THE TWENTY-FOUR PARAGONS OF FILIAL PIETY (二十四孝的故事)
二十四孝＿忠孝雙全
二十四孝＿望雲思親
二十四孝＿上書救父
二十四孝＿彩衣養親
二十四孝＿哭竹生筍
二十四孝＿打虎救父
二十四孝＿鹿乳奉親
二十四孝＿籠負母歸
二十四孝＿棄官奉親
二十四孝＿單衣順母
二十四孝＿賣身葬父
二十四孝＿親嚐湯藥
二十四孝＿臥冰求鯉
二十四孝＿聞雷泣墓
二十四孝＿負米養親
二十四孝＿挨杖傷老
二十四孝＿跪父留母
二十四孝＿孝感繼母
二十四孝＿勸姑孝祖
二十四孝_孝感動天
二十四孝＿兄弟爭孝
二十四孝＿孝傳五世
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Filial Conduct That
Impressed The Gods: Shun The Great
2. Personally Checking His Mother's Prescriptions: The Learned Emperor Of Han
3. His Heart Was Pained When His Mother Bit Her Finger: Zeng Shen
4. Clad In A Threadbare Jacket, He Tolerated His Cruel Stepmother: Min Ziqian
5. Carrying Loads Of Rice On His Back To Feed His Parents: Zi Lu
6. Entering Servitude To Pay For His Father's Funeral: Dong Yong
7. Bringing Deers' Milk To His Ailing Parents: Young Master Tan
8. Taking On Menial Labor To Support His Mother: Jiang Ge
9. Stealing Oranges To Take Home For His Mother: Lu Ji
10. Never Tiring Of Feeding Milk To Her Mother-In-Law: Lady Tang
11. Attracting Mosquitos To Drink His Blood: Wu Meng
12. Lying Down On The Ice To Get Carp For His Stepmother: Wang Xiang
13. Burying His Son To Save His Mother: Guo Ju
14. Wrestling With A Tiger To Save His Father: Yang Xiang
15. Resigning Office To Search For His Mother: Zhu Shouchang
16. Deeply Concerned, He Tasted His Father's Stool: Yu Qianlou
17. Costumes And Pranks To Amuse His Parents: Lao Laizi
18. Picking Mulberries For His Mother: Cai Shun
19. He Fanned The Pillow And Warmed the Sheets: Huang Xiang
20. A Bubbling Spring And Leaping Carp: Jiang Shi
21. Crying By The Grave When Thunder Rolled: Wang Weiyuan
22. Serving Wooden Statues Of His Parents: Ding Lan
23. Tears That Brought Bamboo Shoots From The Frozen Earth: Meng Zong
24. Personally Scrubbing His Mother's Chamber Pot: Huang Tingjian.
Appendix: from
the Nü ershisi xiao tushuo (Illustrated Version of the
Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety for Women; Wu Jiayou, ed. [fl. 1850-1910];
Ming dynasty original)
Preface
The book entitled The
Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety was written by the Yuan Dynasty
scholar Guo Jujing. His pen-name was Yizi, and he was a native of Datian
County, in Fujian Province, China. Guo was not only a well-known poet, he was
also a reknowned filial son in his own right. After his father passed away, Guo
personally experienced the truth of the maxim:
"The tree would
prefer stillness, but the wind continues to blow.
The child wishes to
practice filial devotion, but his parents are already gone,"
and he felt deep grief
over his loss. His depth of feeling prompted him to comb the histories in
search of true stories of the finest examples of filial respect, as practiced
by devoted children throughout the centuries. He selected twenty-four such paragons,
and penned a verse to eulogize each authentic account of filial practice. Then
he told a story of the events that lead to each son or daughter's examplary
conduct. The book that resulted from his work was called The
Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Devotion.
THE TWENTY-FOUR PARAGONS OF FILIAL PIETY
Number One
Filial Conduct That
Moved the Heart/Mind of Heaven: Shun The Great
Great Yao was an Emperor
both humane and virtuous. Under his rule, the citizens of China were both
obedient and harmonious. They looked up to their Emperor and treated him as
respectfully as they did their own parents. Yao, however, had grown old, and
decided to request his military and civilian cabinet ministers to select a wise
and worthy successor, so that he could hand down the duty of ruling all of
China to him. The Emperor's advisors told him, "There is a devoted filial
son at Li Mountain named Shun. Although his family does not get along, he still
treats them with a proper attitude of respect and affection. His father, Gu
Sou, is unreasonable, and harsh. His step-mother is petty by nature, and
constantly abuses and scolds her son. Shun's step-brother, Xiang, is arrogant
and lazy. He is jealous of his older brother and wants to do him in. Living in
such a family, Shun manages to not resent them; he behaves as a devoted son and
brother should."
The ministers told the
Emperor, "When his family scolds or beats him, he doesn't bear a grudge or
strike back. He simply runs out into the fields where no one can see him and
cries to himself. You can find this boy plowing the fields every day, and doing
the planting and weeding. His father and brother never lend a hand. Shun's
devotion to filial respect does, however, inspire the heavens and the earth to
respond. How do we know this is true? The elephants come down from the
mountains to plow the furrows for this young man; in the Spring you can see
them line up and use their tusks to dig the earth. In the Summer the crows and
magpies flock down to pull up the weeds with their beaks. Nature itself
approves of his righteous attitude, especially in the face of hardship, as in
the case of his impossible family situation."
Hearing about Shun's
filial conduct inspired Emperor Yao to dispatch nine of his sons to assist Shun
with the farming work. He instructed his daughters, named E Huang and Nü Ying
to serve Shun as his wives. The Emperor put the young man through years of
training and testing, and when he felt satisfied with his capabilities, he
bestowed the throne of Emperor on him, and retired from the duties of ruling
China. Under Shun's guidance, the people of China prospered. Following his
virtuous influence, all creatures enjoyed peace and happiness. Such were the
manifold benefits of a proper attitude of filial respect.
A verse in his honor says,
Elephants in file plow the fields in spring.
Little birds in flocks come weed the summer grass.
Following Emperor Yau, he took the Dragon Throne.
His filial conduct touched the hearts of creatures under heaven.
Number Two
He Personally Tested His
Mother's Prescriptions: The Learned Emperor Of Han
During the Western Han
Dynasty in China, after its founding patriarch Liu Bang died, the throne came
by succession to his son, "Liu the Constant". He earned the name Han
Wendi, "The Learned Emperor of Han". As a ruler, he practiced
vigorous, just government, and he loved the citizens, moving and inspiring them
to self improvement through education. State business was extremely complex and
demanding of time, nonetheless he still found time to serve his mother with
respectful, filial devotion. He was neither careless nor tardy in his treatment
of his mother.
