, Loyalty, Trustworthiness, Propriety, Righteousness, Integrity, and Knowing Shame.”

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The Bible states: “Wives, submit to your own husbands; husbands, love your wives; children, be filial and respect your parents; parents, love your children; servants, obey your masters; be sincere and honest in your minds and be reverent and in awe of the Lord; masters need to treat your servants fairly and justly and know that you also have a Lord in Heaven. This is the model for a Regulated Family.”

If everyone can cultivate Tao together, and everyone shares the same mind, all individual families will be regulated and unified into one family under Heaven.