[HWPL Peace Education Textbook 7-1] My Happiness is Based on Other’s Sacrifice

[HWPL Peace Education Textbook 7 A Sacrifice Without Compensation]

[7-1]  My Happiness is Based on Other’s Sacrifice

 

◆ Learning Objectives

1. Understand that sacrifice is the foundation for peace.

2. Recognize the value of sacrifice through various examples and develop a mindset to practice it.

 

◆ Sacrifice Without Expecting Anything in Return

The Story of Sacrifice During the Korean War

During the Korean War, an American soldier was retreating through a deep valley on a cold winter day when he heard a strange sound. Listening closely, he realized it was the cry of a baby coming from a snow pit. As he dug through the snow to rescue the baby, he was shocked to find a woman frozen to death, holding the baby in her arms. The woman had taken off her clothes to wrap the baby and hugged the child to keep it warm, sacrificing herself.

Moved by her sacrifice, the American soldier buried the mother in the frozen ground and took the baby back to the United States, raising the child as his own son. Years later, on a snowy winter day, an elderly American man and a young Korean man stood by the grave. The once-abandoned baby had grown into a young man and visited his mother’s grave with his adoptive father. Hearing the story of his biological mother’s sacrifice, the young man wept uncontrollably, brushing the snow off the grave with his hands and covering it with his clothes, saying, “Mother, how cold you must have been that day!”

Our happiness is possible because of others' sacrifices.

◆ Is My Happiness Solely My Achievement?

In 1964, Shel Silverstein published "The Giving Tree," a story about a tree’s sacrifice for a boy. The boy receives many things from the tree throughout his life—from shade and fruit to a place to sit. The tree sacrifices everything to make the boy happy. Similarly, nature provides all the resources necessary for human life today. "The Giving Tree" is not just a story about a boy and a tree; it raises fundamental questions about the relationship between humans and nature.

Image from Pixabay

Trees Protecting Their Offspring

Forestry scientists have recently discovered that trees, like humans, recognize and help their offspring. Parent trees care for their young and even support old and sick trees. Trees growing in forests receive protection from their parent trees. When attacked by pests, trees can lose their bark, leading to moisture evaporation and eventual death. Parent trees connect their roots to their offspring, supplying nutrients, allowing them to survive despite losig their bark.

 Parent trees also ensure that young trees grow slowly. Rapid growth makes trees vulnerable to extreme weather and pests. By creating large canopies, parent trees limit the amount of sunlight reaching young trees, ensuring slow but sturdy growth. In contrast, trees growing alone in parks or along roads grow quickly but become weak and susceptible to environmental changes and pests due to their fast growth.

Image from Pixabay

Parental Love in the Animal Kingdom

The stickleback fish exemplifies paternal love. The male builds nests with plant roots and reeds, securing them with sticky secretions to attract females. After the female lays eggs, the male fertilizes them and protects the eggs from threats until they hatch, sacrificing his life in the process.

Emperor penguins breed during the harsh Antarctic winter. To survive temperatures of -60°C and blizzards, they huddle together, taking turns in the outer and inner circles to maintain body heat. After laying eggs, the female leaves to find food, while the male incubates the egg on his feet, keeping it warm with his belly feathers. If exposed to air for even a minute, the egg would freeze. The male endures the cold without food for over four months until the female returns. He survives by consuming ice chips and regurgitating stored food for the chick. Upon the female’s return, she takes over, and the male goes to sea to feed.

Many animals care for and protect their young from various threats. Most animal offspring cannot survive without parental care until they can fend for themselves. When they become parents, they instinctively sacrifice for their offspring.

Image from Pixabay

◆Happiness Founded on Sacrifice

Consideration for others involves caring for them, which is rooted in love. Everyone receives love from parents or others from birth, shaping their personality. Those who receive much love tend to love themselves more and mature by sharing that love and practicing consideration towards others.

A self-centered attitude fosters selfishness in society. Therefore, by learning and practicing consideration for others' benefit, we can qualify as citizens of peace. Creating a peaceful life involves sharing love, resolving conflicts with an open heart, and building a society where more people can live happily. This vision is a common dream for humanity. As the saying goes, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” Our efforts to achieve this dream can be realized through practicing consideration.

Image from Pixabay

◆ Reflection

1. Find other examples of animals or plants sacrificing for their offspring in nature.

2. Recall and share memories of your parents' sacrifices for you.