Business, Thought, and Management Articles --- About Analects of Confucius --- Filial Piety
Filial Piety
Here we will think about filial piety.
Business, Thought, and Management Articles --- About Analects of Confucius --- Filial Piety
Here we will think about filial piety.
It is often said that "Be good and dutiful to your parents". Basically filial piety is to respect and follow one's own parents. It is not just giving them something, inviting them to a trip, or massaging them.
What is filial piety?
Analects mentions about filial piety in several places. We can also see some statements written about filial piety indirectly.
Looks like it is not a "filial piety" that we commonly knew. The filial piety we knew is to delight parents by being a good son or daughter. We thought filial piety is to buy something for parents, to take them to family trip, or to let their grandchildren be with them.
However, filial piety written in the Analects is not apparently the case. It's not to entertain parents by physical, or sensory things.
Filial piety is to respect the parents, to adore their thoughts and actions. And it is to do the same actions as the parents without changing.
Specifically, Confucius says that if he does not change the way of his father for 3 years after his father's death, we can say his conduct is filial piety.
What does it mean?
Maybe Confucius focused on mental state more than physical or sensory state. He says filial piety is to respect parents and ancestors, to serve them sincerely, and not to change the way of the parents by sincerely mourning for 3 years after the parents deaths.
We may have to think more about the idea to focus on mental state of filial piety, even if the old way is out-of-date in modern society.
*Return to About Analects of Confucius
Analects and Its Influence
Analects is words and deeds recording of Confucius and his disciples. We do not know by who and how the words and deeds are summarized. But maybe they were made by disciples after the death of Confucius.
Attitude to Learn
Analects tells us importance and preciousness of learning. Humans continue to learn for a lifetime. As far as we are learning, we can be humans. Learning enhance our life.
Filial Piety
It is often said that "Be good and dutiful to your parents". Basically filial piety is to respect and follow one's own parents. It is not just giving them something, inviting them to a trip, or massaging them.
Humanity and Justice
Humanity and Justice are the moral discipline that must be obeyed. Or they are mercy of mind (humaneness) and thread of things (righteousness). Some people say humanity and justice are a kind of greetings to obtain something.
Courtesy and Court Music
Courtesy and court music had been the cornerstone of politics in ancient China. Because courtesy is to keep the order of society, and court music has soothing effect grabbing the hearts of people.
Tao in Analects
The word "Tao" of Confucius is often seen in Analects. "If I hear Tao in the morning, I am happy to die in the evening" is the famous short sentence. What did Confucius mean by saying "Tao" here? Maybe "Tao" for Confucius meant the ideal state of the nation.
How to Educate
We can find many tips in Analects to spread the academic - ie. "teaching" - as well as to cultivate academic - ie. "learning". In other words, the Analects shows how to guide and teach people, the way of education.
Virtue
Confucius tells a lot to us. Analects has a number of shining words. Among them, the most precious treasure of mankind is "virtue".
Humans in Social Organizations
We live in a social organization. Many people can not live without staying in a social organization. They cling to their positions in a social organization and they are spending days complaining.
A Guide for Family Love
Perhaps the 20th century was the century when the family collapsed. As industrialization and urbanization rapidly proceeded, nuclear families advanced, and number of living alone grew sharply. The shared life by the former large family became frowned.
Life is a Hardship Trip
Confucius suffered various hardships to dare to correct the way in a time when the world was disturbed and the ideal way was not done. It may be said that the last years of Confucius were just a series of hardships. He suffered because he persisted his beliefs.
Do not Abandon the World Daringly
When social organizations become corrupt and begin to collapse, the right people will lose their place. Some people escape to a foreign country, abandon the world and move to countryside, or they die their own lives.