Once the matron suffered
a serious illness and Han Wendi, as soon as he had completed the various
governmental matters , would immediately leave the state chambers and return to
his mother's bedside to nurse her with tender concern. She was sick for a full
three years, and his care was constant and untiring. He waited on her by night
and day throughout her convalescence, without relaxing his vigilance in the least.
He never grumbled or resented the toil and tedium.
The Emperor's care of
his mother was thorough to the last detail. He would wait by her bedside
without closing his eyes, often forgetting to change his robes for long
Periodst afraid that he might be remiss in his nursing care. As soon as the
servants had prepared any dose of medicine, the Emperor would first sample the
mixture himself, to make sure it was neither too hot nor too weak. As soon as
it was fit to drink, he would spoon-feed the mixture himself to his mother.
Many years passed, and
the Learned Emperor nursed his mother throughout. He earned the praises of all
the citizens. An outstanding leader, he was also a most unusual,
filially-devoted son, and set the standards of behavior towards parents. The
people of China respected him, and accepted his teaching. They were deeply
influenced and transformed by his model of virtue. The people in their turn,
practiced filial respect towards their parents, and treated them well. The
Learned Emperor's name, Han Wendi, has passed down through a thousand ages to
the present--people still admire his model of virtuous, selfless conduct.
A verse in his honor
says,
Both filial and humane, he was known throughout
the land.
Awesome as a leader, he ruled the Hundred Kings.
For three long years he nursed his ailing mother, the Empress,
Duty-bound, he tasted every medicine she took.
Number Three
His Heart Was Pained
When His Mother Bit Her Finger: Zeng Shen
During the Spring and
Autumn Period of Chinese history, there lived a student of Confucius, Zeng
Shen, who become well-known for his filial attitude of respect. His father
passed away while Shen was still young. He was extremely respectful and
obedient to his mother. Every day the young man would go into the mountains to
cut firewood; his mother would stay home and weave cloth to sell. Mother and
son had to work hard to earn enough to get by.
One day Zeng Shen set
out early for the mountains. A guest who had traveled a long distance arrived
at the Zeng household that very morning. The family being poor, there was
nothing with which to entertain the guest, and no way to properly welcome him.
As Zeng Shen was not at home, his mother did not know what to do, and she could
only hope that her son would return soon from the mountains.
The boy did not show up,
and Mrs. Zeng grew agitated. Without realizing what she was doing, she put her
finger into her mouth and bit it. In her nervousness, she bit her finger so
hard that it bled. Zeng Shen, in the mountains, suddenly felt a stinging pain
in his heart, and knew there must be something amiss with his mother. He
quickly bundled up the brush and kindling and ran back down the mountain.
Arriving before his
mother, he knelt in the doorway and asked her what was the matter. Relieved and
happy, she said, "A guest has come and I was so upset that I bit my
finger. You must be a truly respectful child that you can know your mother's
thoughts from a distance!"
A verse in his praise
says,
His mother bit her finger, her son's heart felt
the pain.
He bundled up the firewood And ran home just in time.
What age has ever witnessed deeper ties of filial love
Than the depth of shared between this mother and her son?
Number Four
Clad In A Threadbare
Jacket, He Tolerated His Cruel Stepmother: Min Ziqian
Confucius's disciple,
Min Ziqian was foremost in filial respect. His mother died early, and his
father remarried, but to a woman who mistreated her stepson. Because he was not
her natural child, she gave him only cruel words and harsh treatment. Min
Ziqian often went cold and hungry, and suffered from loneliness, as his
stepmother gave all her love and attention to her own two sons.
When the weather turned
cold, the second Mrs. Min made her two sons warm coats padded with warm cotton
linings. She gave Min Ziqian a coat stuffed only with dry rushes. From the
outside the two coats looked alike, but the one stuffed with reeds was not warm
at all. It neither blocked the biting wind, nor kept out the stinging cold. His
only jacket being so thin, Min Ziqian was always shivering and miserable in the
cold.
One icy winter day, Min
Ziqian's father had business in town, and told the boy to fetch the horse and
cart from the stable. The evening air was frigid, the wind blew hard, and the
young boy was so cold that his entire body trembled. His hands and feet were
frozen to the point of immobility. His numb fingers dropped the cart reins, and
his father scolded him for his clumsiness.
In his anger the man
grabbed Ziqians coat-sleeve and ripped it from the jacket, revealing the dried
grass lining. He was shocked at the sight of the flimsy jacket that could not
protect his son from the cold. Mr. Min suddenly recognized the pattern of cruel
treatment his wife had given his boy. He understood at once the injustice of her
harshness, and it infuriated him so that he flew into a rage.
He ran back into the
house, yelling at the top of his lungs for his wife. She appeared and cowered
before him on her knees. He angrily ordered her to leave the house and never
return. Min Ziqian knelt beside his stepmother and begged his father to give
her another chance. He pleaded for leniency. "When my mother is here only
one boy has to suffer the cold. But if she goes, then three sons will have no
one to care for them. Please, Father, let her stay!"
At this, his stepmother
cried piteously in deep shame. She was so deeply touched that her attitude
totally changed. She turned over a new leaf, and ever after treated Min Ziqian
as lovingly as she did her own sons.
A verse in his honor
says,
Mr. Min, the widower, has a worthy son;
Who never grudged his second mother's hateful, wicked ways.
"Keep her here at home!", he begged, while kneeling by the cart.
"Or else three boys will suffer from the biting wind and frost."
Carrying Loads of Rice
to Feed His Parents: Zi Lu
Number Five
Confucius's disciple, Zi
Lu, was born to the Jung family during the
Zhou Dynasty. His given
name was You, and he was a most filial, devoted son. His family was poor, and
the boy had to dig wild greens and roots from the fields in order to feed
himself. Because he wished his parents to have adequate, suitable food, he had
to travel long miles, out of the poverty-stricken neighborhood, where so many
families were forced to forage for their meals, in order to find a wage-paying job.
You would rise long
before dawn every week, and lay aside enough dried fruits, roots, and
vegetables for his parents' table that week, and then make a lengthy, dangerous
trip into the neighboring states, seeking work. He would often travel over one
hundred miles, earning what money he could, in order to buy rice and staples
for his household. Then shouldering the sack of provisions, he would run back
the many miles, arriving in time to cook up a nourishing meal for the Jung
elders. When the bag was empty, he would tie up his leggings and set off once
more for the market towns. While his parents remained on earth, Zi Lu would
spare no effort to treat them with proper filial respect. Everyone considered
him an unusually good-hearted example of true filial service.
