What is filial piety?

I. Definition of filial piety: The principle of supporting one's parents and elders is called "filial piety". Filial piety is one of the two basic traditional moral codes of conduct of the Chinese people, the other basic traditional moral code of conduct is loyalty. For thousands of years, people have regarded loyalty and filial piety as their natural instincts, and even as the mark of distinction between man and beast. Loyalty and filial piety were proposed by sages, but not thought up by them. It is a historical product of long-term social practice in ancient China.

2. The content of filial piety: The content of filial piety mainly includes: 1, raising and honoring one's parents; 2, obeying and admonishing one's parents; 3, transmitting the family lineage; 4, bereaving and sacrificing to one's parents; and 5, establishing one's self and one's merit in order to show one's parents.

1. Nurturing and honoring parents: (1) Nurturing parents is to take care of their basic life such as food and clothing and living, which is the most basic obligation of children to their parents, and is based on the human concept of repaying kindness. Every person is born by parents, and because of the careful care of parents and grow up, the objective fact of life creation and maintenance of human beings has produced a sense of repayment, that is, in their parents in old age to make every effort to support their parents, to do the "feeding" obligations. (2) The traditional concept of filial piety not only requires children to do their duty of supporting their parents, but also, and more importantly, to respect and love their parents. Confucius paid special attention to "honoring parents", and whether to honor parents as the difference between man and beast, gentleman and villain. The Analects of Confucius - for the political" said: "now the filial piety, is said to be able to raise. As for dogs and horses, all of them can be raised; if they are not honored, how can they be distinguished?" In the traditional concept of filial piety, honoring relatives is a higher level of filial piety than raising relatives.

2. Shun parents and admonish parents: (1) Shun parents is to listen to the words of parents, according to the will of the parents to do things, in all things to the parents of the standard as the standard. Not only in the attitude of the parents and elders and pleased, in the behavior of the thing to the gift, and more y is to obey the will of the parents and elders, the only order, so often see filial piety and obedience to use. The Analects of Confucius, "Learning to Learn," says: "When the father is present, observe his will; when the father is absent, observe his behavior. Three years without change in the father's way, can be called filial piety." (2) To remonstrate with one's parents is to suggest politely when they make a mistake, so that they can correct it. When parents and elders are at fault, children should politely admonish them. The Analects of Confucius - Liren (《论语-里仁》) says, "When dealing with one's parents, one should give a few remonstrances" ("事父母几谏"), i.e., to politely advise them. Mengzi -告子下" says: "The parent's faults are too big and not complained about, it is more and more estranged also ...... more and more estranged, not filial piety also." That is to say, the children of the parents' faults, contrary to the moral behavior does not complain, do not advise, and even blind obedience, is unfilial.

3, succession: the traditional feudal concept of filial piety that people must have children after marriage, children and grandchildren can make the family and even the whole clan to be solid and continuity, so that the ancestors can be sacrificed. Failure to fulfill this important duty is the greatest unfiliality to parents and the greatest disrespect to ancestors. The Book of Filial Piety - The Chapter of Sacred Rule also says, "It is no greater honor than that of one's parents to continue the life of one's parents." Even if you feed your parents, you will not have any descendants to continue the family line, so that your parents will die in peace, and the ancient filial son will feel infinite shame and guilt towards his parents. It can be seen that the concept of succession in ancient times is a way to repay and comfort parents and complex.

4, bereavement and sacrifice: the basic meaning of filial piety is "good parents", which includes "life" and "death" two levels, the latter is the continuation and extension of the former. The latter is a continuation and extension of the former, and it expresses the respect and remembrance that children and grandchildren have for their deceased elders. "Serving the dead" is a very important element in the traditional concept of filial piety. The "Meanings of the Middle Ages" says, "Serving the dead is like serving the living, and serving the dead is like serving the living, and this is the most important part of filial piety". This means that serving the dead is like serving the living, and serving the dead is like serving the living, which is the highest expression of filial piety. Mencius, Teng Wengong, says: "To raise a living person is not enough for great things, but to send him to his death can be a great thing." The Book of Rites - The Meaning of Sacrifice says: "To raise a child is difficult, but to honor it is difficult; to honor it is difficult, but to secure it is difficult; to secure it is difficult, but to die is difficult." From the above, we can see that the traditional concept of filial piety attaches great importance to the "matter of death".

"Serving the dead" is what the ancients called bereavement. Zeng Zi summarized the filial piety of bereavement as "being cautious of the end and chasing the distance". The "cautious death" is the funeral behavior of the parents' death, and the "distant pursuing" is the sacrificial rite after the parents' death. It can be seen that the form of children's expression of filial piety is funeral and sacrifice, that is to say, after the death of parents or elders should be held after the funeral and sacrificial rites.

5. Establishing oneself and making achievements to show one's parents (1) Establishing oneself: filial piety is the first of all good things, therefore, almost everything that is done to establish oneself is regarded as filial piety. To establish oneself one must first save one's body, i.e., preserve one's body. The Book of Rites - The Meaning of Sacrifice says: "The body is also the remains of the parents; if one acts on the remains of the parents, how dare one not honor them?" The Book of Filial Piety - The Chapter of the Opening of the Book says: "The body's hair and skin are received by one's parents, and one dares not destroy them, the beginning of filial piety." It means that one's body is left behind by one's parents, and if one destroys one's body it is the same as destroying one's parents' remains, which is unfiliality. (2) Establishment of merit: the traditional concept of filial piety not only requires children to establish their bodies, but also to establish virtue, speech and merit on the basis of establishing their bodies, "Xiaojing - Chapter of the Opening of the Book of Filial Piety," which says, "Raising one's name in the future generations to show one's parents, the end of filial piety is also." Children study hard, among the ranks of the civil service, seeking success, in order to uphold the father's will, good following good description, to realize the parents' hopes for their children, "Zhongyong" said: "The filial piety of good following the will of people, good description of people also." In order to maintain the simplicity of the family's customs, to preserve the prosperity of the family, to achieve honor for the parents and the family, and to continue the life of the parents, the family and the clan. To honor the ancestors and the family, this is the highest requirement of traditional filial piety for children within the scope of family ethics.