Without a doubt, there are those who have a knack for winning prizes. With a wave of the hand or brush, they can produce a work of art that catches the judge's eye and wins multiple awards. There are also those who start preparations early with high aspirations for winning. They work hard and mount their artwork in fine-looking frames, but still don't make the grade. Still, I always believe that perseverance in developing a talent will yield results. The award-winning compositions are a fleeting expression of the abilities accumulated in the course of a child's daily life, so of course we must praise them! Yet, the compositions that don't win awards are also the result of great efforts that have left their mark, and we should treasure these as well.

When our son, Yuan-chen, was in the 11th grade, he received perfect scores on his PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test) and SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test). As a result he was short-listed for a White House Fellowship. Although he didn't receive the award that year, we were still very proud of his achievement. Little did we know that another organization would unexpectedly present him with a large award. This organization is not very well known, and there were no newspaper or magazine write-ups, and our friends would joke that the award was all honor and no money, so what's the point? Yet we are firmly convinced that this award made a great impact on the direction of our son's life.

In 12th grade Yuan-chen received a US Congressional scholarship to study as an exchange student in Berlin, Germany, for one year. He was there when the awarding organization mailed the award announcement directly to his high school in the US. The first delivery attempt was during a school break and there was no one in the office to accept it. The next attempt found the principal's secretary who accepted it, yet she left it on her desk for three days before calling me to come and pick it up. After opening the finely packaged envelope, I discovered that we had to return our answer within ten days. As my wife and I carefully read the contents of the letter, I hoped that our son, Yuan-chen, would be able to request a leave to return to the U.S. and take part. We then called overseas to let him know and to ask his opinion, and he soon received permission from his instructors to participate.

We then contacted the organizers directly to register him. I only remember the administrator saying with surprise: "How could we have chosen a student who's located all the way over in Germany?" Still she wholeheartedly gave her report to the sponsor, and changed the original Los Angeles to San Antonio, Texas, air ticket to a Berlin departure. Even though it was only a three-day, two-night event, they not only booked a five-star hotel, they also provided a custom-tailored formal dinner tuxedo and shoes. A special car and representative were also waiting at the airport to greet each arriving award winner, and when it rained there was even someone there to hold an umbrella. The theme for the dinner was: "Developing International Leaders in the New Millennium." The attendees came from a wide range of industries and professions, and were split into groups to hold close discussions with 99 young people. Yuan-chen was elated, and later on he would share this valuable experience with the whole family. He realized that there are places and people beyond his knowledge and that it's worthwhile to emulate successful achievements and that wisdom is the greatest "award."

Consider how the founder of Taipei's Fa-kuang Institute of Buddhist Studies, Master Ju-hsueh, began her study of Zen. As a youth she traveled alone to Japan as an exchange student. At first she thought she would follow in her father's footsteps and study medicine. Instead, she listened to a professor who told her that: "If you study medicine you can only heal the body, but if you study Buddhism you can heal the spirit," and decided to enter the famous Komazawa University to study Buddhism. On the day of her graduation ceremony, her classmates discovered that she did not participate. They asked with surprise: "You are the number one student in the entire university, how could you forget to participate in the graduation ceremony?" She answered: "I have come to seek knowledge. Being number one is not important." Recognition through awards and placement serves as a type of appreciation and encouragement. But only perseverance and the diligent pursuit of virtue and progress have real meaning.

As a message to all parents on earth: No matter which country you raise your children in, you should put them on the right path. Regardless of the school's rating or extracurricular activities, such as sports, talent shows, or other competitions, everyone should do his best, with a determined spirit and with the understanding that "participating is winning." For the sons of China, it also means honor for our people, and good fortune for all mankind.