After his parents died,
the young man left his native land for the country of Chu in the south. The
king of Chu was impressed with Jung You's learning, and with his righteous
character, and offered him a post in the civil service. Zi Lu accepted, and
soon grew quite wealthy, drawing a handsome salary and rich side benefits for
his able leadership of state affairs. Whenever he went riding in his silk-lined
carriage, a retinue of one hundred chariots flanked the royal coach on four
sides. His personal storehouses of grains, cloth, books, and silver covered an
acre of land. Woolen blankets and thick rugs adorned his personal quarters in
luxury. His dinner table was set with fine and rare delicacies.
Despite the life of
affluent comfort, Zi Lu in his heart constantly pined for the days of his
youth, when he was able to serve his mother and father. He would often sigh,
"This wealth and honor is flavorless, and depressing. How I wish I could
return to the old days, when I ate field-greens and carried rice on my back for
Mom and Dad. How happy I was in those days!. Now that my parents have left this
world I can no longer fulfill my duty as a filial son ...."
A verse in his honor
says,
The rice bag on his back holds a rare treat for
his parents;
Without a murmur of fatigue he ran those many miles.
Glory, wealth, and honor, once his parents had passed on,
Meant nothing: he only thought of the happy days gone by.
Number Six
Entering Servitude To
Pay For Father's Funeral: Dong Yong
Dong Yong lived during
the Han Dynasty, and as his mother had passed away years ago, he scratched out
a meager living to support his ailing father. Dong Yong found work as a farm
laborer, and earned barely enough to keep his father in medicine. The old man
was an invalid, so Dong Yong would carry him to a cart and tenderly wheel the
eider to the shade of a tall tree beside the field where he was working. In
this way he was able to keep his job and also nurse his father at the same
time. Several years passed in this fashion, but then the senior Dong died, and
Dong Yong, having spent the last penny for last-minute medical care, found
himself unable to pay for a proper funeral. All he could do to scrape together
sufficient funds for a coffin and mourners was to sell himself into bondage as indentured
servant, with the promise to repay the bond-moneys in the future.
Having sent off the
coffin, the young man headed for his owner's house. A pretty girl met him on
the road, and told him her story, how both her parents had passed away, and how
she couldn't locate her relatives in the area. She said she hoped that Dong
Yong would be kind enough to take her in, so that she could have some security
and reliance. He found no objection and the two of them asked Heaven and Earth
to be witnesses as they pledged their troth then and there.
Together they entered
the home of Dong Yong's indentured Master, an extremely miserly weaver. He read
the labor contract to the couple, and demanded three hundred bolts of perfect
cloth to redeem the freedom of Dong Yong. The young man was not afraid of hard
work, but figured out that if man and wife co-operated and joined their
strength, it would take at least three years of labor before the task could be
completed. To Dong Yong's complete surprise, the new bride wove all three
hundred bolts of cloth in less than one month! The weaving boss was even more
astonished when the young couple handed over the perfect fabric and, contract
in hand, gaily walked out the door to freedom.
They strolled past the
tree where they had first met, and his wife suddenly fell silent. Her
countenance glowed with an uncanny light, and Dong Yong asked her to explain
her demeanor. "I now have my freedom, you should be happy!" Tears ran
down her face as she said, "I am an Immortal from the heavens. Your heart
of filial respect is so noble that I was touched, and came down to this world
to assist you in your task. But now I must return, I am not able to stay with
you. Take good care of yourself."
Dong Yong couldn't bear
to part with her, but how could he prevent an Immortal from the heavens from
returning when the time was up? Helplessly he watched his wife slowly ascend
into the sky and fly away.
A verse in his honor
says,
His father's funeral sent him into servitude,
A maiden charming and immortal, met him on the way.
They wove the cloth that ransomed back his freedom,
His filial conduct touched even Heaven.
Number Seven
Bringing Deer's Milk To
His Ailing Parents: Young Master Tan
During China's Spring
and Autumn Period, there was a filial son in the Tan family whose name has not
been recorded. People simply referred to him as Young Master Tan, or Tanzi.
While he was quite young, both his parents came down with an eye disease that
the doctors said could only be cured by giving them deer's milk to drink. As
the family was very poor, and milk was both rare and expensive, the young lad
was upset and worried that he would be unable to provide the medicine that
could cure his mother and father. Wandering out in the mountains, he pondered
the situation, but couldn't come up with a solution. There in the meadow before
him, a herd of deer grazed. The does stood patiently while the spring's crop of
young fawns frolicked and ran, then returned to their mothers to nurse on milk.
'That's it!"
exclaimed Master Tan. "I'll get my folks deer's milk!" The next
morning, dressed in a deer's skin, with head, tail and fur, Tanzi set off for
the mountain meadow, bucket in hand. When the young deer ran, Tanzi ran beside
them. When they grazed, he stood and grazed. When they came to the does for
milk, Tanzi nursed too, only the milk went into his bucket, not into his
stomach.
When the day was over,
Tanzi carefully walked back down the mountain, carrying a full bucket of milk,
delighted with the success of his plan. His parents were overjoyed to have
deer's milk to drink, and praised their clever, considerate, and resourceful
boy. The next day, Young Master Tan returned to the meadow and again played
with the fawns, and again returned home at sunset with a bucket of milk. So it
continued for weeks, and his parents began to recover their sight, thanks to
their filial son's dutiful sacrifice on the mountainside.
One day as Tanzi was
playing amid the young deer, the herd leaders suddenly bleated, picked up their
white tails, and ran for the trees. The herd followed in fear, leaving Tan Dz
alone in the middle of the meadow. He looked towards the path and saw why the
deer had fled. A fierce-looking hunter, bow in hand, stood in the shade,
prepared to shoot some venison.
Arrows began to zip past
Tanzi's ears, their deadly whistle much too close for comfort. The boy quickly
stood up, threw back his deer-skin cloak and loudly shouted, "I'm a
person, not a deer. Don't shoot !" The hunter was shocked. "Hey, Boy,
what are you doing here in the woods! I nearly killed you! Why are you dressed
up like that?"
Tanzi answered, "My
parents are sick and need deer's milk to drink in order to recover. I come here
to milk the does, disguised as a deer." Deeply impressed, the hunter said
softly, "You are certainly a rare child, to go to so much trouble for your
parents. But this is dangerous! If you had waited one minute longer to reveal
your identity, I would have shot you down. Be more careful in the future!"
After this warning, the hunter escorted Young Master Tan safely out of the
forest and back home.
A verse in his honor
says,
His parents needed milk, their eyes to cure,
He robed his body in a suit of fur.
If he had failed to shout aloud, "Don't shoot!"
The hunter would have killed him for a deer.
