Tough Love

Today, I watched “Buddha’s Lost Children.” This is a documentary film which focuses on a middle age, ex-kick boxer Buddhist. The location is near the border between Thai and Burma in which drug smuggling infests. After he stopped his career as a kick boxer, he began to teach Buddhism, kick boxing (Thai boxing) and the skill to ride on a horse to orphans or children from poor. They live together in an orphanage, study together and often travel to gather donation. Not only to children but to soldiers who protect the border and villagers, he behaves like their father rather than merely a leader. He doesn’t hesitate often to beat children and says “the love I give you is tough love.”

I noticed that I have always been starving and appreciated it. A man who can give tough love are responsible for himself which is far from domestic violence or hysteria. My grandfathers are ex-soldier in WWII. Especially one of them was Kamikaze pilot (fortunately, the war finished before he actually board). Although they often talked about war as a story, they never talked like serious confessions or relied on listeners’ sympathy (sorry, it must not make sense…). I feel particular respect on them. On the other hand, in my father’s generation, men born post-war might relatively be sophisticated and gentle. They completely denied pre-war values. They stood on the same level of eye line as their son, often sympathize and identified. My internal imperative was given by grand fathers while I don’t doubt my father’s love. I’m in the 3rd generation through the WWII and even living in the US my grand fathers fought against. I’ll talk about my nationalism next week.