Confucius do good deeds in return view pros and cons!

The state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period issued a policy to encourage people to do good deeds, that is, whoever found any Lu people in slavery abroad would pay money to redeem them. The state would reimburse the ransom money and also give a bonus! When Zigong, a student of Confucius, found a Lu slave abroad and ransomed him with his own money, he didn't go to reimburse him for the bonus! He thought it was the right thing to do to save a man in trouble! He didn't want to ask for a reward! Zigong's good deed was well received by the people! But he was severely criticized by Confucius! Confucius thought it was wrong for Zigong to do good deeds without asking for rewards! If there is no reward for good deeds, then no one will be willing to pay to redeem slaves for Lu in the future! He asks Zigong to hurry up and collect his prize money to reimburse the ransom, and Zigong has no choice but to follow his master's orders.

Another student of Confucius, Zi Lu, was brave enough to jump into a river and save a man. The family of the rescued man thanked him for his deed and gave Zi Lu a strong ox! Zi Lu gladly accepts. Confucius greatly appreciated Zi Lu's practice of doing good deeds and asking for rewards! Confucius thought it was good to do good deeds in return! In the future, more people will be willing to save others because of this!

Confucius's view on asking for rewards for doing good has also left a deep impact on future generations, and today, many of the teaching of traditional culture take these two things as evidence of asking for rewards for doing good. So, should we do good things in return? The author thinks that doing good deeds without asking for rewards is a superior good! Confucius, as a sage, knew this very well. However, he lived in that era, the feudal dictatorship, both spiritual and material civilization is very backward, so Confucius can only be at any time to educate and guide the students to do good deeds. In fact, the natural law of the universe is to do good deeds without asking for rewards! If there is no reward, you will not save your fellow slaves who are in dire straits? Without the return of a cow, not to save the compatriots who are about to be drowned by the river?