Number Eight
Laboring For His Mother:
Jiang Ge
During the Later Han
Dynasty, a filial son named Jiang Ge supported his widowed mother. As his
father had passed on years ago, the son and mother got along as best they
could. Bandit gangs roamed the countryside nearby, and Jiang Ge resolved to
take his mother to safety, far from the chaos and trouble of his home. Having
no cart or horse, the young man simply carried his mother on his back along the
highway, escaping the onslaught of the brigands. As luck would have it they
promptly ran into first one, then another group of rebels. When the leaders
demanded that Jiang Ge join their number, the young filial son knelt down and
pleaded for mercy, crying, "If I run off with you, my old mother will
starve. She needs me to take care of her; please let us travel on in
peace."
Touched by his sincere
plea, the bandits would always let them go. Traveling in this way, the two
eventually reached the county of Xiabi in Jiangsu province. They had spent all
their money, and their clothing had grown tattered and torn beyond repair.
Lacking relatives in Jiangsu to support them, mother and son could only fashion
a lean-to of grass and camp out with the other refugees from the civil war to
the North.
Jiang Ge would go out
each morning in search of odd jobs. Whatever bits of cash he earned would go to
supporting his mother in the style she was accustomed to before her husband had
passed on. Jiang Ge wore ragged clothes and went barefoot, he are wild greens
and broken rice himself, but the clothing and food he provided for his mother
was the finest he could afford. He was not the least bit remiss in the care of
his mother. Their neighbors praised his selflessness in service to his mother,
and urged him to relax the ascetic hardship he imposed upon himself. Jiang Ge
would only smile, and say, "A son's duty is to care for his parents."
At long last he found a
secure, salary-paying job that promised a comfortable living for his mother.
Peace had returned to their home-land by this time, and his mother wished to
return. The ride in a horse-drawn cart would have proved too strenuous for her,
so Jiang Ge passed over the good job that could have brought him a luxurious
life. Instead he found a sturdy cart, settled his mother comfortably within, and
pulled it himself all the way back home. Good people all along the way praised
his devotion as a genuine model of filial compliance.
A verse in his praise
says,
Bearing mother on his back, he fled the troubled
land.
Evil bandits caught them on the road.
A plea for mercy saved their lives, as always,
He labored hard to treat his mother well.
Number Nine
Stealing Oranges To Take
Home For His Mother: Lu Ji
In the Later Han Period,
a young boy of only six years old showed a deep filial regard for his mother.
He traveled with his father to visit the Chief Minister of Nan Yang, named Yuan
Shu. Elder Yuan Shu saw how precocious the young boy was, and ordered his
butler to bring a dish of oranges to offer to young Lu Ji. The boy saw the
delicious, large fruit, and immediately ate two . He waited until nobody was
looking, and secreted three oranges away in the sleeve of his robe. When it was
time to say good-bye, along with his father, little Lu Ji raised his hands up
in salute. Unexpectedly, the three oranges came rolling out, and fell to the
floor in front of Lu Ji.
Yuan Shu saw the oranges
and laughed: "Little Brother, you're my guest today. How come you stole
your host's oranges?" The little boy replied, "Pardon me, my mother
likes oranges best of all. Because we don't have any money, it's hard to
provide oranges for her. Today I enjoyed two of these ripe, sweet, oranges, and
I could not resist taking a few of them back for Mother. She likes them so
much."
Minister Yuan Shu was
impressed by the six-year-old's concern for his mother's happiness. He told his
staff to give the entire plate of fruit to Lu Ji for his family.
A verse in his honor
says:
Filial love and brotherhood made nature
"Heaven-True",
Most rare in a boy just six years old.
He hid three oranges in his sleeve, as a gift for his Mom,
Just a token to repay her kindness without end.
Number Ten
Never Tiring of Feeding
Her Mother-in-law Milk: Lady Tang
In the Tang Dynasty, an
official named Cui Nanshan, had in his family the Grand Dame Zhang Sun, Mr.
Cui's great-grandmother. She was quite elderly, and had lost all her teeth,
thus she could not chew even soft rice. Eating was a big problem. Mr. Tswei's
grandmother, the Lady Tang, realized the difficulty her mother-in law had in
chewing food, and thus hit upon a solution to keep the Grand Dame alive and in
good health. The Lady Tang would wake up each morning, perform her daily toilet
of washing her face and combing her hair, then she would enter her
mother-in-law's chambers and proceed to feed her breast-milk from her own body.
The elderly matron had no trouble digesting this nutriment, and thus thanks to
her daughter-in-law, even though she could not eat normal food, her body stayed
strong and healthy.
One day she fell ill,
and knowing that her life was about to reach its natural end, she summoned all
her generations of descendants into her room and told them, "All these
years I have been looked after by my daughter-in-law. She has treated me most
kindly, and I am deeply grateful to her. I only hope that the wives of all my
children and grandchildren will be as considerate and proper in their filial
devotion as she has been towards me."
When the family heard
her final words, they were deeply impressed, and ever after, used the Grand
Dame Jang Sun's advice as the motto of the household. The teaching was passed
down and cherished through the many generations of the Tswei family.
A verse in her honor
says,
Out of deep respect for the Tswei Family's
matron,
After morning toilet she would feed the Grand Dame milk.
Kindness such as this is difficult to repay;
May every generation of descendants be so kind!
Number Eleven
Attracting Mosquitoes To
Drink His Blood: Wu Meng
In the Jin Dynasty, a
filial eight-year-old boy named Wu Meng served his parents with devoted compliance.
His family was extremely poor and could not afford mosquito netting. On hot
summer nights the mosquitoes would come swarming in as thick as smoke. The
little boy would remove his shirt and let the insects land on his bare skin. He
would watch then drink their fill of his blood, and fly away; he wouldn't raise
a hand to shoo them off, no matter how painfully they stung him. Wu Meng wasn't
a fool, so why didn't he brush the bugs away?
He knew that his parents
had no netting at their bedside. If he drove the mosquitoes away from his body,
they would surely fly over and wake up his mother and father with their
stinging. So the devoted son simply let the mosquitoes drink his blood instead.
So that his parents wouldn't know about his sacrifice and demand that he stop,
the boy would wake up earlier than they, slip his shirt over his swollen torso,
and return to his own bed. But one morning, being tired from loss of sleep, he
forgot to wake up and pull on his shirt. His father arose and found his son
asleep by his bed. He looked at the boy' s pathetic, mosquito-bitten skin that
was covered with red welts, and understood immediately what Wu Meng had done.
Mr. Wu woke up his wife and told her the story. The two parents, deeply moved
by their son's unselfish concern for them, began to cry. They were so touched,
their sounds of sobbing could be heard by the neighbors. From all sides the
neighbors gathered to investigate the matter, and learned about Wu Meng's
sacrifice on behalf of hi s parents.
