An oath to remember

MORE THAN a month after the demise of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a cloud of sorrow still hangs low over Thailand. Children are, of course, aware of the sense of loss even if they know little about the commitment of the King to develop their country.
Several events have been held in the past couple of weeks for schoolchildren to pay their own respects to the late King and the Roong Aroon School also recently organised a commemorative event for its young students. 
Designed to engage the country’s future population and teach them about righteousness, the event focused on four invaluable qualities: responsibility, perseverance, commitment, and honesty. 
The pupils from kindergarten to high school age joined with teachers, administrators and parents in observing three minutes of silence followed by the singing of “Sansoen Phra Barami” and His Majesty’s composition “The Impossible Dream”.
The school’s founder, Associate Professor Prapapat Niyom, told the little ones about His Majesty’s book, “The Story of Mahajanaka” and how King Mahajanaka practised ultimate perseverance without the desire for reward, which resulted in his gaining a throne and bringing prosperity and wealth to the city of Mithila.
“We need perseverance to live a good life. His Majesty set us all an example in his oath on Coronation Day, May 5, 1950, saying ‘I shall reign with righteousness for the happiness and benefit of the Siamese people’. He lived up to that oath all his life, demonstrating resolve, truthfulness and perseverance every day,” she said. 
“Even though the children here are young, we should teach them to think about resolving the little things first and not to be discouraged no matter the hardships they may face. 
“They should understand that they do not have to wait for others but should follow their own good intentions until they succeed. These three qualities are the legacy of His Majesty the King for all of us to follow and practices.”