Everyone thought that
the boy's attitude of filial respect was most remarkable, especially for one
only eight years old. Someone reported the incident to the local magistrate,
who wrote a memorandum to the Dragon Throne, to inform the imperial court. The
matter thus came to the attention of the Emperor, who rewarded Wu Meng with a
scholarship to the academy. Further, he gave the family a set of mosquito nets
and a stipend, so that they never again lacked the necessities of life.
A verse in his honor
says,
Summer nights and no mosquito netting!
Insects by the thousands, yet he wouldn't raise a hand.
"Let them drink my blood and fill their bellies,
Just don't disturb my parents while they sleep!"
Number Twelve
Lying Down On The Ice to
Fetch Carp For His Stepmother: Wang Xiang
During the Jin Dynasty,
a young boy named Wang Xiang (Wang the Lucky) lost his mother to illness. His
father took another wife so that the boy would have maternal care. His
stepmother, however, was a bad-tempered, evil-natured woman, who took a dislike
to her stepson, and often berated him in front of his father. This went on
incessantly, and eventually, she managed to turn Lucky Wang's father against
the boy. Despite this hardship, Lucky Wang remained devoted in his filial
regard for them both.
One winter it was
unusually cold, and snow fell for many days. The snow piled up on all sides of
the house, and the small creek nearby froze solid with ice. The severe weather
forced the family indoors, and all the animals found shelter wherever they
could. The world outdoors was a broad blanket of white. Wang Xiang's stepmother
took sick. She craved medicine, and her thoughts fixed on the image of fresh
fish. She demanded fresh carp as medicine to cure her illness. As it was still
snowing, and everywhere the rivers had long since frozen solid, where could
fresh fish be found? Lucky Wang was a dutiful son, however, and could not bear
seeing his parents unhappy.
He forced his way out
into the cold and walked to the creek side to see what he could do. The snow
was piled deep, and the boy shivered in the cold. He looked and looked, but
found no access to running water. Tired and disappointed, he sat down on the
ice and lamented his failure to find fish to cure his mother. Having no way to
solve the problem, he simply let his tears flow. An idea came to him as he
cried, and having no recourse, in his desperation, he removed his coat and
shirt, and lay down on the ice amid his hot tears. The more he cried, the more
upset he got. The more upset he got, the more his tears flowed. Before long,
his body heat and the apidly expanding puddle of tears melted a hole in the
ice. Two carp that had been frozen into the river-water suddenly leaped up out
of the crack in the ice and flopped onto the bank. Amazed and delighted, Wang
Xiang scooped them up and carried them home to his ailing mother.
Seeing the two live
fish, Wang Xiang's stepmother felt thoroughly ashamed of her selfishness.
Afterwards, she changed her attitude towards her stepson, and became a kind and
caring person. Many people said that Wang Xiang's response came from his
sincere filial devotion. His noble attitude moved Nature into giving him a
reward.
A verse in his honor
says,
Stepmothers abound on this earth,
But rare are sons like Lucky Wang.
Even now when the river freezes over,
We recall his icy sacrifice for Mother.
Number Thirteen
Burying His Son To Save
His Mother: Guo Ju
Guo Ju lived during the
Han Dynasty with his wife, his aging mother, and their three-year-old son. The
household was extremely poor, and the four of them often found it difficult to
make ends meet. There was rarely enough food to go around. The grandmother,
being fond of the baby, would often take her scanty portion of food and feed it
to her grandson. She never got enough nutrition and frequently went hungry. As
the baby grew, the elderly woman's health deteriorated, and before long, she
fell sick.
Since Guo Ju could
afford neither nutritious food nor medicine to heal his mother, his heart felt
great consternation. He discussed the situation with his wife, saying, "We
are unfilial children. We can't feed our mother properly, and now she is sick!
What are we going to do?" His wife had no solution. Guo Ju couldn't sleep
at night, wrestling with his problem. His heart was agitated and upset.
In desperation, finally
he resolved to part with his own son, in order to serve his first allegiance,
his mother, in proper fashion, during the final days of her life. "Perhaps
we can have more children in the future," he told his wife, "but
mother in her old age deserves our best offerings and care. Don't you
agree?"
Guo Ju's wife, although
she loved her infant son, was also a devoted filial daughter. Nodding her head
and weeping with grief, she agreed to go along with the heart-rending solution
to their problem. The two of them carried the infant into the back yard, and
with a planter's hoe, Guo Ju dug a hole in the earth. Before he had dug down
three feet, he heard a loud thunk! and felt something solid beneath the
hoe-blade. He dug more carefully, and unearthed a sturdy metal chest. Opening
the cover, to their astonishment, they discovered a pile of golden coins and
silver bars, worth a king's ransom. "Oh, look!" the husband and wife
exclaimed. Written on top of the casket was a sentence: "A gift to the
filial son Guo Ju."
The couple took the
fortune in gold to the local magistrate, but owing to the inscription on the
lid, and the unusual circumstances surrounding its appearance, the government
officials returned the money to the husband and wife. Guo Ju promptly found a
doctor and medicine for his mother, and was able to keep his son alive. The
family ever after had sufficient supply of life's necessities and enjoyed the
blessings due to filial children.
A verse in his honor
says,
Guo Ju wished to .serve his aging mother;
He buried his son, so that she might live,
The gods rewarded him with golden coins;
Their brilliant gleam lit up his humble hut.
Number Fourteen
Wrestling With A Tiger
To Save His Father: Yang Xiang
In the time of the Jin
Dynasty, a boy of fourteen years, named Yang Xiang used to follow his father to
work in the fields each day. One morning as they climbed down to the paddies to
harvest rice, from out of nowhere a large, striped tiger appeared before them.
The tiger scooped up Yang Xiang's father in its mouth and headed back to the
forest. "Save me! Save me!" cried the boy's father. Hearing his
pathetic wails, Yang Xiang anxiously looked for his Father. He saw the big cat
carrying the old man away. With no thought but to rescue his father from mortal
danger, and completely forgetting about his own safety, the boy ran headlong
after the tiger. He leapt up on the tiger' s back and using every ounce of
strength, he choked the animal tightly by the throat.. Throttled in a
death-grip by Yang Xiang, the tiger fought for its breath. He had to drop the
man he carried in his fangs. Frightened by the ferocity of the young boy's
attack, the tiger put its tail between its legs and ran for its life.
Saved from death's door,
Yang Xiang's father was in shock, but otherwise unhurt. Yang Xiang watched the
tiger disappear into the forest, and then carried his father back home to
recover. When news of the incident reached the neighbors, they heaped praise on
the boy, calling him a heroic, filial child.
A verse in his praise
says,
In the wilds they met the fierce white jaws.
Yang Xiang punched hard, and choked the smelly beast.
Delivered to safety were father and devoted son:
Snatched back alive from the tiger's mouth.
Number Fifteen
Resigning Office to
Search For His Mother: Zhu Shouchang
A man of the Song
Dynasty named Zhu Shouchang lost his mother at age seven in this way: His
mother was a concubine, and his father's first wife, consumed by jealousy over the
concubine's favor with her husband, drove the woman out of the house, thereby
cutting off contact between Shouchang and his mother. The boy went to live with
his father and step-mother from age seven on.
Zhu Shouchang grew up
and served the Song Dynasty's "Celestial Ruler" (Shenzong) as an
official. Suddenly one day he felt an overwhelming impulse to find his real
mother and take care of her in proper style. This impulse continued to grow,
until he had to quit his post in the civil service and set off in search of
her. His filial quest lead him through torrential rains and gale winds, as he
traveled on, asking everybody he met for news of his mother. Although he found
no trace of her, meeting nothing but mis information or ignorance, the young
man never gave up hope, but only deepened the sincerity of his single-minded
quest.
One day a man told him
that his mother lived nearby, in Tongzhou, on the banks of the Unity River in
modern-day Shanxi province. Delighted with the news, Shouchang hurried on to Unity
River, and arrived after enduring great toil and suffering. Having traveled so
fast, he fainted by the roadside near the outskirts of town. A crowd soon
gathered, and someone handed the man a cup of ginger tea, to revive him. The
townspeople asked, Where are you from?" "What is your business that
you overexerted this way?"
He told the whole story
to the crowd, and related all that he had experienced in search of his mother.
From the midst of the throng stepped an old woman. "You are my son! I
haven't seen you for fifty years!" cried the lady, her voice choked with
tears of joy. The weary traveler, having realized his heart's desire, happily
embraced his mother and shortly thereafter, took her home to care for her
properly.
A verse in his honor
says,
He said good-bye to Mama at age seven,
He served the land with skill for fifty years.
One day he wished to see his long-lost mother,
His journey done, they both wept joyful tears.
Number Sixteen
With Deep Concern,
Tasting His Father's Stool: Yu Qianlou [NB: In some versions of the Ershisi
xiao Yu is credited with cutting flesh from his own body to give to
his father as a kind of filial medicine.]
Qianlou lived during the
Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, in the state of Qi. He rose to
office and served as the governor of Jianling for only ten days, when for no
apparent reason, as he worked in the capital, he broke out in a cold sweat, and
his heart palpitated, and would not stop.
"Do you suppose
there is a problem at home?" he wondered. Being devoted son, the duties at
home always sat foremost on his mind. Immediately he resigned his office and
hurried home. After arriving he discovered that as he had feared, his father
had suddenly been stricken with a strange illness that the doctors could not diagnose.
"If you want to know your father's prognosis and chances of recovering,
you must test his stool. If it is sweet-tasting, then the malady is serious,
and chronic. If it tastes bitter, then the problem is acute, and
short-term," said the doctor. Lacking any sophisticated testing procedure,
the physician advised Yu Qianlou that he would have to taste the old man's
excrement to determine whether he could quickly recover from the disease.
Qianlou promptly sampled the stool and to his dismay, found it sweet-tasting.
That night, in
desperation, he lit a stick of incense and knelt before the family alter, and
prayed to Polaris, the Pole Star. "If my father an recover his health, I
will offer up my life in exchange for his. Take me and let him live," he
vowed. After news of Yu Qianlou's courageous oath got around, the family and
neighbors all praised him as a truly extraordinary, filial child.
A verse in his honor
says:
He served in office but a few brief days,
When father caught a strange and awful disease.
Qianlou looked North, and bowed to star Polaris,
"Take me instead!," he vowed from bended knees.
Number Seventeen
Costumes and Pranks To
Amuse His Parents: Lao Laizi
During the Spring and
Autumn Period there lived a filial son named Old Master Lai (Lao Laizi). From
his youth he had always been most respectful and obedient towards his parents.
He obeyed their wishes, and even took special care of their innermost thoughts,
so concerned was his heart in serving them as a dutiful son. At age seventy he
still earnestly made offerings to the elderly couple, who had reached such a
lengthy life span due to his filial devotion. He kept them warm in winter, cool
in summer, and fed them soft foods, that were easy to digest in their toothless
mouths. Old Master Lai, wanting to keep his parents' spirits high, never
mentioned the word "old" in their hearing. When he overheard the old
friends lamenting one day, "Look at our son, he's already in his dotage!
Surely our own days must be drawing to a close!", his heart could not
endure the helpless feelings that arose. "I must find a way to lighten
their hearts!" he vowed. Determined to keep his parents from lamenting
over their increasing years, he hit upon a plan.
Old Master Lai dressed
up in the costume of a young child at the circus, or imitate the walk and
manner of a mischievous boy at play. He would paint on comic opera make-up and
carry a flower drum, horse-playing and cutting comic antics in front of his
delighted parents' eyes. To tickle their funny-bone he would take a toy in hand
and mimic a child's nonsense prattle, singing and dancing, and falling in a
heap. Sometimes he would carry a pole into the sitting room that balanced two
full buckets of water. Singing a silly tune he would trip up on purpose,
sending water showering over the floor and soaking his foolish-looking wig and
face-powder. His ridiculous show never failed to send the old folks into gales
of laughter. Playing the fool always dispelled his elders' Periods of
melancholy, and made them happy for days. Even though he was not a youngster,
he was able to dutifully care for the physical health and mental well-being of
his seniors. This was his first priority in life.
Lao Laizi's filial
devotion impressed all who heard of it, and he received unreserved praise as an
unusual example of perfect respect and proper affection.
A verse in his honor
says,
He cut a comic caper, and played the merry fool,
The Spring breeze fluttered his flower-drum gown.
The old folks laughed with toothless glee;
The sounds of their delight filled the air with joy.
Number Eighteen
Picking Mulberries For
His Mother: Cai Shun
During the Han Dynasty,
there lived a devoted son named Cai Shun, whose father passed away when the boy
was quite young. He and his mother relied on each other to survive the days and
years. Wang Mang had just usurped the throne at that time, and the entire
country was in great commotion, suffering a famine, a drought, and a civil war
in progress all at once. The people suffered from these dire calamities, many
families starved, and those who could manage to do so, were forced into the
fields to forage wild plants and roots for food. Often, decent men turned to
banditry and robbery, just to pass this time of hardship. The roads were
infested with gangs of thieves; the forests were havens for the homeless and
the desperate.
One day Cai Shun took
two wicker baskets out into the woods to gather mulberries for his mother.
Beneath the trees he ran into two wicked looking robbers. They were carrying
long sharp swords and their faces were cruel and dark.
"Hey kid, don't you
want to live? How do you dare invade the big Boss's territory?" shouted
the biggest of the bandits. Little Cai Shun was scared speechless. The smaller
bandit looked closely at the boy's work, planning to eat anything of value.
"Child, why are you tossing that fruit into two baskets?" Cai Shun
answered in a trembling voice: "The black mulberries are riper and
sweeter. I give those to my mother. The red ones are not ripe, but sour. Those
I eat myself, sir. I hope you two gentlemen will not kill me or else my mother
won't have anybody to look after her."
The boy's earnest
simplicity and honest answer touched the two thugs' heart of compassion.
Remembering their own parents' suffering, they decided not to harm Cai Shun.
Instead they supplied him with food and drink, and released him back to his
mother.
A verse in his praise
says:
The black mulberries went to feed his mother,
Whose blouse was stained with tears from hunger's pain;
The red-browed thugs heard his filial thoughts:
Then gave him meat and rice and set him free.
Number Nineteen
He Fanned the Pillows
and Warmed the Sheets: Huang Xiang
During the Han Dynasty,
a nine-year-old boy named Huang Xiang became famous as a model of filial
service to his father. His mother had just died, and the young boy noticed that
his father was wasting away with grief and loneliness. He resolved to make it
his business to cheer up his father. After making that decision, there was no
job in the house too troublesome for him, and he performed his chores with
vigorous, positive energy. His only concern was to spare his father worry and
anxiety. While the elder Hwang read by the light of a candle, Huang Xiang, in
the sticky heat of the summer's evening would fan the pillows, so that they
would be cool when his father went to sleep.
In wintertime, when the
freezing winds and drifting snow turned the world to ice, the little boy would
first hop into his father's bed to warm up the blankets. Then he would call his
father in to come sleep in the cozy nest he had made. Mr. Huang was deeply
touched by his son's considerate treatment, and his mind was greatly calmed. To
have such a rare person as his son, who spared no details in serving as a
dutiful child, was certainly a blessing. The story of Huang Xiang's behavior
spread far and wide. Eventually his reputation as an exemplary filial son
reached everyone in the land. "There's no one to compare with Huang Xiang
anywhere", was a verse that could be heard throughout China.
The magistrate of
Jiangxia, named Liu Hu, heard of a nine-year-old filial child in his district
who understood the principles of filial respect, and made a special petition to
the Imperial Court for recognition of Huang Xiang. How glorious and noteworthy
was Huang Xiang's filial regard!
A verse in his honor
says,
In winter months he warmed the sheets just
right;
And fanned the pillows on hot summer nights.
In knowing how to be a filial son,
In all these years, Huang Xiang's still number one.
Number Twenty
A Bubbling Spring and
Leaping Carp: Jiang Shi and His Wife
Jiang Shi was a filial
son who lived during China's Han Dynasty. He and his wife were both devoted to
serving his aged mother. The elder woman had a curious habit in that she didn't
like to drink well-water. She preferred river-water, because the rapid current
of the river produced cleaner water, and the flavor was much improved over
well-water.
The nearest river was
over six miles from the family home. Jiang Shi's wife volunteered to travel the
distance every day with bucket in hand to carry back fresh river-water for her
mother-in law. No one ever heard her complain of the trouble involved; she was
glad to serve the mother of her husband.
Jiang Shi's mother also
enjoyed eating fresh fish. On order to comply with her wishes, the husband and
wife would bring back fresh fish from the river as well, and then prepare it
the way she liked it. Further, they would invite in all the elderly women from
the neighborhood to enjoy the meal, so that their mother would have company
with her dinner.
The two filial children
passed many years in this way, and they never expressed dislike or resentment
over the toil. One day a spring gushed up right behind the house, and its
flavor was just like that of running river-water. Strange as it may seem, two
carp would leap out of the spring each day, as if waiting for Jiang Shi's wife
to gather them in for the meal. Ever after, the couple did not have to travel
so far to serve their mother, and without as much tiring effort, they could
still bring her river-water and fresh fish.
A verse in their honor
says,
The son delights in his filial regard;
The daughter, too, finds service not too hard;
Every morning carp came leaping out
Of the sweet-dew spring in their back yard.
Number Twenty-one
Crying By the Grave When
Thunder Rolled: Wang Pu
Wang Pu (Wang Weiyuan)
was a filial son who lived during the Three Kingdoms Period. His mother dreaded
the sound of thunder-claps. Every time the sky filled with dark clouds and rain
was on the way, Wang Pu would run to his mother's side to comfort her and to
calm her fears. If her son was not at her side, the old woman felt unbearable
alarm.
After his mother passed
on, Wang Pu buried her in a neighboring graveyard. Even though the old lady was
no longer alive, every time a storm approached, and it appeared that lightning
was coming, he would run to the graveside and kneel by his mother's tombstone
with tears running down his cheeks. "Don't cry Mother, your son is
nearby!", he would call, just as if his mother was alive. As long as the
storm lasted, the man remained near the grave, circling around it countless
times, to protect his mother's spirits and keep her from fear.
Later when he taught
school, every time he read a passage that mentioned the emotion felt by devoted
sons and daughters for their departed parents, Wang Pu's own feelings would
overflow, and he would cry with deep longing. Seeing this behavior, his
students would carefully remove any texts that talked about the tender feelings
of children for their parents. Wang Pu always emphasized in his lessons the
necessity of repaying the kindness of one's parents while they are still alive.
He was considered a model of filial behavior, and his constant regard for his
departed mother moved the hearts of all those who witnessed it.
A verse in his honor
says:
His mother dreaded most the sound of
thunder-claps;
He knelt beside the bed to calm her fears;
Still he hurries to her grave and circles 'round,
Each time a rumbling thunder-storm appears.
Number Twenty-two
Serving Wooden Statues
Of His Parents: Ding Lan
During the Han Dynasty a
young man named Ding Lan lost both his parents at an early age, before he knew
how to serve them properly. After growing to adulthood, he longed to pay proper
filial regard to mother and father, but as they had left the world, he could
not get his wish. He hit upon a plan that would allow him to fulfill his filial
duties: he gave a large piece of fine-quality wood to a craftsman and asked him
to carve it into the images of his parents. The artisan fashioned two statues
that satisfactorily captured the likeness of Ting's mother and father.
When the images were
done, Ding Lan reverently placed them in the living-room altar. Every day,
morning and evening without fail, he would offer up incense, bow, and ask after
the well-being of the statues. After he married, Ding Lan would lead his wife
before the altar twice each day and perform the same ceremony of offerings to
his departed elders.
His wife grew weary of
the tedious ritual, and one day, out of boredom, when Ding Lan was not home,
pricked the hand of one of the small wooden carvings, just to play a joke. Who
could have guessed that the statue's hand would bleed! The sight of real blood
dripping from the image on the altar frightened his wife out of her wits.
Ding Lan returned home
and bowed before the images as usual, and noticed the eyes of one of the
statues were filled with tears. Marveling at this state, he looked closer and
saw a trickle of blood running down the tiny hand. He demanded an explanation
from his wife. She shamefully admitted her little joke, and how she had pricked
the statue's hand with a needle. Ding Lan blew up in anger, and calling his
wife an unfilial wretch, he threw her out of the house and, got a divorce!
A verse in his honor
says,
Wooden statues of his parents,
Carved to look as if alive.
Pay heed, all good sons and daughters:
Serve your parents while you can!
Number Twenty-three
Tears That Brought
Bamboo-shoots From the Frozen Earth: Meng Zong
Meng Zong lived during
the Three Kingdoms Period of China's past. His father died when he was young,
and he and his mother struggled to survive. One winter his mother was stricken
with a serious illness, and craved some bamboo-shoot broth as medicine. But in
the depths of winter, with snow and ice blanketing the ground, where was anyone
to find fresh bamboo shoots, shoots that emerge only in the warm months?
Nonetheless, Meng Zong, to avoid disappointing his mother, bravely fetched his
shovel and went out into the white landscape in search of bamboo shoots. In the
thicket he found only frosted leaves and green stalks coated with snowflakes
and ice. Look as he might, there were simply no fresh shoots growing in the
winter. The thought of his poor mother lying sick on her bed, waiting for
bamboo-broth medicine, made his heartache. Uncontrollably, tears began to fall
in rivers to the ground beneath the tall, emerald canes. Even now, as his tears
flowed down, he kept a light of faith in his heart. If he was truly sincere in
his search, perhaps....
Just then Meng Zong
nearly tripped and fell over a sharply protruding lump of earth. He quickly
knelt down and knocked aside the dirt with his trembling fingers. How uncanny!
Underneath his frozen hands he discovered a bed of fresh, tender bamboo shoots!
Overjoyed, he gathered up a coatful and carried them back home. The broth that
he quickly set stewing in the pot soon cured his mother's illness.
The neighbors, hearing
the story, exclaimed that it was the strength of his sincere, unselfish, filial
resolve that inspired heaven and earth to respond, and to bring up, out of
season, the fresh shoots that cured his mother's disease. Before Meng Zong's
prayers generated this miracle, it was normally considered impossible for
bamboo shoots to grow in the winter. After the nmiracle took place, however,
people were able to gather and to eat bamboo shoots all year round. The winter
variety that existed hereafter became known as "winter shoots."
The villagers were
deeply influenced by Meng Zong's courage and devotion. They renamed the spot
where the event took place, "Meng Zong's Bamboo Grove". We can now
enjoy bamboo sprouts during the winter as well, and as we do so, it is fitting
to recollect Meng Zong's outstanding example of filial respect, and reflect on
our conduct as sons and daughter of our parents.
A verse in his honor
says,
His teardrops transformed winter at the roots;
Up from the ice crept tender bamboo shoots.
Instantly, the winter-sprouts matured;
Heaven's will: a happy, peaceful world.
Number Twenty-four
Personally Scrubbing His
Mother's Chamber-pot: Huang Tingjian.
Huang Tingjian was a
well-known calligrapher, poet, and filial son who lived during the Song
Dynasty. His pseudonym was Huang Shangu. As a man of letters, his fame was well-established
during his lifetime. No matter the style of poetry, essays, or calligraphy, his
work met with popular acclaim. Su Dongpo was his colleague, and the two men
were known as "The Poets Su and Huang."
During the Yuanyou reign
Period of the Song Zhezong Emperor, Huang Tingjian served China as "Chief
Historian." His duty was to chronicle the astronomical events of the
Period, and to regulate the calendars of the Empire. Despite his high status,
he was not arrogant, or haughty. His nature, on the contrary, was respectful
and compliant, especially in his filial regard for his mother. Although he had
a houseful of servants, when it came to serving his mother, regardless of the
chore, he insisted on performing it himself. He never required a servant or family
staff person to wait on his mother. Every night he personally scrubbed out the
chamber-pot his mother had used during the previous day.
His reason for seeing to
this business himself was that since parents raise children to adulthood,
sparing no efforts in accomplishing this difficult and often troublesome task,
the children in turn, by rights should personally see to the care of their
parents. They should not pass the job on to others.
A verse in his honor
says;
His noble virtue; known both far and near;
His life-long joy: service to his kin.
He never asked the hired staff to share
The jobs that rightly, filial sons should bear.
Appendix: Excerpt from the Nü ershisi xiao
tushuo (Illustrated Version of the Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial
Piety for Women; Wu Jiayou, ed. [fl. 1850-1910]; Ming dynasty original)
[The Tale of the Woman
Who] Cut Out Her Liver to Save Her Mother-in-Law
[There was once] in
Xincheng, Jiangxi province, a woman of the Chen family married to Wang Zongluo.
Once, while her husband was serving in an official capacity in another
province, her mother-in-law became gravely ill with a disease of old age. The
wife burned incense day and night, appealing to Heaven. She vowed to shortened
the destined years of her own life to augment her mother's lifespan.
A physician said,
"This old-age malady is difficult [if not impossible] to cure. Only the
liver of a dragon and the marrow of a phoenix can save her." The wife
believed him, and she said to herself, "Dragon's liver is impossible to
come by. Why not use my own liver in its place?" Thereupon, praying for
blessings from the Kitchen God, she took up a knife and sliced into her belly,
extracting a slice of her liver. Of this she made a broth, which she served to
her mother. Her mother ate it, and she declared it delicious.
She asked, "What is
this?" The wife lied, saying, "It is the liver of a sheep."When
her mother finished eating, her illness was immediately cured. Even though the
wife felt no pain, the blood of her wound flowed unceasingly. All of this was
observed by her husband's younger sister, and the story spread quickly
throughout the whole family. When the mother-in-law learned that the wife had
sliced her own liver, she cried bitterly and soothed her. The mother lived
another twelve years before she died. When the provincial governor, Duke Zhou
heard this, he presented a placard for the Wang family gate. It read,
"Such marvelous filiality reaches all the way to Heaven!"
Subsequently, the wife
enjoyed [the extension of] her lifespan to 108 years. [During her life,] her
sons and grandsons numbered five generations under the same roof. On the day of
her death, she gathered the family together, saying, "I am about to ascend
into the heavens [as an immortal]. The Golden Boy (jintong] and Jade
Girl (yunu) have come to welcome me!" Thus speaking, she departed.
Credits To Original Sources~
